Sign up for new automotive shop software, and win a trip to the Super Bowl? Who does that? Or keeping more in line with the general refrain heard throughout the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday, “Who Dey?”
For AutoLeap customers Rich Hoiles and Rick Brennan, the answer to that question came in the form of a free ticket and an all-inclusive giveaway to the biggest live event in 2022—Super Bowl LVI in beautiful, sunny Los Angeles.
“It was a fantastic experience,” says Hoiles, owner and operator of Twin Cities Automotive in Shortsville, N.Y. “I’m not a very lucky person, per se. I don’t win too many things, so this was a first time for me. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Offering two customers a free trip to the Super Bowl—also a first-time promotion for AutoLeap—allowed the auto repair software company to make a deeper connection with its customers.
“AutoLeap doesn’t want to just do business with you,” says Senior Events Marketing Manager Amber Wright. “AutoLeap is here to do life with you as well.”
Hoiles runs the family-owned Twin Cities Automotive in New York with his wife and daughter. Brennan, a retired U.S. Army Major, owns and operates his family-owned Major’s Classic Car Restoration & Service in Gilbert, Arizona.
A new AutoLeap customer, Hoiles, says his wife and daughter picked him up to go to the Super Bowl, while they remained behind to continue onboarding with the new auto shop management software.
Brennan joined AutoLeap in December 2020, and has been a heavy user of the platform ever since.
As part of the all-inclusive Super Bowl package, Hoiles and Brennan flew to L.A. along with Director of Customer Experience, Stephanie Soh, and Director of Channel Partnerships, Hasan Akbar. They all stayed in the CitizenM, a luxurious but minimalist hotel in downtown L.A., enjoyed dinner at a nearby restaurant and attended an exclusive tailgating event before the game, complete with food and drinks.
“The whole thing we were trying to create was a white-glove experience,” Wright explains. “We wanted them to think of nothing. We are giving this to you, and the experience is on us.”
While Hoiles raved about the food and admitted to rooting for the underdog Cincinnati Bengals, despite being a Buffalo Bills fan, he says the highlight of the whole experience was making a real connection with the people at AutoLeap.
“The highlight, even more so than the Super Bowl, was meeting the people I met,” he says, referring to the AutoLeap team.
And that’s music to Soh’s ears, as she tries to create more interactions with customers to learn more about them, what’s most important to them, and what makes them tick.
“I love being able to connect with customers on a different level than just those one-to-one interactions about AutoLeap,” Soh says. “We really care about every step of their journey.
“We care deeply for our customers in all avenues of life,” she adds. “I really do think that’s how we’re different.”
Hoiles says Twin Cities Automotive spent more than a month researching software companies to help run his 22-year-old business better.
“AutoLeap was the one that stood out,” Hoiles says. “It’s the best.”
While his auto shop typically services 15 to 20 cars a day, Hoiles anticipates using the power of the all-in-one auto shop management software to operate the business more efficiently. “I think we can do better with what we bring through. That’s what I’m looking forward to,” Hoiles says.
Brennan says, “It was a great mix of getting to know each other, talking about AutoLeap; and, of course, living the Super Bowl experience. This was truly an experience for which I will forever remain grateful to AutoLeap. It was great to talk with Rich about his shop and compare the differences between managing a traditional auto repair shop vs. a classic car restoration and service shop.
“That discussion gave me some insights into both the commonality and differences we have in using a shop management system,” Brennan adds. All in all, it’s fair to say that Super Bowl LVI was one to remember for AutoLeap and two lucky customers!
