Elon Block

Welcome aboard! There's a ton of knowledge, information and experience you can draw from the members here.

Hi everyone, If you've been thinking about adding fleet work to your current business model, please see my latest blog post: http://www.autoshopowner.com/blog/16/entry-195-have-you-been-thinking-that-adding-fleet-work-would-be-a-good-addition-to-your-business/

Hi everyone, Have you been thinking that adding fleet work would be a good addition to your business? Fleet work increases your numbers, and smooths out your cash flow. It keeps your techs busy with a steady flow of profitable work. Until now, our exclusive fleet work sales & management program has only been available to our existing clients. We are now accepting a limited number of shop owners who would like to add fleet work to their business. This program is designed to help you set up a profitable fleet program (or expand on what you're already doing). Learn the proven strategies for adding this profit center to your business. Space is limited, so click here now: http://sellmoreautoservice.com/fleet-program-application/

Here's something else to consider. AAA recently published a recent report that indicates the average customer spends $766.50 per year to service and maintain their vehicle. When you do that math, if your goal is to have a million dollar a year business, you only need 1305 loyal customers spending all of their repair and maintenance dollars with you. Our experience is that number is very achievable. However, here's what's standing in the way of that for many shops. The Auto Care Association published a startling report, which revealed that 1 out of every 3 customers are doing research and/or getting a second opinion after receiving a diagnostic about their vehicle. That number goes up to 1 out of every 2 customers, when the vehicle owner is between the ages of 18-44 years. This tells us that these customers view auto repair shops as commodities. We have done our own interviews and discovered this is true. The typical driver believes everyone does oil changes. Anyone can do a brake job. Anyone can mount a tire. That means: the goal is to separate yourself from the pack when presenting your diagnosis and estimate. Otherwise, the chances are very high, that customer is going to look for a second opionion. Here is a simple but powerful exercise that can really help clarify exactly what's going on, in your business. Pull out all of your tickets from the previous 6-8 weeks where you provided a diagnosis or estimate. You're looking for services or repairs that were safety-related and/or leaks. This works best when you phone the customer and basically say to them, "Mrs. Jones, I see you were in about a month ago. During that visit, we discovered your water pump was leaking. Did you have this repaired?" If they say yes and they had it done elsewhere, tell them you are looking to improve your business and you want to do a better job of servicing your customers. Then, ask them, "Would you mind sharing with me what was the reason you chose the other company to do the work?" Listen to what they say. What you are looking for is a pattern to the feedback. For example, if they're choosing someone else because the other shop was cheaper, it's an indication they see your business, as a commodity, which means there's not enough value being communicated in the sales process. It's been our experience that most customers would rather pay for value, but it's up to the business to communicate what sets them apart from very other repair shop in the area. Otherwise, customers will choose the lowest price, every time. Here are the reports I referenced: http://newsroom.aaa.com/2015/04/annual-cost-operate-vehicle-falls-8698-finds-aaa/ http://www.nxtbook.com/mercury/autocare/StateOfTheIndustry_Report/#/0

flacvabeach hit the nail on the head when he talks about the importance of your SA having great sales techniques. The most important thing to remember is what Thomas Watson of IBM said, which was: "Nothing happens until something gets sold." In other words, all of your KPI numbers are controlled by what is communicated by your service advisor at your counter or over the phone. Today's customers are way different than even a few short years ago. The Auto Care Association recently published a report that revealed: 1 out of 3 of all customers are doing research AFTER receiving a diagnosis on their vehicle. That's BEFORE agreeing to have work done. That number goes up to 1 out of 2 if the customer is between the ages of 18 and 44. That means, your service advisor needs to know how to communicate two main things to the customer. 1) They need to be able to remove 100% of the doubt in the customer's mind that the work is legitimate. 2) Why YOUR shop is their best choice out of all of the options in your area to do the work. It's been our experience that it doesn't matter whether you're using a digital inspection or a paper inspection. At the end of the day, a digital or paper inspection is just a tool. Both can produce great results when used properly.

