mmotley

Thanks OEScan. I'm definitely glad I made the move. I've thought about branching out to other brands, but my business is still growing as I stay strictly with Toyota/Lexus/Scion. Doing so has allowed me to use the factory scan tool, which means I do everything the dealer does (including cutting and programming keys), minus navigation updates (Toyota has restricted it to dealer only... And most people just use their phones anyway). Part of me being exclusive to T/L/S is what has convinced many folks to try me out and why most stay with me. I don't mis-diagnose cars, I have all the special tools, I have connections for parts (almost always overnighted to me), factory repair manuals, and Lexus loaner cars. The only way I would ever branch out to another brand is if I can replicate what I'm doing now.

The number 1 return on investment for me has been mailouts. Combined with a professional looking website, those 2 have brought in the most. Facebook brought in none. A few from google ads (probably count them on 2 hands). Maybe 1 on Yelp, but I don't pay for Yelp. Most people say they got my mailouts, then they checked out my website. After that, it's word of mouth. I've done 5 mailouts and only been open 17 months. Each mail out consisted of at least 1,500 pieces, 2 where over 10K pieces. Getting ready to do another one in December or January. I also have an ad running in a small retirement 'golf' community newspaper. Surprisingly good return on it. Very cheap to advertise in.

Links to products and services that shops use or that are being discussed... There was an article about a shop using a plug-in in the OBDII port that sent information back to the shop and how much customers loved, but no information on how to sign up for the service if you wanted it in your shop. Or there was an article in September's issue about accountants vs financial planners and it was mentioned to start at " with the International Financial Planners Association" but no link or anything was provided for the IFPA. If you google it, you get IARFC.... is that the same as what was mentioned in the article? I think it would be helpful to provide these links in the article.

I only have 2 employees and I share those numbers every once in a while. I make sure to share both sales and expense. I also let them know when I'm having to pay taxes. The reason I do this is that it is very easy to see customer after customer come in and spend $800-$1000 every day and assume the business is making a ton of money. However, they don't see you on the computer paying advertising bills, insurance, rent/mortgage, taxes, shop maintenance bills, paying for new equipment, etc. It is also easy to forget that not all of a ticket is profit. There were some parts that had to be paid for. And commission too. And CC processing fees. And electricity. And management software. And tanks of R134a. And you get the point. Sharing these numbers with my service advisor helps him justify why we charge what we charge. Sharing these numbers with my other mechanic helps him understand why we need to make additional recommendations, fix cars right the first time, and pay attention to waste. I also reward my guys when we have a great month and pay them well too. Because of all this, they show up on time, they stay late if asked (sometimes I don't have to ask), they'll show up on a Saturday if needed, I know they aren't out looking for other jobs, I get to hear them brag about how much they like working for me to their friends, family, and customers. I know some will say you shouldn't share these numbers, so let me be clear. I don't break it all down and put it into a pie chart and graphs and show them my bank account. I do however share with them when a few tickets here and there that have really high profit percentages and a few tickets that are really low percentages. I definitely share with them any ticket I loose my ass on (mis-diagnose, break a part, mis-quote, etc). This way they don't just see a $3,000 ticket and assume I'm going out to party when the customer pays. I'm interested to see what others say though. I've often wondered about how others say they don't share these numbers, but use Mitchell Manager that has a 'profit' hot key that shows how much money is made on each ticket.

Did you quote more than the book calls for? If so, why?

Like Joe said, be nice but firm. Explain insurance no longer allows people to come into the shop area. I have a few close friends that stop by from time to time, and I'll just be polite and say 'Well it was nice talking to ya, but I really have to get back to finishing this job. The customer needs their car back ASAP'. They usually get the point. All great advice here.

Bill Connor does training videos for RLO training - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rlo+training Is he a shop owner or does he sell automotive shop technology?

For every inspection performed, a slip with your name goes in the hat at the end of the week/month. A drawing is held for a TV, gift card, $100 bill, etc. Or you could have it that with every BG service that is sold, your name goes in the hat... It might sound cheesy or you might not have enough guys for this to work very effectively, but it's an idea. To answer your main question though, I only have 1 helper and he is paid strictly commission. Pay rate X labor hours produced.

I do not pay my tech specifically for the inspection, however I pay well enough for oil changes and tire rotations (I probably pay the best in town), so it makes up for a 5 minute inspection. Plus, when you can look and see that RO's are increasing 35% after inspections are performed, that usually translates to a 35% increase in tech hours. Beats sitting around, waiting for the next car.

