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Michael J. Gill Case

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Michael J. Gill Michael J. Gill has a history of making the impossible possible in terms of business success and profitability. As a diverse businessman Gill worked his way up the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. corporate hierarchy till he became the general manager of operations. After twenty devoted year, he then retired to grind in the stock market and overall enjoy his family time. It wasn’t until he got word of AAA entering the automotive repair market that sparked his interest of coming out of retirement. After being hire by AAA, it became his duty to start up club owner repair centers across the U.S. and Canada as well as improve business at existing repair facilities. Locations grew from seven to over one hundred and sixty and profits …show more content…

The concept of expanding AAA’s repairs to include glass may seem like a risky investment considering glass replacement is free in five states. Even so, Gill recognized a market and did what he does best- made a profitable trade. Prior knowledge of consumers’ awareness for the overall brand that is AAA allowed easy access into the market. So, even though windshield replacement cost may be fully covered by insurance the owner of the vehicle has the final say on who is used to make the repair. He used the familiarity of the company, which is known to be the best, and the ease of use (other than setting the appointment AAA handles all paperwork associated with insurance claims) to make it absurd to use any other competitor. However, Gill knew there was some competition that could not be beat- Safelite. As the saying goes if you can’t beat them join them and that is just what Gill did to create a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties.
Down the road Gill recognizes that the future of the Approved Auto Repair program will be certifying dealerships. The future development in cars will require up-to-date technology to sustain these vehicles. If these independent shops (many who are AAA approved shops) do not keep up they will go out of business. As a result, it is crucial to expand AAR to include dealerships. The exchange will still provide member discounts and allows for the shop to surpass the recurring complaints of

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