Access Automotive provides a wide range of services to keep your ride working efficiently on the road. It’s the place to go for oil changes, suspension repairs, tire changes/tire storage, inspections, transmission work – and more. President Robert L. Music acquired Access Automotive after a very thoughtful and diligent search.
“I had worked at a few different automotive shops and wanted to have more freedom to talk in greater detail to clients and give them customized maintenance recommendations that emphasized quality and preventative vehicle care,” Music explains. “I had a belief that I still have to this day: that quality service and maintenance will decrease the overall cost of ownership of a vehicle and increase its reliability and safety on the road. I noticed that clients were following me from shop-to-shop, which gave me the confidence to take the plunge and purchase Access Automotive.”
Once he found, and made the decision to acquire Access Automotive, things moved quickly.
“I was a one-man operation for my first four months in business, and then hired an automotive technician to help support my growing business. Two years later I hired another technician, and recently added a third. We also have a service advisor along with my wife Gina, who is the co-owner of Access Automotive. She is our bookkeeper, shuttle driver and treasurer for the company.”
He couldn’t be happier with the acquisition or his career path. It suits him on every level. Music confirms, “I love quality repairs and I am very detail oriented. I love teaching my clients why we do the repairs and maintenance. I think one of my strengths is making personal connections with my clients. It’s very important to me that they have a great experience when they come to visit us and that they feel valued as a person. I love making new friends. I can’t help it!”
Music makes sure Access Automotive stands out in the very competitive industry. “We strive to provide both extraordinary service to our clients and a safe, ethical and enjoyable workplace for our employees to create positive opportunities and outcomes for everyone. We aim to make your car ownership experience as easy and predictable as possible, and often provide advice on tailoring long-term maintenance to your financial and personal needs.”
He even goes a step above for clients whose vehicle no longer suits their lifestyle.
“It’s not uncommon for us to help our clients sell their vehicle when it no longer fits their plans, which is a convenience they really appreciate,” says Music. “Oftentimes I know that another client is looking for the exact car that another one of our clients wants to sell. Because they know our maintenance philosophy and quality, they trust that they are getting a thorough, informed opinion of the vehicle’s condition.”
For Music and his team, client engagement is always the top priority.
“It is common for me to spend half an hour, and sometimes well over an hour in the back showing a client the ins and outs of their vehicle. No one will ever feel like they left my shop without knowing exactly which services should be done on their vehicle, and why. I also instill in my technicians the importance of going the extra mile to make sure that everything is included in diagnosing current and potential future problems. We are diligent in tracking a vehicle’s history, and often pick up on things that would otherwise be hard to recognize without a thorough knowledge of the vehicle.”
The team empowers their clients to stay informed outside of the shop as well. “We share tips and tricks on servicing your vehicle on our website (accessautomotive.ca) and on our Instagram (@accessautomotiveedmonton) and Facebook accounts (@accessautomotive). We are also active on YouTube.”
That level of customer service was also seen during pandemic. Music notes, “During the initial COVID wave, people were surprised to hear that we offered a contactless car pickup service where we drove to people’s residence and drove the car to our shop so that the customer wouldn’t have to have any in-person contact at all to service their car.”
Music and his team enjoy giving back to the community as much as they enjoy keeping their clients’ cars on the road. And for Music, some of his charitable work is very personal.
“About 10 years ago, a dear friend of our family was diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), for which she required multiple blood transfusions. Since then I’ve been donating blood weekly and recently achieved my 400th blood donation. I’m a big supporter and believer in the mission of Canadian Blood Services. As for Access Automotive, we frequently support the causes championed by our clients, with recent donations to Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, for cancer research, and more.”
Looking back over the years, Music thanks those that helped the company get to where they are today. Those people and associations include AMA and the many clients who have trusted Access Automotive and left glowing reviews (currently 5/5 stars from over more than 175 Google reviews).
Music adds, “I’ve learned a lot from some automotive consultants I have worked with over the years. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Total Automotive Training & Consulting (TACT) including David Meunier, Murray Voth and Richard Dansereau who taught me a lot about pricing benchmarks in the industry, how to handle HR, becoming a better manager and business owner and increasing our productivity and efficiency. I’d also like to thank the International Automotive Technicians Network who have been instrumental in keeping me abreast of new developments in the industry, and in particular Becky Witt who helped me individually.”
Access Automotive is ready to drive confidently into the future.
“We are bursting at the seams! So, adding space and another technician is something we are actively working on,” says Music. “We are continuing to upgrade our operations manuals and provide the training that will allow our employees to perform at their highest level and achieve professional and personal success. With the popularity of electric cars increasing daily, embracing innovation and adapting to new technologies is something that we are investing our time in. There’s always something new in automotive care!”
