OOROO Auto Hits the Road

By Tom Leyde

Auto Repair at Home or Workplace

There’s more to innovation in auto repair than the high-tech equipment used in most shops nowadays. OOROO Auto has taken a leap forward by going mobile with its services.

The 5-year-old company launched two mobile vans a year ago that respond to auto owners’ needs not only at their homes, but in most cases, at their workplaces.

OOROO Auto has partnered with more than 20 Tucson area businesses to offer workplace services. The responses have been positive. Not only are the workplace visits convenient, they also are offered at a group discount for the employees at no cost to the employer.

“Employees are sitting in their cubicles 10 hours a day and we said, ‘Why don’t we come to them,’ ” said OOROO Auto CEO and co-founder Jeff Artzi. “If we can reduce their stress (over auto repairs) and give them their peace of mind, we’re successful. No employer wants an employee to say, ‘I can’t come in because my car isn’t working.’ ”

A customized scheduling app keeps track of appointment availability and provides reminders for upcoming services. Mobile technicians have access to state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and repair vehicles in the field.

Among the mobile services OOROO Auto offers are oil and filter changes, brakes, radiators and water pumps, steering, AC/heating, alternators, batteries, belts and hoses, sensors and spark plugs.

Among the businesses OOROO Auto has partnered with for workplace services is Tucson Metro Chamber, which has 14 employees.

“We use their services in our parking lot, which has helped with worker productivity by avoiding the time delay often affiliated with necessary care maintenance or repairs,” said President and CEO Amber Smith. “The customer service is fantastic. Services are efficient and professional, and the prices are extremely competitive.”

Simpleview also has a partnership with OOROO Auto.

“OOROO Auto has been with Simpleview for over a year now,” said Roxandra Acosta, director of organizational development. “We are extremely pleased with their level of customer service, the ease of scheduling appointments online and their responsiveness to issues that may come up in between appointments.”

Acosta has used the mobile service at her home.

“When I called OOROO, they were able to send a mechanic to check on the problem and fix it – all before I had to be into work the very next day,” she said. “They work fast and clean. For those of us who worry about environmental hazards or possible hazardous spills, I can tell you that once OOROO leaves our parking lot, there is absolutely no trace or evidence that the engine has been worked on in that very spot.

“They are trustworthy, with very competitive prices, and display terrific customer care when dealing with any of our people,” Acosta said. “If a question was maybe not asked or answered before the appointment, someone from their offices will call to clarify, so that the mechanic is prepared with all necessary supplies when he comes on site to fix it, avoiding unnecessary delays.

“All this, on top of the fact that everything gets done while we work. What more can we ask for?” she said.

“We do it with love and kindness,” Artzi said of the shop’s efforts. “It’s not the same old stuff. It really comes from a different place than most of the auto industry is coming from. Our motto is ‘people before parts.’ ”

OOROO Auto won a Nextrio Innovation Copper Cactus Award from Tucson Metro Chamber in 2018. It has received a five-star user rating on Yelp and received the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona Torch Award for ethics and customer service excellence.

Artzi began OOROO Auto by buying out Vistoso Automotive at 12945 N. Oracle Road in 2014. He co-founded OOROO Auto with Lindsey Wiederstein, director of client services, and Dillon Walker,  chief technology officer. Walker and his team continue to develop proprietary technology to keep things running efficiently behind the scenes and to enhance customer experience.

The company, which has 20 employees, celebrated its fifth anniversary on May 1.

“We appreciate all our people, the way they take care of the people and their respect for the customers,” Artzi said.

He said OOROO Auto plans to add more employees and mobile vans in the near future. But first, he said, “We have to take care of what’s in front of us.”