CAZM

So your new lube tech is changing the oil and doing a thorough inspection in a little over 15 min.

On ‎4‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 1:27 PM, RobMax said:

As long as your customers are willing to pay top prices... in some towns/cities there are not enough of those customers to support a first class 'white glove' shop. I have seen first class shops fail because there weren't enough customers who wanted, or could afford, that level of service and pricing.

This is one of my biggest problems here they all want top end money but don't want to have to pay top end price. I have lived in many towns in my life and I have never seen an area as cheap as this one.

I just recently lost 2 techs and I'm in the process of looking to replace them. The problem is there is way more jobs then there is workers, and it is causing all the employers to pay outrageous hourly wages here. For example one of my employees daughter made  $16.00 an hour to watch cheese go by on a conveyer belt this past summer.  Now I have done some research with 3 other of my companies locations with in an hour away from me and its seems they are paying about $6.00 an hour less then where I need to be according to what my competition is paying here in town. 

Is there anybody else out there that is seeing this in other areas and how in the heck do I explain this to my main office?

I'm thinking about have a weekly sales meeting with my sales team. I'm just wondering if anybody has tried this or does this? If so has it helped and what type of things do you cover?

Discount Tire will be here for a while. Excellent people and policies. Did you guys know that they patch tires for free??? Even if you didn't buy tires from them! Same thing with rotations! I asked them why????? and HOW??? they just laughed.

I have a competitor here in town that does free flat repairs even on tires they did not sell. There is several reasons they do this in my mind. 1.They get another car to inspect and try to find things wrong. 2. 40 to 50 percent of the time they end up selling them a new tire due to the fact the old one is not repairable. 3. To me this is actually a cheap way to advertise . How many people is that person going to tell that they fixed they're tire for free, and where will that person end up going back to when its time for tires.

I have thought about doing this myself, however I sell a tire guard plan and I feel doing free flat repairs for everybody would disvalue the plan.

I just had to deal with this last week. I called the Police and they contacted them car was gone that night.

I'm interested in this topic. We will most likely be relocating as well to a much bigger location that is about 6 times bigger then our location now, however it is about 15 minutes away from here. I think it will do wonders for our commercial tire business as it is located close to a major 4 lane highway, however I'm looking at my retail side as pretty much a new start up.

I'm going to start off by saying my major competitor has a nice big building. The kind like big franchises put up, and my building is more like the one the little guy has. My 2 techs that came from my competitor keep telling me that down there they get more of the white collar worker, were we are getting more of the blue collar worker.

I have been a blue collar worker all my life and I'm proud that I have the blue collar work coming here. My problem here is this is a big farming, logging and manufacturing area, and many of these guys can fix their own stuff. For example probably 8 out of every 10 alignments has bad parts. We do a quote for the customer and inform them of the bad parts and I would say about 5 out of those 8 with bad parts will take it home or to their buddies and replace them their selves.

So I ask you does the building really matter on your customer base? I'm starting to get to the point I believe it.

Most companies will charge the employees for the use of the uniforms. For example we charge the employee $7.50 every payday which is bi-weekly. None of my guys complain about it in fact they much rather pay $7.50 a paycheck then have to wash them themselves. I know my wife loves the fact she does not have to put my sometimes very dirty greasy uniforms in her washer.

We with hold from the last paycheck if they are not returned.

My corporate office has finally decided to come out of the stone age. Yesterday we went live with Appointment plus, and this Tuesday we will go live with My Carfax service shop. Just wondering if anybody else uses these programs and if so how do you like them?

Heard this about a month ago from my CARQUEST rep

My company has 2 slogan's they use, and I want to settle on just one to help in branding this location better. I would like to get a idea of which one is better received. I will list them below please let me know your thoughts

1. Pomp's Tire and service. Were in your neighborhood

2. We know tires and service you should know Pomp's

10 percent on labor only

Can you give us some info on what you are butting heads on.

I have been using the Redi sensors with not many problems. However I just purchased a Bartec tech400pro-ez TPMS tool, and it came with 20 free Schrader EZ-Sensors. So if all go good with the Schrader's I will be going with them.

The sign is 6X12, the LED message board is 8 feet, 3 line, 3 color. Not sure if I made it clear, the quote I got was for the 6X12 sign above it AND the LED board below.

So that is a total for 2 signs?

I got a quote for this sign, installed and everything, for $34.5K. Can have it financed for 60 months at $722.20, $0 down. Does this sound in line with what others have out there?

What is the size and make of the sign? Is It full color? I have a little over $23,000.00 in mine. I can tell you that they do help. There has been so many new faces in here its been unreal. My SA who has been here almost 30 years claims she can't remember seeing so many new faces. Also after comparing last January when I didn't have the sign to this January with the sign my profits are up enough that I could almost make 2 years worth of payments with the extra.

My main service truck is a 2007 F-550 with the 6.0 diesel in it. It has a Jasper rebuild engine and tranny in it not sure of the mileage as when they were put in due to the fact I got it from one of our other stores, and they can't produce the mileage.

So yesterday it started losing power. We don't work on Diesels here so I brought it to a very well known shop. Come to find out it needs all 8 injectors replaced at a cost of $4300.00. So here is my dilemma do I drop $4300.00 on it or do I go for a new one? Now keep in mind this is a boom truck for doing farm and loader tires and the cost is very well into 6 figures.

So I would like to know your thoughts spend $4300.00 on a truck that has 243,000 miles on it and in my opinion a rebuilt engine and tranny from a company with a very bad reputation. Or spend over 6 figures on a new one.

Was this on an air gauge?

Great topic! I do have a few questions. First is how much time do you a lot for a oil service? Second what do you all provide in your oil service. I just recently add in vacuuming.

I have done a lot of reading on here about doing follow up calls. Just wondering how you track the calls you need to make.

So you have a chance to pick up an a tech, hurt your competition, and make more money. Seems pretty simple. Why does he want to leave where he is at now? Did you recruit him or did he come looking?

He wants to leave because of the currant manager he is working for is a big you know. Which is good for me I have already hired 2 techs away form her. it like my one personal employment agency.

I keep a wide range of magazines for men and women. Coffee is not a real big hit here, however I do have complimentary soda for the customers and that goes over really well. I have been thinking about adding a popcorn machine, but have not decided on that yet.

I have a opportunity to hire a second a level tech. Now here is my problem I only have 3 bays. I currently have 1 A level tech and a tire and oil change guy, and he will be moving to the front counter as my service advisor in January so I will have a spot to fill in the shop. I look at this 2 ways can I afford a 2nd A level tech with only 3 bays? Then I think this would really put a huge hurt on the place I hire him from which is my biggest competitor in town. He is probably the best tech in town and would bring a huge customer base with him. My future plans are to add on to the shop but I have at least 3 years till that happens.

What are your thoughts?