When looking for auto service and repairs, it’s important to go to a shop with a team you can trust. For Brandon Ritter, the new Assistant Manager of Levin Tire & Service Center in Valparaiso, that is exactly how his relationship with the longtime Region auto center began.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the auto capital of the country, Ritter has always had a connection to the auto industry. Before coming to Levin, he was running his own business in Valparaiso, Hungry Howie’s Pizza, off of Lincolnway. However, after selling his share of the business to his partner, Ritter began looking for a new opportunity and remembered his experience with the Levin Tire team.
“What brought me to Levin Tire is I was actually a customer first,” Ritter said. “I felt that the guys were not pushy; they were very nice, helpful, and very insightful when it came to what was wrong with my vehicle. It seemed like a great place to be associated with.”
Levin Tire Valparaiso is a full-service center, offering services from air conditioning and heating repair to brake repair to engine diagnostics and more.
“A lot of people think we are just all about tires, but we are full-service,” Ritter said. “We do oil changes, battery replacements, and we’ve even had technicians do such intense services like head gaskets and full motor teardowns. We are so much more than just tires.”
“When customers come in for an oil change or tires, they can expect a full courtesy inspection that we do with every vehicle,” he said. “We will do a quick bumper-to-bumper check, make sure all your fluids are topped off, and we will make sure that everything is in good working order so that the customer can be on their way.”
Levin Tire's Valparaiso location consists of 20 team members: 15 technicians and 5 salesmen, all of whom share similar goals while on the job and share a similar passion for problem-solving.
“We work well together,” Ritter said. “I think it’s because we all are very goal-oriented; we’re focused on our customers and getting the job done right. We’re all problem-solvers at heart; that’s part of succeeding in this industry and why we’re in this field to begin with.”
And after over six months as Assistant Manager, Ritter’s perspective of his new Levin Tire family, and the role they all play in providing quality service, has continued to grow.
“Our transparency with our customers stands out,” Ritter said. “A lot of places will just tell a customer, ‘You need this, this, and this done. Would you like us to do it, yes or no?’ With Levin, we more often than not will allow our customers to come back into the shop and inspect the vehicle, and we will give a detailed explanation of what exactly is going on and what can happen down the road if the issue is not addressed. The customer will then make an educated decision for themselves.”
“It can sound like a foreign language,” he said. “Customers will feel that they are being taken advantage of, which is unfortunately rampant in this industry, so that is one key factor that sets Levin apart from other companies. We’re all about that transparency with the customers and making sure they understand everything going on with their vehicle.”
For more information about Levin Tire & Service Centers, visit their website at https://levintirecenter.com/.
