In This Podcast Episode

Rob McNealy interviews Gail Dunn, owner of Women’s Automotive Connection, which ensures that women take control of their automotive service and repair transactions.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Gail Dunn’s Bio

With an extensive and varied business background, Gail Dunn brings a unique and seasoned perspective to the automotive business. Working as a consultant in Organization Development before entering the automotive field in the collision industry and as an estimator and body shop manager, Gail has had opportunities to interact with the public extensively regarding their problems with repairs. She is dedicated to the premise that customer service needs to be central and that customers come first.

Gail is I-CAR platinum certified, ASI trained, and has a reputation in the industry for her scrupulous honesty and grim determination.

Gail is a native of Atlanta, and currently lives in Woodstock with her husband, Ed. She has worked with many of the automotive service providers across the North Georgia area and is widely known for her expertise and outstanding customer service.

How Gail Got Started

I had a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I had kept in immaculate condition. One Sunday afternoon, it would not start. After looking it over, I found that there was no fuel getting to the rails, and that meant to me that the fuel pump was not operating properly. I had the Jeep towed to the dealership I worked for and on Monday morning went over to the service department. I explained the problem and specifically asked them to install a new fuel pump. Later in the day, the Service Manager brought my vehicle to the Collision Center and told me that they had just replaced a relay, because they got the engine running.

This did not satisfy me, but since the car ran, I went on home. It ran for two days, and then on Wednesday evening, the problem recurred. Once again, I had it towed, but this time to the Collision Center where I worked. I went to the parts department, purchased a fuel pump, and found a service tech that would install it for $40 as a side job.

When I confronted the Service Manager, he said he was trying to save me money. I reiterated that I had originally asked that they install a fuel pump, and had not requested a diagnosis or money-saving patch.

The upshot of all of this, the service department would have charged me about $750 to install the pump, but when they dropped the ball, I had the work done for less than $300.
[ad#horizontal]