Quantcast
Jump to content









Am I missing anything and a couple questions


Recommended Posts

Hi everyone. I'm the business arm of a very new (Not even open yet) mobile auto repair business in a very rural area. I really just wanted to bounce a few ideas off of everyone, and get some input on what I have so far. We are starting on a shoe string, but Insurance and other fun expensive things are taken care of. Right now for work orders and labor times we're using Real Time Labor guide (Remember we're on a shoestring for these things but would love any recommendations on cheap SMS with more features 😂 ) Google calendar for scheduling and google voice to ring all the partner's numbers so someone can always answer. As of right now, my main problem is trying to source parts. The only parts store we have is a small Auto Value that I'll be talking to the owner of on monday because Auto Values websites seem to be beyond useless. All other parts stores are 40 or more miles away, although there is an oreilly's close to the edge of our service area so they could be used for some. Anybody have any suggestions on this or have any experience dealing with Auto Value? Any other suggestions are super welcome and I thank you all very much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never heard of Auto Value. I can't even begin to imagine your struggle with not having any parts stores nearby. We have 4-5 stores at both locations that deliver within 15min. 

When I was mobile, I used to pick up parts on the way to the appointment. Problem with that is sometimes, customer tells you it's brakes but it's something else. Or doing brakes and caliper is seized... 

It might have to be a 2 trip repair... one day to diag and another day to install. Amazon.com has amazing prices and bc they are so cheap, you can mark them up quite a bit. I personally would love to use amazon for parts but 95% of our repairs are same day. 

Oreilly delivers so make a commercial account and wherever your hub is (your house) have them deliver there. When I started out with mobile, I put my home address as the shop address. Even after opening a physical location, they keep coming to my house! Apparently it's a pain to change it in the system and they have to remember to take it to my shop address lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also I definitely understand being on a shoestring budget.... really really do because I was there about a year and a half ago. I also started out with no capital and mobile.  I strongly strongly strongly recommend that you get Identifix if you have more than 3 customers a week. If it's only like 1 customer a week, it'll be hard to get.

Identifix has labor times along with factory service manuals. Has all the info you need. Chilton labor time is what they use and generally higher than mitchcell or alldata.

 

The BEST feature of identifix is the common fixes- this will save you A LOT OF TIME. We still diagnose but 90% of the time, it ends up being what people on Identifix has found to be the common problem. PM me if you have any specific questions. Not sure how many people have been mobile on this site but there are distinct situations of being mobile that a shop owner would not understand

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much for the Reply Jay. Amazon is definitely on the list for repairs scheduled a couple days out, as much as I'm not a huge fan of corporate big box stores it's really hard to beat their prices and Prime shipping. As far as Oreilly's goes, I've been waiting for an email back about my account approval for over a week, I'll probably just burn some gas on Monday and go visit one of the stores and see if I can figure anything out.

10 hours ago, Jay Huh said:

I strongly strongly strongly recommend that you get Identifix

 That one is actually on my list, I need to call the rep back tomorrow as I forgot until you mentioned it. My eyes and brains are all buggy from talking to sales reps for all the programs I've wanted to try. Would be nice if they'd just put pricing on the sites so a person would know if it's even in the budget or if they're wasting time by contacting, probably have almost 100 hours already listening to pitches from these company's that I come to find out is way beyond our means at the moment.

 

10 hours ago, Jay Huh said:

It might have to be a 2 trip repair... one day to diag and another day to install

I'm glad you said this, it's actually how we were planning on running it, unless the customer is stuck in the parking lot at work and is willing to pay extra for us to get same day parts as it would involve one of us making a good long trip (If we could even get them)

One other question, do you happen to know a way to search multiple parts stores at once? I know it's a feature of some of the more expensive SMS's but I was wondering if anyone had any other resources as this would cut down on order time tremendously for us since we have different parts stores to the north and south but both quite far away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, torquedwrench said:

Thank you so much for the Reply Jay. Amazon is definitely on the list for repairs scheduled a couple days out, as much as I'm not a huge fan of corporate big box stores it's really hard to beat their prices and Prime shipping. As far as Oreilly's goes, I've been waiting for an email back about my account approval for over a week, I'll probably just burn some gas on Monday and go visit one of the stores and see if I can figure anything out.

