It's a safe bet that nearly every auto repair shop is looking to hire an employee, most likely a technician.  While I am a big proponent of a plan to recruit constantly, we can never forget about the employees we have right now. Do all you can to create a healthy workplace with high morale. Have a one-on-one with all your employees. Find out what they like about working at your repair shop and perhaps more importantly, what they would like to change.  Ask your employees what they would

Shrinking Repair Outlet Population "Vehicle maintenance is becoming less convenient for Americans. There are fewer outlets repairing cars and light trucks, despite the increasing population and complexity of cars and light trucks on U.S. roads. The number of repair (DIFM) outlets fell by nearly 14,000 over the past five years (2016 to 2021), and future annual reductions are likely." "Nevertheless, not all types of repair outlets suffered losses. Repair Specialis

PLEASE PUT THIS IN THE CORRECT TOPIC i WAS NOT SURE WHERE TO POST IT, TY I have owned an aftermarket shop for years and have struggled with different things, like shop mangement issues. We don't fit most descriptions by what we do. I wonder if any other aftermarket shop owners are having the same issues and how have they overcome it? I tried starting up a discussion page on Facebook, with very little sucess. I was hoping for an exchange of ideas, but all I got was a bunch of people tel

From what I am hearing from my fellow shop owner friends, the shops in my area, Northeast (New York), auto repair shops are busy and steady. However, there is a feeling from many shop owners to be cautious about the future.  Things that give shop owners concern: Inflation, the cost of living affecting the consumer's ability to afford auto repairs, dissatisfaction with the current administration,  and possible recession.  Your thoughts? 

Most shop owners I speak to are having banner years. They are as busy as ever and booked with quality, profitable work.  With the uncertainty of the economy, will it last? Should shop owners prepare for a downturn? 

In spite of gas prices nearing $5.00 a gallon, people are expected to take to the road in record numbers this July 4th holiday, according to the AAA and the Wall Street Journal. This is potentially good news for the automotive aftermarket.  Are you seeing an increase in your customers preparing for road trips?     

Good information... https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NCjtayTJZ0n2840nQjsGW4R-D-TGa5WO/view?usp=sharing Larry

There seems to be a lot of mixed reactions since COVID on customers waiting for service.  For many shops across the country, most customers drop off their cars for service these days.   What's your strategy? Does it depend on your business model?  

Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI) are becoming more and more common these days. I think this is a good thing.  What I am concerned about is how the the DVI report is being used.  I am not a fan of sending the digital report to the customer to be used in place of the service advisor speaking and explaining the results of the report first.  Would a doctor send the MRI, lab tests, and x-rays directly to the patient without the doctor first discussing the results?  In fact, there are times when