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About this blog

A Blog by Joe Marconi, co-founder of AutoShopOwner , owner of Osceola Garage, and  Business Development Coach at Elite Worldwide, Inc.

Entries in this blog

Employee Retention

Your First Step to Attract & Retain Quality Employees

A recent study, done by Harvard Business School, concluded that the real problem with attracting and retaining employees has more to do with the workplace environment, not pay or benefits. While the study did find that an adequate pay plan and offering an attractive benefits package did help with recruiting and retention, it’s not enough to satisfy the needs of employees, especially those of front-line workers. The study also stated that in 2021, many companies were convinced that giving ra
Employee Retention

Why Your Employees May be Looking to Quit

I don’t think there’s an auto repair shop in the country these days not looking to hire. At the top of the list is finding qualified technicians. However, while auto repair shop owners may be on the hunt for new workers, they shouldn’t forget the people they employ now. A recent Gallup poll found that while job seekers consider pay compensation and benefits package their primary consideration, it isn’t why many employees feel disengaged at work and may be looking to quit. A recent Gall
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Employee Retention

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Management

Why You Need to Balance Life and Work

The summer is in full swing, which means your shop is probably at its busiest. Summer also means it’s vacation season. You’ve probably done a great job scheduling your employee’s vacations, but what about yourself? Are you planning time off too? Shop owners are among the hardest-working people on the planet. This is a quality to be admired.  However, everyone needs time away from their businesses to spend with friends and family. Balancing work with life is your responsibility to yours
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Management

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Customers

Why You Don’t Want a 5-Star Google Review Rating

Contrary to what many people believe, having a perfect 5-star Google review rating is not something a business should expect to achieve. After all, no company is perfect. And Google realizes this too. There’s no denying that consumers look at online reviews and base part of their buying decision on these reviews.  A great online review rating on Google is essential to draw traffic to your website and your business.  However, it’s better to have a mix of great and not-so-great reviews.
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Customers

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Customers

Who’s More Important, Your Customers or Employees?

Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines, was once asked, “Who’s more important, your customers or your employees? Thinking back on what his mother had taught him, Kelleher responded, “My mother taught me that your employees come first. If you treat them well, then they treat the customers well, and that means your customers come back and your shareholders are happy." Shop owners have been taught that the customer is always right and that their needs supersede all other needs. An
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Customers

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When Exceptional Customer Service Is Not Enough

A good customer called me the other day to let me know that he has concerns regarding the quality of our work. Last week we installed an exhaust system on his Maxima and two days later it sounded like the muffler had fallen off. There was so much noise he was afraid to drive the car. We went to his house to pick it up. We found that the baffles had broken apart in the brand new muffler we just installed.   About two month ago this same customer had to bring the Maxima back due to a grinding
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi

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Customers

What Your Customers Don’t Tell You is What’s Most Damaging

You’re out to dinner with a friend. The service was horrible, the meal took forever to get to your table, and it was not what you expected. You get the check, pay the bill, and start heading for the door. At the door is a woman, a staff member, holding it open and saying in a monotone voice, “How was everything?” You pause for a second, look her in the eyes, and reply, “Everything was fine, thank you.”  As you walk to your car, you turn to your friend and say, “That’s the last time I go to that
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Customers

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Employee Retention

Want to End Your Technician Shortage? Focus on Retention!

I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought abou

To Sell or Not to Sell?

The other day one of my techs was replacing front brake pads and rotors on an older Subaru. The caliper bracket bolts were seized and one of them snapped off. This is a common problem and we are well aware of it. We try our best with rust busters and heat, but sometimes nothing works. The tech drilled out the broken bolt and finished the brake job. No problem, right?   Here’s the problem, who pays for it? Me,or the customer? I asked the tech if he informed the service writer. He said he did. I
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi

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Customers

Three Simple Steps to Improve Customer Retention, Sales, and Profits

Nearly every car that leaves your auto repair shop today will need some sort of service or repair in the future. The question is, will your customers take their car back to you? In this blog, I will discuss three simple ways to increase your customer retention rate, which will also increase sales and profits. First, ensure that the entire customer experience is amazing; from scheduling the appointment, vehicle write-up, the sales process, and especially car delivery. A poor experience could
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Customers

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Employee Retention

The UAW and the Big Three Can Learn from Auto Shop Owners

While the United Auto Worker’s strike may be over, this won’t be the last time Detroit will hear from the UAW. As a result of the contract agreement, the Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis) will now have to find ways to pay for the increases in wages and benefits, which are estimated that it will add $850 to $900 to each vehicle produced. Putting politics aside, the effects of this strike are far-reaching, with no clear winner. Here’s a quote from UAW President Shawn Fain, “We
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Employee Retention

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The Long Term Effects of Keeping An Employee Who Should be Fired

About a year ago I hired a service advisor that I believed at the time would be a great asset to my shop. He had a lot of experience, knowledgeable about the business and well-spoken. He showed all the right credentials.   Soon after being hired, I noticed something that I did not pick up in any of our three interviews; he did not smile. How was it possible I did not notice this? A few more days turned into weeks and I could see that this person’s personality, or lack of personality, did not
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi

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The Lonely Leader

Everyone has their own perception on life and the world around them. This perception becomes reality and it’s the only reality that matters. At least for most. This does not always hold true for shop owners.   As shop owners, we don’t always have the luxury of viewing things from our perceptive. There are other people around us and their families to consider. As the owner, and the leader, our concerns and issues take a backseat to the concerns and issues of others. This is something I know
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi

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Management

Technician Production is More Complicated than You Think

Auto shop owners are always looking for ways to improve production levels. They focus their attention on their technicians and require certain expectations of performance in billable labor hours. While technicians must know what is expected of them, they have a limited amount of control over production levels. When all factors are considered, the only thing a well-trained technician has control over is his or her actual efficiency. As a review, technician efficiency is the amount of labor t
Joe Marconi

Joe Marconi in Management

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