Racing-crew-chief-turned-shop-owner Mark Darragh knows exotic vehicles. From his days at the Indianapolis 500 to his decades running an exotic vehicle repair shop, he has become a go-to resource for examining some of the world's finest cars.
Buckle up for some of Mark’s timeless insights into how to break away from the pack and put your auto repair shop in the fast lane.
At Sphere, we treat everyone the same—from millionaires to billionaires to thousandaires.
We had a new customer stop by the shop the other day. He needed to drop his Aston Martin off and is leaving town for a couple of days. He had never been to Sphere before. But customers find comfort in the fact that they can see what’s going on in the shop.
“Can we do it? Yes. Have we done it before? No. But we can learn.”
I will always let customers ask me questions. If I don’t know the answer to one of their questions, I won’t answer it, or I’ll research it until I do. I will never lie to them. What happens if a customer asks us to do work we haven’t done before? We’ll say,
“Can we do it? Yes. Have we done it before? No. But we can learn.”
I encourage my customers to make surprise visits. If we’ve had their car for a while and they’re curious where it’s at in the repairs, stop by. We’re in this together. It’s trust built off of transparency.
Keep your customers informed. They want to know what’s going on with their vehicles. They don’t want to be left in the dark. If you provide your customers with all the details, they’ll absorb it.
“Communicate with your customers, give them visibility, and be transparent.”
I have customers who bring in their brand new cars, and won’t take them to their car dealership for repairs or maintenance. Why would they choose to come here? Because they can see the hard work I do right when they visit the shop. They see the pros in their lane, in the garage, hard at work.
Communicate with your customers, give them visibility, and be transparent.
How do you solve the auto repair industry’s bad rep? With honesty. Sure, when you’re honest, some people might not always be happy with you but you can’t please 100% of the people, 100% of the time.
Don’t BS people. I don’t sugar coat anything. I tell them everything they need to know about their car. No need to spray the shop with WD-40 to fake oil leaks. There’s enough work out there without having to make up work.
“How do you solve the auto repair industry’s bad rep? With honesty.”
A lot of customers come to me for PPIs (pre-purchase inspections). People are investing money in their exotic cars, and they need to find someone they can rely on to look the car over and ensure it is a good investment.
Matter of fact, I had a call from a guy in Southern California. He wanted me to go look at a brand new car; only 400 miles on it, and coming straight from the dealership. He simply wanted me to look at it and put my hands on it to ensure it wasn’t a fictitious vehicle.
I’ve done PPIs for Ferraris and other exotics all over the world. And I would say about 75% of people buy the cars after I complete the PPI and 25% don’t. That’s because 100% of them take my advice.
One tip that I think every garage should do is this: go for a drive with a customer. Every now and then I’ll take customers on a drive. It gives them the ability to show us exactly what’s going on, what it is they’re experiencing.
If a customer enters your shop and says, “my car has been making a rattling sound when I drive it,” and you respond with “okay, let’s take it for a spin and see exactly what’s going on,” they’ll be happy they chose your shop for their repairs.
If you do a drive pre-repairs and a drive post-repairs, it just adds an additional 5 to 10 minutes of work time, and it alleviates a lot of hassle.
Make sure your techs know you’re there to lend support. I try to teach my team to not be afraid to ask for help. If you need help and choose to struggle through it, it will take you twice as long.
“It’s okay to ask for help. Don’t let pride get in the way.”
I asked a tech to do something for me three weeks ago. It ended up taking him a week and a half because he didn’t want to ask for help. I pulled him aside and said, “it’s okay to ask for help. Don’t let pride get in the way.”
One of the main ways we have been able to earn the trust of our customers is through DVIs (digital vehicle inspections).
“You can’t lie through pictures.”
With every DVI, we will always send pictures along with it. Why? Because you can’t lie through pictures. They know exactly what’s happening.
In fact, we just did a belt service on a Testarossa. We sent that customer 40 pictures. It’s phenomenal. That’s why I love Tekmetric. It helps us communicate with our customers in a transparent way.
Before I had DVIs, I would show my customers pictures too, but it was a lot more time consuming.
I used to give my customer a binder, a little book, that would include any notes and images of what exactly is going on under the hood, what we fixed, and what repairs need to be completed in the future. All of that took so much time to write out—not to mention the spelling mistakes.
If DVIs become more standardized in the auto repair industry, there would be a lot more trust.
I do quality control (QC) on all of the vehicles that enter our shop and I've taught our techs to do the same.
Once the repairs are done on our customers’ vehicles and the car comes off the lift, we’ll do a QC check: we check the torque, tires, fluid levels, and make sure all nuts and bolts are secure.
