Most businesses change because they are forced to. When life hit Patrick Connell hard, his small automotive shop and newly completed car wash were not bringing in enough revenue. So he walked down the street, told an electrician he was in the fleet business, and landed his first fleet repair client. He would figure out the details later.
Years later, Patrick is President, CEO, and owner of ARS Truck & Fleet Service and Delaware Truck Refinishers. In episode 12 of Maximum Octane, he and Kim Hickey talk about how he made that pivot, what he learned about the fleet business, why active listening matters so much, and how to treat your business when times are good.
What You Will Learn
- About the moment Patrick realized he needed to pivot and start a new kind of business
- How Patrick’s new business evolved and grew in the first three years, what changes it forced in him and how he approached his company
- Some advice from Patrick about how to be in the fleet business
- Active listening. The number one skill every entrepreneur should train
- Patrick’s advice on how to treat our business when things are going right for us
Questions Asked in This Episode
- Do you want to talk a bit about your original business model and how you came to change it?
- What kind of things did you do to transition from the retail to the fleet business?
- How long do you think it took you to really understand that the fleet business would grow as it grew?
The Moment Patrick Knew He Had to Pivot
Patrick describes the moment he realized his original business model was not going to work. Rather than waiting for things to improve, he looked around for an opportunity. Fleet customers needed reliable repair partners, and he decided to become one.
This story is a reminder that obstacles often hide opportunities. Shops facing slow car count, new competition, or changing vehicle technology can either wait it out or look for a market that needs what they can provide. ATI’s How to Profit From Your Biggest Problem explores the same mindset.
Pivots often begin with an uncomfortable admission: the original plan is not working. Many owners hold on too long, hoping that more effort or more marketing will fix a fundamentally weak business model. Patrick’s willingness to change course quickly is a lesson in itself. The sooner an owner recognizes that something needs to change, the more options remain available.
A useful practice is to review the business model at least once a year with fresh eyes. Which services are profitable? Which customers are most valuable? Where is demand growing or shrinking? Those questions can reveal opportunities long before a crisis forces the issue.
Say Yes, Then Figure It Out
In the early days, Patrick’s formula was simple: listen to what the client needed, say yes, and figure out how to do it later. That approach helped him win business and grow quickly. Kim asks what he did to transition from retail to fleet, and Patrick explains how each new request taught him something new about the market.
Over time, though, his approach changed. A business built entirely on saying yes eventually needs structure. Patrick moved toward a more organized operation with established procedures and a defined list of services. That evolution is common for growing shops: early flexibility wins customers, but lasting success requires systems.
The “say yes” approach works best early in a business, when the goal is to learn what customers need and build relationships. It shows commitment and willingness to solve problems. The risk is that saying yes to everything can stretch a small team thin, lead to work the shop is not equipped to do well, and create inconsistent quality. Patrick’s evolution shows the healthy path: use early flexibility to discover what customers value, then build the systems, equipment, and training to deliver those services consistently.
How the Business Grew in Its First Three Years
Around the 8 minute mark, Patrick talks about how the new business evolved over its first three years and what changes it forced in him as a leader. Growth demanded that he hire differently, think more strategically, and step back from doing everything himself. Kim also asks how long it took him to understand how big the fleet business could become.
Growth tends to expose weaknesses that were invisible in a smaller operation. Processes that worked when the owner handled everything personally break down when new employees join. Cash flow becomes tighter as the business invests in equipment and payroll before revenue catches up. Owners have to learn to hire, delegate, and plan in ways that were unnecessary before. Patrick’s experience reflects a pattern many growing shops face, and preparing for those challenges in advance makes the growth smoother.
Advice for Getting Into Fleet Work
Patrick shares practical advice for shops considering fleet service. Fleet customers care deeply about downtime, because a vehicle in the shop is a vehicle not making money. Reliability, communication, and speed matter as much as price. Shops that can deliver consistent turnaround and clear reporting can build long-term accounts that smooth out the ups and downs of retail car count.
Chris Fraser discusses the benefits of focusing on a niche in Little-Known Benefits of Specializing in the Automotive Industry, and Jason Meyer shares how he scaled from one location to 30 in Simplifying the Intricate Process of Building a Small Empire.
Fleet customers often think differently from retail customers. They track cost per mile, downtime, and maintenance schedules across many vehicles. They value shops that provide clear reporting, consistent pricing, and fast turnaround. Many prefer scheduled maintenance programs that keep vehicles running and reduce surprise repairs. Shops that can offer detailed invoices, maintenance history, and proactive recommendations become valuable partners rather than just vendors.
Fleet work also has trade-offs. Pricing may be more competitive, payment terms may be longer, and large accounts can create dependence on a few customers. Balancing fleet and retail work helps reduce that risk.
