Joe Marconi

Years back I remember speaking to a GM dealer tech, he told me that they used a tool you are decribing to swap engines on caddies. But I have never seen one. Sorry.

It is truly amazing how stupid some people are....

Thanks, yes are back open and thankful for that.

A Lot to be Thankful For This past Monday morning, October 29, I sat in my office with my service advisors and manager planning the week. We had a packed schedule and just last Friday the buzz phrase for the day was, “We have turned the corner”. Business had picked up last week and it looked like this week would be a banner week. But, lurking around that “corner” was a storm, not a storm of cars, but Hurricane Sandy. Our plans shifted from business to safety. We sent everyone home by noon on Monday and secured the shop for the storm. I was angry and disappointed. For the first time in months it looked like we would have, a much needed, banner week. But, it was as if an unknown force had other intentions than granting us those sales. We were told it would be bad, but like past predictions, we thought this storm would not live up to the hype. We were all wrong. By late that afternoon, with winds nearing 100 miles per hour, I knew this was something I had never experienced in my 57 years. As I watched trees falling down around me, losing power was inevitable, the safety of my family become the only thing that mattered. That feeling of anger about losing sales became so insignificant that I became ashamed of what I thought was important just a few short hours before. As the lights went out around 7pm, and in the dark, my wife and I looked at each other and I said to her, “Well, here it is, are you ok?” I started the generator and grabbed all the flashlights; we had dinner by candle light, and opened a bottle of wine. I could hear crashing around me and we made last minute plans to find refuge in the basement, if needed. As we sat there in the dark all we could think about was our family and friends. No thought of tire sales, ARO, car counts or part GP. We tried sleeping that night, but the howling wind kept us awake. I received a number of phone calls during the night from the alarm company that there were numerous break-ins at the shop. I knew they were not break-ins but probably wind damage. It would be foolish to venture out in the storm, so I merely ignored the calls. Around 4am I finally dozed off for an hour. The wind had died down a little by then, but it was clear that the storm had wrought its wrath. At 6am I heard knocking at my front door. It was a frantic neighbor. Everyone was without power and I was one of the few with a generator. She said that her daughter was having a mild asthma attack and needed to plug in her nebulizer. She tried calling 911, but it would be a while for help to arrive with all the roads blocked from fallen trees. I welcomed her and her daughter into my home. The daughter plugged her nebulizer into one of the kitchen counter outlets. A minute later she was breathing normally. I offered the mother coffee as we watched the daughter continued to breathe into the devise. The feelings of calm and serene from helping a neighbor were feelings you could not put a price on; feelings that transcended the storm. Those feelings stayed with me for days. It would be days before we got power back or phone service. We were helpless without our man-made devises. No lights, no water, no heat, no internet, no phone, no IATN, Alldata or Identifix. How could we survive? Well, we did survive, but not without casualties. Thankfully, my family is ok and we experienced minimal damage to the shop and my home. We were lucky, but not everyone was granted this luck. People lost homes, their cars, businesses were destroyed and for some, a life time of hard work was literally washed away. Some lost their lives. So, here I am, Friday night, thinking about this past week and realizing that I am a much different person than what I was just a few days ago, thankful for what I have and thankful for the things that we sometimes take for granted. This week’s business tip has little to do with business; rather, it has EVERTHING to do with business. We put so much emphasis sometimes on the daily ordeals we encounter as business people. What we learn from Mother Nature we cannot learn from a book. Sometimes Mother Nature reminds us that life itself is fleeting and we need to value each and every minute of it.

Well you got to the bottom of this, but it still stinks. The sad part is you are taking responsibilty for something that is not your doing. But, I would have done the same thing. Shop owners are better people-people than we are business-people. I don't mind taking care of people either, but it would be nice to have a week once in a while where all we do is make a profit. Maybe, we answer to a higher authority?

STORM UPDATE: There is a gas shortage in the area and gas lines. People are getting frustrated. Also, there have been reports that people are stealing generators from people's home. It's a real mess, even worse in Jersey, Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. Power is still out in many areas. We got power back finally at home and at the shop.

