Tara Conlin is a service manager and operator at Mango Automotive, an eight-location auto repair group serving Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. She began her automotive career at age 18 and spent most of it as a service advisor before moving into leadership. At Mango Automotive, she grew one location while developing a people-centered approach to customer service in auto repair.

In this episode…

Vehicle repairs rarely feel like neutral transactions. Customers arrive concerned about transportation and unexpected costs. A cold reception adds to that stress before anyone inspects the vehicle.

The old gruff, transactional service model no longer matches the expectations customers bring to today’s repair shops. Every employee departure also puts a familiar customer relationship at risk. Multi-location operators need consistent leadership that supports advisors, strengthens technician morale, and gives customers a reason to trust every location.

A polished lobby helps set the tone, but the experience depends on the people running the shop. Conlin treats empathy as an operating practice that shapes customer conversations and gives employees room to address problems before those problems affect the team.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[01:09] Tara’s transition from service advisor to shop manager

[03:12] Understanding the personal stress behind a customer’s vehicle repair

[09:12] How service advisor turnover affects customer trust

[14:27] Making repair visits less stressful through a welcoming environment

[18:52] Building a team that supports each other through difficult days

[22:36] How a childhood book shaped Tara’s perspective on adversity

[25:16] Tara’s experience as a woman leading an automotive team

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Tara Conlin on LinkedIn
• Mango Automotive Website
• Tread Partners
• Gain Traction Podcast on YouTube
• Gain Traction Podcast Website
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn

Quotable Moments:

• “These are people's livelihoods sometimes, right?”
• “A lot of customers really like that show and tell experience where they feel like they're a part of the process and not just, you know, getting the information second hand.”
• “One of the big contributors to what I feel like is my success is the culture and morale that we built.”
• “I, you know, I want them to feel like they are supported and that, you know, their work has value, they as a person have value.”

Action Steps:

1. Standardize the opening interaction. Set a location-wide expectation for customer service in auto repair that covers the greeting and the timing of the next update.
2. Use explicit trust handoffs. When a customer’s preferred advisor is unavailable, introduce the replacement by name and state your confidence in that person.
3. Assign a daily front-of-house reset. Check the floors, seating, refreshments, and overall comfort before opening each location.
4. Schedule short weekly check-ins with advisors and technicians. Record one current obstacle and assign a clear next step before ending the conversation.
5. Make visual inspections part of the customer experience. Bring customers into the shop safely or use photos to show the work instead of relying only on secondhand explanations.