JustTheBest

Hi! This week, I had a chance to review recent results with a private client (aka Car Count Hacker . You may find this surprising, specially when you find out the size of the shop. I detail it all in this video. You can see the entire video here. I welcome your comments or questions. I welcome your comments or questions. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count FIxer" P.S.: Join me on YouTube at Car Count Hackers! FREE Help to grow your Car Count, Income and Profit! P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook P.P.P.S.: Have you registered in my FREE Training? "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days"

I agree with your information. QR codes work really well, regardless if you're directing people to a specific landing page (web page), phone number or just about any other "link". The only problem is that QR codes never really took off (at least throughout North America). I've read & reviewed countless studies showing how well they actually DO work. One was an entire grocery store created for commuters on a subway system. People could simply scan the codes, enter amounts, details, etc. and pick up their groceries at their stop. Perfect! But every time I've seen QR codes uses - most people don't scan them (or can't scan them) on their phones. I agree with the concept - and it was actually developed for the automotive (manufacturing) sector, but have never seen a lot of benefits from using them. Do you have actual case studies? Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count FIxer" P.S.: Join me on YouTube at Car Count Hackers! FREE Help to grow your Car Count, Income and Profit! P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook P.P.P.S.: Have you registered in my FREE Training? "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days"

USA Today article (Friday September 27, 2019 by Nathan Borney - USA Today) shows that “the average age of cars and light trucks on U.S. roads reached an all time high of 11.8 years in 2018.” The article goes on to claim... “By 2023, there will be about 84 million vehicles on the road that are at least 16 years old, reflecting a 240% increase from 35 million in 2002, according to IHS.” Are you getting your share? There’s only 90 days left in 2019 and the market is changing. Sorry, it HAS changed. Are you ready? Do you have your plans laid out for marketing your shop in 2020? Auto Service Marketing - Fix Your Car Count FAST! Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count FIxer" P.S.: Join me on YouTube at Car Count Hackers! FREE Help to grow your Car Count, Income and Profit! P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook P.P.P.S.: Have you registered in my FREE Training? "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days"

My experience, no matter what type of shop - is that getting (and keeping) techs is a challenge. Not saying it can't be done, but yes, it can be a challenge. In addition, having following this topic from the start, I feel that there is a continued "which way should I go?" - General? Import? Specialize? These are all difficult questions to answer and most of it depends on your expectations and experience. I find the franchise details posted above to be fascinating. I firmly believe that most of it is because people are looking for the "easy button". No matter what franchise you get involved in - regardless of industry - there is a lot of work to be done! Yes, the so called "formula" will work - but applying it and doing it day in and day out is what matters. Walking in the door and thinking it's all going to just fall in place is the dream - and you know what happens with dreams! I think the biggest questions, regardless of what type of shop, revolve around understanding the competition and what YOUR SHOP can do different that will attract customers from those established shops. I felt so strongly about this - I made a video. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: Join me on YouTube at Car Count Hackers! FREE Help to grow your Car Count, Income and Profit! P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook P.P.P.S.: Have you registered in my FREE Training? "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days"

