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What's a business owner to do?
Recently there was a news item from the Orlando, Florida area regarding Yellow Pages. What makes an ubiquitous book like the Yellow Pages a news story? Exactly that! They are everywhere! Evidently, at least in the Orlando area, something is going to be done about it.
It doesn't matter if you are a small business owner or a consumer, you have the same problem. Which book do I use? The consumer is only going to keep so many Yellow Page books and a business can only afford to advertise in a few. Of course both parties are looking for the same thing — Results! Either you want to find what you are looking for in the Yellow Pages you decide to keep – or – you want sales from the book you decided to advertise in.
The interesting part of all this is that many consumers and some very tech savvy business owners have already solved the problem. They stopped using phone directories and have opted for a faster, less expensive option.
What is it?
The Internet! If you go to your favorite search engine and type in the words "yellow pages" you will find over 450,000,000 results. Whatever you want to know about Yellow Pages from online to offline is there. Of course you will find many online Yellow Pages to help you find anything from A to Z in your area also.
If you are a business owner and you are not online with your business now, you should be looking into it immediately. The costs are dramatically lower and if you do it right the results are great. The buzzword that you have to familiarize yourself with is "local search". What that means is if someone in you area is looking on the Internet they will type in something like "Barber, Specific City, Specific State" and you want your barbershop to come up.
Statistics are now showing that there are more people going to their computers than picking up their Yellow Page Book. Most people will do an online search for products and product reviews before they go to make their purchase locally. Just think if you could be the business that answers their questions, gives them product reviews, and the business where they go to buy what they want.
Orlando, Florida may be on to something. But do we need government in the market telling consumers and business owners how many Yellow Page books they can have? The market is already making its choice. Yellow Page advertising is getting very expensive, and putting an ad in all of the books is impossible. Consumers aren't using Yellow Pages like they did in the past. So you can bet in the near future you will see many of the Yellow Page books going out of business as business owners go more and more online to attract customers.
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What's a business owner to do?
Recently there was a news item from the Orlando, Florida area regarding Yellow Pages. What makes an ubiquitous book like the Yellow Pages a news story? Exactly that! They are everywhere! Evidently, at least in the Orlando area, something is going to be done about it.
It doesn't matter if you are a small business owner or a consumer, you have the same problem. Which book do I use? The consumer is only going to keep so many Yellow Page books and a business can only afford to advertise in a few. Of course both parties are looking for the same thing — Results! Either you want to find what you are looking for in the Yellow Pages you decide to keep - or - you want sales from the book you decided to advertise in.
The interesting part of all this is that many consumers and some very tech savvy business owners have already solved the problem. They stopped using phone directories and have opted for a faster, less expensive option.
What is it?
The Internet! If you go to your favorite search engine and type in the words "yellow pages" you will find over 450,000,000 results. Whatever you want to know about Yellow Pages from online to offline is there. Of course you will find many online Yellow Pages to help you find anything from A to Z in your area also.
If you are a business owner and you are not online with your business now, you should be looking into it immediately. The costs are dramatically lower and if you do it right the results are great. The buzzword that you have to familiarize yourself with is "local search". What that means is if someone in you area is looking on the Internet they will type in something like "Barber, Specific City, Specific State" and you want your barbershop to come up.
Statistics are now showing that there are more people going to their computers than picking up their Yellow Page Book. Most people will do an online search for products and product reviews before they go to make their purchase locally. Just think if you could be the business that answers their questions, gives them product reviews, and the business where they go to buy what they want.
Orlando, Florida may be on to something. But do we need government in the market telling consumers and business owners how many Yellow Page books they can have? The market is already making its choice. Yellow Page advertising is getting very expensive, and putting an ad in all of the books is impossible. Consumers aren't using Yellow Pages like they did in the past. So you can bet in the near future you will see many of the Yellow Page books going out of business as business owners go more and more online to attract customers.
