We sat down with Clyde and Jamie from Suncoast Fleet Services in Clearwater, FL, and it became clear how passionate they are about their business—and how intentional they are about its growth. We had a conversation about their experience with Dieselmatic, the wins they've celebrated, and the relief of finally being able to focus on what they do best.

Before we get into the interview, check out this infographic!

Matt: So, I know it was in the email, but we're asking a handful of our partners to share some success stories. We've got the majority of the information from your data, like from the information from Google ads and SEO and all that, but I have about a few questions I want to get your feedback on. Before you partnered with Dieselmatic, what would you say were the biggest challenges your shop faced?

Clyde: I think it was more about taking some things off Jamie's plate. Jamie was handling SEO and the Google ads and all that. That was the biggest thing. I don't think we were necessarily as consistent. Well, I don't know. She was pretty darn consistent. Actually, she did a good job of doing it, but it was really to free up her time.

Matt: I see. You've basically answered my next question. How were you handling your marketing and online presence before us? I'm assuming Jamie took care of all of that.

Clyde: Yeah, she basically took care of all of it. I would do some cold calling, and she handled all of that SEO stuff and all of the Google ads.

Matt: So, Jamie. I have a few questions. What were the biggest challenges your shop faced before working with Dieselmatic? And how were you handling your marketing and online presence before partnering with us?

Jamie: We were doing Google and Facebook ads for the business, and doing more on the operation side than being an owner. And so I was looking for a company that just did that, and you guys fit the box for us. Our specific goal was to have a more robust presence as far as our website is concerned. And I knew that with where we were, we needed to have a professional presence. And so we wanted it to look more professional, robust, and consistent.

Matt: That makes sense. What wasn't working with your old website and marketing setup? What were the biggest pain points?

Jamie: I wouldn't say things were going poorly. It was just simple. I mean, it was one of those template websites where you plug in your information. We plugged it in, and you know, we weren't adding content regularly. So, we were not up there regarding Google rankings. It really came down to somebody coming in to help manage the process. So when we joined Dieselmatic, we were where we needed to be with online ranking. And when Coca-Cola or a larger company looked at our website, they're like, "Oh, okay. This is somebody who's professional and can handle the things that we do." We just wanted to take it up a notch. We got calls before, but I love the fact that we can be more targeted now.

Matt: Do you have any specific success? Stories that you would share, like expanding your business, opening a new location, or maybe a large project that came through?

Clyde: When we did start targeting RVs, we definitely saw a bump in RV business. I feel like for everything we've targeted, for the most part, we've achieved more business. Before, we were getting 10 to 12 calls a week from what we were doing. Now, we're getting 100 calls a month. About 25 calls a week. So, you've doubled our call volume.

Matt: That's wonderful to hear.

Clyde: As I was saying before, it was about taking things off Jamie's plate. With you guys doing the SEO, we could concentrate on more beneficial things to the business. And you know, Jamie built the previous website. It was a good website, but she had no previous knowledge of building websites. Jamie did all the Google Ads, but she had to go, learn, and teach herself how to do all that stuff, and because she was learning all of this, she wasn't optimizing her time because she had so many other hats to wear. That's the reason I think we came to you. Our website is much better now.

Clyde: We will be 4 years in business in August, and it feels like we're in the sweet spot now. We're starting to get into the spot where we are actually building a name in this community. People are not only finding us on Google but now by word of mouth. There's a ton of word of mouth going on. A guy today called and said, "Oh, my neighbor took his RV to Suncoast Fleet, so I'm going to do the same." There's a lot of that going on.

Matt: That's amazing. So, I think I already have that answer, but do you feel more confident in your general marketing, branding, and online presence?

Jamie: Yes. Absolutely.

Matt: Would you recommend Dieselmatic to other diesel repair shop owners, like friends of yours or colleagues?

Clyde: Yes, but not if they're within a hundred miles of us.

Matt: Fair enough!

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It was great talking with Clyde and Jamie about Suncoast Fleet Services’ experience with Dieselmatic. Hearing about their increased call volume, expanded RV business, and growing reputation in the community was a reminder of why we do what we do. We’re proud to be part of Suncoast Fleet Service's journey—and excited to see where the road takes them next.

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