VINS Auto Care & Collision: Building a Legacy in Personal Service

by Sofia EsHaq

In an industry that is constantly evolving, keeping pace is a necessity.

Sayed Masumi of VINS Auto Care & Collision serves as a prime example of a leader who doesn’t back down from the challenges that come with change. From specialized geo-fenced marketing to welcoming the complex world of EV repairs, this Manassas, VA shop is proving that the future of collision repair belongs to those who can adapt with ease.

Five years ago, when Masumi acquired the facility during the tail-end of COVID, he didn’t plan to turn it into a full auto body shop. With 25 years of experience working in dealerships, his initial intent was to use the space as a reconditioning center for his dealership’s inventory. However, because the location had previously operated as a repair shop, Masumi shared that “people started coming in and asking for estimates.” Seeing this as a more lucrative opportunity, Masumi pivoted and began updating the outdated equipment that was left behind by the previous owner, investing in modern tools and training for his staff, and set out to learn the ins and outs of the collision repair business.

When companies reached out to Masumi to franchise the shop with the benefit of good insurance relationships, he turned them down. “They will control your business model and dictate what you do. I didn’t want that. I wanted to be in control.” So, he took the time to form those relationships with insurance companies himself, which took about a year.

In that same time, he also worked on building the shop’s team. Masumi admits, “I have no idea how to write an estimate, or how the body work process goes, but what I wanted to do was surround myself with the people who did know.” One of those people being his manager, Carla Reser. Masumi met Reser while she was working as an independent appraiser. Immediately impressed by the “wealth of knowledge” she displayed, he asked her to observe the shop, and eventually she became manager. Over the past year, Reser has helped majorly with transforming the shop. “She came in, cleaned up the shop, organized it, processed procedures, metrics, SOPs, and I couldn’t be happier. She’s excellent.”

With a strong foundation set for success, VINS is now working to enter the space of the rapidly changing electric vehicle market. Taking his experiences working at a dealership into account, where he sells around 50 EVs a month, Masumi recognized an opportunity to grow his clientele at the shop. “About 50 percent of those sales are local to the community. Since we’ve already established a relationship, I remark and retarget to them. There’s a trust factor there. They’ve spent money with me already purchasing the car.” He explains, “My technicians know how to repair them [Teslas], and I just see a growing need for it. You see when you drive down the road, they’re all over the place. It’s a growing brand and a growing need. Becoming a certified EV repair shop is the right move.”

Masumi shares how he’s been able to capture this market across the Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William areas, where there are more EVs than there are repair shops able to repair these vehicles. VINS utilizes geo-fencing technology, which maps out specific geographic zones where targeted ads will be sent out to Tesla and EV owners searching for specialized repairs. By combining digital marketing with established dealership trust, VINS is positioning itself as a go-to EV repair destination.

Beyond technological investments, what truly distinguishes VINS Auto Care & Collision is their tried and true customer-centered philosophy. In an industry where it can feel easy to adopt an attitude that  “the customer should be thankful we fixed their car,” Masumi urges his peers to rethink their approach. “I think that’s a total backwards mentality. Nobody in my store can have that approach. We are lucky. We’re happy that the customer chose us, in the sense that we’re going to get to repair the customer’s car, not the other way around. If you have the mindset that the customer should just be happy that they’re getting something done, then you’re not thinking about the long term growth of your brand.” Masumi added, “I think everything stems from treating your customer right. If you treat your customer right, you’ll get nice feedback, your insurance partners are happy, more business flows in, you get a better online presence, you get word of mouth, and then it just starts growing, growing, growing.”

To ensure top tier customer service, Masumi personally vets every candidate during the hiring process to ensure they share the same opinions on customer service.

“I’m very clear about my expectations on how I want customer service to be a point of emphasis. We’re not here to hit a home run every time. I want singles and doubles, not home runs. If you’re trying to hit a home run on every customer, you can make money in the short term and you’ll do okay. But if you’re looking for long-term growth and you want your business to last and you want to eat consistently, then you don’t try to take that approach and hit a home run on every customer.”

VINS has seen great benefits from this approach. “We’ve made some inroads with the community. We definitely do see repeat clients coming in and I want people to tell others, ‘I got a shop. Go over there and they’ll take care of you.’”

While Masumi focuses on the business side of things, his respect for the craftsmen on the shop floor remains profound. Watching a severely damaged car come in and then leave in pristine condition is something he views with genuine admiration. “They’re almost like surgeons when it comes to a car,” he says. “It’s a cool feeling to watch them work.”

For newcomers entering the collision industry today, Masumi’s primary advice is simple: stay patient. Building genuine relationships with insurance partners and earning community trust takes time. He says, “You can go years and not make the inroads, and you’re going around in circles asking yourself, ‘What am I doing?’” However, staying the course will pay off in the end.

As a new member of WMABA, his goal is to “surround [himself] with sharper minds” since it’s “always good to get insight and perspective from people who have been at it longer than you have.” He is eager to collaborate with seasoned shop owners and gain even more knowledge about the industry.

Ultimately, VINS is building a legacy grounded in personal service and genuine care for the driver. “When people are sitting down talking, I want us to be known as ‘that shop that always takes care of me,’” Masumi reflects. “In today’s day and age, the personal touch has kind of left certain industries. I want to make sure that our customers feel seen, heard, and that they can call and feel that there’s going to be somebody here that actually knows them and their cars.”

Want more? Check out the September 2026 issue of Hammer & Dolly!