It’s November, which means it’s a busy time for Ste. Agathe Service Station, where customers are lining up to ensure their vehicles are ready for the winter months ahead. This where locals buy and replace their winter tires while the shop team tests block heaters, checks for winter-strength coolants, and provides an overall winter safety inspection.
Alain and Rachel Robert purchased Ste. Agathe Service Centre from Alain’s parents in 2001 after the business had already been serving the community for 25 years. Alain, a certified Red Seal Technician, is hands-on in all aspects of the business, whether the day requires his Red Seal expertise, management skills, or floor-mopping abilities.
The family affair also includes the couple’s adult children. One son works on site as a technician, another pops in to help as needed, and their daughter plays a supportive role in the office and with parts.
“Basically, we do it all when it comes to automotive or light truck repair,” says Alain. “Some of the most common work includes wheel alignments, A/C fixes, tire repair, and sales.”
Those who are familiar with the quaint façade of this 3,200-square-foot shop may be unaware of the busy nine bays that expand well into the property. The original business began as four walls, five bays, and a makeshift office. Alain added an additional five bays, a modernized lunchroom, and a welcoming reception area with a complimentary office Keurig machine for customers.
Yet a lot more has changed over the years than just the square footage. As part of the computer generation, Alain has strategically worked to integrate computerization wherever it can add value to the business and keep his team up to speed.
His team includes three hired Red Seal-licensed technicians and another three apprentices who are on track in their third and fourth levels to apply for Red Seal certification. Red Seal is the standard for both the province and Canada, so Alain is committed to supporting technicians through the journey.
“Our younger team is particularly adept with embracing technology,” Alain says. “Training never ends. There’s training this week. Training next week. They make me spend a lot of money on equipment.”
This digital integration is apparent throughout the shop where tablets and diagnostic equipment are adorned at every work station.
One distinction that keeps Ste. Agathe Service Station’s customers coming back is the Digital Vehicle Inspection, which adds an extra layer of transparency for the customer.
To complete a Digital Vehicle Inspection, every technician has an electronic tablet in their toolbox. When the vehicle is inspected, issues, photos, and explanations are documented in the form of a simplified checklist that can be texted or emailed to the customer. Simple coding—like red, amber, and green indicators—denote the requirement or urgency of a repair. Over time, a full customer and vehicle history are created, saving troubleshooting time for all involved.
“The Digital Vehicle Inspection improves communication with our customers, especially if they don’t have a mechanical background,” explains Alain. “They can actually see the problem and we can talk about the process to fix it. This builds confidence and trust.”
The digital approach also streamlines communication shop-wide. As soon as data is entered into the system, it appears live on two screens in the office where the service writers can quickly prepare a report and contact the customer. With everyone in the know, work can be better organized and prioritized throughout the day with less downtime.
Alain adds that the system is also environmentally friendly. “We no longer rely on paper, clipboards, and data entry. We’ve seen our paper use go way down.”
At the end of the day, he knows that it’s the people who make the operation a success.
“We have good, loyal customer relationships,” he says. “They are our friends. We have examples of customers that have been with the family business for forty years plus.”
As Alain’s team takes care of the customers, he also stays ahead of the game to take care of them. “We are very safety-conscious and we are working with Seine River Safety for future safety certification requirements.”
As a long-standing local business in Ste. Agathe, Alain and his team are active members of the community. Every spring they host a barbeque where kids can get their bike tires pumped up to be ready for the season.
“One year we pumped air into the tires of over 120 bikes,” says Alain with a smile, “It was a good time.”
The Ste. Agathe Service Centre team also gets involved with local hockey and plays a role in Ste. Agathe’s annual community fair, Cheyenne Days, in July.
As for the future, Alain maintains an attitude of ongoing improvement and steady work.
“We’ll continue evolving. We’ll keep getting more modern with our equipment and work on continuous safety improvements. Even though we’ve just expanded, some days we think we should have built bigger!”