Here's the way to look at return on investment for any kind of marketing. If you're going to spend a thousand dollars a month, it needs to generate five to ten thousand dollars a month in additional trackable sales. (This number is based on a conservative net of 10-20% of gross sales.) Based on that, the question becomes: On a scale of one to ten, how good is your service advisor at converting phone calls and walk-in's into scheduled appointments? Then, once the vehicle is on the lift, how good is your service advisor at selling that job and other legitimate work that may be discovered? NOTE: My math was incorrect and I've corrected it.

What are you wanting to accomplish by changing your website? Are you dissatisfied with the way your site looks? Are you trying to get the phone to ring? Or something else entirely?

That's fine. We were all winging it at one time, until we got a little help. One of my mentors used to say to me: "every master was once a disaster." And that pretty much summed up my experience whenever I tried something new. Inspections are a big subject but here's the down and dirty, condensed version that can at least get you started, in thinking about them. Inspections are required in order to service today's customers properly. Here's why: The average age of the vehicles on the road today is 11 1/2 years old. That's the oldest they've ever been in the history of the automobile. That's a lot of mileage being racked up and a lot of parts wearing out and failing every day. The problem is: your customers do not know what they need to do to maintain their vehicle properly. Here's what your customers know. It doesn't matter whether they are male or female, most of them only know three things about their vehicle. They know they have to but gas in it constantly, change the oil occasionally and buy tires periodically. Everything else is a mystery and something to be dreaded. They need a professional to take care of them. That's where you come in. There's a number of other questions I would like to ask you about your situation. Look for a message from me in your private messages.

Thanks for providing some insight as to what you're trying to do. That helps. Based on that, I have a couple more questions. Are you thinking that while you have that customer in there for an oil change or whatever they came in for... that you could upsell them to a fall special? I see you have posted on your yelp page that you do an inspection when your customers come in: http://www.yelp.com/biz/lakeside-tire-and-lube-dawsonville What is your current process for this? In other words, what kind of conversations are you typically having with customers about these inspections?

tirengolf, I really liked reading your story! You are quite a story-teller because I felt I was right there following along with how it unfolded. This is a great reminder that servicing today's vehicles requires an effort between the shop and the customer. The customer doesn't know what information is important but listening to what they say and/or being a detective is an invaluable skill that goes a long way in helping to solve tricky issues, as you have described. The other thing I took away from this is: every customer is a "Center Of Influence" customer. Some just have a bigger center of influence than others. Great job getting to the bottom of it! It's hard to say what the payoff will be because this guy could tell everyone in your town that YOUR shop is the only one they should use for their vehicle needs.

What is your intention for putting together specials? In other words, what is the reason you're wanting to come up with some specials? Are you wanting to attract new customers? Or get your existing customers to come back in sooner than their next oil change? If you could post your answers to those questions, we could help you come up with something that's going to help you make money.

There is another recent thread here with some answers to this question. http://www.autoshopowner.com/topic/10275-service-writer-online-training/#entry27403 Hope this helps.

Andre, all of your posts on this forum, including this one, remind me of what Michael Gerber, author of the book, The E-Myth says, which is: "The system runs the business. The people run the system. It transforms a business into a machine." This is an image I have on my computer monitor, as a screensaver. It's a constant reminder and helps me stay focused when I'm working with clients (and even as I evaluate how to run my own business more effectively). If you click on the image, you'll see it a bit better.