You should be hearing *click, click, click* throughout the day. That means torque wrenches are hard at work and your technicians are making sure all vehicles are in good working order before they reunite with their owners.
Be prepared to invest some money. I think everyone underestimates what shop equipment they’re going to need. Not just that, but the quality. You’ve got to go above and beyond for your shop equipment.
I have a touchless tire machine so it won’t damage vehicles’ wheels. It was more expensive, but the ones that clamp onto tires are horrible for cars. Our machine clamps it through the middle and doesn’t touch the rim at all. Spend the extra 2 grand and get really good equipment that will last.
You’ll also need a good air hose. The higher the CFM, the more power you have. I recommend getting a three quarter air hose, not a half inch. A three quarter hose will do the job because it’s got more hammer.
Invest in your shop’s atmosphere. There aren’t many shops you can go in and have the option of sparkling or still water. Offer your customers coffee, bottled water, tea—we even have tea with milk at our shop.
Another piece of advice: put your compressor outside the shop. If it’s inside, you’ll constantly hear it.
Also, when I built my shop, I built all of the lines and cords behind the wall so customers didn’t have to see them. Now customers won’t have to see cords all over the shop’s walls when they’re picking up their second most expensive asset.
Everything is evolving, especially with computers and technology. So, auto shop owners have to learn to move forward with the times.
“Evolve to meet your customers’ needs just as the automotive industry trends are evolving.”
Invest in a good shop software system and you can replace those time-consuming tasks with a more effective method. Tekmetric is phenomenal. You can communicate through the DVIs you send, but everything else is streamlined, too. From estimate, to invoice, to follow-up even.
Evolve to meet your customers’ needs just as the automotive industry trends are evolving.
There’s a guy in town who also specializes in exotic cars. He’s incredible at what he does and if we get too busy, I’ll send customers his way, and vice versa. We work together.
“Communicate with your competition. They're working with you, not against you.”
There’s another fellow shop owner, who ran Ferrari of Houston for 20 years. We’ll call one another for advice every now and then. He now owns an exotic auto shop too and hasn’t done too many Aston Martins or Bentley’s so I’ll give him advice for those repairs, and he’ll give me advice on other stuff—especially with his Ferrari-expertise.
Communicate with your competition. They're working with you, not against you. There’s enough food on the table out there for everybody. Or in shop-lingo, there’s plenty of work to go ‘round. There’s no need to worry about lost work.
There are many great thinkers out there, and we all have the ability to stop and say, “let’s try it your way and see how it goes.” Your service advisors’ approach could be totally different from yours, but testing out their process to see if it’s more efficient in your shop will make all the difference.
“Sometimes your way of doing things isn’t the best way to grow your business.”
When I was a crew chief in California, I was more stubborn and brash. I was working on a race car’s lockwiring with another crew member and he didn’t do it the way I preferred. Rather than having a conversation with him, I snipped all of the wiring so he had to start over from square one.
Later I read Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People. And I would’ve handled that scenario differently. I would’ve done it the Carnegie way and said, “Why don’t you try it this way instead?” It’s that simple. You know what that Carnegie book should be called? “How to Get Along in Life.”
Sometimes people want something done a little differently. They might be having a bad day. I just smile and try to help.
Sometimes you have to eat humble pie. You’ve got to embrace change. Sometimes your way of doing things isn’t the best way to grow your business.
When the clock turns 6, or whenever your shop closes, don’t answer the phone. When the shop is closed, try not to think about work. And don’t ever work weekends.
“Using Tekmetric has given me the ability to step away from the shop and focus on other things I enjoy.”
Finding passions outside of work is important.
I’ve cut down some trees recently and have been using the lumber to build pieces of furniture. I recently built a bench that’s sitting in the shop. I brought my passion to work instead of bringing my work home with me. Eventually, I’ll build a house.
I also love cooking. I recently made my first souffles and they came out perfect.
Using Tekmetric has given me the ability to step away from the shop and focus on other things I enjoy.
Building connections with other shop owners will give you the opportunity to not only teach, but also learn. It’s knowledge sharing.
Any tips we can share with one another are always helpful. I’ve brought a few shop owners onto Tekmetric, but what we’ve learned along the way is that many of us [shop owners] are the same: we’re great with tools, but not so much with computers. So we talk about that.
Where Mark Gets His Inspiration:
- “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
- The Auto Shop Owners Group (ASOG) via Facebook
- The Auto Shop Owners Podcast (ASOG)
- If you enjoy cooking, join Master Class
Sharing those struggles—and successes, for that matter—helps you feel more like a community. It’s easy for shop owners to see what it is they’re doing wrong, but we should also make sure to point out to one another what we’re doing right.