Hi bantar! Thanks for that clarification. I figured that's what you meant. What I really like is the fact that you've got various strategies - all working together. I think you said 4 campaigns! The only thing I would suggest is, trying different types of offers. I explain that stuff in my free course, How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days. Good luck! Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: Join the conversation at YouTube.com/CarCountHackers - Like & Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Josh, I'm not questioning results. I can't tell you how many shop owners I talk to that haven't done a thing in years - so getting out there with something is better than nothing. With respect to changing the offer as I outlined, using your terms, "you can’t argue with results". Again, with all due respect, you said... The problem is that these shop owners FEEL this way. Whether you agree or not is irrelevant. The first rule of marketing is "Don't think for your customer!" Can't tell you how many times I've seen this (actually had a client where the service advisor, when asked to present a quote, would say things like "I don't think they'll go for it!" - My question - who asked you to think for the customer?) so many business owners say things like "My customers won't go for that!", or "I can't do that - it's not the way I've done it for years!" or things like that. Above that, I don't think the shop owners you speak of really looked at the way I explain it in my course. I've seen it - first hand - and then done other offers that actually took a shops regular oil change from $39 to $79 - and when customers are given the choice - always respond with "I want the best one!" (That's more detailed stuff that you'll never get with cheap oil change offers) But I'm not here to tell you how to run your business. Send out lame offers like everyone else, you will get some results. My approach has always (when I say always, I mean the last 20+ years) has been to cater to what people want. That means there's been a ton of work studying and understanding the psychology of people, how they react, what simple things mean... I know... stupid little details that most won't get into... or don't have the time to study and apply... or THINK they don't matter... and make kick-butt offers that work. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: FREE Course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days! P.P.S.: Car Count Hackers on You Tube P.P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Hi David, aka tirengolf! To start, I think you have to adjust your mindset a little on this. You said... I understand - but you have to look at it slightly different. Lets say, for example, you invest $500 in a campaign. That could be direct mail, Facebook ads, or just about anything... and that $500 ad spend gets you about $1,000 in total sales. Is that a waste of time?? A waste of money?? Now, I don't know your shop - but I'm going to use some very general basics. I think I'm safe saying that your GP% is about 50%. I know, most are above that - I see high 50's to 60's in the shops I work with - but 50% GP is safe, right? That means, on a $500 ad spend, the $1,000 in work was about a break even. Is that a loss? No. I agree, it's not a win either, but all the money you sent out came home with it's its friends, right? That's where you HAVE TO START! There's no other way. Nobody... and I mean nobody, no Guru, or Ad pro is going to give you a strategy that is guaranteed to work. You can only use some best practices and give it a shot. I've got two resources for you that will help: #1) A YouTube video that I created that outlines everything you need to know about doing direct mail or postcard mailing. Having said that, understand that the fundamentals really apply to just about any type of advertising. #2) I created a FREE COURSE, "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days" - and do it without wasting your hard earned dollars on money sucking advertising. Over 2 hours and 20 minutes of video training, broken up into 16 short videos, delivered in 4 chapters - about 1 chapter every 2 days - and you get UNLIMITED ACCESS. Oh, did I tell you it's FREE? It is! I also agree with what bantar said... he said... It's about creating campaigns that work - as long as they are all returning AT LEAST what they cost. With respect to bantar's comments, The fix for that is to add a single line like "BRING THIS WITH YOU TO GET THESE PRICES - NO EXCEPTIONS!" or something like that. Also, deadlines help No, not 30 days - Make it 3-5 days. I can't tell you how many times I run postcards with clients and they all tell me the same thing - Friday was really busy - it was the last day on the offer! Ha! Go figure. Strong call to action and a deadline! I could go on and on about this topic, but it doesn't matter unless there's more detail. In short, you've got to start somewhere. The easiest is direct mail to your list. Then put a Customer Referral Program in place - and work your customers for more customers. It's all about the reward - and no, 10% off your next service isn't a reward. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: FREE Course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days! P.P.S.: Car Count Hackers on You Tube P.P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Hi BNC173! I can feel your pain. Please understand, I don't know you - I don't know anything about you or your shop - nor do I know anything about your process for hiring, so please, please do not take any of this as a "personal" hit, okay? My first thought as I read through your post was "How were these people hired?" Now, I'm not going into any long rant about process and procedures - nor am I going to form any type of "attack" on you. After all, you get it - you just don't understand why everyone else doesn't. It's sort of like when I talk to shop owners and they complain, telling me "All of my customers are too cheap!" My only response - "Who attracted them?" It's like going to a buffet restaurant and finding kids running around the place like it was a playground. It's not their fault. They came into this world ONLY knowing what somebody TAUGHT them. I lay the blame squarely on the parents. I remember being told specifically.... "If you do this - then THIS is going to happen!". No threats - just a healthy dose of fear instilled. So what's your process to hire? Got a pulse? Need a job? Can you change a tire? You're HIRED! That's not a process. Then above that - who is established at your shop, who knows all the "details" - that works with the person on training? I'm betting there isn't anyone. Look, like I said, I don't know you and I am not blaming you. The only thing I am trying to bring out is that people don't know what to expect - unless YOU TELL THEM SPECIFICALLY. In your comment, you said... It's got to be up to YOU to develop the program. And the only thing I can guarantee you is that whatever program you establish - you'll be changing and updating it on a regular basis. I promise. But nobody you hire is going to read your mind - and don't tell me that it's common sense, okay? Because it's not common to all. I hope this helps! I promise, I'm not taking a shot at you! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: FREE Course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days! P.P.S.: Car Count Hackers on You Tube P.P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Hi Mail Shark! I agree with your comment - well, sort of. Like you, I find most shop owners don't want to promote an oil change because it's not a big paying job. No matter what you charge, a typical repair shop can't make money on doing JUST oil changes. I think everyone will agree with that. On the other hand, there is NO OTHER AUTO SERVICE that the typical car owner knows they need. Go ahead and advertise alignments, wheel bearings, timing belts - go ahead - if you like to waste your hard earned money. They don't work! Why? Because nobody got out of bed this morning thinking about the alignment on their car, or their timing belt - or any other service. On the other hand, remembering to "keep your oil change" is probably something that 'Dad' told them when they got their first car. The other point is the "FREE Seasonal Check-up". If it's free - what's it worth? Uh... nothing, right? Now, I'm not saying that it has no value - but most people look at FREE as worth nothing. Don't you? So that's why when I work with private clients, I set them up to use "Value Offers". What's the difference? First of all, it utilizes a headline. If you know anything about David Ogilvy, advertising tycoon, founder of Ogilvy & Mather, and known as the "Father of Advertising", David claimed that the headline is the FLAG that waves them down. Really. When you read a newspaper, do you read everything from front to back? I don't think so. On the other hand, you probably scan headlines, right? That way, you read what interests you. So then, my question is, what's so appealing about "Oil Change Specials"? (That's your headline, right?) On the other hand, would it be more appealing to have a headline like "Save $97.00 Today"? That's the biggest part of the difference. Oil change specials is about YOU (the shop) - whereas "saving" is about the customer. How do I know? I see it all the time with my private clients. How do you do that? Simple. Take all those FREE services and assign a value to them. Therefore, when you list brake inspection, check belts & hoses, check lights, check suspension, check fluid levels, etc. and assign a value to them, you have a total value of your offer of $WHATEVER... and then then sell the oil change at your regular price (if not more - but that's a killer strategy I don't have time to get into here - it's a decoy offer). In short - the success of any campaign - direct mail - facebook, newspaper or otherwise - is directly tied to the offer. That's why most say "it's all about your offer!" Lame "specials" don't attract attention. Save $97, or $67, or $59 or whatever is a headline that attracts attention. It's not the entire solution, but it's not a lame oil change special offer that dies on the paper it's printed on. I teach all of this in my Free Course, "How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days" - and do it all without wasting your hard earned dollars on money sucking advertising. The course is over 2 hours and 20 minutes of video training, broken into 16 short videos, delivered over 4 chapters - one every couple of days. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" P.S.: FREE Course - How to Double Your Car Count in 89 Days! P.P.S.: Car Count Hackers on You Tube P.P.P.S.: Like and Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