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AutoShopOwner.com Celebrates its First Year!
This month, AutoShopOwner.com celebrates its first year anniversary as a web-based forum, dedicated to the success of automotive shop owners around the world, through networking and the exchange of ideas. I want to take this time to thank all members, welcome new members and wish everyone great success in the coming year.
We all know that 2008 has brought many economic challenges to not only our industry, but also to industries around the globe. It appears that the economy will not begin to recover for a while. It seems that every sector of the economy is affected. We haven’t seen a downturn like this, since the great depression. Whether you are for or against the “bail out” of American corporations, the fact remains that, what ever happens in the short term will greatly affect us all, well into the future.
Many businesses, large and small, will fail in 2009 and more people will loose their jobs as companies trim the fat and become leaner; something that should have been done years ago. More domestic new car dealerships will close their doors. For many of them, they have no choice. Their business model just doesn’t make sense anymore.
Is there only bad news? Not really. We happen to be in an industry that prospers in any economic climate: good and bad. 2008 was a terrible year for new car sales and ALL manufacturers, resulting in the greatest opportunity for service and repair work we’ve seen in decades. People may have held back spending money in “08”, but eventually they will need to get their cars in to you for service. And you need to be ready.
Now is the time to be aggressive in your marketing and advertising. Create ways to offer cost savings services to your customers. Give them options and be flexible. You don’t have to hit home runs to win the game. I understand money is tight, but the shops that stay strong and invest today will reap the benefits when the economy turns around. History as proven that the companies that maintain a positive outlook, continue to advertise and adjust to the changing times, are stronger after the economy picks up.
Maintain a constant watch on all the businesses in your area that are suffering, especially other automotive chains and new car dealerships. As these companies fail, this will create opportunity for you. Watch your overhead, but continue to invest in training, tools and equipment. You can’t afford to be left behind technologically these days. Playing catch-up may not be that easy. And of course, be accommodating to your customer and provide outstanding world-class service, anything else won’t cut it. In tough times, consumers can become fussy and demanding and won’t settle for sub standard service.
From the dialogues I have had on AutoShopOwner.com, throughout this past year, I am impressed by the resolve and strength of the typical shop owner and see a positive future for our industry. As a group, we are strong. Failure is not an option for us. We find ways everyday to solve the most complicated mechanical problems and that determination will be the reason why we will not just survive in the coming years, but thrive. The best of luck to all shop owners in ‘09’ and look forward to the forum discussions.
Written by Joe Marconi
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Social media marketing is a way to promote your business on the internet via social networking. This has grown to encompass a very large number of websites and methods.
The savvy internet marketer is learning how to use this powerful marketing method to grow their business and make valuable contacts for the future.
Of course this also means making more money if you do it right. Let's take a look at 4 ways to use social media marketing to make money online.
1. Blogging is a very strong way to combine various forms of social media marketing all in one place. If you do not have a blog you are losing ground to your competitors who do.
2. Social bookmark your blog posts to create traffic from social directories and as search engine bait for search engine traffic.
Be sure and use a quality blogging platform such as WordPress. They offer a terrific plug-in that makes social bookmarking a blog post very simple.
Social bookmarking gives you a way to get backlinks to your blog very quickly. You should be bookmarking to social directories such as Technorati, Digg, Stumbleupon, and Propeller.
Also go get a Twitter account and learn how to make friends and use it to drive traffic to your blog. This is fast becoming one of the top social sites online.
3. Video such as You Tube is becoming a favorite way for bloggers to add some excitement to their blogs, but it is also much more than that.
Many bloggers are also easily creating videos and putting them online on their blog. This is a very powerful form of social media that is giving your visitor what they want. Many people are a product of the TV generation and like to learn by watching as opposed to reading.
4. Discussion forums are a great place to make friends and sell products if you do it right. They can also be an excellent place to create joint ventures and millions of dollars are sold online now because of these.
