A Dash of Curry Blog

During a training class I give to the Curry’s Auto Service sales team, I go over this list of words. Some of them are “attitude” words; others are more like qualifying words–I call them “viscosity” phrases, since they keep things moving along. Words are important: they help shape the tone of a conversation and sometimes the outcome of a situation. Customers appreciate a genuinely (honest) positive attitude and environment–not a fake veneer of “yes,” but a helpful, responsive atmosphere. So, without further ado, here’s the list. (Feel free to steal them!) Awesome! Fantastic! Great! Fabulous! Nice! Warranty! We have the best people and the equipment! EASY! Convenient! No problem! Super-duper! (My favorite.) And some “viscosity” phrases: Is that fair? How does that sound? When would you like to come in? What can I do to earn your business? What is a convenient time for you to c ... read more

We ran across a radical new tire design by Michelin that is an amazing leap forward in durability and performance. The design is based on tires the U.S. military has developed (see the video below). They’re airless, “see through” tires that have spoke-like connections to the inner part of the tire from the outside tread ‘wrap.” The video demonstrates better than I can explain. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkkhSiIKoS8&w=640&h=480 The impact of these includes: – No more air valves…
– No more air compressors at gas stations…
– No more repair kits…
– No more flats…
– No more shirt pocket tire pressure gauges! I’m not sure why it took about 100 years to go beyond inflated rubber tires…but I’m glad someone smarter than me was working on it. Best of all these tires will be made by Michelin in South Carolina, USA. (By the way, as someone pointed out to me, th



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I’m a fanatic about customer service. An absolute freak. Ask anyone on the Curry’s Auto Service team. My guess is they will agree–and that they also understand the bigger picture that this devotion to our customers is good for everyone as it will help us continue to grow. Because it is ingrained in me, my focus on service extends into every area of my work and life. For example, we recently purchased a stove from Wolf, which is supposed to be one of the best appliance brands and is a sister brand of the famous Sub-Zero refrigerators. When you purchase a high-end brand like Wolf or Sub-Zero–or let’s say you make a reservation to stay at a Ritz Carlton or decide to buy a Porsche–you don’t stop to ask whether this will be a good experience. You are assuming, based on a number of factors (your personal experience, word of mouth, online research), that your experience will meet or exceed your expectations–and you’re willing to pay more to make sure that is the case. You don’t ask th ... read more

When I was much younger, my dad gave my mom a jar of curry powder with a slash through the letter “d.” The message was to stay strong, focused and dedicated–“be a Curry”–and the message stuck with me. After I recently told this story to an associate of mine, he graciously created the picture you see on this page, and I thought I’d share it here

Greetings and welcome to “A Dash of Curry,” my foray into blogging. I’m Matt Curry, CEO of Curry’s Auto Service, a chain of nine full-service automotive repair and tire stores in the Washington, DC metro area. In addition to enjoying my family and friends, I have a few passions–among them are cars (as you might imagine) and customer service. So some of my associates, colleagues and family suggested that people who appreciate great customer service and have some interest in cars might want to read about some of my experiences in these areas. My first reaction was, “why does the world need another blog?” Then I thought about a few things: First, after 13 years in the car repair business, I’ve accumulated some pretty interesting anecdotes (you wouldn’t believe some of the things our customers have left in their cars). I also thought that both drivers and business people might appreciate a behind the scenes glimpse into our operation and hear how we strive for ... read more

I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I’m a Realist and a Capitalist. Capitalism built America, and I believe it will save America and help the world – which is a core belief of Richard Branson and The Branson School of Entrepreneurship as well. I believe that capitalism and entrepreneurism can save you and your family, too... but only if you can get past the idea stage and on to the execution stage. Millions of people have great business ideas, but until those ideas are executed, they aren’t worth the cocktail napkin they’re scribbled on. This is one thing I know for sure about business: execution is what separates the entrepreneurs from the wanna-preneurs. So, once you’ve identified your passion and have racked up some real-world experience in your chosen industry, the next step is to develop your unique vision and a game plan for executing your business idea. You have to know where you’re headed (your vision) and how you’re going to get there (your game plan). How ca ... read more