I had a friend stop by the shop just the other day. I was going on and on about something I messed up on. He said, “Mark, look outside the shop. You’re clearly doing something right.”
Over the years, I’ve had thousands of conversations with shop owners, advisors, and technicians across the country. No matter the size of the shop or how long you’ve been using Tekmetric, I keep hearing the same two things:
You want a place to learn from each other.
And you want deeper, hands-on Tekmetric training.
That’s exactly why we built Tektonic 2026.
If you’ve already found this page, you probably know the basics: three days in Houston, April 9-11, built for owners, advisors, and technicians from every kind of shop and every kind of system. Tektonic is about one thing — helping you get better results, faster, with practical education, shop-tested playbooks, and product training you can actually use.
Here’s a sneak peek at what we have in store, at what that really means for you and your team.
You already work hard. The question is whether every hour and every RO is actually paying you back.
Even well-run shops leak profit in the back office: unclaimed credits, fees that never get billed, vendor mistakes that never get caught. This session is about tightening all of that up without burning everything down and starting over.
You’ll walk away with:
If you’ve ever felt like your top line looks good but the bottom line doesn’t match the grind, this one’s worth circling.
Late-model vehicles roll in, ADAS is everywhere, and the liability is real. Missed calibrations aren’t just a line item you forgot to bill — they’re a safety issue and a trust issue.
You’ll walk away with:
The goal: fix vehicles right the first time, protect your reputation, and make sure you’re charging appropriately for the work you’re already responsible for.
If you’ve ever wondered how some shops jump to eight figures while you’re fighting for steady month-over-month growth, Jesse and Brian are going to walk you through the playbook they actually used.
If your days (or your manager’s) feel like nonstop firefighting, this session is built for them. Aaron shares how to turn daily chaos into a predictable workflow using dispatch boards, SOPs, scoreboards, and tight daily rhythms so bays keep moving — even when everything hits at once.
You’ll walk away with:
It’s not magic, it’s structure. You’ll leave with templates you can put on the wall when you get back.
Also in the owner-focused track at Tektonic:
Advisors are the heartbeat of the shop. When they’re trained, supported, and set up well in the system, everything feels smoother…for you and your customers.
Owners and advisors will both get a lot out of this one. Greg walks through how a single advisor can swing six figures either way — and what to do about it.
You’ll walk away with:
If you’ve ever hired an advisor on “gut feel” and hoped for the best, this session will give you a better way.
Advisors, this one is built for you. Customers don’t just buy the work — they buy the way you explain it. Sabrina breaks down what to say, how to say it, and how to stay ethical and honest while still driving approvals.
You’ll walk away with:
These are skills you can practice in the room and use on your very next phone call.
On top of the coaching and hiring sessions, we’re going deep on the actual tools advisors live in all day. The focus is simple: fewer dropped balls, clearer priorities, better follow-up, and a system that supports your advisors instead of slowing them down.
You’ll walk away with:
Advisor-focused Tekmetric sessions include:
Great techs want two things: the right tools and a future.
If you’ve ever looked up from the bay and wondered what’s possible for you, Ryan’s story will hit home. He went from Audi Master Tech to leading a $5M+ multi-shop operation.
You’ll walk away with:
Owners: this is a great session to send your high-potential techs to if you want them thinking bigger.
Being a great technician isn’t just about fixing cars. It’s about seeing the payoff from the work you do. In this Tekmetric training session, we’ll connect the dots between the work in the bay and the numbers on the screen.
You’ll walk away with:
The goal is to give techs a clear line of sight from “I turned this wrench” to “I made this much difference.”
If VW/Audi work feels like it takes twice as long as it should, these sessions are for you.
You’ll walk away with:
For techs who want to sharpen their skills on European cars, this is time well spent.
For techs who want even more time in the tools:
On top of 50+ breakout sessions, Tektonic’s general sessions are built to stretch how you think about your business and your role in it:
Three days in those rooms can change how you lead for the rest of the year.
Tektonic is built for your whole team:
It’s every shop, every role, under one roof, with zero gatekeeping. Wherever your shop is today — overwhelmed, growing, rebuilding, thriving — Tektonic delivers clarity, community, and practical tools to get to your next result.
Learn more about Tektonic 2026 and register your team HERE.
Running a repair shop takes more than turning wrenches. It’s booking appointments, reminding customers to show up, following up on declined jobs – all while keeping bays full and the front office running smoothly.
But for most shops, staying connected with customers feels like a second job. Some rely on a patchwork of booking tools, texting apps, and review platforms. Others don’t follow up at all. Either way, things slip through the cracks. The result? Missed appointments, lost revenue, and customers who never return.
