The longtime friends became franchise owners of the Castle Hills location in 2017. Both previously worked for an insurance company and did not know what they were going to do next after deciding to leave the industry. Mainer said she was looking for signs, one of which came when she visited an auto repair shop to get an oil change.
Mainer said she wants customers’ experience at Honest-1 Auto Care to be different from what she and many other women have experienced. Mainer and Shepler’s goal is to build trust and make customers, especially women, feel comfortable getting their car serviced. Mainer said women make up about 60% of the shop’s customer base.
“We have people that drive quite a ways to get here,” she said. “We did take a lady to work the other day. I finally said, ‘Where do you work,’ and it was the south side of Garland. She said, ‘I just felt more comfortable bringing my car here.’”
The shop’s waiting room has a TV, a fireplace, a children’s play area equipped with donated books, free snacks and a stocked beverage station.
Services offered include oil changes, various types of repairs, tune-ups, state inspections, wheel alignments and more. Customers are invited into the garage to see and receive thorough explanations of the work their car needs. Employees also take pictures and videos to share with customers. Mainer and Shepler prioritize transparency. “The No. 1 issue that people have when getting their cars worked on is, ‘Did I really need this?’” Mainer said. As two female business owners in a male-dominated field, Mainer said she and Shepler occasionally encounter sexism.
Mainer said she would like to see scholarships available for women who want to enter the industry.
“The [automotive] field is wide open,” she said. “If they’re interested, especially if they’re female—or male, I don’t care—call us, and we’ll help you.”
Services offered
Here are some of the services that Honest-1 Auto Care offers:
Auto A/C and heat repair
Wheel alignment
Auto suspension
Engine repair
Oil change
Brake repair
Radiator repair
Transmission repair
Tune-up service
State inspections
Honest-1 Auto Care
4740 Windhaven Parkway, Lewisville
972-829-6283
www.honest1castlehills.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. Closed
