Find out how a Hawthorne, California auto repair shop that had never spent a dollar on marketing in years of business finally made the move online — and kept its bays consistently full of new customers who would never have found them through word of mouth alone.
Overview
Pepe's Auto Repair has been serving the Hawthorne, California community for many years. Owner Jose Villicana has built the business on three things: good work, honesty, and taking care of people. Many of their customers have been coming for years and send friends and family without being asked. That kind of loyalty doesn't happen by accident — it's earned one repair at a time. For a long time, that was enough. Word of mouth kept the shop busy, and formal marketing never felt necessary. Then things started to change.
The Challenge
The team at Pepe's knew the way customers found businesses was shifting. People who needed an honest mechanic were increasingly looking online first, not asking a neighbor. A shop with a long track record of quality work and loyal customers was invisible to anyone who hadn't already heard about them through word of mouth. "Things were changing and more people were looking online for an honest mechanic," Jose said. The shop wanted to make sure new customers could find them and keep a steady, consistent car count coming through the bays.
The Hibu Solution
The decision to try marketing for the first time came with real nervousness. Having been in business a long time without spending on advertising, the concern was whether it would work and whether the investment would pay off. What made the difference was Hibu rep Chandra. She came in person, sat down with the team, explained everything clearly, and has continued to show up — visiting the shop, checking in on how things are going, and adjusting when needed. "We haven't felt like we were just sold something and then forgotten about," Jose said.
That ongoing presence has extended to business conversations beyond just the marketing metrics. Chandra discusses what she's seeing with her other local clients (including when the market slows) which helps the Pepe's team understand context and make better decisions. For a business that had always focused on fixing cars rather than managing marketing, having a trusted person handling that side of the business has been the core value of the relationship.
The Results
Pepe's Auto Repair set out to achieve more consistency, and that's exactly what the business got. New customers are coming in through online search. People who needed a mechanic searched, found Pepe's, and called. The shop has employees, overhead, and bills like any small business, and keeping the bays busy with a steady car count is what makes that sustainable. "For a repair shop, keeping the bays busy and having a steady car count is what matters," Jose said — and Hibu has helped deliver that.
Reflecting on what waiting longer would have cost, the answer is simple: customers who were already searching online and simply couldn't find them. "Word of mouth has always been good to us, but people look for everything online now," Jose said. "We're glad we didn't wait any longer to get ourselves out there." To another shop owner who says word of mouth is working fine, his perspective is earned. "We probably would have said the same thing before we started. But things change, and today people go online when they need something. You can be a great mechanic, but new customers still need to be able to find you."
In 90 days, Hibu generated nearly 400 leads for Pepe's Auto Repair:
- 385 Leads
- 966 Ad Clicks
- 1,046 Website Visits
Hibu is a leading provider of digital marketing solutions to local businesses across the US. With Hibu, your business has a truly integrated marketing program designed to increase your visibility online, drive visitors to your website and generate leads. Visit Hibu.com or call us at 855-409-6569 today to get more from your digital marketing.
