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| It's happened to just about everyone once: you go out to start your car one morning. Maybe it's July and 99 degrees out or January and 10 degrees below zero. When you put the key in the ignition and turn it—nothing. Images from TV exposes pop into your head, of undercover reporters getting bills for $5,000 for work that isn't necessary. So what do you do? Who do you trust to repair your car? If you live in the Lincoln Square area, you bring it in to Lincoln Square Service, an auto repair shop with a reputation as straightforward, fair and extremely skilled at what they do. |
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| The building where Lincoln Square Service is located at the corner of Lawrence and Leavitt has operated as an auto shop and service station since 1928. When Mr. Sung Lee bought it in 1980, he decided that the service shop should specialize in alignment. Current owner Carmelo Rios started working for Mr. Lee in 1998. He worked his way up from manager to business partner, then bought the shop from Mr. Lee in 2002. "The original owner waited 13 years to find someone to sell to," says Carmelo. "He was known for being fair. He taught me a lot about running the business." Mr. Lee still brings his cars to Lincoln Square Service to be maintained. Although it changed hands, nothing has changed about how they do business at Lincoln Square Service. They still offer quality work for a good price, which keeps their customers satisfied and coming back for more. In fact, the national service rating group, Angie's List, has given Lincoln Square Service its Super Service Award for both 2003 and 2004. The group's ratings are based completely on recommendations from people who are actual customers of the shop and members of Angie's List. Lincoln Square Service is also listed in the Car Talk website's MechanXFiles, where the shop gets the highest ratings for being honest, competent, reasonably priced and for treating both male and female customers with equal respect. |
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 So when should you visit Lincoln Square Service? When you need any mechanical repairs, electrical work or general maintenance services including tune ups. (The only thing they don't do is body work.) The shop specializes in suspension work, brake repairs and alignments for both 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive vehicles. They'll take care of all cars, from current models run by computers and electronics, to classic muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. "We have many customers who bring in their antique cars," says Carmelo. "They come here because a lot of other shops won't work on the older cars." Although they're known for their work on vintage vehicles, Lincoln Square Service is up to speed on the latest cars and owns advanced diagnostic equipment including a four gas analyzer, a machine for diagnosing air conditioning problems and one for cutting brake rotors and drums. "We've got everything a dealer has here," explains Carmelo. He also has a computer system in place that tracks your car's service history and plans to network several computer stations set up in the workshop soon. |
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| It's obvious when you meet Carmelo that his true passion is repairing cars. He's worked on cars since he was 14 when he studied auto mechanics in high school in Boston, where he grew up. After graduation, he went on to automotive school. His brother in law who owned a small service station got him interested in the business. "I spent my days there and learned how to drive by moving the cars around for my brother in law," recalls Carmelo. After working as a teacher's aide in a high school automotive class, he teamed up with one of his automotive teachers to work on race cars. "We used to do a lot of specialty stuff together," says Carmelo. In 1981, he came to Chicago to visit his sister and liked it so much that he never left. About eight years ago, he met his wife Gloria after repairing her brother's car. "When I went to pick up my brother's car, that's when I met him," says Gloria, who had her own experience in the automotive industry working at used car dealerships. "It turned out to be a good deal," laughs Carmelo. |
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 Word of mouth brings the bulk of the business to Lincoln Square Service. They are doing so well that Carmelo has a couple people to help him out with the front office. His wife also takes care of the office so that he can be in the workshop, where he loves to be. "I'm back there wrenching all the time," laughs Carmelo. "I couldn't live without that. That's my life. People come back here because they trust you and the work that you're going to do on their car." Carmelo likes interacting with customers, too. He offers free estimates for new customers and sometimes will fix things at no charge if it's something minor. His repeat customers stop asking for estimates eventually—they just trust that he'll do the work that needs to be done. After people come once, they tend to keep coming. "That's where it all begins, when someone trusts you," says Carmelo. "Honesty and customer service are the keys to success. Lots of businesses just look at the bottom line. But you can still look at both your bottom line and take care of your customers. They both work together." Carmelo is passing these and other lessons on to his five sons, as they help him out from time to time in the shop. At least two of the five sons have already shown interest in cars. "It's my dream to someday modify a car with one of my kids," says Carmelo. |
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| Since cars and technology change so quickly, Carmelo makes a point of taking regular classes to keep up with the latest knowledge. "It's like being a doctor," he laughs. "You have to keep going for classes to keep up." Periodically he takes seminars on new automotive technologies at Triton College. He's also taken a training course put on by Ammco brake company. "You don't know brakes unless you go there," says Carmelo. Inside Lincoln Square Service, there's an organized, neatly stocked parts storeroom filled with the top quality parts they use at the shop. Some of the brands he works with include Delphi batteries, Wells ignition systems, Walker exhaust systems, Monroe shocks and struts, Goodyear tires and parts, Moog front suspension parts and Champion spark plugs, among others. |
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| So, if you have the misfortune to run into car trouble, make sure to bring your vehicle in to Lincoln Square Service. The shop services light trucks and vans, SUVs and all types of cars, new and vintage. You'll get the best service you can trust, and you may even save money, too. At the very least, you'll avoid the worry of whether your car is in good hands. |
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Lincoln Square Service
2201 West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773.561.9300
Hours
Monday through Friday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 2:00pm |
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| Read more profiles in the Member of the Month Archives |
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