That’s why we built Tekmetric Marketing.
Not another system to learn. Not another login to juggle. It’s built right into Tekmetric, the platform you already trust to run your shop. With online booking, reminders, campaigns, follow-ups, reviews, and even a professional website all in one place, Tekmetric Marketing helps you keep customers engaged and loyal automatically – without piling more work on your plate. And it’s designed so anyone on your team can use it. No marketing expertise required.
Every repair order holds untapped potential. A declined brake job today can turn into tomorrow’s revenue. A routine oil change can become the start of a long-term relationship.
Tekmetric Marketing makes sure those opportunities don’t slip away. Customers can book online 24/7, filling bays while you sleep. Automated reminders cut down on no-shows and keep the calendar steady. Follow-ups on declined jobs and maintenance turn “not today” into approved work. Seasonal campaigns help you bring customers back when business slows.
And if your shop doesn’t have a website, Tekmetric can build one for you, giving customers one more way to find you, book online, and keep your bays full.
As Ryan Froats of Yorktown Auto Care put it:
“As an independently-owned shop, dedicating resources towards outreach and follow-up can be challenging. Tekmetric Marketing allows me to communicate with my customer base in a variety of ways, without tying up hours of my work week.”
That’s the difference between a full schedule and an empty bay. Between a one-time job and a loyal customer.
Great service doesn’t stop when the car leaves the bay. Tekmetric Marketing makes it really easy to keep the relationship going. Post-visit follow-ups that check in with customers after service, showing you care and helping you catch issues early. Review requests that boost your reputation on Google, making it easier for new customers to find and trust you. Private feedback that gives you valuable insights to improve service and address concerns before they go public
Together, these touchpoints build trust, strengthen relationships, and turn satisfied customers into loyal advocates.
Because Tekmetric Marketing lives inside Tekmetric, all customer communication flows through one platform – from estimates and approvals to reminders, follow-ups, and promotions. No more bouncing between systems or wondering what’s been sent. Everything is tied to the customer profile, making communication clear, consistent, and professional.
Tekmetric Marketing also works in sync with your shop’s calendar, repair orders, and payments. Bookings instantly block off availability. Reminders align with scheduled work. Everything just works without syncing headaches or double entry.
And here’s the best part: Tekmetric Marketing is designed for busy shop owners and front office staff. It’s easy to set up, runs automatically in the background, and helps you grow your business without adding more to your to-do list – or requiring a marketing degree.
As Corey Hansen of Hansen Auto Repair shared:
“It’s so convenient having everything in one place, right inside Tekmetric. I already have Tekmetric open for managing the shop and invoicing, so I don’t have to switch tabs or log into something else to engage with my customers. Having it all together just makes things faster—and for me, saving time is huge.”
Tekmetric has always been the all-in-one platform that helps shops run better — from managing repairs to taking payments. Now, with Tekmetric Marketing, it’s also the platform that helps you grow faster, keep customers loyal, and deliver a better experience at every turn.
Turn every visit into the next one. With Tekmetric Marketing, it happens automatically.
We’re proud to share that the Tekmetric Mobile App has been named a winner of the 2025 MOTOR Top 20 Award, an honor that recognizes the 20 most innovative and impactful tools and technologies shaping the automotive industry.
For decades, the MOTOR Top 20 Awards have been a benchmark for excellence, celebrating advancements that help technicians work more efficiently and shop owners operate more profitably. To be included on this list is a powerful acknowledgment of our team’s commitment to solving real challenges for repair shops
The Tekmetric Mobile App was designed to make shop management easier and more effective. By streamlining workflows, enhancing communication, and providing shop owners with the real-time insights, the app equips teams to deliver a better customer experience while running a more profitable business..
This recognition wouldn’t be possible without the thousands of shop owners, service advisors, and technicians who share their feedback with us every day. Your trust pushes us to keep improving, and this award reflects both your partnership and our team’s dedication to moving the industry forward.
As we look ahead, we are more motivated than ever to build solutions that give repair shops the horsepower to grow, the efficiency to scale, and the tools to deliver service with confidence.
To learn more about the MOTOR Awards and view the 2025 Top 20 Awards, visit https://www.motor.com/2025/09/motor-announces-2025-top-20-awards-winners/
About Tekmetric
Tekmetric, the leading auto repair technology company, improves auto repair shops through the relentless pursuit of innovation. Tekmetric’s all-in-one cloud-based auto repair platform, including shop management, payments, marketing, technology integrations, and real-time data, empowers auto repair shops nationwide. With Tekmetric, shop owners can create transparency, enhance productivity, increase profitability, and deliver a superior customer experience for vehicle owners.
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