Garage Door Medics serve San Diego County with the motto: ‘We only recommend what you need’

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

“May we enjoy the benefits of life, prosperity, and the respect for being a business that is built by like-minded people with the highest ethics and morals.”

This is the oath of Garage Door Medics and you’ll find it prominently on the website, posted around their offices, and repeated aloud at every team meeting. It is the core belief owner Mick Dapcevic brought to his business 30 years ago this year.

“We will always remember there is an art to customer care as well as business, and that warmth, empathy and compassion supersede any form of monetary gain,” Dapcevic said. “We’re not simply a garage door company, we’re a people company.”

A graduate of La Jolla High School, Dapcevic said he moved here when he was 13 and soon began working alongside his father, who owned a small welding company and serviced garage doors on the side.

“As soon as I got a drivers license, I was driving a truck and servicing doors after school and on weekends. At 19, I started this company,” Dapcevic said.

Since then, Garage Door Medics has grown from a single location in San Diego to 10 offices in five states — all under his ownership. “I won’t franchise,” he said. “I want to be sure our integrity is maintained in each office; similar to Starbucks.”

“Our type of people subscribe to this oath,” he continued. Garage Door Medics even has an executive position for “Talent and Culture.” Regarding that title, Dapcevic explained: “I don’t really believe in the term ‘human resources.’ Our team members are people, not resources. We look after the needs of them and their families.”

The team numbers 25 — the longest employee has been there 27 years and the average is 10.

Community is another cornerstone of the company, Dapcevic said. It supports Habitat for Humanity, donating doors to Habitat projects, as well as its team members volunteering at Doors for Change.

One effort Dapcevic is particularly proud of is building and donating playhouses to the children of active duty military. “It’s really special to see these kids get so excited,” he said.

The company is also environmentally sensitive. Scrap metal is recycled at their sister company, Morena Welding. Old, one-piece wooden doors are sent to Baja California, Mexico, for building uses.

“We only recommend what you need” is another cornerstone of the Garage Door Medics philosophy.

“When we get an emergency call, the people are very vulnerable. The garage door is the most-used door in a house and they may need to get into or out of their garage quickly. We’re empathetic to the fact we need to get there ASAP. We’re available 24/7 and usually can get there in 1 to 2 hours.”

Service calls follow a defined protocol. “First step is to educate the customer,” Dapcevic said. “Our tech explains the problem and the recommended solution. Our trucks are very well stocked and 90 percent of repairs are completed on the first visit. Pricing is transparent; it’s all there for customers to see on a tablet. Later, one of our managers follows up to make sure the customer’s experience was incredible. About 2-3 weeks later, we make another call to make sure everything is working fine.

“If someone calls with what sounds like a simple repair, like a closing sensor out of balance, or a remote-controller not working, we’ll try and talk them through it on the phone, avoiding a service call.”

Perhaps that’s why Garage Door Medics has more than 5,000 5-star reviews and is also rated A-plus by the Better Business Bureau — its highest grade given.

About 80 percent of Garage Door Medics’ business is in repairs, and the other 20 percent in new door sales.

“Garage doors have moved from a back building to the front of the house. A good one can make the house look more expensive. We can customize them in many ways, even adding your face if you like,” Dapcevic laughed.

To avoid costly and inconvenient emergency repairs, he recommends an annual tune up, which includes an inspection and lubrication of springs and hinges. In between tune-ups, one can keep the garage door in good shape by regularly lubricating moving parts yourself. “Don’t use WD-40,” he cautions, “be sure to use a silicone spray.”

Dapcevic offers another tip to check the door’s balance. To do this, he suggests pulling the red, emergency handle to disengage the door from the motor. “Be sure the door is down,” he cautions. “If not, it could drop down suddenly. Then, push the door halfway up and it should stay in that position. If not, it’s out of balance and will wear out the motor — that’s when you call us.”

Garage Door Medics, located at 5319 Grant St. in the Morena area of San Diego, services the entire County. Calls are taken 24/7 at (888) 997-2423. gdmedics.com

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