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Friday, 19 December 2008 09:51 |
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MAISTRELLO ROBER Repair Shop via Rinascimento, 73 - cologna Veneta -VR -
| PRESA STEFANO repair Shop via Villa Bolca, 75 - Vestenanova - VR - |
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How many years have you carried this business along and how did you start?
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I started out in 1965 as an apprentice at a workshop in Cologna Veneta. Following that, I took over the duty of workshop boss for Talbot-Peugeot. It is now four years that we are in the current mechanical workshop additionally specialising in pneumatics and electronics. We also offer break-down services.
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The company actually existed for more than fifty years; my grandpa welded bells back then(those for bell towers, I mean). Then the first motorcycles and cars arrived in the workshop and my dad entered the picture. In 1985, after finishing school, came my turn. Since 2003 we have been an "A Posto Rhiag" workshop.
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| Does your workshop offer promotions and warrantees? |
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Not long ago, we performed promotions that brought about insufficient results; consequently, we decided not to repeat those experiences. We don't do a lot of warrantees. We work, above all, from "word of mouth"; we let the satisfied, regular customers find new customers for us and this is enough. We work on vehicles such as school buses, traffic police cars, Italian Post office cars (also motorcyles and scooters), and various companies with offices in the territory.
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I have always been against promotions for our own sakes that only serves the bodyshop in "stealing" work from other bodyshops. We do a lot of warrantee work, particularly on cars from the Fiat, Volkswagen, and Audi groups. Half of our clientele is composed of residential motorists from and around our beautiful valley. As for the other 50%, we work with leasing companies, long-term rentals, and with businesses such as the Italian Postal service, Enel, and the province of Verona.
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| How do you get in touch with your clientele? |
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We don't have a set strategy for contacting clients. Fortunately, we aren't short of work and a good amount of automobiles arrive to us thanks to the connection with local dealers that advise their clients to our workshop for servicing.
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We have a large data base which we depend on for reminding our clients of expirations on services and warrantees. It is a service that the motorists appreciate particularly because is allows them to remember commitments that would otherwise be forgotten.
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| What do you think about the various initiatives of the auto industry in regards to maintenance programs? |
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All of the car manufacturers are obligated to suggest the promotional initiatives since their management costs are rising. We observe that, from the first service, the motorist turns to independent workshops for good servicing and to spend less.
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Manufacturers are in advantage for the fact that the motorists, unaware of the advantages of the Monti laws, are directed to their workshops for scheduled warrantee work in the guaranteed period. Another advantage comes from the extensions of the primary warrantee since the motorist is obligated to go to the manufacturer's workshop until the end of the additional warrantee.
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| What do your kids want to do when they grow up? |
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Nicolò is 19 years old and works with me, taking care of autodiagnostics and tuning since he is very passionate in that area. Manuela is the mum of two wonderful little kids that usually keep me company in the afternoons.
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I have a big and beautiful family. Damiano, 13 years old, is passionate of computers; Elisa, 11 years old, is in middle school and likes to dance; Federico, 10 years old, will definitely work with me because of his obvious passion for engines; Valeria is almost 3 years old and loves to play with her adorable dolls.
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| What are your hobbies? If you didn't become an auto mechanic, what would you have liked to do? |
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I was born in the country and I would have continued to work with my dad: a farmer. Everyday on the tractors... My hobby is the radio amateur business with which I contact my friends and co-workers. My son has a passion for go-karts, motocross, mini-motorcyles, and quads.
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I would have been a painter to utilise my creativity and love for colours. As for my hobbies: I follow rallies, occupying me with assisting the races, I'm president of Pro Loco, I like to ski in the winter and...my wife reminds me that I also have four kids to take care of!
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