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I got my own branded flashlight


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Got my own branded flashlight, ordered 500 of them from Alibaba.com - talked to a bunch of suppliers and bought 500 for a good deal.

I got my own branded long double box end wrenches as well being manufactured right now. Also ordered magnetic phone holders (1000 of them) and 200 OBDII wifi code readers. Spent about $10k, trying to get my name out there and earn some extra money on the side.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Carmedix-Super-Bright-Rechargeable-LED-Water-Resistant-Flashlight-for-Mechanics-/272713331814?epid=16002924438&hash=item3f7efb3466:g:JzIAAOSwrfVZPg0r

https://www.amazon.com/Carmedix-Rechargeable-Resistant-Flashlight-Mechanics/dp/B072MPMQ5P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501210798&sr=8-1&keywords=carmedix

I am new to listing products and advertising, what do you guys think? I took all the pictures myself. 

Thinking about giving away the magnetic phone holders with oil changes. Has a nice big logo on it and customers will see it when phone is removed.

I like the idea of arming my loyal customers with code readers. I know it's controversial but for my loyal customers, it'll be good. When making a appointment, they can tell me the code in which I can tell them it's a emergency or schedule them my next available. I will also know if I need to schedule for a smoke test or diagnosing a misfire.

 

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I think you're nuts!!

I think if I looked up ADD ADHD in the dictionary your picture would be there.....please.....don't take that the wrong way. I can appreciate your youthful enthusiasm but as I follow your posts your going off half cocked all the time. It's like you cant focus on one thing and you allow every thought that crosses your mind to become a reality. In one post you go from one shop to three, then back down to two, next your thinking about a tow truck.....discussing how to get proper gp and now selling trinkets....I get tired just reading your posts.....(they are interesting)

I suppose one day when you're on the cover of fortune magazine I will be able to say I interacted with him on a message board for a while....good luck.

 

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The service advisor in a busy shop already has too much on their plate, and it's a challenge to stay focused on the important, productive tasks. To me, you're adding more stuff to distract from what will actually make you money and develop loyal customers, like consistent inspections and routine maintenance. You're creating more things to have to discuss with the customers. You'd see much more ROI if you spent that $10k on Google Adwords or a retention and follow up system like Myshopmanager.com. JMHO

 

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Nice stuff! Who doesn't need a "High Quality Aluminum Alloy Super Bright CREE LED BULB" flashlight! Honestly... not picking on you - I promise. Strictly from a "business" point of view, the problem I have with all that stuff (typically referred to as specialty advertising - stuff with your name on it) is that you can't track any type of ROI. One of the things I constantly reminder shop owners of is that "if you can't track it - don't do it"

So what would have happened if you purchased $10k in postage stamps - and turned each postage stamp into a 10x return? Again - I am not here to pick on you - but when I can take a postage stamp, a well crafted direct response letter - send out a few hundred and turn that one mailing into thousands... I can't get excited about a flash light that will do... uh... well... nothing - but maybe light up your bank account when it's empty!

Again - not trying to p*** you off - and value is ALWAYS in the eyes of the beholder... but I would have stopped long before the 10K mark

Hope this helps!

Matthew Lee
"The Car Count Fixer"

Get "The Official Guide to Auto Service Marketing"

The Shop Owner's Unfair Advantage FREE Access

 

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The flashlight adds look great. My wife/English Teacher would smack my knuckles with a ruler if I didn't advise you that 'does' should be 'do' in the following sentences.

  • Long lasting 18650 rechargeable battery INCLUDED- many flashlights in this price range does do not include a battery!
  • Convenient hidden micro USB charging port - a lot of other flashlights in this price range does do not have a direct charge port!
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Yesterday I gave away our own branded magnetic cell phone holders. I have 1000 of them and get cost me about $1.20 each. I have them in all my cars and there's a big logo staring back at me everytime I get in my car before slapping my cell phone on it. Customers LOVE it bc those things work really really well.  I saw a while back someone was giving away air freshners with oil changes and I thought that was a great idea. For some reason small things make customers happy. 

On a side note, bulk of the $10k is from long double ended box wrenches that are awesome

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47 minutes ago, Jay Huh said:

Yesterday I gave away our own branded magnetic cell phone holders. I have 1000 of them and get cost me about $1.20 each. I have them in all my cars and there's a big logo staring back at me everytime I get in my car before slapping my cell phone on it. Customers LOVE it bc those things work really really well.  I saw a while back someone was giving away air freshners with oil changes and I thought that was a great idea. For some reason small things make customers happy. 

On a side note, bulk of the $10k is from long double ended box wrenches that are awesome

Link and/or pics?

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  • 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!”
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