Sir Richard Branson, a businessman well known for his leadership as well as his thinking on corporate culture, once said: “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your business”. Barry Dickey, owner of PRO TOY, Knoxville’s premier provider of auto care services, knows all too well just how right Branson is. “I learned early in my career that customer service begins with the business owner. Employees see where the owner’s focus is and that becomes their focus, as well. With our focus on service, our technicians know that they aren’t simply caring for cars; they’re caring for people, building and maintaining trusting relationships with the neighbors who rely on their help in difficult situations.”
Kim Dickey is Barry’s wife and the manager of the shop’s marketing and accounting departments. Kim points out that she and Barry have made a real commitment to providing their technicians with the tools they need to provide that stellar customer service. “Our technicians enjoy a clean, organized, and spacious 8-bay facility with state-of-the-art equipment. We make it a priority to stay in stride with advancing technologies and to keep up with this ever-changing automotive industry. We also make online continuing education programs available, along with the continuing education classes offered by our parts distributors, which we encourage our techs to attend.”
Founded in 2001, PRO TOY originally specialized in servicing Toyota and Lexus vehicles. “When we first opened,” says Kim, “there were about five or six Honda specialty repair shops in town and no Toyota shops. We felt that Knoxville really needed one.” For years, PRO TOY focused on Asian imports because, as Barry puts it, “we were plowing the field we were given.” Today, PRO TOY services all makes and models, “by the request of our customers and divine intervention,” he says, offering everything from routine scheduled maintenance to diagnostic and major repairs. Recently, they’ve added state-of-the-art front-end alignment and tire mounting equipment, making PRO TOY “a true, one-stop shop”.
PRO TOY’s two-decade history begins with Barry washing cars for a local auto dealer back in 1988. Recognized for his talent in working with customers, Barry quickly moved to dealership roles of increasing responsibility, from service advisor to service manager to eventually taking over a dealership service department. “All the while,” Barry says, “I was learning from some of the finest service managers and mentors in the business.”
That learning is reflected in the honors PRO TOY has consistently received over the years. The business has been voted Knoxville’s Best Auto Repair Facility several times, as well as Most Honest Repair Shop and Best Mechanic in Knoxville. That recognition is due, largely, to the values the Dickeys live by and instill in their PRO TOY “family.” Barry and Kim offer customers a host of reasons to bring their business to PRO TOY; benefits such as experienced technicians, shuttle service, loaner cars, 12-month unlimited mile warranties and a spacious customer lounge that offers all of the comforts of home.
But, in the end, says Barry, “we owe our success to our faithful God and our returning customers, who we will always treat as family.”
10635 Braden Dickey Lane, Knoxville, TN 37932
Phone: (865) 670-0787 | Email: protoy@comcast.net | Protoyauto.com