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Why Treating People Well Is Good Business | Chris Palmer, Green Garage
03/24/2026
Why Treating People Well Is Good Business | Chris Palmer, Green Garage
What if the secret to standing out in a tough industry was just treating people the way they deserve to be treated? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Chris Palmer, founder of Green Garage, an auto repair shop in Birmingham's Automotive Historic District. Chris shares how intentionally hiring people with hospitality backgrounds transformed the customer experience at Green Garage, and why simply doing what you say you will do turns out to be better than average in the auto repair industry. Chris also talks about 13 years of building and adapting the business, from starting with hybrid vehicles to adding a licensed locksmith operation, buying his own building to protect against rising downtown rents, and how treating employees like an investment rather than a cost has driven real loyalty and growth. If you own a small business, work in the trades, or are thinking about what kind of business to start, this episode is full of practical, honest insight on customer experience, employee investment and building something that lasts. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 💻 Connect with Green Garage Green Garage is an eco-friendly, ASE Master Certified auto repair shop in Birmingham's Automotive Historic District, serving domestic, European and import vehicles. Website: Instagram: Auto Keyco (wholesale locksmith services): Mentioned in This Episode: Auto Keyco (wholesale locksmith & key programming): Uptick Marketing (Green Garage's marketing partner): Thompson Architecture: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 📲 Follow Carrie Rollwagen Instagram: Website: LinkedIn: YouTube: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 📢 Thanks to OurSponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox.
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