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The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart

By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
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It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.

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Car Count Before Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025
By JustTheBest

If you're ready to skyrocket your car count so that you can finally make the money you know you and your family deserves, you're in the right place, because it's never been easier to grow your repair shop, as long as you have the right offers and deals to attract customers.
But I will warn you if you make the same flimsy and lame offers that are just like your competitors, you’re actually making it harder to grow than it ever has been before.
Because I want to make this easy, you’re lucky. Right now I’m starting a brand new Private Case Study Group where I will help 3 repair shops deploy my “Perfect Offer Formula” that lets you generate car count immediately, and if you start today, you can do it before Mother’s Day (May 11, 2025) and continue to do that month after month.
The best part is, you’ll do it all without ever discounting your prices, adding free services, or tossing in Give-a-Ways that only attract the bottom feeders and car owners without money.
In this case study, I’m going to give you the exact formula that you need so you can grow quicker without wasting time trying to figure out how to get car count and what to do next or what offers you should run this month.
Look, there’s only three reasons you’re not getting the car count you want right now…
#1) Either you don’t have a compelling offer that focuses on value -not price
#2) Your offers are just plain terrible and they aren’t what people want or need.
Or
#3) You don’t have the correct packaging or (as we call them, wrappers) for your offer.
What I see a lot of repair shops do is they literally just use flimsy lame offers that look just like what your competitor is doing…
Or they try to duplicate offers the big box auto repair shops are making…
Or they continue to discount their prices… trying to come up with that secret formula that makes some phony illusion of a great deal.
But all of that is just a race to the bottom.
This private case study program's going to solve all of that for you because I'm not only going to literally take you by the hand and show you everything that you need to do, I’m actually going to do it for you!
And this doesn’t matter if you don’t think you can do it, or you’re not good with that math and calculating prices, or even if the last offer or ad you ran was a total big fat loss!
We're actually going to be working together. And I'm literally going to tell you everything you need to do, starting from you spending 20 minutes setting up your pricing profile,
Then I’ll build out your personalized plan,
I’ll be tweaking things and helping you decide exactly what offer to create, and then do all the heavy lifting to create the three Value Wrappers… that make your offer stand out in your market; get car owners to stop and see your offer; then book their job immediately…(not next week, next month, or when they get around to it!) and much, much more
And then after that, you're going to get 30 days of check-ins where you can ask me questions.
I'll ask you to share your sales statistics and analytics so that we can improve them.
I'll send you new ideas for the other 3 Perfect Power Offer Strategies that are proven to work, and even do so much more, and by the end of that, you’ll have the complete “Perfect Offer Program” that will let you stop chasing car count once and for all!
And since I'm going to be coaching you throughout this program for your specific account, know that it doesn't matter what market you’re in; it doesn’t matter if you don’t have one of those fancy main street locations; and it doesn't matter how much marketing experience you have because I'm literally going to be meeting you exactly where you are.
No matter what you need, I'm going to help you do that.
If you need better wrappers (to actually get people to see your offer), I'm going to help you do that. If you need help putting your perfect offer together, I'm going to tell you exactly how you should be doing that differently so that you can skyrocket your car count.
In just the past few months, the typical repair shop that's gone through this program has grown their car count within 15 days of starting, and nobody has ever gained less than 10 new jobs the first month if they implement everything that I show them to do continually. (Your results may vary, depending on how well you follow our directions)
Now, there is one catch.
Actually, there’s three catches.
#1- This is a nationally advertised program across United States and Canada, and it’s limited to only 3 qualified repair shops.
#2- This private case study group is limited to only one repair shop per market. In other words, I won’t compete against myself.
#3- This may be the last time I offer this Exclusive One-on-One Case Study Opportunity to grow your car count immediately - because I'm still only one person, so I can only work with so many shop owners.

The longer you wait to grow your car count, the harder it's going to get started.

Please do not make the mistake that I made, which I literally regret every single day. That is that I didn't start growing car count earlier when I was a shop owner. Car count is the solution to just about every auto shop problem.
So if you don't sign up right now, it could decrease the odds that we can actually work together, because once we get the three shops we’re looking for, I'm going to have to shut this opportunity down.
That just means it's going to be even harder to grow your car count.
Remember, nobody else can provide and guarantee you results before Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025, so please stop procrastinating.
Go below, register right now. I cannot wait to help you hit your goals because at the end of the day, you actually have nothing to lose.
I'm literally going to tell you everything that you need to do. You are going to implement it, and you're going to get the results that you want, period.
And oh, in case you’re wondering, there’s no money back guarantee… because this is a totally FREE Case Study Group.
That means there's zero risk to you if you sign up right now while you still can.
https://thecarcountfixer.com/go

Hope this helps! See you in the case study group!
Matthew
"The Car Count Fixer"
Now Available: New Hankook Tires
By champtires

Champtires has started to add new Hankook tires to its available inventory. Multiple sizes and models are now available, and more will be added soon. Examples of current Hankook tires in stock now include:
Hankook Ventus S1 EVO3 225/40-18 92 Y
$159.99/tire
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 SUV 235/60-18 103 W
$139.99/tire
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 HRS 275/40-18 103 Y
$179.99/tire
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 HRS 245/45-17 95 W
$149.99/tire
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 245/40-18 97 V
$148.00/tire
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 235/50-17 96 V
$140.00/tire
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 225/50-18 95 W
$119.99/tire
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 215/45-17 91 W
$133.59/tire
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 195/60-15 88 V
$88.00/tire
More sizes and models will be added to www.champtires.com daily.
To search for new Hankook tires, shop by size, then filter by Hankook brand and new as tread level. Free shipping is included on all website orders.
Prices and availability are accurate as of publication date.
Consumer Confidence is Down! Time to Bump Up the Customer Experience!
By Joe Marconi

