Elon Block

The best time to find out if everyone is on the same page, is when interviewing

people. Many shop owners only ask questions about the technical end of things.

 

They skip the other subjects, which need to be discussed, such as the ones

you're describing. In other words, if an employee has been taught one way

of doing things, such as "seeing how much you can get out of a customer",

it may be a breath of fresh air to work in a shop that believes in treating

the customer right.

Or as you describe, they may not be a match for your shop, if they want

to sell things TODAY... that really aren't due for 90-120 days out, for example.

Either way, the best time to find out those things out, is in the interview.

By the way, if your shop has a revolving door of owners, maybe you are

in a good place if the opportunity to change ownership shows up again.

Customers are searching for shops that can be trusted and will treat them fairly.

If you're staying busy with many loyal customers, that's evidence that your

customers trust you to help them maintain their vehicles.

 

As for opening a shop...

In my opinion, this is one of the biggest opportunities for shop owners, who

understand customer loyalty is the name of the game. So, you've got that

part down.

 

There are many people that blame failure on lack of laws and regulations,

in the auto repair industry. The truth is: unlicensed shops are not the

cause of lack of sales. It's lack of trust (as you've already discovered).

 

There is heavy competition for seasoned techs. If you set yourself apart,

as a shop owner, who treats his/her employees with respect, you'll have

a waiting list of employees, wanting to work with you.

 

And with the proper sales training, to make sure you know what customers

need to hear and what they need to see, in order to choose your shop

over all of their other choices...

 

And with a marketing plan that is based on getting a fast return on

investment, you'll be in a good position for success.

 

If you ever want to talk about your plans or you want someone to bounce

some ideas off, feel free to contact me.