Hi and welcome to the forum! There are a lot of great people here! Providing training to your service writer can be a real game-changer for your business, for many reasons. Here's my .02 about training. As a coaching and training company, we have evolved to providing Online Service Writer Training. This came about after YEARS of providing onsite training and classroom training. Two years ago, we started providing the service online only for a number of reasons that benefit you, as the shop owner: #1 It's more cost effective for you because there is no travel involved. This eliminates the need for you to schedule your service advisor to take time away from the shop. It also allows you to get an immediate return on your investment because there's no travel expense built into the cost of the program. #2 Research has shown classroom training is not effective for most people because classroom trainings are usually brain dumps. We have found that trying to absorb so much information in such a short period of time overwhelms the student. What usually happens is: They have tons of handouts and notes, but no clear step-by-step method or plan for taking action on any of the notes. As a result, changes rarely take place. Our online training is very easy to implement. The service writer watches a video with a demonstration of the strategy, including a proven word track. They use the sales method they just learned with the very next customer. They review their results. (Did they get the job?) If not, they review the video again to see what they missed. They keep practicing that step of the sale until they master it. Then, they move on to learning the next strategy and steps to the sale. Our program is unique in other ways. The biggest benefits our clients receive is: our program uses current Best Practices for selling service (and tires). The reason for this is we have spent years onsite, in auto repair shops across the country talking with customers who bought - and who didn't. And observing transactions at the counter to see why service advisors sold jobs and why they lost them to the competition. What we discovered during that process mirrors the latest studies done by AAA and the Auto Care Association and that is... A totally different approach is required to sell to today's internet-driven, "more educated" customers. What that means to you is: our program gets you the job without alienating the customer with pushy, salesy tactics that sends the customer for second opinions. As you are researching your options, I recommend you watch the free videos most training companies have available. And as you're watching them, pay attention to the sales methods they use. In other words, if YOU were the customer, how would the sales method make you feel? That's an indication of how your customer is going to feel when those methods are used with them. Bottom-line: it's super important the philosophy of the training company matches the way you want to do business and how you want your customers communicated with. We have a customized training program, depending on your needs. Feel free to contact me to see if it makes sense for us to work together. 410-634-1640

Many shop owners who have a specialty niche, such as yourself, are looking for ways to expand and diversify their business. This is a smart move. General repair is a natural extension of what you already do. However, auto repair and selling service is a totally different animal because the general public thinks an oil change is an oil change. Anyone can take care of a brake job. You've been able to attract customers because of your specialty, which is a good thing. However, when it comes to auto repair and maintenance, you need a totally different strategy. Otherwise, you're stuck with competing on price, which is what you don't want. Here's what I believe. Just like any other investment you make in your business... Consulting should be self-funding. In other words, you should be able to clearly see what your return on investment will be.

You have both made some very important points. And it's never too early to plan for an exit by systemizing everything. Here's something I had posted in August: http://www.autoshopowner.com/topic/10178-if-you-had-to-sell-today-what-is-your-business-worth/ The more turnkey your business is, the more valuable it will be, when you're ready to sell! Marcus Lemonis says, "When you add systems, you add margins." Margins mean: you make the money now, while you own it. And then, you make it again, when you sell it. Related to the topic, Ratchet and Wrench posted this on their facebook page yesterday: http://www.ratchetandwrench.com/RatchetWrench/July-2014/Determining-the-Value-of-Your-Business/

andresauto, you bring up some interesting points about the role of marketing and communication, in everyone's business. It reminds me of a quote from one of my mentors, Michael Gerber, author of the best-selling business book, The E-myth. He says: "Marketing is everyone's job. The owner of the business must start out by asking marketing questions." "In fact, there isn't a function or position within the company that is free of asking marketing questions, if by marketing we mean, 'What must our business be in the mind of our customers in order for them to choose us over everyone else?'" "And so, seen from the appropriate perspective, the entire business process by which your company does what it does, is a marketing process." Being able to communicate clearly and effectively when talking with customers is required in order to thrive - not just survive - in today's very competitive environment. It's been my experience, when you're able to do that, you'll get a 'yes' (almost) every time.

