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Posted

When I ran my shop, there was one month I hated...and that was February.  No matter what I did, Feb sales were off.  BUT, I never gave up testing a new strategy to bump up sales.  I called it "Operation February." 

Each year we would increase service reminder's for Feb, launch different promotions, and make a lot pf phone calls to customers that we recommended work for. Did it help, Yes....but only to a certain degree. 

The problem with Feb is that it's a short month, the snow storms kill work days, and cabin fever hurt consumer mindset.  The key thing is not to give up, because the rewards of marketing are slow and steady, and pay off down the road.  So, in the big picture, it's all ok. 

How's your Feb in your part of the country, good? Bad? Normal?  

 

Posted

The biggest month we ever had was a February but that’s when people were getting early tax refunds. This February is terrible. Lost 4 man days to snow, lost 2 man days to a death, lost 3 man days to a new baby and 2 to an employee conscioussion plus fired a guy. Lots of business absolutely buried but no sales due to all the time lost and parts delays. 

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Posted
1 minute ago, xrac said:

The biggest month we ever had was a February but that’s when people were getting early tax refunds. This February is terrible. Lost 4 man days to snow, lost 2 man days to a death, lost 3 man days to a new baby and 2 to an employee concision plus fired a guy. Lots of business absolutely buried but no sales due to all the time lost and parts delays. 

Wow, I feel for you.  Sometimes those curve balls that life throws at you are tough to hit. Remain positive my friend. It will work out. 

  • Like 1
Posted
19 hours ago, Joe Marconi said:

Wow, I feel for you.  Sometimes those curve balls that life throws at you are tough to hit. Remain positive my friend. It will work out. 

You're right!  I just got to keep working but it’s hard on an old fart. 

Posted

And I thought my February was bad!…

I HAD 2 1/2 technicians ( 1 was really, really short!😂)

My part time man works nights for the City of New York and worked for me M-Th 8-12… He got transferred to days 2 weeks ago… So I lost him. 
One techs cat had puppies for the last time on my watch… He’s gone!

The last tech unfortunately lost his mom in El Salvador and needed the week off to fly home. 
I literally went to work with ZERO employees this past week!!

I made appointments for next week, did end of year stuff, caught up on planning and changes for this year. 
After being in business since 1979… You learn to accept what you can’t change, You change what you can and with QUALITY customers it all works out. Every customer scheduled for this week got rescheduled for next week.
The comment from EVERY customer… “Is everything OK?”

I love my customers!

  • Like 2
Posted

This can be a really tough business. If you have too much help you can’t make money and if your have too little it gets stressful real fast. 

Posted
3 hours ago, Jerrys Auto Center said:

And I thought my February was bad!…

I HAD 2 1/2 technicians ( 1 was really, really short!😂)

My part time man works nights for the City of New York and worked for me M-Th 8-12… He got transferred to days 2 weeks ago… So I lost him. 
One techs cat had puppies for the last time on my watch… He’s gone!

The last tech unfortunately lost his mom in El Salvador and needed the week off to fly home. 
I literally went to work with ZERO employees this past week!!

I made appointments for next week, did end of year stuff, caught up on planning and changes for this year. 
After being in business since 1979… You learn to accept what you can’t change, You change what you can and with QUALITY customers it all works out. Every customer scheduled for this week got rescheduled for next week.
The comment from EVERY customer… “Is everything OK?”

I love my customers!

It sounds like you need an emotional hug.  I just sold my business after 41 years, and  I can certainly empathize with you.  And I don't' have an easy solution. You will have to make difficult decisions soon, and I hope an pray that you find quality people. You cannot do it alone, and I know you know that. 

It sounds like you are in the NYC area, or near NYC, my shop was in Putnam County and I'm originally from the Bronx, and grew up in the gas station business.  I too have learned that your employees are your most important asset, but can also be a big disappointment. 

Perhaps, ask a few questions and maybe we can brainstorm on the forum and help? 

