Alicia
Gerst
Service Advisor
She Almost Became a Yoga Instructor.
Alicia Gerst will tell you the first thing customers are surprised to learn: she almost became a yoga instructor. Which, in her words, is a pretty different job from a service advisor. But after 24 years in the automotive industry — and the kind of patience yoga teaches — she figured out exactly where she belongs.
She's one of the rare truly born-and-bred Southern Californians. Born in Ventura County, she slowly migrated south over the years and landed in East County San Diego, which feels — in her words — like where she's supposed to be. Twenty-five years a San Diegan and counting.
Alicia joined Bob Stall in November 2020 and brings something to the service drive most advisors don't: a deep background in collision repair and insurance, on top of mechanical service. When customers come in with a layered situation that crosses multiple disciplines — a fender bender that needs both repair and a claim, a service issue tangled up with insurance — Alicia is the person who already knows how all the pieces fit together.
What she loves about working at Bob Stall is the diversity. Every customer brings a different culture, a different background, a different story. After 24 years in the business, she's still learning from them.
"Bringing your car in to service is like going to the doctor, necessary, but sometimes intimidating."
— Alicia Gerst, Service AdvisorIt's how Alicia thinks about every customer who walks through the service door. Her goal is to make the experience as painless and efficient as possible — and to send every customer out with a smile. After 24 years in the business, that intentionality is what separates a service advisor who's checking boxes from one who's actually paying attention.
Service, Collision, and the Insurance In Between.
Most service advisors handle one side of the business. Alicia handles all of it. Her 24 years in the automotive industry include extensive background in collision repair and insurance — which means when a customer's situation crosses multiple disciplines, she's already done the work and knows how each piece connects. That cross-discipline knowledge is rare on a service drive, and customers feel the difference directly.
Background & Experience
- 24 years in the automotive industry
- Extensive collision repair experience
- Insurance claims & coordination background
- With Bob Stall since November 2020
What Customers Get
- Always willing to help — first priority
- Cross-discipline expertise (mechanical + collision + insurance)
- Patient, empathetic approach to service intimidation
- A standing goal: send every customer out with a smile
The Alicia Approach
- Treats every service visit like a doctor visit — painless and efficient
- Years of experience reading customer concern
- 25-year San Diegan — understands local customers
- Once almost became a yoga instructor — the calm shows up
Recent 5-Star Service Reviews.
"Bob Stall was great to deal with."
"Very communicative and honest. Will go there again!"
"Service was prompt and efficient, very pleased with the results. Good job Bob Stall service center!"
Beach to Mountain in Forty-Five Minutes.
Alicia has been a Southern Californian since day one — born in Ventura County and migrated south over 25 years to land in East County San Diego, where she feels she's supposed to be. The city has become home in the way the right place does over time.
What she loves about San Diego is the geography. You can be at the beach in the morning and in the mountains by afternoon. Forty-five minutes is all that separates them — and every weekend brings a festival or an event somewhere worth showing up.
When customers ask Alicia for a recommendation, she sends them to Julian. A walk or a hike, then a stop at Julian Hard Cider, then a pie to go. It's great year-round — but in the fall, it's the kind of San Diego day you remember for a while.
Working out of La Mesa keeps her close to home in the East County and central to service customers across San Diego.
Favorite Local Spot
- Julian area — walk or hike
- Julian Hard Cider
- Stop for a pie to go
- Especially beautiful in the fall
Where She's Based
- Lives in East County
- Born in Ventura County
- 25 years in San Diego
- Truly born-and-bred SoCal
Cooking Shows, Trailblazers, and Yoga (Almost).
Outside of work, Alicia is in the kitchen — kind of. She watches cooking shows for inspiration, then heads to the kitchen to recreate the dish with her own twist. It's the kind of hobby that keeps you experimenting.
On the road, she's a smaller-vehicle person. The Trailblazer is her current pick from the Chevrolet lineup, and she's keeping an eye on the new Bolt when it arrives — both vehicles fit the way she actually drives, which is exactly the perspective customers want from a service advisor.
And about that yoga instructor career she almost had? The calm carries over. Twenty-four years in this business, and the way she runs her side of the service drive shows it.
- - Born in Ventura County — truly born-and-bred Southern California
- - 25 years in San Diego — East County is home
- - 24 years in the automotive industry
- - Almost became a yoga instructor before automotive
- - Background in collision repair AND insurance — rare combo
- - Cooking show enthusiast who recreates dishes with her own twist
- - Trailblazer fan, waiting for the new Bolt
Bring It By Bob Stall Service
Whether you're coming in for routine service, dealing with a collision claim that touches insurance, or just want a service advisor who treats the visit like she'd want hers treated — Alicia is the right call. Twenty-four years in the business and a steady stream of 5-star reviews to back it up.
Alicia Gerst is a Service Advisor at Bob Stall Chevrolet, located at 7601 Alvarado Road, La Mesa, CA 91942. With 24 years in the automotive industry, Alicia brings an unusual cross-discipline background to the service drive — extensive experience in collision repair and insurance, in addition to standard mechanical service coordination. A born-and-bred Southern Californian (Ventura County native) and 25-year San Diegan based in East County, Alicia joined Bob Stall in November 2020 and has been recognized with 5-star reviews on DealerRater by multiple service customers — including JBARRON68 and Tom, both citing communication, honesty, and prompt, efficient service. Alicia serves service customers across La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, San Diego, Chula Vista, and the surrounding region. Call 619-460-1311 to reach the Bob Stall service department.