It's hard to be everything to everyone. It's not bad to specialize, but you must know your market and have the image and look that will attract people from that market . General repair has an advantages and disadvantages. Working on multiple cars lines means you have to tool up for many different makes and models, which can be more costly and more training is needed. The up side is that your potential market is much greater and have a greater potential to make more sales. Also, a customer may own a VW today and buy a Honda next year. Whatever you decide, make sure you take care of the customers. Cater to them, not just their cars. Understand that people do business with people, no matter what car they own. Hope this helps and good luck.

Minor damage to roof and to front porch, lost a few shrubs, blown away. No damage at shop, just loss of business for a few days.

Minor damage to roof and to front porch, lost a few shrubs, blown away. No damage at shop, just loss of business for a few days.

Still without power at home. No internet or land line phones. I am using my cell phone to post this message. Shop as power again, but area is a mess, lots of damage. Will be limited in keeping up with posts. Sorry Joe

By now everyone knows that a major storm is hitting the east coast, particularly the mid-atlantic states on up to New England. For those that are in the pathway of the storm, please be prepared and stay safe. My home and shop are both in the pathway of this storm. Let's hope and pray that it's not as bad as they predict and that everyone remains safe.

We sell on average 100 to 150 units per month

That's a good question. The distributor I buy my tires from nominated me. That's the first step. Although I am not certain on what Goodyear looks for, I know that you must have a certain look, a clean facility, nice waiting area and customer bathroom, and the right equipment. Goodyear goes through an approval process which took a few months. The do require certain number of Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly tires to be sold in a year (1000 units) and you have to take the Goodyear credit card, which I think will only help business. There is an agreement to be signed, but I am still an independent repair facility. I think this is a great opportunity for my business and I am looking forward to marketing the Goodyear name.

Oh boy, this can be frustrating. A few weeks back on a busy Friday afternoon I decided to help out and take care of customer who ran over a parking lot curb and ripped the bottom engine cover off. The splash shield had a number of those "fancy fasteners", missing. I got out my two draws of fasteners that I purchased from my hardware rep because he claimed, "With this kit you will have every fastener clip known to mankind". Well guess what? Yup, didn't have the right clip. So, when all else fails I used the ultimate fastener, the wire tie! (I had to call the dealer to order the right clips and get her back).

The Chinese tariff, as in all tariffs, is hard to comprehend. Tire Business Magazine has feature articles on this topic and follows this topic. If you sell tires, I would highly recommend subscribing to this publication. Here’s the link: http://www.tirebusiness.com/ From what I understand, the U.S. could only impose a three-year tariff without compensating China. Plus, all the tire companies have been gearing up the past three years and have found ways to be competitive, once the tariffs are lifted. The tariff situation is complicated. There were many, like the Tire Industry Association (TIA) that opposed the tariffs. And, if look back on the last three years, the tariff may have curbed tires from China, but imports from Korea, Indonesia and Thailand increased. I have not read anyway the overall effects of the tariff, but to be honest, it may above my pay grade to understand it in full. Some say tire prices will drop as the supply increase. Also, buying groups stockpiled tires during the tariff period, which will also cause tire prices to decrease, in theory at least. I think we need to remember that during this period we had an economy where fewer cars were built, less new cars were purchased and less miles were driven by the motoring public. And, as the economy improves so will the demand for tires. As far as that notice you got about the lesser price of the Chinese tires, I have yet to hear from my tire distributor. I sell a lot of tires and will forward any information I receive.

I just became a Goodyear G3X dealer and very excited about it. I feel this will give me an advantage in my market place. There are a few large tire shops within walking distance from me, and while I never worried about it, this does make me a player in my market when it comes to tire sales. I would like to hear from other tire dealers out there on how they market their business, pros and cons about the tire business, and anything else that I should know. Thanks in advance!

I read a lot about using mobile apps for our customers. The intent is to engage the customer thru their mobile phone and make it easy to do things such as, jump to your web site, make an appioinment, check for current promos, check vehicle history, services due, etc. Is anyone using Apps or considering it.