Just to answer a couple of questions that have surfaced in this thread. First of all, thank you to ncautoshop and UsedTireShop for your kind comments. It's my intention to help everyone I come in contact with, in any way I can. And I always try to do that whether I'm being paid... or not. For the record... 1) The shop owners that are a match for my services are not big. Instead, they are shop owners just like you who are wanting to be able to take a vacation at least once a year without worrying about how the shop is doing, in their absence. And to be able to be paid what you're worth, without discounting, couponing or giving your profits away. 2) The shop owners I am able to help the most are the ones that have a couple of hours per week to work ON their business, not just IN their business. 3)) That's the only requirement, along with having the same philosophy as mine, which is in treating the customer right. In fact, I am deadset AGAINST anything that looks or sounds salesy or pushy when it comes to selling. Today's customers no longer tolerate that behavior and most of what I write about proves that. So that is a breath of fresh air for the shop owners that want to be successful without being the typical hard-sell, smooth-talking sales person. 4) The promotional posts I have made have been primarily on the blog provided to me as a benefit of being a paid member that supports this site. Without paid members, it probably wouldn't be here at all. Here is what they have put together in an effort to raise money to pay the bills here: http://www.autoshopowner.com/membership_packages.html What that means is: I have invested in this site so that I can help this site stay online. I'm not going to pretend to know Alex or Joe's financial situation. I do know forums cost money for hosting, security, etc. Without paid members, many forums go out of business and offline. This is the blog page AutoShopOwner gave me as a benefit for my investment. That is where I post my updates to my own website, which is what blogging is all about: http://www.autoshopowner.com/blog/16-elon-block-sellmoreautoservicecom/ I am also allowed to have a sig file, as a paid member, which is what you see below my posts. These are benefits I paid for and therefore, I am using. So, if I have done something to offend someone here, it certainly was not my intention. And as skm suggested, you can ignore my posts.

phynny, Thanks for the feedback. Since I joined here last year, it's been my intention to provide useful information to shop owners. If you follow the links to my site, you will see over 20 hours of free information which has helped shop owners make more money, become more profitable and run their businesses more efficiently and smoothly. Maybe what I talk about doesn't apply to you or is of no interest to you. If that's the case, that's okay. For those shop owners that are interested in how to respond to the latest changes, like the Goodyear free flat program, it's my intention they use it as an opportunity to make more money in their business.

Hi everyone, New blog post on this very important topic here: http://www.autoshopowner.com/blog/16/entry-190-did-you-see-the-latest-goodyear-tire-rubber-announcement/ All major pricing changes like this one, affects everyone in the auto repair industry.

Hi everyone, Did you see the latest Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company© announcement? This is another major change in the industry, especially since it has to do with pricing. Anytime this type of change takes place, it impacts every auto repair shop. The question is: How do you plan to respond to it? There are a number of approaches you can take. In this video episode, my business partner, Pat and I provide some real world strategies for taking advantage of the opportunity. Click here: http://sellmoreautoservice.com/goodyear-announces-free-flat-repair-program/ What are your thoughts on this? How do you plan to take advantage of it?

The internet and all the information available to today's drivers has turned the auto repair industry upside down. The shops that adapt to these changes have the opportunity to do even better than the dealerships, box stores and big chains that are not in touch with what has happened. From our interviews, surveys, research and case studies of how today's customers think... A customer calling about price is doing what they believe is logical, in their mind. Understanding how the customer thinks and where they're coming from is the first step to converting those callers and people at the counter, into a loyal customer, for your shop. Think about it. If they're calling you, there must have been a doubt in their mind about what they were told by the shop that diagnosed their problem. Otherwise, they would have had that shop take care of it. So, when they're calling YOU... they're looking for a shop they can trust to take care of them. For more on how the customer thinks... https://youtu.be/-Uab-r8WJUs

Hi everyone, There's a brand new article in the October 2015 Ratchet & Wrench magazine that suggests price shoppers are bottom-feeders - and should be fired. Click this link to see why looking at the situation, from a different viewpoint, may be beneficial to you and your business.