The Future of Shopping
-
Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?
-
By Joe Marconi in Joe's BlogMost shop owners would agree that the independent auto repair industry has been too cheap for too long regarding its pricing and labor rates. However, can we keep raising our labor rates and prices until we achieve the profit we desire and need? Is it that simple?
The first step in achieving your required gross and net profit is understanding your numbers and establishing the correct labor and part margins. The next step is to find your business's inefficiencies that impact high production levels.
Here are a few things to consider. First, do you have the workflow processes in place that is conducive to high production? What about your shop layout? Do you have all the right tools and equipment? Do you have a continuous training program in place? Are technicians waiting to use a particular scanner or waiting to access information from the shop's workstation computer?
And lastly, are all the estimates written correctly? Is the labor correct for each job? Are you allowing extra time for rust, older vehicles, labor jobs with no parts included, and the fact that many published labor times are wrong? Let's not forget that perhaps the most significant labor loss is not charging enough labor time for testing, electrical work, and other complicated repairs.
Once you have determined the correct labor rate and pricing, review your entire operation. Then, tighten up on all those labor leaks and inefficiencies. Improving production and paying close attention to the labor on each job will add much-needed dollars to your bottom line.
-
-
Similar Topics
-
By carmcapriotto
Will diagnostic work overtake remove and replace work? How will you position and present your shop as a technologically advanced repair center? What training will our employees need? How will artificial intelligence impact our industry? Will we be prepared? Join Jake Sorensen, Chris Chesney and Derek Kaufman as they discuss the shop of the future. Jake Sorensen, 2019 NAPA ASE Technician of the Year and 2019 Ratchet + Wrench All-Star technician of the year. Shop manager and diagnostic technician at McNeil’s Auto Care in Sandy, UT Listen to Jake’s previous episodes HERE
Chris Chesney, Training and Organizational Development, Repairify. Chris’ previous episodes HERE
Derek Kaufman, Managing Partner, Schwartz Advisors, President of C3 Network. Listen to Derek’s previous episodes HERE
Show Notes:
Looking up and reading service procedures is already a must, but even more so as technology advances. Example: ADAS systems now require calibrations when performing repairs like an alignment or bumper cover removal. If you change a headlight assembly that requires bumper R&R, you may need to perform a radar calibration. The only way to know for sure is to read service information. Reading technical information/technical reading skills- much different than reading newspaper or Facebook posts, a book etc. Evelyn Wood speed reading course- reading with purpose An explosion of information- computing power for all industries 2022 captures over a trillion data points that will be aggregated to provide insights AI- mining data for trends Diffusion of innovation curve- 17+ years for EV’s We have expected Technicians to be masters of everything. Many better diagnostic technicians are inefficient at R&R and do not enjoy it. Shift mindset to a technology industry Even today, electric vehicles account for 18% of new vehicles sold, and those won't be in our bays tomorrow. By 2030 the population of vehicles in operations, over 300 million, and only 8% will be electrified. Get ready, or some other service industry will beat you to the punch How are you presenting your shop to the public?
Thanks to our Partners Shop-Ware and Delphi Technologies Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. DelphiAftermarket.com
Connect with the Podcast
Aftermarket Radio Network
Subscribe on YouTube
Visit us on the Web
Follow on Facebook
Become an Insider
Buy me a coffee
Important Books
Support our partners:
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
By carmcapriotto
The future is here, consolidation is already happening. The middle-level shops will now be at the bottom end of the bell curve. What are the trends at the OEM level? Is Uber/Lyft the fleet of the future? What is the outlook of the changing service aftermarket? Recorded Live at the 2022 Institute Summit, Michael Smith, Brian Bates, and AJ Nealey discuss the future; it is happening sooner than we think.
Michael Smith, Managing Partner, Herzberg Smith and Co, Michael Smith’s previous episodes HERE
Brian Bates, Eagle Automotive Service, Littleton, CO, 9 locations. Brian’s previous episodes HERE
AJ Nealey, Nealey Auto Service, Edgewater, MD. AJ’s previous episodes HERE
Show Notes
Trends- what's happening at the OEM level? What are the automotive companies doing now and what are they planning to do? How fast they're planning to do it? What they do now is what we will experience three to five years down the road. Dealership service department- struggling to retain and hire technicians As a manufacturer, dealerships are a necessary evil in their world because they have to have somebody distribute the parts, distribute the cars, interact with the customers, etc. Car buying experience- is the salesperson/car lot necessary? Do we have an opportunity to manage/repair fleets? Imagine Uber and Lyft are the fleets of the future. The emotion is the connection- how do we accept self-driving vehicles? Your identity? There's a global movement around ESG, Environment, Society, and Governance. And the concept of it is to have this green movement, which is being sold through the media. If the auto companies can have their way and they dominate all of it, the connectivity, the autonomous, if they have control of all that at the auto company level, they estimate it's a 34 billion a year profit for the automotive industry versus if they lose touch with this and Uber's shared mobility and all this gets distributed, 5 to 6 billion a year in profit. Baby boomers want out of the industry- buyers market for shop In the future, there will be fewer competitors who are bigger. And more sophisticated, and many of the marginal shops will have been long gone. The middle-level shops will now be at the bottom end of that bell curve. And so the whole industry has taken giant leaps forward beyond where we've been before. 2017-250,000 shops. 2022-127,400 shops What is the value of your shop? How can you create as much value for your business as possible? Find your Purpose. Build a company that has value, and that value has to be built around people What do you want to do in the next two to five years? You have to put a team in place that has value to somebody coming and wanting to acquire your business. The most important part of this is who you bring on board and inspiring them and leading them. “Impacting lives by inspiring values” Give back to the people, community, and business Get out of your comfort zone and make those changes
Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS. Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2023. Mark your calendar now … October 31 - Nov 2, 2023, AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at AAPEXSHOW.COM 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 NAPATRACS.com Connect with the Podcast: -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 -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections Check out today's partners:
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
By Joe Marconi
Let's face it, no one or no entity will help us with the Tech shortage. The truth is, this is not new. This shortage has been created largely from decades of steering young people to college, and not the trades. I believe we need to get involved with apprenticeship programs. Below is an article in Motor Magazine.
