Joe Marconi

As we grow we will have more particpation. ASO members are active, but not necessarily on the forums. Whenever I do a seminar or meeting around the country, there is a least one or two shop owners that come up to me and introduce themselves and tell me that they are members of ASO, and they tell me they use ASO as a business reference and love the content. They follow the posts, but are somewhat uncomfotable about posting and replying. I have a few ideas to get people to particpate more, in time it will. Thanks to all, keep those comments coming!

It was not that long along when a vehicle from 4 to 7 years old was our sweet spot, the typical time when a vehicle left the new car dealer and entered our repair world. That sweet spot has been changing through the years and the recent recession, which resulted in less new cars being sold, has us now repairing and servicing cars that are well over 12 years old and well over 200,000 miles. I don’t know if this has been typically good for us or not. Years back, when consumer confidence was high, people with a 4 to 7 year old car were more easily sold on service, repairs and maintenance. When people put off buying a new car for economic reasons, or worse, for lack of confidence in the economy, it’s much harder at times to sell to this mind set. New cars must be sold in order to maintain a fleet of cars that will replenish an aging fleet. What’s your stand on this issue? What’s your so-called, “Sweet Spot?”

AutoShopOwner.com Exceeds 1000 Members! AutoShopOwner.com is proud to announce it now has over 1000 members! This truly is a milestone and exciting to see how ASO has grown in just a few short years. AutoShopOwner.com was founded on the concept that there is a wealth of business knowledge among automotive shop owners, and by bringing these shop owners together, great things can happen. Thanks to its loyal members, AutoShopOwner.com has exceeded expectations. It is within the forums that shop owners engage in dialogue, communicate ideas, voice opinions and help their fellow shop owner through difficult challenges. What ASO also discovered is the dedication and commitment shop owners have to the industry. AutoShopOwner.com will continue to bring exciting posts, content and information to keep its members up to date with the latest business challenges faced each day. ASO is OUR website. It’s our online voice to collectively work to help raise the image and level of professionalism of the auto service industry. As a fellow shop owner, I am proud and honored to be part of this extraordinary group of business people. Joe Marconi AutoShopOwner.com, Cofounder

Don’t Buy Into the “New Normal” A few weeks ago I attended a business networking luncheon and overheard a few business owners having a heated discussion over the economy. They were discussing the economic climate as it exists today and someone made a comment that due to a variety of reasons, what we have today is the “New Normal”. He went on to say that our best days are behind us and that we need to adjust to the ways things are today. Not knowing what to say to this group, I kept silent. I do realize that the past few years have not been a walk in the park, but to accept that things will never be the same as it was and because of that we should give up hope, is not only ridiculous, but self-defeating. A defeatist attitude will in fact cause the very thing they probably fear the most; and that is, failure. Let’s say a ball team like the Yankees fails to make the playoffs a few years in a row. Do you think the managers, players and coaches get together during the off season and tell each other; “Well, I guess we should accept the fact that we can’t win anymore, after all, this is the New Normal.” On the contrary, not matter what kind of success the Yankees had last season, when the new season opens, their goal is to win the World Series. And as business people, we need to think the same way. Today is not like it was yesterday and tomorrow will not be like it is today, that’s call life. Nothing remains the same and what happens in the past does not guarantee tomorrow’s success or failure. Make today better than yesterday and work hard today to insure that tomorrow will be better than today. That’s the only thing we have, our ability to not just embrace change, but to actually create it. There will always be the naysayers. Those that say the world is against us, that there is some unknown force that stands in our way. Don’t listen to them; don’t get sucked into going down the path of mediocrity. It’s a road with no future, a road littered with causalities. Accepting the “New Normal” is accepting your fate, and that means accepting failure. The truth is, your biggest obstacle to your personal success is the person your look in the mirror each and every day.

Same here Gonzo. It's been nearly 40 years since I started as a mechanic in a gas station in the Bronx. I love this industry and would not trade places with anyone. Perhaps the greatest treasure we have now is when we see things that a young tech cannot see. We hear the way an engine starts up, or the way a car is sagging, the subtle clues that we piece together that a younger tech has not developed yet. That's priceless, developed thru years of wrenching and diagnosing. Change will always occur; it's the order of life and the world.

We need to recognize the human element during these tragic events and clearly, these people have issues. Assigning blame to certain segments of the population is also not going to get us anywhere. Maybe someday we can drill down and get at the root of this problem.

