SSWBN – Featured Business, May 2012

Name:  Christy Kendrick
Position/title:  Sales & Marketing Representative
Name of business:  ACME Auto Glass
Location of business:  Three store locations:  Hyannis, Plymouth and Walpole.

ACME GLASS provides mobile service dispatched all over Southeastern Massachusetts including Cape Cod.  We service north to Quincy and Boston, west to Taunton, Raynham, out to Wayland, Sudbury and beyond, south to Sagamore and Bourne bridges and all over the Cape down to Provincetown!

How did you come to be in this line of work?
In 2007, I had been working for a uniform company for 12-plus years and needed a change.  At a birthday brunch with three girlfriends, I asked them to please keep their ears open for an employment opportunity for me -- knowing that we all had different contact spheres -- and hoped that something would turn up.  A month later, the husband of one of the women, the owner of ACME GLASS, called me and offered me this job.  And here I am.

What are the top three things that separate you from your competition?

• The owner is a regular guy who cares about and allows us to cater to our customers.
• We are fortunate to have long-term employees:  some have been with ACME for 18-plus years!!  And
• We make sure that our staff has the proper knowledge and experience do the job correctly and to ensure customer satisfaction.

Describe your dream/perfect/best customer.
Our dream customer is one who understands how repair work can develop into more a time-consuming procedure than anticipated, and who understands that if it is raining outside, we will have to re-schedule unless they have a garage in which we can work.  Another dream customer is one who has a fleet of vehicles and wants to sign a contract!

Our perfect customer is a satisfied customer who tells all of her/his family and friends about the great service they got from ACME GLASS.  Our best customer is a repeat customer.

And our favorite customer is YOU! 

What is the most important message you have to communicate about your industry?
Most car owners carry insurance for glass replacement.  The most essential information I need to communicate is that you, the owner, have the right to choose who performs the work on your vehicle regardless of who is recommended by your insurance representative.  There are differences in the quality of auto glass installation -- quickest is not always best.  You need to shop local and support local business owners, know the folks who work on your vehicle, feel safe and confident that you can ask questions and receive satisfaction.  We guarantee our work.

What do you regard as your greatest achievement in business to date?
Mike McCloskey, owner of ACME GLASS, feels his greatest achievement is his re-incorporation of ACME in 1990 as the third generation owner.

My greatest achievement in this business has been proving to myself and to my employer that networking and forming relationships with others in business helps to build each other’s businesses.  Strategic partnerships are unlimited.  Whatever business you are doing, if the provider succeeds in servicing you well, why not promote his/her business?  That testimonial will come back to you in many ways.

Where do you want you and your business to be in five years?
We want to be not just surviving, but thriving and continuing to provide employment for the passionate staff of ACME GLASS.

What benefit(s) have you received through your networking efforts?
I have met lots of wonderful, interesting people and found that paying attention, being a good listener and asking a few questions will take you on a marvelous journey, making many great friends and doing some business along the way.  I like to say it’s the pebble in the pond … the ripples keep touching someone.

What is/are your one or two toughest challenges?
My toughest challenges are time management and filling the gas tank.  It is difficult with the large territory I cover to schedule account visits, new account contacts and networking, and still find time to manage email, social marketing, other communications --  and have a little home life, too.   I am still trying to perfect that.

As to the filling of the gas tank:  lately that just hurts!  But you gotta have it!!

What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
I am driven to do my best.  “Making the best better” is the 4H motto that I grew up with ... sometimes hard to do … but it sure is something to work at.  After five years of networking, I am in a great place to refer and recommend others and that is a HUGE motivator for me.

What is something that members may be surprised to learn about you?
My husband and I were full time antique dealers for many years, worked with historical societies and museums.  We even loaned a major piece to a three-year long traveling Smithsonian exhibition.  Also, I am very involved with nutrition, eating raw food (i.e. not cooked), mostly vegetarian and growing organic food, all of which has helped me control my weight and improve my health.

What do you do in your spare time for fun? 
I garden, hunt antiques, make my own crackers and granola in my dehydrator, hike with my husband and dog … and I read!

Interested in becoming a featured business? Click here to apply! Or contact Katie Howard at khoward@sswbn.org