There is much more we could say about social media including social networking in places such as FaceBook, My Space, and many others. The bottom line is making money online via social media all comes down to finding a way you enjoy and then mastering how to use it to your business and personal advantage.
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Most business owners subscribe to the thought that you "must spend money to make money". This can be true, but you also must know exactly where that money is going and the results it brings. A small business owner never has any money to waste.
Some ways that your business might waste money includes the following:
1. Manage your credit cards - If you have several cards, develop a computer program that will show you the exact balances, due dates, and the interest rate you are paying. Always be aware of other solicitations that save you money and possibly change your balances over to a new company. If you have any employee cards, see if you can set a limit on them. If not with the credit card company, make sure that the employees know their limits. Manage your credit cards wisely and never, ever miss a due date.
2. Develop an annual plan so you know where you will spend money. This helps you in several ways. The business person will be aware of what portion of the profits are going to advertising, towards incentives, towards accounting and other internal expenses, etc.
3. Do not over-purchase any products or services for a business. If you buy in bulk, the money is tied up and a place must be provided to keep the extras. That might be an unnecessary expense.
4. Developing an advertising budget and knowing just what resources to use is key to keeping money under control in a small business. You must advertise, but you also must get value for your money or you will soon be out of business. Keep a record of how much is spent, can you get payment terms, when is the most efficient time to advertise your particular product or service to get the most value for the dollar. Every dollar must be accounted for in advertising because the lifeline of your business depends on new and paying customers. Advertising is the way to get the word out to the community or the Internet.
5. A small business owner will sometimes be under self-induced stress to manage all aspects of the business. Sometimes, leaving the control and decisions to others that are qualified is the best way to manage the business. Releasing control may be hard to do sometimes, but in a lot of businesses, money can be wasted because the owner cannot possibly be as efficient as the person who has studied or is knowledgeable about a particular field. For instance, if a business owner does not know accounting, many mistakes in reporting income and taxes can be made. A qualified accountant can possibly save more than the cost of their services in reduced taxes.
Take a hard look around your business and do not let anything be set in stone if saving money is the goal. Challenge everything that will cost money and see what can be done to change the situation. Any money that is saved is money that can be put back into the business either in profits or in growth.
A business owner wants their business to be successful and will work hard to sustain growth. A business owner wants a way to continue making and growing money from a product or service that is interesting to them. After growing a business and being smart with cash flow, many business owners will sell their businesses only to start another business.
The reason is that business owners are independent types and challenges are rewarding when met and faced. Saving money through every day operations will help the business owner to meet their financial and emotional goals.
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bfont face="Times New Roman" size="5"span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold;FONT-SIZE:16pt;"Chicago/span/font/bbfont size="5"span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold;FONT-SIZE:16pt;" Pneumatic Increases T2 School of the Year Prize Value to $25,000 in Second Annual Competition/span/font/bifont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;FONT-STYLE:italic;"/span/font/iifont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;FONT-STYLE:italic;"Deadline for entering the competition is December 31, 2008/span/font/ifont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;"_________________________________________________________________________/span/font p class="MsoNormal"bfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-WEIGHT:bold;FONT-SIZE:12pt;"nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; /span/font/bfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"Chicago Pneumatic, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of high-performance aftermarket tools, accessories and compressors, has increased the prize value of the second annual TT School of the Year to $25,000. The 2009 School of the Year will be awarded $10,000 in Chicago Pneumatic tools, with three regional winners receiving tools worth $5,000./span/font/pp class="MsoNormal"font face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;COLOR:black;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"In addition to