The next time you pass by an auto shop, whether it’s a competitor of yours or a shop far away and out-of-state, hang back a minute and check out what kind of equipment they use. Consider:

• What brand(s) do they use?
• If their equipment is better than yours, how does that make you feel about your shop?

If you own a shop, you should be putting yourself in the shoes of your customers, as well as your competition. This is especially true if you’re more impressed by their BendPak equipment than you think they would be of your off-brand, bargain barrel stuff. That desirable BendPak label sits near a second label too: the gold ALI Certified sticker prominently featured on the post. As purveyors of the world’s best “designer” two-post lifts, four-post lifts, scissors lifts and alignment lifts, we have a list of reasons why our ALI Certification and designer status matter. You already know BendPak is the real deal. Here’s a reminder of what we offer.

1. Car lift quality

There are a lot of cheap lifts out there. They’re cheaply priced, cheaply made and cheap-looking too. Some shop owners will wonder why they should pay more for an ALI Certified lift when they can get a non-certified product for a few hundred dollars less that’s rated for the same weight capacity. Well, it’s the same principle behind spending $120 or more on a pair of Ray-Ban® sunglasses when there’s a six-dollar knockoff at the local convenience store. The cheaply made sunglass pair is going to break. For the cheap price, you get a set of ill-fitting, crappy-looking knockoffs. Unlike car lifts, a broken pair of cheap sunglasses is easily replaced. With a bad lift, you risk some serious damage to your property, even your own life.

2. Create an identity, not an identity crisis

The stuff in your garage or shop says something about you. Everything talks, from the posters, art and photos that decorate your wall, to the cars you drive, to your choice of garage equipment. If you drive a Prius, you’re probably concerned about mileage and the environment. If you drive an SRT Hellcat, you’re our kind of friend—let’s hang out. But seriously, your car lift speaks volumes about you. Off-brand, uncertified lifts don’t belong in a garage full of nice things; what’s more, those knockoff lifts speak for themselves. They say that the owner doesn’t respect his or her business (or his or her customer’s property) enough to make long-term investments with real BendPak car lifts.

Identity matters in professional environments. Word gets around when shops take shortcuts with their equipment. If a shop owner is willing to skimp on car lift purchases, what conclusions will a customer draw about how that owner treats his or her customers, charges for parts and labor, etc.? Not good conclusions, that’s for sure. When you see a shop outfitted with BendPaks, you’re entrusting your vehicle to smart minds and capable hands.

Try as they might, even DIY’ers will be on the receiving end of judgment for their garbage, off-brand equipment. While working from home in a locked-up garage is likely to disguise your shoddy image most of the time, your friends and fellow car aficionados care about the BendPak name too. When they rip on your cheap lift, they’re basically saying you don’t know what you’re doing. Your identity as a car expert is tarnished. You’re out of the club. Maybe there’s an opening at the bridge table…

3. Stand out

This is related to creating an identity. A strong identity will earn you respect, and therefore help you to stand out. (It’s also possible to stand out by being the worst, but we don’t wish that on anybody.) As you know, not everyone buys the best brands, but most people can identify those brands by name. Those familiar with fashion know the difference between a Coach® purse (granted, men don’t usually notice things like this, but we’re making a point) and one of those “Coach” purses children sell off the tourist-ridden streets of Jamaica. Likewise, BendPak is the real deal, and people are going to recognize you on that basis alone. We’re not shy about showing off our name along the posts of our lifts, loud and proud. You won’t be, either.

4. Elevate your status

By now you’re probably noticing a trend among numbers 2, 3 and 4. They all have to do with image. The designer status that appeals to fashion lovers also appeals to car lovers. While quality is the backbone of designer status, people who walk into your shop or garage won’t be thinking, “Gee, that ALI Certification is so important, good thing they have it.” They’ll be thinking, “BendPak. Nice car lift, man!” They’ll connect with you more on that emotional level, and associate you with good feelings. Why? Because everyone knows BendPak is the designer name that’s all over town.

At the risk of sounding vain, we’re proud of the fact that our car lifts cost a little more than the competition. We put pride into our work, which means better engineering, a sleeker aesthetic and safer, oversized components for your protection. It takes a savvy businessperson to go with BendPak over a no-name, and it’s an investment you won’t regret.

In fact, people with a few extra bucks to invest on intelligent purchases tend to flock together; these are the people who are investors, spenders and go-getters. You want them to notice you, as their attention improves your appeal, wins you their business and increases your bottom line. Trust us: you do not want to be known as the ugly duckling the auto industry. Even if you’re new on the block and struggling to pay rent, people gravitate toward the most successful-looking shop. Money matters, and BendPak will help you look and act like you already have it.

DIY’ers also benefit greatly from the respect of the car community, even if their reasons are not business-related. A higher status among the experts will ensure you stay engaged in better discussions about garage work, finding better deals, etc. The people you want on your side will always, always, always respect your BendPak equipment.

5. Celebrity car guys and shop owners choose BendPak

Watching most TV car shows, you’ll notice something they have in common: BendPak car lifts service their expensive custom cars and trucks. The guys you see on TV don’t use BendPak just to make their shops look pretty. While there’s a level of glitz and glamour to the world of television, these guys are on tight deadlines, both in their shop work and their film schedules. They want the best, so they choose us. It’s not bragging if it’s true, right? It’s a competitive world out there. If we didn’t meet and exceed their needs and expectations, these shops simply wouldn’t choose BendPak lifts. Pay attention to who’s-who in the automotive world, and you’ll see that BendPak car lifts inspire the highest trust, not to mention that extra glimmer of celebrity status. We like the attention, and we earn it by being the only car lift name worthy of the hype.