Bartells takes this approach because he wants to establish long-term relationships and build on his already solid repu- tation. In 1999, he opened Extreme Audio—a name he often regrets choosing because it doesn’t represent the bulk of his business—in the bustling city of Richmond, but he moved to suburban Mechanicsville after two years. In Richmond, the store was located on the main drag, he recalled, but there were sev- eral similar stores on the same three-mile stretch. For the past 13 years, Bartells has enjoyed the hometown feel of the middle- to upper-middle-class area where he now lives with his family of four. With far less competition around them, the shop has become more of a destination. “We’re in this for the long haul. It’s something I want to do for the rest of my life, not just get the money and run. We need customers to have faith in us to set them up with what they need so they want to come back to us over and over for the next 20 or 30 years. We don’t want it to be a transaction—we want it to be a relationship,” he said. Extreme Audio may not be the cheapest place in town when it comes to car audio and video, Bartells admits, but they make up for it in service. He believes customers keep coming back because of the shop’s high level of expertise and workmanship. “We offer a better overall experience, more knowledge, and we
certainly treat the customers and their car a lot better,” he added. “It’s really nice when you have people driving in from an hour or two hours away—driving past 15 other places—to get to you.”
He emphasized that his sales staff are a crucial component in building customers’ trust. When it comes to style, Bartells said, there are two types of salesperson: the uber-confident, fast- talking type, and those who simply rely on their knowledge. “We have the technical knowledge where customers can trust
anything we say they need to do. It is going to come across with confidence based on the knowledge that we are pointing them in the right direction,” he continued. Every vehicle that is pulled into their garage undergoes a
very detailed check-in and check-out procedure. The vehicle is hooked to a battery maintainer for the entire time it is being worked on, seat covers are used, and work areas are taped off. “Everything we do while the client’s vehicle is in our hands is done to ensure a quality result, without simple things like dead batteries, scratches, etc., derailing what would have been an excellent experience with us,” he said. Since completing last year’s renovation, Bartells said, they
all have more confidence when giving a tour of their showroom and garage. Before, some customers were a bit wary about the cleanliness of the install bays when getting their cars tinted, for instance. Now, as they head back to the garage, customers are immediately at ease when they see the shiny new bays. “We painted the garage, epoxied all the floors and replaced all the work areas and toolboxes. When a client walks into our garage, it’s obvious to them the commitment we have to this business and taking care of their vehicle while it’s in our hands,”
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