I think "daves auto service" said it best. Overall, it's about being consistent. If it's newsletters, postcards, facebook - doesn't matter. Smart shops will do them all! But the key is being consistent. I agree, there are times when nothing makes the phone ring - but you can pretty much plan for those times (like Jan/Feb) Besides, marketing and advertising isn't an expense if it returns as much as what it costs you. Yes, even if you spend $200 on a promo and only get $400 in revenues, it's better than doing nothing. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Get Car Count Help at YouTube.com/CarCountHackers Like & Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Interesting topic. Thought I would chime in. First of all, do you understand that a lot of the industry (independent auto repair shops) are looking at rates close to $200/hour?? It's a fact and partially because the cost of parts. Can't tell you how many times shop owners tell me that as they prepare a quote - the customer is on Amazon looking up the part pricing. You can't stop that- but you CAN charge accordingly . As an alternative, anyone ever consider pricing tiers?? As an example; Our shop rate is $XXX/hour. For SPECIFIC JOBS... the rate changes. SPECIFIC could be anything from difficult electric work, high end import work, bring your parts work or whatever. It's not about WHAT SPECIFIC work is... you decided... but your rate doesn't have to be the same rate as a tire rotation. Secondly, I do this with all my clients - every 3 months, the shop owner reviews the labor rate. I didn't say change it or increase it - but reviews it. In most cases, the increase is somewhere between $2-$5 per hour. So think about it. Over the course of the year, you increase your shop rate $8/per hour or $15/per hour... or whatever. But in every case, the increase is small and incremental. From what most have confirmed (and I know it to be true) most people don't know or ask about your shop rate. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Get Car Count Help at YouTube.com/CarCountHackers Like & Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Hi Forum Beginner! Well, today is your lucky day! Here's the first response to your question. I read your post a couple of times and let me start with this. What I think is a problem: You said.... "have done almost all of my own work on my personal vehicles for nearly 30 years. " ... and "I've been in corporate positions for 20+ years. " Doing the work isn't what the business is about. Also, corporate life is 180 degrees away from small business, auto repair shop life. As an example, in corporate, they build a horse by committee. Ultimately, someone asks "does he really need two ears?" On the other hand, here's what I liked about what you said: "About a mile up the road, in a cluster, there are 6 name brand auto dealerships." You also indicated... " there are three tire shops, one local and two name brand, along with a Midas and another local 6 bay garage." Most fear competition. On the other hand, the competition PROVES there's business there. It's like opening a restaurant. Let MacDonald's do all the research - then open up beside them. So to answer your questions: 1) Is this an opportunity worth considering given the competitive landscape? YES! The competition is PROOF that there's enough business. Now, I can't tell you that some of them aren't starving, but that's because they built a business "thinking" people will come. You WILL need to work at getting customers. New customers are the most difficult. I explain it all in this video. In fact, understand this... it's critical. 2) If I were to open a shop, how quickly should I expect business to ramp up? That really depends... and it depends on YOU. Let me ask you this. How distracted do you think people are?? How many messages do you thing people see in a day. I know - difficult questions. Just trying to put it in perspective. You can do it if you spend the time (notice I didn't necessarily say money) to get out in front of your customers. Then have a killer customer referral program (I show you everything in this FREE TRAINING COURSE) and make a solid effort to stay in touch. There's a ton of things I could get into - but I really don't know what you already know or how much time you're willing to put into it. The biggest thing I can promise.... if you put your marketing into somebody else's hands... like outsource it... it will be a costly, expensive grind. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Get Car Count Help at YouTube.com/CarCountHackers Like & Follow Car Count Hackers on Facebook

