Big is Not Better

Since 1975, we have known and have never forgotten that we have to be both better and different to compete. While larger chains focused on the immediate transaction, we set our sights on the long-term and developed significant relationships with our customers.

We recognize there is a logical size for every business. If you are too big, you may forget where you came from. If you are too small, you may not have the ability to get things done. Right sized companies are more nimble, innovative, responsive, and less resistant to change. It is the difference between a dinosaur and a stallion.

We believe this concept is essential to a service business like ours. At Merlin we are able to support the needs of our customers and franchisees, because we’re the right size to respond. Our management-owned company can get things done quickly, without the red tape of larger companies who can be more interested in the stockholder’s needs than those of customers and franchisees.

We are the right size, and yet we are growing at the right pace – a measured growth that allows us to remain customer-focused. Something that most of our larger competitors, it seems, lost the ability to do years ago. While they may fix cars as well as we do, they just can’t compete when it comes to service.

What is the difference between Merlin and the other automotive service chains? Why choose Merlin?

There may be several answers to this question. One might be that our trademarks allow us to "own" the vehicle longevity service category. Or because we concentrate much of our efforts on individual shop success as evidenced by the fact that the average annual sales per Merlin shop statistic continues to grow each year, and that it is much higher than several much larger national competitors.

Perhaps it is the way we go to market and our overall business philosophy. (We focus on building long-term customer relationships instead of maximizing one-time sales transactions). We lead in developing innovative customer retention and relationship building strategies such as our exclusive DRIVE FOR 200,000 and 200,000 Mile Transferable Warranty. Or that we provide "new thinking" programs to attract, keep, and reward employees. Or because we are not the biggest. Or, maybe, the answer is that we do not approve everybody as a franchisee, nor are we a good fit for every applicant’s life strategy.

The best answer, however, is the one you determine on your own as a result of your observations during our initial meeting, as a consequence of your independent research, and as a conclusion from your discussions with Merlin franchisees (and, perhaps, competitors). Your answers to this question are far more important than any of ours.