"My philosophy, when I built this shop, was to make it woman-friendly," said Owner Larry Leibrand, who has been working on cars for 30 years.  "Women can sit in here and relax and read a book and not have to worry about foul language or pictures on the wall of naked women.  I want this to be a comfortable, inviting place to come.  Customers are here because there is something wrong with their car and I try to make the experience as pleasant as I can."

Leibrand's five technicians also are required to uphold his philosophy.  At work, they must refrain from smoking, foul language, and wearing hats.  They must also keep their shirts tucked in and address customers as Mr. and Mrs., he said.

"I try to be as professional as I can, and I tell my technicians the same thing," Leibrand said.  "Great customer service is what I strive for.  There are a lot of shops in the area, and I have to be as good or better than my competition," he said. 

Leibrand's professionalism extends to the image of the shop and grounds of his building.  The floors in the shop are washed every night, tools are put away, engines and transmissions are not left lying around, and the yard is tended to by a professional lawn care service, he said.

"It doesn't mean we are better mechanics--you can have a dirty shop and have a great automotive shop--but I just like the place to look good when customers walk in," he said. 

  
Leibrand's Riverside Automotive has been in Riverside since 1966, when Larry's father opened a three-bay shop just down the street from the current location.  In 1989, Larry took over the business, and by 1998 was forced to build a larger shop due to a growth in business.

"I had outgrown the little shop and I didn't own the building or the land," Leibrand said.  "My accountant told me that for what I was paying in rent, I might as well buy my own land and building.  So, we bought three acres of land and built this building.  Next to marrying my wife, it has been the best thing I have ever done.  Financially, it has been great."

The current facility is 5,000 square feet, has 10 bays and six lifts including an alignment rack.  Leibrand said the larger building has allowed the company to see steady growth.  Currently, the shop averages a 25-30 car count per day, he said.

Leibrand said he works on almost all makes and models, including five fleet accounts.  He also sells a lot of engines and transmissions purchased from Jasper and sees large profits in alignments and tires.

"The alignment rack has been a valuable tool.  When a customer asks for an alignment, we must first look over the front end, so the alignment rack helps to sell a lot of struts, ball joints, and tie rods," said Leibrand, adding that he orders the parts from Star Automotive, NAPA, and O'Reilly.  "Also, when we do a Missouri Vehicle Inspection, if a tie rod end doesn't pass, nine out of 10 customers will want to get the vehicle aligned afterwards.  It has been very profitable."

The same can be said for tires, said Leibrand, who uses Goodyear and Tire Wholesale Warehouse as his suppliers.  "When you take the tires off, it is a great chance to check out the struts, shocks, and brakes."

Leibrand also advocates preventive maintenance schedules, which he finds on his Alldata software, and added that not recommending necessary maintenance is a disservice to the customer.

"For what we pay for these cars, I think it is a good idea to maintain them, Leibrand said.  "I make more money when they choose to do these repairs, but I honestly care about the customer and their car.  I want them to come back.  If I didn't change their antifreeze and it looked dirty and one week later the intake manifold started to leak, they are going to wonder why it wasn't done.  So, if something needs to be replaced, I will always recommend it." 

 
Leibrand said that because he has a good reputation and has developed lasting relationships with his customers, that nine out of 10 times when he recommends a service, his customers want it done.

    
"I am not the cheapest around," said Leibrand, whose current labor rate is $82.50, "but my customers trust me.  Most of my customers have known me for so long that I am like part of their family.  I know their names, their kids, where they are going to college.  I have known a lot of them since I was 15 years old and I am 50 now."

Leibrand said he does not do a lot of advertising, but continues to gain new customers through word of mouth. 

 
"I would guess that most every new customer that comes in here is from one of my regulars telling them to come here, and that is advertising you can't pay for," he said.

Leibrand said making the experience pleasant for his customers is the key to his success. He offers his customers a free shuttle service to and from work as long as it is within 10 miles.

"Customers will tell you that they come to my shop because I am honest, the job is almost always done right, and if there is a problem, I always take care of it," Leibrand said.  "And, they know I am not going anywhere because I have been here for 40 years."