Joe Marconi

Great tip, Alex!

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Let us never forget those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

In New York, we have had an annual safety inspection for as long as I can remember. And while our regular customers had no problem passing the inspection, we did find a lot of unsafe cars when bringing in first time customers for the inspection. Many states have eliminated the inspection, for a number of reasons. There are pros and cons, and I can see both sides. Texas may eliminate their inspection program - below is a link. Are you in favor or against a mandatory vehicle safety inspection? And why?

I remember years back, a shop owner friend of mine relied on a lot of fleet work, mostly from the local town. He worked on the all the trucks and vehicles for the town's highway department, local police and fire department. He built a very lucrative business. I would guess that this part of his business amounted to about 50% of his business. THEN...when the political winds changed, so did who the town choice of repair shops. My friend lost half of his business and struggled for years to build it up again, saying that he would rely on that much fleet work. I know this may be a rare occurrence, but it does bring up the question, "Is there a suggested fleet to retail business ratio?"

Wow, you bring up so many critical issues. In this country, business are supposed to be free enterprises. I too battled with insurance companies over the same issues you bring up. No one, and no insurance company, should dictate a shop labor rate, or any other aspect of ruining our business. Sometimes I feel that too many shop concede, and feel they need to either make up the difference somewhere else, or accept their rules out of fear.

Speaking with a friend of mine who owns a body shop, it is amazing how much control the insurance want with the repair. From adjusted labor times, to part procurement, etc. In one situation, the insurance company wanted to purchase a grill and bumper cover from a supplier in South Carolina (this body shop is in New York), by- passing the shop's profit and also having to wait for the parts to be shipped and delivered. The body shop owner fought back and a compromise was made, but why go through this? Body Shop owners, It's always been an issue dealing with some insurance companies. How do get around some of the road blocks and remain profitable, and in control of your Collision Shop?

The other day, I checked my online personal bank accounts from my phone app. There was a charged amount of $1,300 that I did not recognize. After a phone call to the bank, they informed my that this charge was a mistake. The company that withdrew the money from my account was a Electric Company from the U.K. The bank put a stop payment, and the next day I got my money back. I asked the bank rep, how can a company or anyone gain access to my account. I did not get a reassuring answer. She simply said, it was a mistake. HOWEVER; the bank repair told me that this happens all the time, and she recommended that I check my bank accounts every day, because there is a window of about 24 hours that the bank can stop the mistake payment from happening. Once the money is electronically transferred, it is much harder and sometimes nearly impossible to get back. When I was in business, I would have my bookkeeper review all the bank transactions at least once a week. Knowing what I know now, I would recommend a daily review. Shops deal with a lot on money passing through too many hands.

I had two locations when I was in business, with sales well over 3 million. There are so many variables to this topic that it would take a live forum and a few weeks to go over every scenario. With that said, there are a few common attributes to growing a successful business. In particular: the systems, understanding your KPIs, understanding your market and business model, and strong leadership. And, the most important is your culture and the quality of people you employ. To play devil's advocate here, I am a writer for Ratchet and Wrench, and one of the things that I am very aware of, is that I need to be careful not to generalize a topic to a degree that I have all the answers in a 700 word article. I also know from presenting business management courses, that every business is different, and we need to be careful when listening to other's successes. I am not down-playing the value of reading articles, that has great value. However, we all know the challenges of being in business, and a shop owners journey is filled with twists and turns. We should continue to read, learn and grow. But, success is not always determined by a pre-set benchmark set of KPIs. Great conversation!

I am a firm believer of the multipoint vehicle inspection. However, I am not in favor in performing lengthy inspections for free. When I ran my auto repair company, my techs were required to perform a courtesy inspection on every vehicle. This was to ensure the safety of every customer no matter what the car was brought in for. But, there are times when a more lengthy inspection is needed, and must be explained and billed to the customer. For example: If a customer complains of a vibration or drive line noise, the service advisor must explain and sell the appropriate test procedure for that particular problem. The courtesy inspection is still done, but the more involved testing inspection is billed to the customer. The reason I bring this up is that as a business coach I see too many shop falling short on billed labor hours due to giving away too much, and not charging for testing and inspecting, when appropriate. How do you approach this issue?

During a recent discussion with a frustrated shop owner, he revealed me that he has been trying to find and hire a technician for nearly one year now. While I mentioned a few different strategies, he was firm in his position that nothing has worked. Is this shop owner's situation common? Or is something else going on? Let's discuss some of your best ways to attract and hire qualified auto technicians.

Yes, bad apples don't remove themselves. And they infect others.

A recent study, done by Harvard Business School, concluded that the real problem with attracting and retaining employees has more to do with the workplace environment, not pay or benefits. While the study did find that an adequate pay plan and offering an attractive benefits package did help with recruiting and retention, it’s not enough to satisfy the needs of employees, especially those of front-line workers. The study also stated that in 2021, many companies were convinced that giving raises, sign-on bonuses, and other perks would solve the worker shortage problem and prevent people from quitting. However, this strategy did not work. So, what does work regarding attracting quality people and keeping them employed? Essentially, it all comes down to the culture of your company. Management: do all it can to consider the individual needs of your employees. Your employees want to feel that they have a voice, that their opinion counts, and that their role in your company is both respected and recognized. Yes, pay and a great benefits package will go a long way toward making your employees feel secure, but that’s only financial security. People want more than money. To attract and keep top talent requires creating a company that people feel proud to work for. You need to reach the hearts and minds of your employees. Become a leader that people are enthusiastic about working for. You want your employees bragging to their friends and family that your shop is a great place to work! Step one to attracting and retaining quality employees: Create an amazing workplace environment for your employees! Trust me, happy employees make happy shop owners too!

