Ascue’s Auto Body & Paint Shop parts and production manager Evan Grant essentially grew up around cars. Although Grant has only been working full-time in his current position since June 2, this is his eighth year being involved with Ascue’s in some capacity.
We spoke with Grant to learn what a typical day is like in their role in this family-owned collision repair business that has been serving Mount Pleasant since 1968.
“I’ve been in the shop ever since I was 14,” he recounted. “When I first started, I was cleaning up around the shop, you know just sweeping. Then they started me in the detail area, helping out with that. Then when I was 16, I started doing a little bit with the production guys, moving cars along in the shop.”
Now as parts and production manager, Grant arrives around 7:30 a.m. every morning and opens the shop. Most mornings he’s the first one there. He turns on all the compressors and tools and then gets the cars in line that they plan to work on that specific day, preparing them for the mechanics.
“Basically my job, I try to streamline everything,” Grant said. “When I’m here in the morning I’m getting the schedule together, making sure the cars have all the parts they need. Making sure all the processes are ready to go.”
Grant is normally the first one to see the cars when customers bring them into Ascue’s. “I’m kind of like the middleman,” he said. “I explain to the customers what processes have to be done, and then if anything’s added, getting all that information to them.”
While bumper dents are the most common issue they service, Ascue’s does everything from fixing taillights up to repairing structural damage on a frame. “That’s the thing about Ascue’s. We’re known for working on everything,” stated Grant.
Throughout the day Grant checks in on cars, sees if any technicians need more parts and ensures operations are running smoothly. Other responsibilities include keeping inventory, which he does quarterly.
The most rewarding part of the job for Grant is a satisfied customer. “When we can give a customer a car with no problems, which that’s always the goal – no problems – if we can do that, that’s a perfect satisfaction rate.”
The biggest challenge comes when they encounter the opposite outcome. “Honestly, the most challenging is probably a dissatisfied customer because when we have a customer that’s not satisfied, at that point, we become the problem-solvers,” he said. “We just got to figure what’s the problem, and how we can solve it.”
Grant’s favorite vehicles to source parts for are anything Toyota, Honda or Japanese-made, because “for some reason the parts for those cars are always available.” Additionally, Ascue’s body techs enjoy working on them, so they present minimal headaches.
Since companies are making new cars every year and technology is constantly changing and evolving, part of the job at Ascue’s requires staying updated on any automotive advancements.
Grant said Ascue’s regularly works with neighboring Starling Chevrolet, which sends them their newest models when they arrive. “So, we will be one of the first shops to see the actual new cars, see what different functions they added to them, see what they took out of them,” he noted.
Car shop newsletters play a significant role as well. “The dealerships are giving the information to the newsletters to give out to the body shops, so we are able to work on cars more efficiently for them,” Grant explained. “Because dealerships, when they have cars, their customers are also our customers.”
Grant added, “One of my jobs is to make sure my techs get that information. They’re the magicians. They’re the doctors. They’ve gotta know how to fix the cars better than we know how to fix the cars.”
When each day ends at Ascue’s, Grant puts up the cars, closes the shop and locks up. He usually leaves by 6 p.m., generally clocking 10-hour days.
Grant’s advice to anyone aspiring to a similar career is to “get around as many cars as possible.” Grant added, “Learning about cars is the main thing. If you can tell somebody what parts are on a car just by looking at it or see what the damage is just by looking at it without taking anything off or getting any extra help with it, that’s the best thing. Just knowledge about cars. And that’s on the production side and the tech side: mechanical, body tech. Anybody really that wants to be into cars, just be around cars.”
For more information, or to make an appointment for service, visit Ascue’s Auto Body & Paint Shop’s website.
By Colin McCandless
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