How do you guys surround yourself with the right people?
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Sharing my experience with a uniform vendor
This is a rant, pure and simple, but I hope that it can serve as a cautionary tale for others. Unifirst came in with a proposal as the "AAA preferred uniform vendor". As we are a AAA approved shop we qualified for special pricing, almost 30% less than what we were paying at that time. We gave them our business and it has been a cluster since. It took almost 6 months for them to deliver, and when they did the sizes were all over the map. About half of my employees (and myself) had to have size changes. They embroidered all our dark shirts with dark logos and had to re-do them which took months. They actually embroidered them wrong TWICE before they got it right. My tech's shirts came back with with huge oil and rust stains after their first washing and have never been clean since. The towels are usually oily and sometimes have metal shavings in them. They routinely mis-deliver and fail to deliver uniforms, leaving techs short for the week. I've had the service manager, plant manager, and regional manager all in my office to tell me that this would all be corrected, to no avail. We have a new service starting in December and I anticipate threats to sue on the three year agreement they require. I've been cataloging, photographing and corresponding with them over the past 8 months and I am confident that we can prove that they are unable to provide anything close to the level of service they promised. I have learned, yet again, that you get what you pay for. Don't let Unifirst in the door.By Andrew Cutler, in Auto Repair Shop Management Help? Post Here!
- 24 replies
- 1,650 views
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Consider Joining Family Service Day!
At the Ratchet + Wrench Conference last month, I met Charlie Marcotte, owner of Amerian Pride Auto in Virginia and the founder of Family Service Day. After doing a little research, I joined the organization. Family Service Day originated in 2009 with a Williamsburg, Virginia based company, American Pride Auto. The idea was simple: offer support to single parent families and deployed military by offering the gifts and talents we have been given, the ability to repair vehicles, for free. There are really no limitations — if you have desire to make an impact in your community, Family Service Day is a great way to get involved. Getting involved in your community is the best way to make your shop stand out as the business that cares about people. Plus, it will get your staff involved which will boost morale. You can reach out to your vendors for help with parts and also get major businesses in your area to help sponsor the event. Shop owners, I recommend that you find out more about Family Service Day. Below is a link for more information: http://www.familyserviceday.org/By Joe Marconi, in Banner Programs & Franchising
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- 1,474 views
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Dealing with family & friends?
This has kind of been a hot topic here lately...how do you guys deal with family and friends? I am trying to run a business, as are the rest of you, how do you deal with people wanting "friend discounts" or family not paying their bills. It seems I try and separate business and personal relationships and in the process end up being the "bad guy". How do you deal with close friends as customers and try to give them a deal but not go out of business by them expecting it every time? Do you just not do business with family or friends?By PARKSINDUST, in Auto Repair Shop Management Help? Post Here!
- 25 replies
- 2,018 views
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Another wonderful experience with Elite
Just wanted to share another great experience I had over the weekend in San Diego with Elite. I have absolutely nothing but GREAT things to say about Elite and the people involved with their wonderful company. All the coaches are top notch human beings and really live what they preach which is never to put money ahead of people. Most of their coaches are retired or run extremely successful shops and certainly don't need the money. One particular coach was introducing his clients to the group and he had tears in his eyes talking about how proud he was of his clients and all that they have achieved. Truly remarkable to be around such a great group. To be completely transparent and to qualify my statement, I am an Elite Client so I drink the kool aid They have also helped me see a 200% increase in my business from 2014 - 2016. If anyone is on the fence between what coaching company they should work with, really take a good look at Elite. You won't be disappointed.By mspecperformance, in Shop Management Coaching, Business Training, Consulting
- 15 replies
- 1,218 views
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How to price business to family/main employee.
I started a business idea & funded everything to get the business going. It has boomed faster then I expected, i still own & run the shop from the outside but I have 2 family members that have grown the shop from the sales & service from the inside & have been paid a weekly check plus sales bonus checks above any local shop. I have the idea that over the long haul I will recoop my investment & time. I have told them the more we grow the more you will earn pretty simple plan. The company continues to grow every month so I'm not worried about location & all the other things that go into what is my business worth. My question is if I would sell to 1 of them how would I figure a fair price. Mind you I personally have yet to gain a profit from the business myself. I draw a small check but it goes toward bills that it took to get the company started that came out of my own pocket. My quick simple thought was Equipment+Inventory+ (Net profitx3)= Selling price to walk away. I would like to know others I feel I should gain on taking the risk & putting my personal family finaces on hold, but also feel I don't want to cause family issues that I was trying to cheat a family member that would say the business would be nothing without them. ThanksBy BNC173, in Exit Strategy, Retirement, Selling Your Repair Shop
- 5 replies
- 646 views
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