Los Alamitos Service Center taps new general manager

David Martinez knows he's a tough customer. And he believes it's what's going to help him do right by operators as general manager at the MCI Service Center in Los Alamitos, California.

"I hate to use a cliché, but I believe you treat the customers how you'd want to be treated — honestly, fairly and kept in the loop," says the new general manager. "I was a leasing customer for ten years before I came to this side of the table. I know what it takes to make me happy, so I think I understand what it takes to make them happy."

Martinez, who started his career as a mechanic, has more than 20 years of automotive, machine and truck-industry experience. He was most recently customer service manager for Ryder, overseeing 12 locations throughout his native South California. He got his first taste of motor coach issues when dealing with Ryder's racing customers, some of whom who kept conversion coaches to take their families around the country.

His first order of business at Los Alamitos is to get to know MCI customers and their concerns. His former customers knew him as a professional whose word could be trusted, and he hopes to earn MCI operators' confidence as he builds solid relationships.

"I think we've got a good group of people here," says Martinez. He's working on making it an even bigger, better group. A new technician has already joined, bringing the mechanic staff to 10. As ever, the Los Alamitos service center is equipped to do everything from routine maintenance to wheelchair retrofits and bodywork. "We're ready to do whatever it takes," says Martinez.

Symbolizing his commitment to change, he's about to redo the customer lounge — especially the coach seats that comprise the waiting room. "They're comfortable, but I think it's about the last thing an operator wants to see — it's like going home to an office chair."

Again, it's his empathy at work. "I like to think about how I'd feel in any given situation, whether it's how long I wait, or if I see a deal on the Internet that's a little cheaper than what I just paid. It’s the human factor. It's people doing business with people. And that's the way I believe it should be."

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