Take if someone who has lived through many uncertain times, this is the best time to bump up your customer experience. Show confidence and and show that you appreciate your customers. This also means showing appreciation for your employees - Happy employees create happy customers.
While there is a lot of uncertainty these days, there is one thing you can take to the bank: With the right positive mindset, staying strong and driving forward, you will be better off in the good times.
From Grandpa’s Invention to Today’s Innovations: A Family Legacy [RR 1033]
By carmcapriotto

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care, NAPA TRACS and Automotive Management Network Recorded at the 45th annual Mobile Air Climate Systems Conference (MACS 2025) in Orlando, Florida, Rob Bollinger shares the unique story of his third-generation family business, emphasizing their commitment to personal service and the legacy of his grandfather, who invented the overflow bottle system. The discussion also touches upon industry trends, the challenges of price competition, the evolution of AC systems with electric vehicles, and Bollinger's future plans for the business. Rob Bollinger, ABC Radiator, Baltimore, MD. https://www.facebook.com/abcradiator401 Show Notes Watch Full Video Episode MACS Training Event & Trade Show: https://macsmobileairclimate.org/ National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF): https://wp.nastf.org/ Koura: https://www.kouraglobal.com/ Honeywell: https://www.honeywell.com/us/en Introduction to MAC Conference (00:00:00) Guest Introduction: Rob Bollinger (00:02:17) Rob's Family Business Legacy (00:02:52) Personal Touch in Deliveries (00:03:52) Customer Engagement During Deliveries (00:04:30) Rob's Background in the Business (00:06:08) Regrets About Family Business (00:06:22) Coolant Reservoir Bottle Invention (00:07:40) Patenting the Invention (00:08:25) Legacy of the Invention (00:09:48) Cash vs. Cashless Transactions (00:10:05) Honesty in Business (00:15:46) Future of Specialty Shops (00:16:20) Customer Outreach (00:16:30) Changes in Radiator Industry (00:16:54) Hiring Challenges (00:18:11) Golfing and Business Balance (00:18:39) AC Industry Challenges (00:20:10) Leak Detection Methods (00:20:57) Future Plans (00:21:50) Real Estate and Business Stability (00:22:28) Family Support (00:23:33) Training and Industry Updates (00:24:26) Vendor Interaction at Conferences (00:25:08) AI Repair Discussion (00:25:55) Reflection on the Conversation (00:26:09)
Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care, NAPA TRACS and Automotive Management Network Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Get ready to grow your business with the Automotive Management Network: Find on the Web at http://AftermarketManagementNetwork.com for information that can help you move your business ahead and for the free and informative http://LaborRateTracker.com Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/ Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/ Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/ The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/ The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/ Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/ Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
Spring Tune-Up For Employee W-4s
By nptrb

As an auto repair shop owner, you’re focused on keeping your business running smoothly. That includes ensuring your employees are happy and financially secure. A simple yet often overlooked aspect of this is their W-4 form.
March is the perfect time to encourage your team to review and update their W-4s. Why? Because it leads to fewer tax-related headaches, happier employees, and a better team retention rate.

In this blog post, we’re discussing why W-4 check-ups are important and what you can do to help your employees!

The Importance of a W-4 March Check-Up
Just like a well-maintained vehicle, a paycheck needs regular tune-ups.
March provides a timely opportunity for your employees to:
Assess their current withholding. Make adjustments based on life changes. Avoid potential under-withholding penalties. Why Should You Care About Your Employees’ W-4s?
While you’re not directly responsible for your employees’ individual tax liabilities, providing valuable resources and encouraging proactive review can significantly benefit your staff and, ultimately, your business!

Improve Your Shop Morale
A surprise tax bill can create stress and financial hardship for your employees and their families. When you encourage W-4 reviews, you show your team that you care about their financial well-being and quality of life outside of the shop. This can help boost employee morale and lead to long-term team retention.

Reduce Payroll Confusion
When your staff’s W-4s are up to date, it minimizes the risk of paycheck questions and concerns. This frees up payroll staff’s time and boosts employee confidence. And let’s be honest: employees who feel supported are more productive. It’s a win-win!

Ways to Help Your Team with their W-4s
Your team doesn’t have to do this alone! Here are several ways to support them with their W-4 check-up.

Give Reminders
Send out a friendly reminder to your employees about the importance of reviewing their W-4s. You can use email, bulletin board notices, or a brief team meeting.

Share Resources
Make sure your team has easy access to the latest W-4 form and the IRS Withholding Estimator. Provide links to these resources in a place that is easily accessible.

Offer Support
W-4s can be confusing! Step into your role as a powerful leader by offering a brief Q&A session with your payroll staff or an external tax professional to answer any questions employees may have.

Provide Common Scenarios
Your auto repair shop employees may have fluctuating incomes due to commissions and overtime. Remind your staff to account for these variations when completing their W-4s. Also, remind them of other life changes that require a W-4 update, such as marriage, children, or buying a house.

The Bottom Line
Taking the extra step of guiding your employees to review their W-4s offers many benefits to your business.
It significantly reduces stress during tax season and minimizes the likelihood of last-minute payroll adjustments.
It also strengthens your relationship with your employees when you show genuine interest in their financial wellness.
When employees aren’t worrying about unexpected tax burdens, they can focus their energy and attention on their tasks, leading to improved efficiency and a shop that thrives!

By encouraging your employees to take a few minutes to review their W-4s, you can create a more financially secure and satisfied team and greater overall shop success!