nationwide recognition in emTomorrow’s Technician/em magazine and the tool prizes from Chicago Pneumatic, the winning schools will receive a School of the Year plaque, flag and shop banners, and apparel. strongEntries must be received by December 31, 2008/strong./span/font/pfont face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;COLOR:black;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"/span/fontfont face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;COLOR:black;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"Students, teachers and school supporters can nominate their school online at a title="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/" href="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/"font color="#800080"www.tomorrowstechnician.com/font/a by clicking on the T2 School of the Year presented by Chicago Pneumatic banner. Entries can also be sent to T2 Editor Ed Sunkin via e-mail at a title="mailto:[email protected]" href="mailto:[email protected]"[email protected]/a or by mail to 2008/09 School of the Year, Tomorrow’s Technician, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333. /span/fontfont face="Times New Roman" color="black" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;COLOR:black;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Entry forms must include the nominee’s name and position, school name and address, contact information and a 500-word or less stronganswer to why /strong/span/fontstrongyou think your school should be named this year’s School of the Year.font color="black"span style="COLOR:black;"/span/font/strongfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"emTomorrow’s Technician /emreceived more than 170 entries during last year’s School of the Year competition, including the grand prize winner, Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Ill., and three regional finalists: Tennessee Tech Center in Newbern, Tenn.; North Central Technical Skills Center in Wenatchee, Wash.; and the Sultana High School Automotive Tech Program in font color="black"span style="COLOR:black;"Hesperia/span/fontfont color="black"span style="COLOR:black;", Calif./span/fontfont color="black"span style="COLOR:black;" Last year’s tool prizes were valued at $13,000./span/font/span/fontfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"strongChicago Pneumatic/strong is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative aftermarket tools, accessories and compressors. Founded in 1901, the company serves automotive, truck and heavy equipment repair, and tire and body shops with industry leading pneumatic impact wrenches, ratchets, drills, grinders, pneumatic hammers and sanders. To learn more about Chicago Pneumatic’s dedication to quality and innovation, please visit a title="http://www.cp.com/" href="http://www.cp.com/"www.cp.com/a./span/fontfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"span style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;LINE-HEIGHT:150%;"nbsp;/span/fontimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=487" width="1" height="1"
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pDrifting came to us from Japan originally.nbsp; The Formula DRIFT series in the U.S. began in 2004.nbsp; Since then, thousands of fans have come to love drifting as much as I do.nbsp; 87% of Formula Drift enthusiasts are between the ages of 19-24 and 25-35.nbsp; Unfortunately, I#39;m a little older than the average fan, but I love it nonetheless.nbsp; Thought you would like to know some cool websites that are all about drifting:/ppa href="http://www.driftlive.com/"www.driftlive.com/a/ppa href="http://www.everythingdrift.com/"www.everythingdrift.com/a/ppa href="http://www.thedriftzone.com/"www.thedriftzone.com/a/ppa href="http://www.urbanracer.com/"www.urbanracer.com/a/ppa href="http://www.riceboytv.com/"www.riceboytv.com/a/ppEnjoy all the awesome videos and have a great Thanksgiving!/pimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=486" width="1" height="1"
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pDo you have what it takes to wear the title, quot;strongTomorrow#39;s Technician/Chicago Pneumatic School of the Yearquot;?/strong/ppstrongIf you do, you have less than 60 days to enter for a chance to win this year#39;s honors!/strong/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"Tomorrow’s Technician is pleased to partner with Chicago Pneumatic to present the 2008/09 School of the Year Award/font/pfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"nbsp;/font p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"We want to honor the best Automotive School in the U.S., and strongwe invite you to enter today/strong!span style="mso-spacerun:yes;"nbsp; /spanNominations are also accepted*/font/pfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"nbsp;/font p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"To enter, send the required information andnbsp;answer why quot;Your school should be named the School of the Yearquot; in 500 words or less. nbsp;You can send your entry to the address below or e-mail the information to: /fonta href="mailto:[email protected]"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"[email protected]/font/afont face="Times New Roman" size="3". Entries can also