Just thinking... how far away the this new location from your existing one?? And, can you provide any clue about the current car count at your existing shop? Not trying to be smart - but are you currently doing 150 cars a month? Or, if you're willing to share, what is your current car count and ARO? Trying to put some details into this to help you the best. I also (I think) sent you a direct message - if you want to get on the phone and talk about it I would be pleased to help you any way I can. No sneaky sales pitch (too busy for that BS), but we can talk a little more in the open. The easiest way is to head over to http://askthecarcountfixer.com and let me know. Matthew "The Car Count Fixer"

Hi jfuhrmad! Good question but a little difficult to answer. Mostly because car count, profits, revenues will depend a lot on your overhead and fixed costs. With that said, I will respectfully disagree with parts of things CAR_AutoReports says. First of all, you didn't state what term the 150 was - so I am assuming it's per month, right? If that is correct, then just apply a little math. On average, there's typically 22 working days in a month. 150 cars/month would mean 6.8 cars per working day. That leads directly to another question. Can you handle 7 cars a day?? I'm serious. If you're a one man shop, don't forget you've got to answer the phone, move the cars, test drive jobs, quote jobs, write up quotes, and oh yeah... fix the car too! I will say - and I have no idea what your background, experience or anything is - your target of 150 may be a little high. You may want to start by getting REGULAR; Maybe 2, 3, or 4 a day - and then figure out what you need to change to get the rest. I also disagree with CAR_AutoReports with respect to density and the area your shop is in. Again, some of this will rely on your reputation and what you've done already in the industry. My attitude is that I wouldn't want to be the first or second mechanic my customer thinks of - I WANT TO BE THE ONLY ONE THEY THINK OF - and that doesn't happen overnight. You've got to work on that and it takes time! This short video explains it best! Additionally, I DO agree with the type of work you target - but let's face it, there isn't a customer out there that KNOWS what they need - THE ONLY Thing they KNOW they need is an oil change. So don't crap all over the idea of getting customers to stop in to get that oil change. Because, when you think about it - no matter how good a tech you are - YOU CAN'T FIX THEM DRIVING BY YOUR DOOR! In reality, I would tell you to re-think what your targets are - again, I don't know enough about you and your experience - and think about the ways you're going to get car owners to stop in. That's the first step to getting the work and the customer. Hope this helps! Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Join me on YouTube Like & Follow on Facebook ** DOUBLE YOUR CAR COUNT FREE COURSE

Do you realize that they actually have a service "specifically" for auto repair shops? Just Google "uber for auto repair shops" and you'll get a bunch of links. Once that came up that isn't a bad place to start is here: https://www.geekwire.com/2018/review-like-use-wrench-uber-auto-repair-sends-mechanic-car/ Hope this helps! In short, why wouldn't you use them?? Does your competition?? If not, that the reason I would run to get it set up in my shop! Make yourself stand out in your market. Offer the service, experience, etc. that makes people want to do business with you. In other words, "make it frictionless!" Matthew "The Car Count Fixer" Join me on YouTube Like & Follow on Facebook ** DOUBLE YOUR CAR COUNT FREE COURSE