We do free code checks and complimentary inspections. I agree flacvabeach, doing a 'free inspection' builds a sense of value and starts a good relationship with the customer. My labor rate, insisting on using factory oem parts, and loaner car program is usually a good 'pre qualifier'. Our free code check is just that, we tell them what the code is. If they want to know what it probably is, we tell them we will GUESS. Guesses come with no warranty, no guarantee, exactly what they get at the parts store with their free code check. Free courtesy checks have sold me too many steering racks, brake jobs, timing belts, and fluid flushes... You'll see how this works with the 'mobil manager' inspection process

Agree with xrac on the grass in the pavement and in front of the building. It is the very first thing I noticed, but I'm a clean freak. As far as the streamers, if you are really struggling with business and getting noticed, I would go ahead and put them up and wait for someone to say you can't have them and take them down. You would be surprised at how many rules aren't enforced and what you can get away with. I also agree with getting a more noticeable sign. Good Luck!

Not sure if you were referring to me or not, but my problem is their almost non existent customer support. For example, many times Mitchell manager will come up and tell me I do not have an active license. I must go to settings, deactivate all licenses, reactivate all licenses, then restart the software. It's not a big deal, but it is annoying, especially when I pay them every month. What makes it worse is that they know about the issue, have attempted to fix it by downloading a patch to your computer, but it still does not fix it. Small things like making the last 8 of the VIN bold have been asked for apparently for years. I know someone said coding takes a long time... 2 things. 1.) That's what they freaking get paid for. When I'm paying around $150 a month for just management software, I expect bugs to be fixed and requests for improvements to eventually happen. 2.) They release stupid upgrades like changing freaking colors of text on your screen or buttons that say 'done' to 'transfer' and expect their customers to think it is such a useful upgrade. Overall functionality of the software is fine, but minor/annoying bugs and the lack of/ignoring requested updates combined with piss-poor technical support is what I hate about Mitchell and why I praise companies like Bolt-On. It is a shame, but Bolt-On is the only reason Mitchell still has my business. Again, not that the software is terrible, just the lack of technical support, customer service, and interest in customer satisfaction.

Glad I'm not the only one who got this type of response from AAA. I just gave up on em

You have no experience with Mitchell Manager, do you? Speaking with their customer service is almost guaranteed to leave you dumber than before you called. You are almost forced to either figure it out yourself or go to the online forms to see if someone else has had the same issue and found a solution for it.

Awesome, can't wait to hear what you think. Curious about the costs for set up and monthly operating costs.

Mike, you just crushed my dreams... Oh well, I'm really happy with the products you guys already put out, so I'm not complaining

If they ever do, I will sign up as soon as they let me! Not to start rumors, but they have 'Dashboard Pro' which looks very close to a SMS program. It still appears to be in beta testing, but hopefully turns into something more.

Not sure if you took the pictures in portrait mode, but try taking them in landscape. That way they aren't so tall and skinny. It will look better. Nice waiting area btw

I don't have much experience with other brands of balancers, but I know when I was using a hunter RF balancer, we fixed a lot of vibration issues that other shops couldn't fix. I'm saving up for one right now. New is expensive, used are hard to find. Had a previous shop owner stop by my place just yesterday and he pretty much told me not to buy anything but a RF balancer. He worked at a huge local tire shop...

Sounds like my experience with Toyota. They weren't threatening or rude, they were very understanding actually and gave me plenty of time and answered any questions I had.

I'm 99% sure you will have an issue with using the logo. As far as describing yourself as a bmw specialist, as long as it's not in the official business name you should be fine. For example if your shops name is 'Mccannable's Auto' and you have BMW Specialists written below that on your sign out front, you should have no issue. You would have an issue if the business name is 'Mccannable's BMW Specialists'. One is a descriptor, the other is considered copyright infringement and they will argue that it could be misleading for consumers. There are some 'feather' or 'swooper' flags you can find online at amazon for example that do not have logos. Should have no issue with just the flag saying BMW, and what are the odds someone from BMW legal corporate is going to drive by your shop and notice?

I know I sound like a cheer leader for Bolt On, but they not only offer great products, but their customer service/support is unmatched by any other company I have worked with. On top of that, Chromecast has been extremely handy to have. It has multiple uses and only cost $35 to purchase.

Yup, I learned this lesson in my first few dealings with extended warranty companies. My service advisor gets the estimate together, calls extended warranty to see what they will pay, then call the customer with the difference (if there is one). We might work with the customer a little bit, but it is dependent on a lot of factors.

If you're using Mitchell without the use of Bolt On, I would either get the Bolt On 'add ons' or I would look at RO writer