Meet Terri Otto of Kansas City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Terri Otto

Hi Terri, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband and I are the owners of Otto Service of Kansas City. We specialize in the repair and maintenance of Honda, Acura, Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Our small business started 47 years ago with a home garage and a dream. My husband’s father, Alan, passionately started the business servicing Honda and Acura vehicles in 1977 and later moved to our current location in 1998. Thanks to our auto family our small business has grown into so much more than we could have ever dreamed!

My husband had already worked at the business since he was a teenager and I had several years under my belt as well when we purchased the business in 2017. Our twins were only 9 months old at the time. Undertaking such a huge loan such as buying a business was not something we took lightly. Ultimately, after much prayer and deep conversations, we wanted to keep the business in the family and continue to serve our wonderful auto family so we took a leap of faith. We definitely had our hands and hearts full! We had several customers that had Toyota and Lexus vehicles as well, so when we took ownership we felt the need to add those to the makes of vehicles we serviced. It proved to be a wonderful move for our business!

As a former Special Needs Teacher, I never thought I would own an auto repair business. I always had the desire to work at the family business, but my husband thought working together might not be the best option. Things change though! We ended up going on a work trip to Cancun with other shop owners. When we got back, I got a job offer from another auto repair facility in the area. My husband quickly brought me onto the Otto Service team and has never looked back. To this day, he always says he wishes he had done it sooner.

It has been such a blessing to take this road together! The business already had a strong foundation, but we were able to add our own passions and dreams to the business. We both have a strong desire to serve others, so one of the first things I did when we bought the business was dig into serving the community! We have put on several donation drives for organizations that mean a lot to us. Ones that benefited the NICU, veterans and the homeless to name a few. By God’s grace, we were also able to donate a car to a precious family with a special needs child. It was a moment for the heart vault. Tears for all involved! At Otto Service, we don’t just care for your vehicle, we care about YOU because to us you are family!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Cue…COVID. Whew! That definitely flashed a detour sign for our business, but God provided in every way! Our small business was considered an “essential” business, so we were able to keep our doors open! We had to get creative during that time. Contactless drop offs and pick ups. Driving all around town to find sanitizer so we could return vehicles and keys sanitized. Using social media to convey, “Yes! We are still open!” We even provided little gifts like toilet paper in customers vehicles that said “Good service is how we roll!” Like I said, we had to get creative!

Owning a small business, in general, is never easy though. There have been may days that we didn’t take a pay check because we needed to pay our team. We can learn from it and make changes the best we can, but life definitely happens. Sometimes business is slow, but the bills don’t stop coming in. People don’t see the things that happen behind-the-scenes. Owning a small business takes a lot of patience, grit, grace and most importantly, heart. We love what we do and are happy we get to do it together! We have an all-star team and the best customers ever. They all are family to us! That makes for a pretty incredible recipe for success!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have touched on some of this already, but we are your family’s auto repair shop specializing in the repair and maintenance of your Honda, Acura, Toyota and Lexus vehicles!

What we are most proud of is the dedication and integrity our team brings to the table. We serve of auto family with grace and understanding. We strive to educate our customers about their vehicle to ensure the safety of them and their families while on the road. They are family to us, after all. We truly care for them!

We have been recognized throughout the community by various establishments throughout Kansas City: the South Kansas City Chamber’s Big Impact Award, Kansas City Magazine’s Best of KC, Pitch Magazine’s Best of KC and Kansas City Star’s Kansas City Star’s Kansas City Favorites to name a few. We have graced the cover of Parts and People Magazine and the South Kansas City Chamber’s magazine, as well as few others. The one we still have to pinch ourselves about is when we were one of 25 small businesses in KC that was chosen for “Thinking big and going somewhere!” Over 1300 small businesses were nominated! We attended a red carpet gala that had over 700 in attendance. It felt like the Oscars to us. It was one of the most amazing experiences of our lives!

It is always surreal to us to be recognized on the level we are. We are just a small business compared to the dealerships, but we definitely have big hearts. I guess that is what sets us apart. We never wanted to just be an “auto repair business.” It’s our dream to use our business as a platform to help others. That is where our heart is. To serve Kansas City and the people of the community. Let’s face it, no one wants to go to an auto repair shop, but we are able to help keep people safe on the road and do good with being a face in the community. That’s the dream!

How do you think about luck?
Luck has nothing to do with it. We give it all back to God. He is the one that has provided and continues to allow us to do what we do, in work and in life. It is our honor to be able to serve others and give back when we get the opportunity to. There are always going to be trials in life, but we have a firm foundation with our faith and with God anything is possible. That is what we cling to in this life. He has played the biggest role in our small business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.OttoServiceKC.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OttoServiceKC