Joe Marconi

I'll bet a month's salary Gonzo knows this old Sun Machine. I found this Sun Machine in a furniture store in Los Angeles, while visiting my son and daughter-in-law. The price tag was $4,300. I had the same machine back in the early 1980s.

Tell Your People Why? Years back, when I first started working, my father would instruct me to listen to my boss, and if he asked me to sweep the bay, I should sweep the entire shop. He would also tell me not to ask questions. The boss is the boss and he has the power to hire and fire. Well, that style of management no longer applies to today’s workforce. Today, to simply expect someone to follow orders without understanding why, will not create long term buy-in. People need to understand the inner workings of how a business is run and the reasons why certain procedures and policies need to be followed. Employees may follow orders, but only for the short term. It’s one of the reasons why techs and staff follow a new procedure for the short term, but as time goes on, the process is either abandoned or performed half-hearted. From the perceptive of the shop owner, this is interpreted as a lack of caring or lack of willingness to do what is told. Make sure everyone in your company knows the reason behind a certain procedure or policy. Ensure that there is clarity on the part of the employee whenever a task is assigned. When the people in your shop understand the importance and the reasoning behind the task or policy, they are more inclined to comply. Get people to work as a team. The best organizations have people who understand that each position in the company is key to the overall success of the team. When each person views their position as a valuable piece to the overall success, it creates buy-in from the individual and the team spirit flourishes. Of course, as always, you need the right people in your company also.

I was wondering the other day how shops compare or differ with regard to shop expenses. For me my biggest expense, besides payroll, is insurance; liability, workers compensation, health insurance, etc. I am assuming that this is the norm around the industry. I do have a few equipment loans and truck loan, but once they are paid off, there is a period of time that we get a break. With insurance, it seems it is always on the rise and something we are always reviewing. How do other shops view their expenses and how do you control them?

A shop owner's nightmare. I think too many techs get too comfortable over time. Lifting a 3000 pound object is nothing to take lightly.

First, glad to have you back Gonzo! Your article touches on a very serious fact; even with all the technology and information we have these days, you cannot replace common sense, gut instinct and technical knowledge of how systems work. It frustrates me a lot when we have to literally close the book and find different paths to solving a problem. Again, the question always goes back to getting paid. There are some things that the general public will never understand.

By now we have all heard that different manufacturers and Google are working on the driverless car. That fact does not bother me too much, but the claim that driverless cars will lead to less collisions, does. It’s pointed out that most accidents are caused by human error and cars operated by computers are safer and will be involved in fewer accidents. Well for me the jury is still out on that claim. I guess the main thing is realize that technology is moving faster and faster and as shop owners we need to cope and embrace not only technology but all the changes we will see in the near future. What’s next, the flying car? Here's a link to an article on Google's driverless car: http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/01/22/fasten-your-seatbelts-googles-driverless-car-is-worth-trillions/

By now we have all heard that different manufacturers and Google are working on the driverless car. That fact does not bother me too much, but the claim that driverless cars will lead to less collisions, does. It’s pointed out that most accidents are caused by human error and cars operated by computers are safer and will be involved in fewer accidents. Well for me the jury is still out on that claim. I guess the main thing is realize that technology is moving faster and faster and as shop owners we need to cope and embrace not only technology but all the changes we will see in the near future. What’s next, the flying car? Here's a link to an article on Google's driverless car: http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2013/01/22/fasten-your-seatbelts-googles-driverless-car-is-worth-trillions/

Very funny, loved it!

Just wondering if shops charge extra for TPMS on doing tire rotations and other related jobs with cars that have TPMS?

What managment system to you use? We use Mitchell and it has a pretty good inventory control system. It sounds like you have a lot of material, as opposed to a repair shop with part inventory.