be submitted online at /fonta href="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/"font face="Times New Roman" color="#800080" size="3"www.tomorrowstechnician.com/font/afont face="Times New Roman" size="3". Click on the Chicago Pneumatic image. Finalists will be contacted by telephone. /font/pfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"nbsp;/font p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"In addition to nationwide recognition for a job well done, the 2009 School of the Year will receive a Chicago Pneumatic School of the Year flag and shop banners, plus Chicago Pneumatic tools, wearables and other prizes. Four regional prizes will be awarded, with the Grand Prize winner earning additional prizes and awards. /font/pfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"nbsp;/font p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"There are lots of ways to enter!/font/pol style="MARGIN-TOP:0in;"li class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"Send the required information, plus the answer to the qualifying question to: 2008/09 School of the Year, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333./font/lili class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"Email your response to /fonta href="mailto:[email protected]"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"[email protected]/font/afont face="Times New Roman" size="3"./font/lili class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"Submit your response online by clicking the Chicago Pneumatic/Tomorrow’s Technician School of the Year button at /fonta href="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/"font face="Times New Roman" color="#800080" size="3"www.tomorrowstechnician.com/font/afont face="Times New Roman" size="3"./font/li/olfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"nbsp;/font p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"Required Information to provide on Entry Form:/font/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"• Nominee’s Name and Position (must be current subscriber)/font/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"• School Name/font/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"• School Address/font/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"• City, State, Zip/font/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"• Daytime Phone Number/font/pp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"• E-mail Address/font/pfont face="Times New Roman" size="3"nbsp;/fontb style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;"font size="3"font face="Times New Roman"Qualifying Question: /font/font/bp class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt;"font face="Times New Roman" size="3"Answer the following question (500 words or less):/font/pb style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal;"font size="3"font face="Times New Roman"Why should your school be named this year’s School of the Year?/font/font/b pnbsp;/pimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=484" width="1" height="1"
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pGreat ad from Midas!nbsp;/pobject height="344" width="425"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsxV49pmnL8amp;hl=enamp;fs=1"param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsxV49pmnL8amp;hl=enamp;fs=1"param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsxV49pmnL8amp;hl=enamp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"/objectimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=483" width="1" height="1"
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pnbsp;/pobject height="344" width="425"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmW9c-7KCqAamp;hl=enamp;fs=1"param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmW9c-7KCqAamp;hl=enamp;fs=1"param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmW9c-7KCqAamp;hl=enamp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"/objectpI spotted this on YouTube this morning. It show how cracks can start in the holes of a cross-drilled rotor. The rotor probably was junk in the first place, putting holes and slots in it did not help.nbsp;/pobject height="344" width="425"/objectpnbsp;/pimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=482" width="1" height="1"
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pnbsp;/pobject height="344" width="425"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eNBIVq6mNkamp;hl=enamp;fs=1"param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eNBIVq6mNkamp;hl=enamp;fs=1"param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eNBIVq6mNkamp;hl=enamp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"/objectpnbsp;/ppspan style="font-family:Verdana;"The a href="http://www.cp.com/" style="font-weight:bold;"Chicago Pnuematic (CP)/a CP7830Q 3/8quot; Inchnbsp;Air Ratchet is called thequot;Quiet Onequot;. But, can the quiet kid in class get theattention over the students raising raising hand and going quot;Pick Me! Pick Me!quot;? I think CP has done it with this tool./spanspan style="font-family:Verdana;"br /On paper, the a href="http://www.cp.com/" style="font-weight:bold;"CP7830Q /ahas a /spanspan style="font-family:Verdana;"maximum ultimate torque of 90 ft/lbs that is generated by .5hp air