The new owner of Carson Valley Carquest, 39-year-old Jason Spohr, said in an industry where people are skeptical of getting ripped off, honesty is the best policy.
"In a small town like this, you can't afford to upset one person," he said. "If you sell a customer a part they don't need, they'll go and tell 10 people. If you take care of someone the right way, they'll tell maybe two people, but it will pay off. You have a lot more to lose by being dishonest."
Spohr has been in the automotive industry for 20 years. Originally from Southern California, he was a master certified technician for General Motors and Cadillac. He also attained a master's degree in business administration and taught auto mechanics at both the high school and college level.
"You get in here, and you think you know it all, but you realize you still have a lot to learn," he said.
Spohr and his wife, Jennifer, moved to Carson Valley three years ago. They live in Johnson Lane.
"It was time to leave California," he said. "We wanted to raise our kids somewhere else. We have family in the area, and we had always driven through the Valley at night. We had no idea how beautiful it was until we saw it in the day."
In Nevada, Spohr started out as a project manager for a large construction company, but when the housing market collapsed, he decided to get back into the automotive industry.
"It was a little scary going into retail, but I figured people would be fixing their cars versus buying new ones," he said.
Spohr bought the auto parts store in April and was surprised by the quality of its employees.
"It's rare, but all the employees here possess real technical knowledge," he said. "We have a really good mix of automotive backgrounds."
Spohr said a lot of their customers are professional mechanics who know exactly what they want, but they also get walk-in customers who need help finding the right part.
"I don't differentiate between big and small sales," he said. "I'll spend 30 minutes helping someone who is just buying a $2 part."
Spohr said it always comes back to how you treat people, especially those who aren't knowledgeable about cars.
"Everyone needs to feel they were treated fairly and not sold something they didn't need," he said. "If you are good at what you do, and you are honest, people will appreciate it."
Carson Valley Carquest will be hosting a grand opening noon to 4 p.m. Friday. The event will feature a raffle and barbecue. The store is located at 1236 Baltic Avenue in Gardnerville, off of Service Drive. Regular business hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Information, 782-4101.
n Scott Neuffer can be reached at sneuffer@recordcourier.com or 782-5121.