Three Powerful Words… Last summer I was sitting in my doctor’s office reviewing the findings of all the tests that were done, diagnosing my recurring and unexplained headaches. As he explained in lengthy detail, the results of the tests, my mind began to wonder to all the possibilities and decisions I had to make. He explained the pros and cons of each of the medications and the possible side effects of each pill. He paused from time to time, and would ask, “Do you have any questions”. I nodded my head, “No” each time he asked. He then asked me, “Which of these medications do you feel more inclined to take?” I was confused, worried and somewhat embarrassed. He did his job well, and took his time explaining everything. I trust my doctor and his findings; I just did not know how to answer. Then he said to me three powerful words, “What I recommend”. Once I heard that, my stress level dropped and I became focused. He told me that according to the findings, there was nothing serious and this could be stress related. “Stress”, I said to myself, in my business? He recommended the less potent of the pills and told me to take the pills only if you feel you need to. He also told me to take notice of when the headaches occur and please log it on paper. He told me to wait about a month and see what happens. The headaches went away three weeks later. When speaking to our customers we need to realize that sometimes they feel the same way I did speaking to my doctor as when we speak to them about what we find with their car. Give you customers your knowledge, create trust, present options and use those three powerful words, “What I recommend”.

This is a tough situation, because as a business owner you know what you should do, but your heart tells you otherwise. All of us face this challenge from time to time and I can tell you that’s its not easy, but you must do what's in the best interest of the shop, for you and for the other employees. I too had to fire a dear friend of mine a few years back, for similar reasons. Both of us knew it was the right move and we are still close friends today. If you had a ball team and a player was no longer valuable, you would trade or cut the player. Business is business, no matter how tough the decision, friend or no friend. I am sure that you have thought this out and have tried all different scenarios to make the employee work out. You need to sit him down and speak to him as a friend and as a business owner. Explain to him what you explained to us. In the end, you must do what your gut tells you, not your heart. I know it’s hard, but if you are draining the business because this employee’s pay does not match the level of production, then you need to act. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. And, I have a feeling that he knows the situation too. Good luck!

Now, that's when cars were cars!

I want to welcome you to AutoShopOwner and thank you for those kind words. We have a ton of great members that share so much knowlegde. It's amazing how we help each other. Good luck to you and don't be a stranger. You, as all members of ASO, are only a few clicks of your keyboard away in finding help and sharing thoughts, ideas and opinions with fellow shop owners. Joe Marconi Cofounder, ASO

Tough situation. Most of us panic because we look for a tech when one of our techs leave or when we fire someone, leaving a hole in our service bays. It's hard all over to find Quality Techs. You just don't want to hire anyone. There are a lot of dealer techs who want to make a move and some out of work. The only issue with that is that, if the tech has spent a long time in a dealer, I have found they are limited and fearful of an indepenedent shop. Post on Graigs list, call all the Tech Schools, get in touch with employement agencies, call everyone you know in the business: Part reps, other shops, people you know at local dealers, training companies, tool truck reps and other other agencies that may have listing for techs looking for jobs. I have had some luck in the past with companes like Career Builder, but limited. Is there a local paper in your area, or a Penny Saver? If so, see if you can post jobs online, that seems to work best for youger techs. Basicly, call everyone you know and get the work out everyone you can. Good luck.

First, thank you for using the term, Mechanic. That’s what I am and the reason why I entered this business. I know that to many people, Technician, sounds more professional, but the person underneath the greased-stained overalls is the professional, not the terminology. I remember when I was about 12 years old; my uncle asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. When I told him, a mechanic, he responded, “What, a grease monkey like your father”. Those hurtful words embedded an image in my brain and I truly believe it was at that moment I became a mechanic-to-be, and it’s why my career has always been to lift the image of this worn-torn industry. Mechanics belong to a brotherhood that few understand. We dedicate our lives to keep the motoring public moving and much of what we do we don’t get paid what we should, but we do anyway and willingly. Great article, once again. Someday, maybe, people will get to know the person behind the overalls and maybe more parents and teachers might say to a youngster, “Hey, why not become a Mechanic”

Well, some may leave, but people are creatures of habbit and are fearfull of the unknown. Sometimes, it's the devil you know. I think, those techs without family obligations will be more inclined to jump ship, but those with a wife and kids may hang in there in hopes of better times.