Christian Brothers Automotive acts through deeds not words

Christian Brothers Automotive in Buckeye is a nod to many Christian-based businesses. Take In-N-Out Burger, for example. The chain usually has drive-through lines that are a block long, with eager customers ready to buy quality food from friendly employees.

After your meal, you might see a bible verse under your drink’s cup.

The story’s no different at Stacey and Patrick Jarrett’s automotive location in Buckeye. Walking in, you see a clean waiting room with friendly folks waiting to greet you.

The waiting room includes a glass window overlooking the automotive bay with two wrenches fashioned like a cross above it. The image gives you a quiet reassurance they’re compelled to be honest with you.

Pat told InBuckeye that’s precisely why his wife, Stacey, signed up to be an automotive shop owner.

“I want to be a female owner, and I want women to feel like they can come in here and we're not taking advantage of them,” he said his wife told him. “That's 100% why my wife wanted to be involved in this.”

The Jarrett’s said their appreciation for the community comes through deeds, not words, through their action and in truth.

“We had one gal walk in. Stacey couldn't speak any Spanish, but I have bilingual staff, and we're telling her what’s wrong with her car,” he said. “We looked at it and my guys came in. They're like, Pat, this girl has three kids with her. She has no brakes.”

Her breaks were metal on metal. Stacey told them to tell her what was going on. She found out her rotors were shot and had no tread on the tires.

“My wife absolutely said get brakes on this car, get rotors on the car, and order new tires for her,” Pat said. “She's not leaving until I know this woman's going to be safe with her three kids in this vehicle.”

The customer thought the worst but was shocked when she found out it’d all be replaced for free. Panicked, she repeatedly asked what that catch would be, which led to an emotional realization.

“My wife, was holding her hand, and she says, there's no catch. We are truly taking care of this. And this woman, she starts crying. My wife starts crying, and the kids are crying. I start crying. At the end of the day, that's really what it's about,” Pat said.

Stacey and Pat also reinforce the truth through digital video inspections, which document each approach to the vehicle in video format. This allows customers to believe what they’re being told.

“So, when your vehicles are on the rack, our guys are taking photos and videos of things, and we put it in a storybook,” he said. “And when you walk in as Mr. Customer, and you're coming in to get certain specific things, we are just trying to give you a storybook and really educate you on your car.”

Stacey said the shop also volunteers to help women in need through a nonprofit called Mirna’s Place, which is a bridge between people, businesses, and organizations that address the needs of people in the Buckeye community.

Through that organization, they met the Spanish-speaking mother with no breaks.

“The guys all come in. They volunteer their time. So, the whole team is here. They get a little personal bag for the ladies, like a gift bag, that has some nice stuff like earbuds,” she said. “Just some nice stuff for the ladies. We put that in their car before they leave.”

Stacey told InBuckeye that when they partner with Mirna’s place, they service six to eight cars and focus on safety issues. The Jarrett’s said that outreach has blessed them and allowed them to expand their footprint behind their shop in the fall.

Michael McDaniel can be reached at [email protected]. We invite our readers to submit their civil comments or opinions on this or any issue. Email [email protected].