motor. a href="http://www.cp.com/"span style="font-weight:bold;"CP/span/a claimsthat it is the most powerful ratchet in its class. The rest of the specslike free speed and air consumption are even with the competition from IR and Snap-on. But,it is how a href="http://www.cp.com/"CP/a packages these attributes while throwing in some uniquefeatures that sets it apart./spanspan style="font-family:Verdana;"br /The reason why they call this the quot;Quiet Onequot; is a noise control systemthat silences the exhaust. The adjustable noise control is changed byrotating a sleeve around the body of the ratchet. The noise reductionis noticeable and it also points the exhaust in any desired direction.a href="http://www.cp.com/"CP /aclaims that there is no reduction in power, and I did not noticedany loss of power with the it fully muffled. a href="http://www.cp.com/"CP /aclaims that it can beas quiet as 79 dBA. Why is noise control important? It has be proventhat constant exposure can damage your hearing, but it also causesstress.br /The rubberized handle survived the aerosol brake clean solvent testafter the ratchet was used to remove a greasy cylinder head.I liked the handle, it has a nice feel and I felt I could usemore force on it. /spanspan style="font-family:Verdana;"Also, the oval shape of thehandle felt comfortable at any angle. /spanspan style="font-family:Verdana;"The a href="http://www.cp.com/"CP7830Q/a was dropped it several times from 6 ft. and itdid not break.br /On cold days the rubber surface felt a lot better to hold than coldcast aluminum. br /The trigger works well and had good feel with controllability. It maytake a while to adjust if younbsp; have used a lever trigger for a longtime. Also, it is a nice touch a href="http://www.cp.com/"CP/a includes the protective headboot with the tool instead of trying to sell it to you later on.br /Overall, I would recommend the a href="http://www.cp.com/"CP7830Q /aratchet is you are looking for a3/8quot; air ratchet. This is a quality tool that is well worth thepurchase price. It speaks softly, while letting you carry a big stick./span br //ppnbsp;/ppa href="http://www.cp.com/"img src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/blogs/brakefrontend/20439.jpg" border="0" alt="" //anbsp;/pimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=481" width="1" height="1"
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pThis will blow your mind!!!nbsp;/ppnbsp;br /a href="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/blogs/brakefrontend/ray%20rotor%20cut.jpg"img'>http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/blogs/brakefrontend/ray%20rotor%20cut.jpg"img src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/blogs/brakefrontend/ray%20rotor%20cut.jpg" border="0" height="492" width="633" alt="" //a/ppRead more about the Raybestos Brand Brakes rotor study on a href="http://www.autocarepronews.com/default.aspx?type=artamp;id=90614"AutoCareProNews/anbsp;/pimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=480" width="1" height="1"
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Studies have shown that for every customer lost due to a major blunder, hundreds more are lost due to inferior customer service, apathy, and indifference. While we cannot be expected to please everyone and cannot be everything to everyone, there are many subtle events that occur during the course of each day that might be sending your customers down the road, never to return again.
Shop owners routinely focus on the quality of the repairs and services performed. They take great pride in their work and the work of their employees. But, that may not be enough. Let me give you an example of what can go wrong, that can alienate your customers.
Mrs. Jones arrives at your service counter at 8:00am for her scheduled 30k service. She also asks your service advisor to install a new set of wipers and requests that the car be ready by 3:00 so she can make her dentist appointment. Your service advisor neglects to note on the work order, the wipers, and the request to have the car completed by 3:00. Because this job is viewed as routine service, the car is scheduled for the afternoon. Mrs. Jones calls at 1:00 only to find that her car has not yet been started on. At this point she’s upset and frustrated. You rush to get the car done, but it’s not ready until 3:30. A disappointed Mrs. Jones picks up the car and as it starts to rain on her way to the dentist, realizes that the wipers were not replaced either. She considers turning around and going back to your shop, but decides not to, and makes a promise to herself to find another repair shop.
Don’t think this is real life? Think again! Have you ever been at a restaurant where the food was great but the service so horrible that it ruined your night? As you sit there and finish your meal, you vow never to come back. And when the server or host asks if everything was ok, you respond…”just fine”. The truth is everything was not ok and you will probably never return to that restaurant.
Most people will not tell you when they are upset with you. Consider yourself lucky whenever a customer comes back to you angry. At least you’ll have a chance to make things right. In today’s tough economic climate, you cannot afford to loose customers.