I got the Mitchell1 ProPack a few months back. ProPack works great. The program calculates the next servce due based on the particluar driving habits of the customer, prints a sticker (I forget the name of the printer, but I can get it for you) and enters the next appointment on the invoice. It also enters the next service in your Mitchell calender and sets up a service reminder. It will also send the customer a text message prior to their next appointment. Because ProPack sets the next appointment months in advance, I do recommend having a system where the customer is called a few days before. I can tell you that it does work great and we are seeing a more effective way to manage our scheduling, increasing customer retention rate. If anyone is interested with Pro Pack, speak to the Mitchell1 Rep, also here a link for more info http://mitchell1.com/main/manager-home/propack/

I think you get my point, Gary. I will never refuse anyone who calls or walks into my shop. And, as far as customer service goes, I believe we are the best around. The key for me is to get someone away from price and see value in doing business with me. Many people focus on price alone, and my fear is that they are not comparing apples to apples. We do a lot of homework to insure that we are not out of the box with prices and go the extra mile each and every time with all customers, whether they buy or not. We anchor so many customers because of our culture of building relationships, and I am proud of my people who carry on that culture. Here we have someone who has called for the second time, probably because I am well known in the area, but has not come in for work, yet. Because he is a fellow chamber member, I think we can talk as professionals on this matter. I can't be everything to everyone, but will always try to educate the motoring public.

Very funny, I will keep that in mind for the future.

About a month ago a 2004 Dodge Van came to us with an intermittent stalling problem and hard start. There was also a message on the dash, “NO BUSS”. The Diagnosis, after lengthy testing; failed PCM. We ordered a new computer, which could only be purchased from the local Chrysler dealership. We installed the computer (a reman by the way) entered the vin ID and the van started right up, no problem. After a minute the engine began to run really rich, as if the engine was dumping too much fuel. I want to keep this story short, because we went nuts on this Van. After 4 hours on this Van, my lead tech and foreman asked me to help. They updated me on what they did and all the tests they performed. I suggested going back to basics and start from the beginning again. Well, after an entire day of working on this Van, I concluded; “We have a bad PCM”. I know this is rare, but I was confident. We called the dealer parts manager, he said “Ok, I will order another one”. Two days later we installed the new PCM and the Van ran fine, no issues, and is still running fine now. I asked the dealer if he would help us on this, maybe check to see if we can get a little labor back or a credit in good will. The parts manager said he would find out. The other day, the parts manager told me he could do nothing and is charging me for both PCMs and there is no way the dealer was going to pay labor. We all know that the new car dealer is not my first choice, but I have been buying from this particular dealer for the past 32 years. After many discussions, they flat our refused to help in any way. This is not over, and I am not sure what I going to do. One thing I do know, I will NEVER buy another part from this dealer again!

If I can avoid it, I will not give price over the phone for something I have no knowledge of and not checked out. If we tell a regular customer who is in for service that the timing belt needs to be replaced and she calls back to get a price, that’s a different story and those jobs are money in the bank. Why? They are already our customer and there is that trust/relationship factor. But to blindly give someone a price on something that we have not inspected, based on what they think they need, over the phone, just does not sit well with me. The other day, an acquaintance through the Local Chamber of Commerce, called me for a price on a brake job for his Land Rover. Why someone who owns a Land Rover needs a price is another story. So, after a few questions and explaining to him the reasons why I should inspect the car prior to giving a price, he pleaded with me and I caved in and gave him an estimate. A few days later I called him and left a message and he has not returned my call. This happened once before with this guy when he needed a price on tires. He never came in for the tires either. I do plan on speaking to him at the next chamber meeting. He owns a local pharmacy and I am going to politely ask him how he would feel if the next time I shop in his store I asked the price of his deodorant, toothpaste, cough drops, medications and other items BEFORE I purchase them.

Wow, you know Gonzo I can take a lot, and the older I get the more I keep my mouth shut. But, there was a time where I would have said some "choice" words to this techno-idiot. We have them come in too. They wear that stupid badge hanging from their belt, as if I am supposed to be impressed. They always try to help ME thru their car problem, saying something like, "I deal with computers all day long, and it’s what I am trained to do". Oh really? "Have you ever layed upside down with your feet hanging over the front seat and your head tucked up behind a dashboard tracing down a wiring problem? NO, I didn't think so!" Years back, after giving someone a diagnosis, he went on and on and on how I could not be right, that he knew what it was and he demanded I do what he asked. As he spoke I grabbed a piece of paper, wrote something down on it and handed it to him. He said, "What’s this?" I said, "The names of others shops in town, this conversation is over". He was speechless and left. Not the smartest thing for my shop at the time, but it sure did feel good!