I have heard this story all too often from dealer techs. I have a few dealer techs working for me because they could not take the rollercoaster ride anymore. They made great money when it's busy, but when it's slow, they go home with a few hundred bucks at best. Even if you average the highs and the lows, the pay is not great. I hate to hear the frustration in your voice. There are a lot of great independent shops around that offer pay plans and give techs the opportunity to earn a nice living. We pay by the hour, with overtime and pay performance bonus. My techs like it because they know the minimun they can make and strive to earn more by producing more. I hate to tell you this but we hire entry level techs for more money than you are making. An entry level tech in my shop in New York starts out with $15 to $16 an hour. Please don't give up yet, talk to others in the area and maybe out of your area. There are shops that offer good pay, training and other benefits. Just look at the quality of shop owners that are members of ASO.

I number of years ago I purchased the Mac Tools 5 piece lug nut torque wrench set. In the last year, my techs have been breaking the most used torque wrenches; 80 and 100 foot pound. The Mac Tool rep says he has no other shop that breaks the tools. We are a high volume shop, but I feel the tool should handle the use. Does anyone have any info or experience with this tool set? I am wonderig if it's "use" or "abuse"

I was among a handful of shop owners yesterday, March 14, who attended a meeting with BWP/CARQUEST and Advance Auto Parts. As we all know, Advance Auto Parts has purchased BWP/CARQUEST in the North East. I can tell you when I first heard the news back in December, I was stunned. My prior perception of Advance was not good. To me, Advance was a company dedicated to the DIY market, a retailer who had no understanding of the aftermarket independent repair shops. The shops in my area have a strong relationship with the Stockel family (owners of BWP/CARQUEST), and even though Advance has two stores in our area, shops did not buy from them, always remaining loyal to CARQUEST. Well, after sitting in on the meeting yesterday, I can tell you that Advance is committed to making changes that will have a positive impact on our industry. They are willing to sit down and listen to us. Advance has been working on programs and information systems that will rival other companies and are a huge benefit to independent shops. Advance understands where the market is going, and it’s not the back yard weekend warrior. I did voice my reasons why I had a negative perception: Free check engine light scans at the store, free battery installations in the parking lot, free battery and alternator testing, etc. However, they were very open and wanted to know exactly what it was about their current marketing and advertising that upsets shop owners. I walked out the meeting feeling a lot better than when I walked in. I was impressed by the people from Advance and their willingness to listen and help us. In the coming months Advance will be working with shops and bringing to the aftermarket many exciting programs. I also have a strong feeling that Advance will change their marketing and put more focus on building bridges with independent shops owners and tear down some of the walls that were constructed from prior ad campaigns. Perhaps the key to all this rests in knowing that the Stockels, (owners of BWP) are staying on for a period of time working through this transition and integration period. There is a strong feeling that the culture of relationships will remain intact, making this a powerful alliance and one that will greatly benefit the aftermarket.

I think the first thing you need to do is a demographics study in your area. See if there is substantial market in your area of vehicle owners with the cars you want to work on that fit your profile customer. Defining or specializing your business is not a bad thing, but the key to any business is knowing who your customer is. In the 90s, when people were on a spending spree and leases were becoming popular, many of my customers either purchased or leased higher-end Euro cars: Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, etc. However, later down the road these same customers are now driving Hondas, Subaru’s and Mazdas. If I concentrated on the car make and model, and not the customer, I would be in serious trouble these days. In marketing we like to “position” our company different from the rest, making us stand out among the crowd as something different and unique. But the real potential is finding the right customer that wants to come to you because of your unique position. People basically stay the same, but the car they drive may change. I am not saying your plan is not viable, just understand and know your market.

That is a great question, and one that many people ask. And we struggle with it too at my shop, but I rather tell the customer the truth and what we think is in their best interest. Imagine going to the doctor for a knee injury and he was afraid to tell you about other health issues for fear that you might think he is being pushy? The issue is that not enough shops are proactive about preventive maintenance, and when they get to you, there's a laundry list of service items. Make is policy that all first time customers will get a complete multipoint inspection has part of today's service and that you will review the inspection list with the customer. Most important, point out what's good with the car (hopefully there is). Try not to start the conversation by bringing out all the negative stuff. Whenever possible, first inform the customer what the car DOES NOT need, then go into your presentation about what it does need. Also, ask a lot of questions at write up, such as, "How long do you plan on keeping the car"? and, "What is the primary use for this vehicle"? People like to be part of the process and anhything you can do to lower the anxiety will help with sales. Hope this helps.