You make great points! There could be underlying problems why the employee posted on Indeed. Perhaps, as business owners, we should be more in tune with the hearts and minds of our employees?

According to the Internal Revenue Service, 22 EVs now qualify for IRC Section 30D tax credits, down from 41 By NADA Tysons, Va.—On April 19, the Treasury Department added the Volkswagen ID.4 to the list of vehicles qualifying for the full $7,500 tax credit. On April 18, the number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) eligible for an Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 30D tax credit shrank considerably. According to the Internal Revenue Service, 22 EVs now qualify for IRC Section 30D tax credits, down from 41. Of these, 14 qualify for the full $7,500 credit and 8 for $3,750. Qualifying for the full $7,500 credit: Cadillac Lyriq EV (2023-2024) Chevrolet Blazer EV (2024) Chevrolet Bolt EUV (2022-2023) Chevrolet Bolt EV (2022-2023) Chevrolet Equinox EV (2024) Chevrolet Silverado EV (2024) Ford F-150 Lightning, standard range (2022-2023) Ford F-150 Lightning, extended range (2022-2023) Tesla Model 3, performance (2022-2023) Tesla Model Y, all-wheel drive (2022-2023) Tesla Model Y, long-range (2022-2023) Tesla Model Y, performance (2022-2023) Chrysler Pacifica PHEV (2022-2023) Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring PHEV (2022-2023) Qualifying for $3,750 credit: Ford E-Transit (2022-2023) Ford Mustang Mach-E, standard range (2022-2023) Ford Mustang Mach-E, extended range (2022-2023) Tesla Model 3, standard range rear-wheel drive (2022-2023) Ford Escape PHEV (2022-2023) Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEV 4xe (2022-2023) Jeep Wrangler PHEV 4xe (2022-2023) Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring PHEV (2022-2023) The Department of Energy has a tool on fueleconomy.gov that provides a table of all Section 30D qualifying make/models/variants. There are two search categories or, as the site calls them, “Purchase Scenarios”: One for vehicles placed in service between December 31, 2022, and April 17, 2023, and one for vehicles placed in service on or after April 18, 2023. Notably, most EV make/models potentially qualify for an IRC Section 45W tax credit (the credit for vehicles used for business purposes) if sold to commercial customer-taxpayers. This includes leasing companies intending to lease the vehicle to commercial or noncommercial customers. Source. Motor Magazine

Agree, Carm! There is so much to gain with that type of conversation. It's why God gave us Two Ears, two eyes and only one mouth.

Carm, this is so basic but yet so profound. As leaders we cannot have all the answers. Their is a wealth of knowledge just around us each and every day! Listen and Learn. Another great podcast, and essential listening for all shop owners and managers!

This is a real life issue, and I hear it often. You are on Indeed looking for resumes and see that your top tech recently posted his resume. What's your next move? Confront the tech? Ignore it? Or what?

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It sounds like you have a good process in place. I think many shop owners have a fear to close on Saturdays. Will customers go to another shop? This is a decision that has to be made by the shop owner. One thing, there are some people that truly have a hard time to get their car in for service during the week. Also, breakdowns can't be scheduled. I am playing devil's advocate, obviously. But these are things to consider.

I tend to agree with you. Many shops benefited from the right conditions coming out of COVID. There is still opportunity, but we must not get complacent and continue to provide value for our customers, take care of employees, and understand the numbers to stay profitable.

From what I am hearing around the country, the past two years has been a whirlwind for shop owners. Not only has been a challenge to find quality employees, the concern is also retaining the employees we have now. Many have enhanced their pay plans and benefits packages. What have you done, if anything, the past year or so, to enhance your pay plans and benefits.

In my 41 years in business, I was open Saturdays. Up until the 1990s, it was a full day. That was a time when cars broke down a lot! Eventually we settle on a half day for Saturdays, usually ending the day at 1pm to 2pm. Today it appears that most shops are not open on Saturdays, and many are considering a four-day work week. Some shops are open 4 days, while others are open 5 days, and rotate employees with a 4-day schedule of extended hours. SO, are you in favor of (or not) opening up Saturdays, and Why? And/or are you considering a 4-day work week?

Another Great podcast, and highly recommend for all shop owners!

Let me add one thing. First, I do agree with you 100%. When I was in business, my shuttle driver held a very important position, and actually helped to build relationships with customers. With that said, so was the person who cleaned the shop, the bathrooms and the entire facility. I guess what I am trying to say is that shop owners need to treat every position in their company as a key position. Making everyone feeling good about themselves, and help to promote the customer experience. Great post!

Have I got your attention? Great. Let me start by saying that I believe in giving praise when deserved and letting employees know when they dropped the ball. However, the truth is that no one enjoys being reprimanded or told they messed up. The question is, what is the appropriate balance between the right amount of praise and the right amount of critical feedback? According to studies done by Harvard Business School, the ratio of praise to critical feedback should be about 6:1 – Six praises for every critical feedback. I am not sure if I agree with that. From personal experience, I would recommend a lot more praise. The exact ratio doesn’t matter. What’s important is that before you consider giving critical feedback, ensure you have given that employee a lot of recent praise. If not, whatever you are trying to get through to an employee, will fall on deaf ears. When you do have to give critical feedback, remember a few things: Focus on the issue or behavior; never attack the person, and remain calm in your actions and words Ask the employee for feedback, their side of the story Speak to the employee in private Address the issue soon after it happens; never wait Don’t rely on second-hand information; it’s always better if you have experienced the situation yourself that you want to correct Have an open discussion and find things that both of you can agree upon Have an action plan moving forward that the employee can take ownership of Use the experience as a learning tool Make sure you bring up positive attributes about them Remember, you don’t want the employee to be angry or upset with you; you want them to reflect on the situation and what can be improved. One last thing. Everyone makes mistakes. We need to be mindful of this.