The best repair means nothing if the customer experience is not first-rate. Like it or not, your customers judge you more on the quality of your customer service and the appearance of your shop, than by the quality of the work you do.
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In my mail yesterday I had a welcome surprise, my certificates of completion from the Wix's eLearning online courses and tests. They came in frames and look really nice. They will be going up somewhere in the office. I encourage every technician and counterman to take these courses
It is very “old school†and reminds me of a time when training was an important aspect of selling parts to technicians. I wish more automotive aftermarket manufacturers would do this.
Wix has done a really nice job with the online courses and you will learn something. Most of all, you will never again underestimate the complexity or importance of oil and air filters.
The product sales pitch is there for certain Wix specific features like spiral-wound center tubes and silicone anti-drainback valves, but it is only a small percentage of the total content. Overall, the content of the course was top notch.
These tests are a great prep for the ASE A1 test and can help you answer questions about PCV systems, oil flow and air induction systems.
Click here to go to the Wix eLearning website
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I saw this story and it made cringe, it has implications for students, shops and the supply chain.
Also, as a former employee at a Goodyear store (franchise), it make me a little sad.
Goodyear Exits Underperforming Retail Locations
AKRON, Ohio, August 19, 2008 –In a move to improve the profitability of its U.S. retail operations,The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today said it plans to exit 92underperforming locations by the end of the year."Following a rigorous review of operating performance and local market dynamics, these
company-owned outlets are not producing acceptable returns," said ScottVogel, vice president, retail operations, North American Tire."Taking this action now willallow us to focus our attention on locations with the best long-termpotential," he said. "It will help position Goodyear to be a strongercompetitor."
Vogel said the company is notannouncing the store locations impacted due to its desire to firstcommunicate with their approximately 500 full-time and 100 part-timeassociates as well as property owners of leased facilities.
The action will result inafter-tax charges of approximately $30 million, of which $15 millionwill be recorded in the third quarter of 2008. In addition to thestrategic benefits associated with it, the action is expected toeliminate losses related to these locations of approximately $9 millionannually.
So what does it mean to you?
Students: There will be a lot of ex-Goodyear technicians and tire busters looking for jobs.
Shops: Less competition? Maybe. But, there will be a lot of empty prime retail space looking for buyers or renters. It might be a chance to upgrade your location.
Equipment Manufacturers: Remember when Penske/Kmart closed their locations? There was a glut of used shop equipment on the market. While the number of closing Goodyear stores is not as great, it will still have an impact on the market.
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This is a cool tool:
From the press release:
GearWrench, a premier hand tool brand from Danaher Tool Group, announced the launch of its new Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Kit. The new kit will help with TPMS sensor maintenance during tire and rim changes.
"The TPMS kit from GearWrench offers a solution for automotive professionals who had to previously use several different tools to achieve the same result," said Marc Mangus, senior brand manager for GearWrench. "Technicians and DIY enthusiasts can rely solely on the new kit to tighten TPMS sensors to the desired torque."
In April 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a rule requiring automakers to install TPMS sensors in all new passenger cars and trucks beginning in September 2007. "This is an essential tool for technicians who handle maintenance on new cars, specifically cars purchased during the last three years," added Mangus.
The new TPMS Kit features a sliding adjustable torque scale for easy setting and an audible alert that indicates when the predetermined torque value has been reached. The kit also features a flexible drive for a screwdriver or torque wrench. The quarter-inch size can accommodate up to 120 pounds of air pressure. The kit includes a valve stem tool and two commonly used sockets for TPMS sensor maintenance.
The set comes complete in a convenient blow mold case with a suggested retail price of $150. Beginning in August, the GearWrench TPMS Kit will be available through mobile tool distributors.