Active Listening: The Number One Entrepreneurial Skill
Patrick calls active listening the most important skill an entrepreneur can train. His first fleet client came from listening to what someone needed. The same skill applies to employees, vendors, and every customer who walks through the door. Active listening means giving full attention, asking clarifying questions, and confirming you understand before responding.
ATI’s Listening: Your Power Skill to Master offers techniques shop owners and advisors can practice right away.
Active listening involves more than staying quiet while someone talks. It means focusing completely on the speaker, asking questions to clarify, paraphrasing what you heard to confirm understanding, and noticing the emotions behind the words. In sales, it helps uncover what a customer actually needs instead of what you assume they need. In leadership, it helps employees feel heard, which builds trust and engagement.
Shop owners can practice active listening by setting aside distractions during conversations, putting the phone down, and summarizing what they heard before responding. It is a simple habit that improves almost every interaction.
Building Culture That Reflects Who You Are
Patrick and Kim also discuss promoting a culture that represents who you are as a company. When owners are clear about their values, customers and employees can feel it. That consistency is part of what turns a fleet account into a long-term partnership.
Culture is especially important in fleet work, where relationships are long-term and personal. Fleet managers often deal with the same advisors and technicians year after year. When a shop’s culture emphasizes reliability, honesty, and responsiveness, those qualities show up in every interaction and give fleet clients confidence to keep sending their vehicles.
Working on the Business When Things Are Good
One of Patrick’s most valuable pieces of advice is about what to do when things are going right. It is tempting to relax and enjoy the success. Patrick argues that good times are exactly when owners should invest in the behind-the-scenes work: systems, training, financial reserves, and planning. Those investments are what carry a business through the next downturn.
Good times provide resources and breathing room that disappear during downturns. That is the moment to build cash reserves, document processes, invest in training, upgrade equipment, and develop leaders. Owners who use prosperous periods to strengthen their foundation are far better prepared when the economy slows, a major customer leaves, or unexpected challenges arise. ATI’s Why You Need to Hang On to As Much Cash As Possible explains why reserves matter.
Lessons for Shops Considering a New Market
Patrick’s story offers a framework for any shop thinking about expanding into a new market, whether that is fleet, heavy-duty, electric vehicles, or specialty services:
- Start with a real customer need: find someone who has a problem you can solve.
- Test before investing heavily: take on a few jobs to learn what the work requires.
- Build capability: invest in training and equipment as demand proves itself.
- Systematize: create processes so quality stays consistent as volume grows.
- Protect the core: make sure the new market does not undermine existing customers.
Following that path reduces risk while keeping the door open to opportunities that can transform a business, just as fleet work did for Patrick.
Questions to Ask Before Your Next Pivot
- What customers nearby have needs that no one is serving well?
- What are you already good at that could serve a new market?
- Are your current processes defined enough to handle growth?
- What behind-the-scenes improvements should you make while business is strong?
Robbie Windham’s story of growth in a small market, Small Town Big Growth, is another strong example of a shop owner who spotted and seized an opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does an auto repair shop get fleet customers?
Start by listening to local businesses that run vehicles, such as contractors, delivery companies, and service providers, and learning what problems they have with their current repair arrangements. Fleet managers care most about downtime, reliability, communication, and consistent pricing. Begin with a few vehicles, prove you can deliver fast turnaround and clear reporting, and grow from there. Maintenance history, detailed invoices, and proactive recommendations help a shop become a trusted partner rather than just another vendor.
Is fleet repair more profitable than retail auto repair?
It depends on the shop and the accounts. Fleet work can provide steady volume and help smooth out slow retail periods, but pricing is often more competitive, payment terms may be longer, and a few large accounts can create risky dependence. Many shops find that a balance of fleet and retail work reduces risk. Before committing, review your labor rate, parts margins, and cash flow needs against the terms a fleet customer expects.
When should a repair shop change its business model?
Warning signs include declining car count that marketing does not fix, profits that keep shrinking despite more effort, and customer demand moving toward services you do not offer. Reviewing the business model at least once a year, looking at which services and customers are most profitable and where demand is growing, helps owners see the need for change early. The sooner a problem is recognized, the more options are still available.
What is active listening, and why does it matter for shop owners?
Active listening means giving someone your full attention, asking clarifying questions, summarizing what you heard to confirm it, and noticing the emotion behind the words. For shop owners, it uncovers what customers actually need, helps advisors build trust, and makes employees feel heard. It can also reveal business opportunities, since many new services start with a customer describing a problem nobody is solving. Putting the phone down and summarizing before responding is a simple place to start.
Resources and Links From This Episode
Connect With the Guests
- Patrick: LinkedIn