  • Like 1
Posted

I’m in Long Island and grew up in Brooklyn/ Queens, I also grew up in the gas station (Esso) and race car (Island Porting Service) sector of this industry. I’m just waiting on my son to determine where he’s going to settle down, he graduates The Ohio State U this year and then I’ll work on getting out. I would love to find a medical tenant for my property and do a land lease. We’ll see, all in the works, all in time. 

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Posted
31 minutes ago, Jerrys Auto Center said:

I’m in Long Island and grew up in Brooklyn/ Queens, I also grew up in the gas station (Esso) and race car (Island Porting Service) sector of this industry. I’m just waiting on my son to determine where he’s going to settle down, he graduates The Ohio State U this year and then I’ll work on getting out. I would love to find a medical tenant for my property and do a land lease. We’ll see, all in the works, all in time. 

A fellow New Yorker! Nice!  My advice, create a exit plan and work on it every day, starting now. Time goes by very fast my friend. You have put in a lifetime of work, and being in the auto business is like three business lifetimes!

Take of yourself and enjoy the fruits of your hard labor.  Family first. Always. 

 

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Posted

Yes, I do go in about once a week to pick up mail and I am still cleaning out old files and personal items. But, for the most part, I am out.

Emotionally, it was and is hard.  I grew up in this business and in my own business for 41 years. I do miss the employees the most, and strangely, when I look back, it was the toughest times that brought the team together. For example, during a bad winter with many snow falls, when we spent hours in the cold and snow cleaning up. We would take a break from the cold and would huddle in the shop over coffee and egg sandwiches, and shoot the breeze.  That's what I miss the most.

  • Like 2
Posted
3 hours ago, Joe Marconi said:

Yes, I do go in about once a week to pick up mail and I am still cleaning out old files and personal items. But, for the most part, I am out.

Emotionally, it was and is hard.  I grew up in this business and in my own business for 41 years. I do miss the employees the most, and strangely, when I look back, it was the toughest times that brought the team together. For example, during a bad winter with many snow falls, when we spent hours in the cold and snow cleaning up. We would take a break from the cold and would huddle in the shop over coffee and egg sandwiches, and shoot the breeze.  That's what I miss the most.

Sounds like you've practically seen it all Joe. So I have a question; the landlord owns a small shop in front of mine that primarily does oil changes and smaller maintenance jobs. But he just recently added brakes. There is language in my lease that stipulates a clause that prevents me from advertising oil changes and I adhere to it. So I recently started advertising brake specials. So the landlord comes to me and says that I can't mention price. I believe he is way out of line here. I left the sidewalk sign up but wondering if going to "war" with him over this issue is worth it in the long run....although truthfully I want to since he appears to be a bit of a bully and the only way to beat a bully is to stand up to him.

Posted
4 hours ago, Obsidian Motors said:

Sounds like you've practically seen it all Joe. So I have a question; the landlord owns a small shop in front of mine that primarily does oil changes and smaller maintenance jobs. But he just recently added brakes. There is language in my lease that stipulates a clause that prevents me from advertising oil changes and I adhere to it. So I recently started advertising brake specials. So the landlord comes to me and says that I can't mention price. I believe he is way out of line here. I left the sidewalk sign up but wondering if going to "war" with him over this issue is worth it in the long run....although truthfully I want to since he appears to be a bit of a bully and the only way to beat a bully is to stand up to him.

While I do agree that a bully must be stood up to, you need t be careful. It appears that you may have two competing businesses right next to each other, and what complicates matters is the fact that he is the landlord. 

Before you engage in anything, you need to re-read you lease, and perhaps, have your attorney read it.  You do not want to start a war in your own backyard.  Short of moving to another location, which may be the ultimate option, try to work it out.  If he is truly a bully, all the more reason to seek professional advice.

I really hope things work out for you. Businesss is tough enough without something like this. 

By the way, I have seen a lot, not all, but a lot.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest 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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