Happy birthday to Scott’s daughter, Kate. She made Stan a grandpa 15 years ago! #familybusiness #smallbusiness
Stay warm today!
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Birthday!
❤️
We love our customers and the people of our community!
Call us for your car needs or if you need to show some love to someone on our sign.
Because there has been a little publicity, I (Scott) wanted to address something that I never intended to become public. In fact, I was not even going to tell the team here about the decision my wife and I made, but I was unable to accomplish the task without it creating some attention...so here goes:
Back in December, I was listening to the Troubleshooter show on Denver radio. A woman called in asking for advice--specifically, she was 78, widowed, and way behind in her car payments. Something about her call struck me, I think mostly the fact that she truly was asking for INFORMATION, she wasn't asking for money.
It was clear that many years ago she had been taken advantage of by a dealer, and was still paying an incredible amount of money for a vehicle that should have been long paid off, and now she was at risk of repossession, and nothing to rely upon but social security benefits.
After speaking with my incredibly understanding and supportive wife, I called into the show and spoke with the producer off-air. We wanted to help.
Without all the details...I don't know her, probably never will, other than her first name, after vetting her story, we paid off her loan.
My intent was to keep this private, and quiet. I'm not a self-aggrandizing kind of person. Of course, humility and silence doesn't make for good radio, so I agreed to talk about it on the air with the show--once back in December, and again today as a follow-up.
Make no mistake, 2020 was a very difficult year for many of us. It was disastrous to Stan's in April and May. I struggled to lead and keep the air of positivity that is so much a part of our culture. The financial impact was something I never, ever, thought I'd experience. The emotional and mental health ramifications still haunt me. But I still came out ok. I'm not at risk of anyone repossessing any of my possessions.
Throw in other world events, politics, and general world unrest...this just felt like the right thing to do.
A confidant asked me, "What if she's scamming?" While I'm confident that's not the case, if so, it doesn't change the action nor the affect on MY heart. Another said, "Man, you can't help everyone, you know..." And he was right. But I was reminded of that (probably fictional) tale of the grandfather walking the beach with his grandson and throwing starfish back into the water. The general lesson was, he couldn't save all of them, but for the ones he COULD help, it was infinitely important.
I received a text message from the woman I helped on New Year's Day. She was still in disbelief. She asked me where to send her payment until I was paid back.
I simply asked her to do what I'd ask all of our society to do right now...just help someone else out. It may be making a meal for someone going through a rough time; shoveling the sidewalk for that grouchy neighbor next door; a smile and nice comment to that guy down the street that had those political signs out front you disagreed with. Let's be nice.
Our world, our country, our state, and our community will all be better for it. And we can all touch one other life in a positive way, I'm confident.
Soon, it may cost more to have a plumber come to your home, or have your furnace fixed, or have your vehicle repaired than it costs to visit an Oncologist.
Somewhere back in the 50's or 60's vocational work became a "Plan B" for students who "failed" to do the college thing...
We don't want your Plan B. Ask the two folks who have retired from Stan's with over 25 years of service...or the nearly 50% of our staff that has been here now for over 20 years...
Vocational and trade work is in more demand than ever. It's about the only way a high school student can go from graduation to earning a MEANINGFUL, LIVING, WAGE in the same amount of time that four years of college will get you a degree in ancient manuscript decryption...except with your degree you'll have $100k or more in debt, and likely be working an hourly wage job that has nothing to do with your field of study.
Parents -- trades and vocation work are the most understaffed of all industries in this country. If you have a student interested in a career in the automotive industry, give us a call, we'll offer some advice. NAMELY: Get as much math and science as you can in high school. If you have access tech or STEM classes that can help you learn about things like network analysis, circuit diagram reading, basic fundamentals of electrical engineering... all of those things will help.
Get to a community college and take some entry level electrical engineering classes. You don't have to know how to build a computer starting by melting sand and making your own silicon chips, just understand the input --> output concept.
DON'T IGNORE THE LIGHT!
There's a lot of honesty in this post, so if you don't like that, move along.
This is Scott. I'm the 2nd generation owner of Stan's. Stan is my dad. I was raised in this business, and after college only had one other brief career before I was called back into auto repair and customer service. In other words, this is my life.
The photo presented is my car. In my garage, at my house, disabled.
Why? Because I ignored the light. I could make this awesome case for how, "The cobbler's children have no shoes," or that I waited too long to replace my tires because the shop was so busy...but that would all be lies. What really happened?
What really happened is I *hate* TPMS systems. That's tire pressure monitor systems for those of you that hate initialisms. I hate them, they are faulty, they are flawed, and they irritate my customers (and me) more than almost any other thing. But, within a reasonable level of margin, they also work.
So when we first got some cold weather a couple of weeks ago, my light came on. A natural scientific fact is that tire pressure will drop when the ambient temperature does. So...after a couple days of ignoring it, and being annoyed by "the light"....I finally inflated my tires properly (a whole 3psi each) and "the light" went away.
Over the weekend I was out and about in SE Colorado checking on my cows (three...three cows, I'm a huge cattle rancher!) and basically just maintaining social distance from EVERYTHING we're all up against these days and getting away. Saturday the snow started, and here came, "the light". Stupid light. I hate that light. So I ignored it.
Last night I got home after 5.5 hrs of driving on the highway, and parked my car in the garage. This morning, my right rear tire was completely flat.
I am incredibly blessed, lucky, choose your term...but I had no problems on my highway journey. But not ONCE did I stop to check. I hate that light. That light lies about 2 psi. 2 psi doesn't matter. Just get home.
Folks...please don't ignore the light. It could be the safety of you or your family, or my family on the road with you.
The same is true with your check engine light. Even if some well meaning mechanic (including Stan's) has told you that your check engine light is on for something you don't need to jump on repairing RIGHT NOW... it also makes you unaware of the NEXT reason the light could be on, which could be critical.
So...mea culpa. Don't be like me. Don't ignore the light. I'm thankful I got home safely, and probably only ruined a tire. I'm thankful I didn't suffer a blowout, or cause harm to someone else on the highway.
Pay attention to the light. At least check. If it's lying, get it repaired. If it's telling the truth, fix the problem. If you don't trust it, check anyway. Don't be like me. I got lucky. I won't risk that again.