 That one is actually on my list, I need to call the rep back tomorrow as I forgot until you mentioned it. My eyes and brains are all buggy from talking to sales reps for all the programs I've wanted to try. Would be nice if they'd just put pricing on the sites so a person would know if it's even in the budget or if they're wasting time by contacting, probably have almost 100 hours already listening to pitches from these company's that I come to find out is way beyond our means at the moment.

 

I'm glad you said this, it's actually how we were planning on running it, unless the customer is stuck in the parking lot at work and is willing to pay extra for us to get same day parts as it would involve one of us making a good long trip (If we could even get them)

One other question, do you happen to know a way to search multiple parts stores at once? I know it's a feature of some of the more expensive SMS's but I was wondering if anyone had any other resources as this would cut down on order time tremendously for us since we have different parts stores to the north and south but both quite far away.

You can haggle Identifix down to $139/mo. I think it's $189 otherwise.

When your account rep for Oreilly sets you up- it will have an online portion where you login and order parts. It'll tell you if they have part in stock or is in the district. We have Advance Auto, Oreilly and Napa up at all times to look up parts that way. My SMS has an integrated feature that looks up all the parts at once but I just do it this way

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, torquedwrench said:

Thanks once again Jay. Do you use the Identifix SMS or do you just use the repair module. I think one is called Direct hit and one is Direct shop.

 

I just use Idnetifix and not the Direct hit shop. For SMS I use shopboss.com- best sms out there in my opinion and low cost too

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Hi torquedwrench,

First of all, good luck with your new venture.  I hope it goes well for you.  I can tell you that AutoValue is my primary supplier and they are awesome.  Not sure if all their stores are like mine, but mine is faster, smarter, more organized, more reliable and more stable than the NAPA, O-Reilly's, and Advance we have in town.  Plus, in the last year they have overhauled their vendors and carry some really high quality product lines that you've probably never heard of.  They aren't very marketing savvy so they don't look all flashy like O'Reilly's or Advance but their operations are smooth and well-oiled.

 

As for their website, I know their old website was a pain for ordering, but their new one isn't too bad.  Well, at least the variation that integrates with Mitchell1 isn't too bad.  I also want to 2nd Jay on Identifix.  It will more than pay for itself especially for doing mobile repairs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      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 about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
  • Similar Topics

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By nptrb

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By jadetrost
      Hello guys I’m Jade Trost 56 years. New  on this forum 
    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      What if there's a fire in your shop? An oil spill? A natural disaster or God forbid, a death? How do you prepare for that? Well, This week, Hunt talks about preparing for the unexpected:
      Vision Expo: Hunt shares experiences and insights from attending the Vision Expo in Kansas City, emphasizing the importance of community and industry events. Importance of Preparedness: The significance of being ready for unforeseen incidents, such as theft or natural disasters, affecting auto repair shops. Insights from Roundtable Discussions and Classes: Valuable lessons from discussions and classes, including managing risks and implementing preventive measures. Understanding Insurance Coverages: The necessity of comprehending what business insurance covers, identifying coverage gaps, and making sure you have comprehensive protection. Preventive Measures Against Risks: Steps to minimize risks associated with fires, accidents, and other potential threats to auto repair shops. Contingency Planning: The need for having a solid contingency plan to tackle unexpected situations effectively. Financial Readiness and Strategic Planning: Emphasizes the role of financial preparedness and strategic planning in fostering long-term success and stability for auto repair shop owners.  
      Thanks to our partners, NAPA TRACS and Promotive
       
      Did you know that NAPA TRACS has onsite training plus six days a week support?
      It all starts when a local representative meets with you to learn about your business and how you run it.  After all, it's your shop, so it's your choice.
      Let us prove to you that Tracs is the single best shop management system in the business.  Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at NAPATRACS.com
      It’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Great news, you don’t have to go it alone. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit www.gopromotive.com.
      Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair
      Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com
      Email Hunt: [email protected]
      Get a copy of my Book: Download Here
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...