Your thoughts? Comments?
-
By carmcapriotto
"Forget the Past: Focus on the Future"...sometimes easier said than done. The past is familiar and comfortable. We can also get hung up on our past mistakes, which hinders us from moving forward. Listen to 3 shop owners share their perspectives on the past and the future of the automotive industry.
Watch Episode HERE
Frank Scandura, Frank’s European Service, Las Vegas, NV. Frank’s previous episodes HERE. Al Wright, John’s Automotive, Cedar Rapids, IA. Al's previous episodes HERE Jimmy Alauria, 3A Automotive and Diesel Repair, Phoenix, AZ. Jimmy’s previous episodes HERE
Show Notes:
Don't be afraid of change, what we did in the past or how we did it may not work today. Take care of yourself and let go of old habits. Be healthy and reset! Service advisor is now 4 different jobs: customer service rep, parts manager, service manager What is your break even point? It's not the 'cost' of the service advisor position, the biggest expense is what you are currently doing and what you could and should be doing. Everyone hates change, but the only constant in life is change- lean into change. Hiring top talent vs. Creating top talent- Are "A" technicians made? Have grace when someone makes a mistake Don't get analysis paralysis. Don't let past mistakes stop needed changes for the future. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Connect with the Podcast
Aftermarket Radio Network
Subscribe on YouTube
Visit us on the Web
Follow on Facebook
Become an Insider
Buy me a coffee
Important Books
Check out today's partners:
Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com
Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. DelphiAftermarket.com
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
By carmcapriotto
What does the future look like for the automotive industry? Listen to the perspectives of Jennifer Maher, Executive Director of the TechForce Foundation, Derek Kaufman, Managing Partner at Schwartz Advisors, Matt Fanslow, Lead Diagnostician and Shop Manager at Riverside Automotive, and Dustin Brown, Shop Owner of Brown Auto Experts with 3 locations. We have an open discussion about future trends, aftermarket challenges, and electric vehicles.
Jennifer Maher, Executive Director, TechForce Foundation, Jennifer's previous episodes HERE Derek Kaufman, Managing Partner, Schwartz Advisors, President of C3 Network. Listen to Derek’s previous episodes HERE. Matt Fanslow, lead diagnostician and shop manager, Riverside Automotive, Red Wing, MN. Matt’s previous episodes HERE Dustin Brown, Brown Auto Experts, 3 Locations in New Mexico, Albuquerque, Village of Los Ranchos and Rio Rancho. Listen to Dustin’s other episodes HERE
Show Notes:
Today's BEV headlines may be "over the top" in terms of the pace of BEV adoption, but the VIO will definitively change over time – we are forecasting the VIO at 7.3% BEV in 2030, 26.5% in 2040 and 51.2% in 2050 We know that people are talking about 60 and even 70% reductions in BEV maintenance versus ICE cars, and that may be true – but the true lifetime service of BEVs has more to do with major part failures than it does maintenance. Motors, power modules and other BEV components will fail and the aftermarket will be ready to service them. BEVs will generate new under-car and cooling system service opportunities – they are heavier and have higher torque, so suspensions, half shafts, and steering gear will see more wear than ICE cars. Cooling systems will be much more sophisticated with multi-directional and intelligent valves, PTC and Heat Pump heaters, multiple radiators, and many more fluid connectors. Multi Shop Owner- consistency of service Technology not only makes things more complex, in many cases, but that complexity is usually in the background. Technology also makes things easier. Not just vehicle technology itself, but tools and equipment technology. The technology is here for a 100% automated tire changing system, but it is cost prohibitive for many/most. It won't remain so, and if it isn't 100% automated, you'll just need someone to take the wheel off and roll it to the machine, the machine will replace the tire, maybe test the TPMS sensor, and then mount the new tire and balance it. The human will be little more than an assistant. Technology may make vehicles, as it has already done, even more reliable, but also change how we service them. The following are already expected by most but will soon be expected by all due to the cost of repairs. Top Notch Facilities, clean and professional appearance inside and out. Top customer service experience. Professionalism from all areas of the business. Tools, equipment, digital inspections, customer education materials Diversity in the workforce- including more women and the younger generation, puzzle solving Variety of vehicles in the next 30 years New jobs- power stations, power grids, safety on repairs Investors- real estate game (pit stop), autonomous trucks in ‘service center.’ Be malleable and willing to adapt
Connect with the Podcast
Aftermarket Radio Network
Subscribe on YouTube
Visit us on the Web
Follow on Facebook
Become an Insider
Buy me a coffee
Important Books
Check out today's partners:
Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com
Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. DelphiAftermarket.com
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
-
-
-
Our Sponsors
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now