Hi Kevin, 24 years old, I have socks older than that! Only kidding. I was 25 when I started my business. And after 32 years, It has been some journey. Welcome to ASO, please ask away and join in on the forums. We are all family here and together we can accomplish a lot. Good luck and don't be a stranger to the forums. Joe

I am seeing a pattern, and I hope it’s not long-lived and isolated. I don’t know the entire reasons, maybe money, maybe the fact that cars don’t break down as much or maybe the perception is that cars don’t need much maintenance. But whatever the reason, we are seeing many cars with nearly 200k on the clock for the first time that are a mess. We then try to get them caught up with services and maintenance work, it’s a real struggle. Keep in mind, these are first time customers. My concern is that we as an industry may not be doing the best job in terms of promoting needed maintenance. When they arrive at my shop, we do a complete multipoint and customer interview. We reveal many issues that the customer either had no idea or may have declined over the years. We see 10 year old cars with over 175,000 miles with no record of replacing spark plugs and other maintenance items. We even see cars with cabin filters so packed with debris it’s amazing that there’s any air flow throughout the car. Whatever the reason, it appears too much money has been left on the table.

I remember in the 70s working at a Ford dealership, every car that entered the service drive area had to run over the Bear Alignment check machine. After the car ran over the equipment, a big needle on the machine would let the service advisor and customer know if the wheels were out of alignment. The service advisor would then sell an alignment based on the findings. Well, times have changed and that old machine may be outdated but not the concept. Hunter has its own version called the Hunter Quick Check, claiming it can check an alignment on a car in 60 seconds. It’s another piece of equipment, not part of your existing alignment machine. I understand the concept, but how can it fit into the average bay designed shop? Does anyone own this equipment or know of anyone who does? Any feedback would be helpful.

I would imagine, Shop Key is the Mitchell system. Oil changes fall into the concept of the Razor and the Razor Blades. The razor is free or nearly free, the money is made when buying the razor blades.

How you address a customer depends on how they introduce themselves. When I meet someone for the first time and they tell me, "My name is Tom Smith", I will use Tom. If the person tells me "My name is Mr. Smith", then I will use Mr. If the person is significantly old than me, I will always use Mr, Mrs, etc. If I know someone is a doctor I will always refer to them as doctor. When I am not sure I may use Mr or Mrs, but it depends on the customer. I prefer to be on a first name basis if i can, and I don't think it's too casual. I think the more you can establish a friendly relationship, the better. Hope this helps.

BG has great products and great programs. It's a way to really promote tons of benefits to your customers. Here's a link, find a rep in your area. You will not be disappointed. http://www.bgprod.com/home

Great comments, I understand your frustration and agree that business today has changed. What are some of your ideas to compete with these changes?

I have come across the same issue. The way I look at it is this. If I went to the doctor for a pain in my knee and he wants to do surgery, how would I feel if that doctor never past a test on knee surgery? Oh, I know he knows his stuff, but he can't pass a test? If this tech is very smart and works on cars every day, why can't he pass an ASE Test? Those tests are not designed to trick you, they are designed to qualify you that you are certified to work in your field. Part of reason we lack the respect and image we deserve is that we don't hold all the people in our industry to the standards we have. If a tech is a good tech, get him or her the help, the training to pass the ASE tests. For me it's that's simple. I know the naysayers will say that a test does not prove a tech can do the job and that some that pass the test are just good test takers. My answer to that is the next time you need a doctor, just go to someone who is good in medicine, but one that never passed a test in medicine.