Will Social Media Work for Your Shop? Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, etc. Social media, as in any marketing, is another form of media that helps to promote your company in your community and to your customers. Deciding whether social media is right for shop is a complicated question. First, before you make that decision, you need to do your due diligence and understand the different forms of social media. However, once that decision has been made it’s better to leave the job at managing your social media to a professional. Take Facebook for example, being on Facebook and talking about your grandson’s first steps is vastly different than promoting your company. Done properly, social media can help spread the culture of company, done wrong and it could be perceived as a cheap way to promote your services or products. And that will turn off the people you are trying to reach. Social media is social media. It’s a place to remain in contact with your customers, friends and people in your community. If social media is something you want to explore you need to speak to the pros. Most CRM companies (for example; Mitchell1, MechanicNet, CustomerLink, Demandforce) and others all offer program options that can get your shop involved with social media. Moving Targets (a company that is best known for finding new residents in your community) also has an extensive social media program. There are also many private companies that do this. You, as a shop owner, are just too busy to learn and keep up with all the posts, and keeping current with all the changes that occur constantly. Marketing is about creating an experience so rewarding and memorable that the customer wants to return to relive that experience again. That experience can be reinforced after the sale. Maintaining contact with your customers after the sale in a non-intrusive manner can help to anchor your customer to you. Social media, done properly, can help to achieve this.

Same here, they call me all the time and email me. I have a few very good reviews on Angies List, from my customers. Their prices have come down, they want to grow the program. I do like the fact that the reviews are from members, which means they are more credible than google or other sites. I am on a "watch and see" at the moment, need more information.

Thanks for the update, sorry for your troubles. I have Mitchell, but one of my coaching clients uses Max Traxx, it's a good program with a lot of nice features. Glad you made the move, and good luck.

Sorry, I have no knowedge of this issue. Do you have or know of an IT person that can work with the company reps to help you with this problem?

So true, Gonzo. Years back I did not realize that my attiude set the tone and mood, not only for me but the people around me. And, I agree, it's easy to forget the good and focus on the negative. And another thing I realized is that if you walk up to the plate and tell yourself you are going to strike out, you will! It's better to get up each day and focus on what can go right, rather than went wrong or could go wrong. Happy to see you did not miss a week.

Inventory Tax Tip When speaking to shop owners around the country, the issue of inventory often comes up. What to stock, what not to stock, is a common question. Some shops are located in rural areas and many are located within minutes of a parts house. So, deciding how much inventory you stock depends on your particular situation. One thing to consider, if having additional inventory helps increase production, (batteries, belts, air filters, cabin filters, oil filters, wiper blades, etc.) it may be a good idea to stock these fast movers. Increasing production will pay for itself, plus you may be able to negotiate a better price with your supplier when you stock these items. As far as taxes are concerned, inventory falls under the expenses category until you actually sell it. Inventories are unused assets that are tax deductible. There are different types of inventory eligible for deduction. Parts and material you stock are eligible. It is important that you take an accurate count and do not estimate your inventory. Before you do your tax return this year, perform an accurate inventory count and speak to your accountant. At my shop we have an Inventory Party. We ask for a few volunteers to stay for an hour or so after work and either order in food or I take the guys to Chili’s or another local restaurant. Food is a powerful motivator.

Many comebacks can be controlled with a sound quality control process. I am not speaking of part issues, that's for another day. But, the little annoying things like forgetting to rotate the the tires, or installing the wiper blades that the customer requested, could all be controlled by a quality review system that checks and double checks the repair order. I would like to hear from other shop owners how they go thru the process of quality control. Thanks in advance!

The northeast is being hit with a big snow storm, with areas expected to get up to a few feet of snow. The only good thing, I guess, is that it happended on a weekend. Be safe all those that are affected by the storm.

We have nearly 1000 members, which makes me very excited. If you know of any shop owners that would like benefit from ASO, please let them know. My goal is to hit the 1000 mark by the end of the month. Thank you all for making AutoShopOwner.com the very best automotive managment forums web site on the planet! Joe Marconi

Yes, if a business is legit with all the credentials, than I don't think anyone would have an issue. I do think that no matter what form of honest, legitamate business you have, we need to all help to raise the image of the industry, and not focus on price but the value we bring to consumers.

Has anyone tried the copper/nickel brake lines. I was always under the assumption that brake fluid absorbed copper, in addition to moisture.