Quality, hard work and family are the keys to business success according to Zarate Mechanics owner John Zarate.
The popular family-run workshop from Arndell Park in Sydney is preparing for a major upgrade and relocation to keep up with growing demand.
“The new shop is going to be a clinic. So clean. Customers will see how well we take care of our shop, and they know we will do the same with their vehicle,” John said.
“We’re really growing through word of mouth.”
Super time
The Zarate Mechanics team received an extra marketing boost with surprise branding on the Castrol Racing Tickford Ford Mustang at Sydney SuperNight – it was all part of Castrol’s 125-year celebrations designed to highlight its loyal independent workshop customers.
“It is an honour to be a part of the Castrol family…I’m speechless,” John said.
He said choosing the right partners with the best expertise, support and solutions was important to stay ahead of the game.
“We need to provide the right advice and the right products to our customers, and the suppliers we choose help us do that,” he said.
“When I choose suppliers, I’m looking for quality, respectful communication, and consistent and on-time delivery – if I can’t use a hoist I’m losing money, I’m losing business. Efficiency is key.”
With the industry facing faster-than-ever changes, John said he stayed up to date by accessing the latest training courses, certification, supplier conferences, and trade shows.
“Every day is a school day,” he said.
“We have to keep up with the changes and learn. I’m always learning. Even the smallest things matter.”
Practice makes perfect
Having taken stages one and two through the Motor Traders’ Association, John encouraged other mechanics to get up to speed on Electric Vehicles.
“It’s important to do it for our industry because we need more expertise across the board in independent workshops,”
he said.
“You can take advantage of the government grants as well so it’s not expensive to do it.
“I’d advise anyone starting out in apprenticeships to do EV courses.“
While John said he was good with his hands as a mechanic, he admitted the biggest challenge he’d had to overcome as a business owner was communicating well with customers.
“For many years I was behind the scenes and fixed the cars. I hadn’t really had the chance to speak to customers directly, so it was a big challenge when I opened my own workshop,” he said.
“Practice makes perfect, so dealing with customers on a daily basis has helped a lot.
“I’ll often go for a drive with them before doing the work to chat and build trust.”
John said customers wanted to make sure their cars were safe and reliable and confirmed his team was well-equipped to support their evolving needs.
“You name it we do it all,” he said.
“When I say I use Castrol the look I get is like ‘ah’. They’re content, everyone knows Castrol.
“Quality always comes first, especially the lubricants that we use…I’ve never used any other oil when Castrol could do it.”
The Z team
John said building trust and providing greater value than the dealers was vital, and it’s clearly paying off, with Zarate Mechanics booked out a month in advance.
“It’s a new generation and the trend is swinging back to workshops like us,”
he said.
“I really like seeing what other independent workshops are up to. “Particularly building engines and engine swaps. I love that stuff.”
Running his own business has been John’s dream since first arriving in Australia from the Philippines in 1998, inspired by his mechanic father, Johnny.
“Working with my dad is really awesome because he teaches me a lot [and] at the same time I teach him a lot. Because he
is old school, I’m new school…we make a good team.”
He said he was also supported by his wife and fellow Director, Erin.
“This business would not be where it is without my wife. There is so much paperwork behind the scenes that people wouldn’t understand. It’s crazy.”
John spoke highly of his wider team and said they are a quality bunch.
“They work very hard and I treat them as family.”
John’s advice to other mechanics who wanted to open their own workshop was simple: “Don’t cut corners…if you do the right thing, you will never go wrong, just work hard.”
“If you’re honest, do quality work and use quality products, people will always come back.”