There’s a reason the logo for Vinnie Lucido’s CoAuto shop is split down the middle, colored black on one side and orange on the other. It’s the yin and yang, the centuries-old eastern symbol of balance, duality and change. Duality (premium customer service + high AROs) coupled with the constant of change isn’t something many shops can keep up with, but CoAuto isn’t like most other shops. It has a small gallery dedicated to local artists. Its walls and floors are multicolored tile, as vivid as the desert after a summer soak. Lucido established internship and apprenticeship programs. And when he steps away from the shop, it’s to teach yoga at a retreat in Belize. But without a decent website, no one would know any of this.
“The old website was OK,” Lucido says, “it was decent. It’s definitely much better now; the new one is nice and clean. And I literally just called KUKUI to update it.”
Lucido is quick to point out that KUKUI provides much more to him than just a website, however, much more than digital pixels; KUKUI is a full-service data capture company, offering swift and accurate to-the-minute numbers about his shop’s real-time marketing and revenue statistics.
He first encountered the KUKUI team at VISION in 2018 (the same year his shop was named VISION Shop of the Year), and after seeing the team again in 2019, he decided to pull the trigger and work with the Kukui team toward re-imagining his website and digital presence.
“After a lot of research, I decided to go with KUKUI. I liked their style; I’m trying to be an elite shop, and I want to have the best website I can. Their sites are really clean, and I really enjoyed the process of putting everything together. They’re on top of it,” he says, “and they want to help you whenever you want to make changes.”
Lucido is as active a shop owner as can be and his ever-changing site reflects that. This year alone he’s released several high-quality videos that the KUKUI team has embedded directly on the site. He’s hired a larger staff and continues to expand his offerings, such as his new fleet of loaner cars. A simple monthly fee enables him to make as many chances as necessary.
“This year, the ability to update the site has been less a luxury and more like a necessity,” Lucido says, referring to the pandemic and spring closures of many businesses.
New Challenges, New Opportunities
Though Lucido knows what he wants to do with the shop, KUKUI was able to help him see what more can be achieved with a few different tabs.
“Yes!” Lucido exclaims.
“The careers tab. I wanted to capture job seekers and now I can; KUKUI suggested a simple careers tab, and now we have an online application form accessible from the homepage.”
CoAuto.com also features a Community tab to showcase the extracurricular goings-on of the shop and the surrounding area. “The fact I can give them a task and they’ll tackle it head-on without any recoil is amazing; they handle it, they let me know when it’s done and it’s been a huge asset for me. If I even have a new idea, they’ll work with me and not make it difficult.”
Lucido says when he has an idea, the development team lets him know what’s feasible, what’s not, and that almost everything is actually workable.
“Everything thus far,” he reflects, “in fact, one of my recent asks was to not use any stock photos, and that wasn’t a problem. Later, when I shot my COVID video about our shop policies, they had it up the following day.”
More than anything, Lucido is confident he’s chosen the right team because of everything the website doesn’t show.
“What I’ve enjoyed about KUKUI is how involved they’re getting involved in education and advocacy,” he says. “They’re offering classes and education about the automotive industry. Their team is out there beating the pavement; the fact they visit other shops and clients is really cool. I think that’s really unique and different; not all companies make good about checking in on their clients.”
Lucido also enjoys the slew of online classes KUKUI offers to help bolster revenue and continue to learn about the industry. Lucido just attended a web-based class with several industry professionals—shop owners, technical education professionals, and more—that he’s long looked up to. The opportunity to learn from the best is what keeps him sharp.
For Lucido, achieving nirvana as a shop owner isn’t a destination; it’s a process, an ongoing commitment to excellence and service.
“The value of the services extends far beyond the website,” he says. “They just have so much to offer.”
To learn how KUKUI can help you achieve a higher plane, check out kukui.com.