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I just passed my ASE exams for the A1, A4 and A5 tests. I used the more expensive Computer-Based-Testing (CBT) that takes place in August and February, it is nice and a little less hectic than classroom testing. I would highly recommend if you are easily distracted (I was the only one in the room!).
Here are my notes about what to study or brush up on. Every CBT and written test is different:A5 Brakes
• One CAN BUS question relating to brake warning lights. But, if you can follow a wiring diagram you can answer the question.
• One a question about ABS isolation and outlet valves.
• Two questions on hydro boost. They were concerned about pump diagnostics and the supply of hydraulic pressure to the hydro-boost unit.
A4 Suspension and Steering
• Three power steering questions. You must understand the role of return lines, supply lines and valves.
• Five questions about tire wear patterns.
• Three question were asked where the alignment angles (actual and specs±) were given and the tester had to interpret them.
• No "new technology" (electric power steering, air ride, etc...) questions were asked in my version.
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This past weekend, I attended the Woodward Dream Cruise. It is the largest one day automotive event that has turned into a three-day party celebrating the automobile. Along with the cars cruising a 15-mile stretch of Woodward there are people on all manner of non street legal vehicles (golf carts, riding lawnmowers and bicycles). I spotted a tow truck in Pontiac with the operator carefully loading a 50cc pocket bike away and the owner in the back of a police car. Do you really think he needs a flatbed?
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The most vulnerable part of a wheel bearing hub unit with integrated wheel speed sensor is the connector. Regardless of the design, the integrity of the circuit comes down to the seal in the connector. If the seal is not replaced and properly seated, water and corrosion can cause an intermittent problem with the wheel speed sensor signal.
The most common failure is the foam or rubber seal falling out of the female connector during installation.
SKF has released a tech tip on the subject in their August Pole Position e-newsletter.
Preventing ABS sensor failure in pigtail style hub assemblies
“Make sure the weather pack has not fallen out of the harness. Replace if missing. Without the weather pack, water intrusion will occur damaging both the ABS sensor on the hub and the harness side wiring and connector.â€
Click Here To See the Full Tech Tip
BMW in has released its own Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on the topic:
SEAL ON 2- AND 3-PIN PLUG CONNECTORS
When connecting or disconnecting 2- or 3-pin plug connectors on any BMW model, it is possible for the rectangular seal to fall out of the plug housing. If this should occur, the loss of the seal can easily go unnoticed. See Fig. 5.
In addition to preventing moisture from seeping into the plug, the seal also ensures that the two halves of the plug are properly tensioned so that the contacts do not move within the plug. If such movement should occur, the contacts may develop corrosion.
Corroded and/or loose contacts can cause problems with the proper functioning of the vehicle, and may cause difficulty with diagnosis due to the possible intermittent nature of such problems.
Service Procedure:
It is essential that you check that the seal is in place before connecting a 2- or 3-pin plug connector. If the seal is missing, it must be replaced.
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School of the Year Semi-Finalists
in Technician Corner - Discussions
Posted
pWe#39;ve received the second round of materials from most of our semi-finalists.nbsp; A group of our editors and I have been reading the more complete applications.nbsp; I just finished reading strongGwinnett Technical College#39;s/strong and strongRamona High School#39;s/strong information.nbsp; Their applications and information were presented in two very different styles.nbsp; But both are equally qualified to win!/ppThis completition is exciting to determine because we are able to see the passion the instructors bring to their classroom, through the materials they send in.nbsp; The faculty for each school is top-notch - many instructors are ASE-certified in five or more categories!nbsp; /ppHaving read only two applications, I can#39;t say who will win just yet.nbsp; But if the other applications are as good as Gwinnett#39;s and Ramona HS#39;s, it is going to be a tough decision!nbsp; Thanks to everyone who competed in the first round, and a special thanks to your semi-finalists for all the hard work you put into your applications.nbsp; Check back for another update, later this week!/pimg src="http://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/cs/aggbug.aspx?PostID=488" width="1" height="1"
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