Page 20 - AAA Central Penn - AAA Now! Winter 2014

20 january/february 2014
In our 3rd year of
competition, our latest
Approved Auto Repair,
“Top Shop” first place
winner is the first shop
to reach 100% positive
scoring on all their
returned customer service
cards. They also scored
100% in their first customer
survey that was performed
during their initial application
process to the Approved Auto
Repair program. Shops must
score at least 97% on their returned
customer survey cards, have no negative
reports during the year, and receive at
least 60 cards to qualify for the AAR “Top Shop”
program.
Susquehanna Valley Fleet & Auto was started
about 3 years ago, as an offshoot of Susquehanna
Valley EMS, a firm that has supplied emergency
services in the Lancaster area for the last 45 years.
Michael Fitzgibbons, the general manager of
Susquehanna Valley, started the automotive repair
shop as a result of requests of the employees and
their families to service their personal vehicles.
He felt it would be successful, due to the need
Susquehanna Valley Fleet & Auto
Perfection is the Goal of 2013’s ‘Top Shop’ Winner
for a quality repair facility that
offers great customer services and
reasonable prices for repair work.
He hired Scott Roschel as the
service manager, an ASE Master
Auto & Truck technician, and Scott
works with two other technicians
giving a combined experience of
over 100 years. Scott believes in
always providing his customers with
personalized one-on-one “wow” type
of service. Scott makes it clear, when
talking about the types of repairs they can
do, that they are not afraid to work on any
type of vehicle that can fit through the door.
Mike feels that Scott and his crew will continue
to provide what is needed: “To keep growing, and
get as big as we need to be but not to lose sight of our
customer service aspect.” They look at what is needed
to provide that level of customer service: to be able
to fix anything they bring in the door, for customers
to get their vehicle when promised, and finally to
guarantee the car is fixed right the first time for a
reasonable price.
For further information about Susquehanna Valley
Fleet & Auto, go to AAA.com/aar or to their website
www.svfleetauto.com
By Bruce Phillips - Approved Auto Repair Manager ASK THE TECH
Q: With the price of gasoline
steadily rising, what can
I do to get maximum fuel
mileage?
A: With the level of technology
found in today’s vehicles, auto manufacturers
are achieving fuel mileage that just a few years
ago was thought to be unobtainable. Even a few
non-hybrid vehicles are approaching 50 miles
per gallon. Whether you drive a new or older
vehicle, there are many things you can do to
maximize your fuel mileage and minimize wear
and tear on your vehicle.
There are many things that you can do that
will pay dividends at the pump. Do not warm
up your vehicle for long periods of time on cold
mornings. Driving smoothly and avoiding hard
acceleration when your engine is cold will warm
it up more quickly than allowing it to idle while
wasting gasoline. Avoid jack rabbit starts and
hard braking. Plan your trips wisely to avoid
driving with a cold engine. Remove any type
of outside rack such as a bike or ski rack when
not in use. Remove any unnecessary inside
baggage, which only adds weight and reduces
fuel mileage.
Items relating to your vehicle are: maintaining
proper tire pressures, performing preventive
maintenance such as replacing the air
filter and spark plugs at the manufacturer’s
recommended intervals, and using the correct
viscosity of oil when having oil changes done to
reduce engine friction.
The most important thing that you can do
to increase fuel mileage is to slow down.
Decreasing from 75 mph to 55 mph can
increase your mileage from 25%-30% even on
the most fuel-efficient vehicles.
These items individually have a small impact
on mileage, but when combined can reduce
your carbon footprint, slash your odds of
serious injury in a crash, and greatly reduce
your pain at the pump.
Scott Roschel is the service manager of Susquehanna
Valley Fleet & Auto in Lancaster, PA, part of the AAA
Approved Auto Repair network and the winner of the
2013 Top Shop recognition program for AAA. He is an
ASE certified Master Auto & Master Truck Technician,
ASE certified Auto Service Advisor, and an ASE L1
Advanced Level diagnostics technician
By Scott Roschel
AAANow! TM auto
SERVICES
(L-R) Bruce Phillips- AAA Central Penn, AAR Manager; TomMcGowan-AAA Central Penn, COO; Bob Manning - SVF&A,
Board Member; Don Alleman - SVF&A, Board Member; Mike Fitzgibbons - SVF&A, General Manager; Scott Raschel - SVF&A,
Service Manager; Mike Preston - SVF&A, Technician; Christine Hall - SVF&A, Office Manager; Jim Fisher - SVF&A, Technician