Joe Marconi

True words of wisdom! Thanks Gary, well said and great advice for all!

Track Productivity, Increase Income In sports, everyone plays better when they know the score. Keeping score in sports makes the players better and more productive. It also brings out the best in people. It's no different with technicians. They too must know how they are performing. And while it’s not necessary to match one tech up to another, each tech must know how productive he or she is. Just knowing their productivity number will bring out that competitive nature. Finding ways to improve your bottom line is a win for everyone. One word of caution; don’t put all the focus on production without having a quality control system. Increasing productivity may increase comebacks, if not carefully controlled. Your techs should get a report each week. Let them know how they are doing and discuss ways to improve the efficiency of the shop. Find the flaws in your operation. Many times it’s not the tech’'s fault. Many times it’'s an inefficient work flow process. Many times the tech is standing around waiting for parts or waiting for work to be sold. Look at the layout in the shop. Are the oil filters at one end of the shop and the oil at the other end? A simple change in the layout can shave minutes off an LOF operation and end up increasing hours of production at the end of the month. Know the productivity of each tech and of the shop as a whole. Work toward increasing this number, while maintaining quality. With each increase will come dollars in your pocket.

"Ever since"....Those dreaded words! If I never hear those words again, it will be too soon. Right? Well read on....See if you have ever heard a story like this: A few months back, one of my techs could not open the driver’s door on a Jeep Wrangler, which was scheduled for service. Since the customer was waiting, we asked the customer about the door and she replied, “Oh the door always sticks; you have to wiggle the handle just right, half the times I climb in on the passenger side”. After a few tries, the tech, clumsily climbed into the driver’s seat from the passenger side. After the car was finished the service manager walked her out to the Jeep to see if she could open the door. She couldn’t and climbed in through the passenger side. My manager asked, “Are you sure you don’t want us repair that for you?” She replied, “Not now”. This same customer came in the other day for another issue she was having with her brakes. I clearly saw her climb over the console and exit the jeep through the passenger door. She needed a brake line repair, which was repaired the same day and all went well. I actually road tested the car and also had to climb over the console. Not as easy a task at 57 years old as it was when I was in my prime! The customer came a little later to pick up the car. Again, she entered the Jeep thru the passenger side and climbed into the driver's seat. She called today and guess what she asked us? She said, “What did you do to my door? Ever since you fixed my brakes, now my door is broken”. My manager was speechless. He replied back, “The door? You mean the one you could not open and I saw you climb in and out of on the passenger side a few times? The door that I asked you if you wanted us to repair for you? That Door”? She replied, “Well, I used to get it open once in a while, now I can’t get it open at all”. After a long conversation, the customer didn’t push the issue, but I don’t think she was happy. I know what you are thinking, but you can’t make this stuff up. You have to laugh to keep your sanity, I guess.

How do you know about Beth Page?

WOW, I was going trying to top that...but I have nothing...way to go Gonzo!

Right Gonzo, that reminds me. About a year ago, a customer left his Acura for a few weeks while he was making up his mind to fix it or not. After we repaired the car, which was about 3 weeks later, he picked up the car. He came back the next day and said that a $5,000 gold watch his grandfather gave him was missing from the car and he wanted it replaced. He said the watch had a lot of sentimental value. I almost fell out of my chair in laughter. When I asked him where the watch was in the car, he said it was on the back seat. I told him that if the watch had so much sentimental value, why would you leave it in the car on the back seat? I told him, there is nothing I can do. Boy, we should all together and write a book, right?

Sounds fishy to me. Do you remember any of the stuff being in the car that he is claiming was stolen? I would speak to my lawyer and insurance agent before I make a decision. Is it your word against his? And do you have a storage policy clearly stated? Why would anyone leave "valubale" stereo equipment in a car for 2 and 1/2 months????? I hate to be skeptical, but it sounds too fishy... These are things about business that drive me nuts. We have enough to worry about on a daily basis. Be firm, see if he can actually prove that stuff was in the car. Showing receipts is not proof.

GM is in trouble, what I don't understand is that they are sitting on a lot of cash. One of the main issues is the pension liability. I smell a deal in the making and guess who will be left paying for it?

Just curious how shops handle the Labor Day weekend. I assume most shops close the bays for Monday, labor day. But what about those that are normally open on Satuday? Do you close the Saturday to make it a three-day weekend? And, what about those shops that sell gas, have fleet accounts and provide towing service?

When a consumer brings me their car to repair, it is my obligation to repair that vehicle back to its original state. This goes for mechanical repair and for collision. I am primarily and mechanical shop, but we get many customers with collision related issues. We will also work with local body shops, performing some of the mechanical and handing over part of the job, such as paint work, to the expert. Basically, I take care of my customers to the best of my ability. The increasing situations with insurance companies that want to supply us with used parts is growing to a point where I no longer trust the intentions of some companies. Recently, a customer with a 2012 Subaru, ran off the road and bent a wheel, destroyed the tire, bent the strut and spindle. All was ok, but they wanted to send us a used wheel from a yard down south that I was not familiar with. After three attempts I put my foot down. I am not opposed to “used”, but I am opposed to “pure junk”. These wheels were damaged, slightly bent and did not meet the standards of my shop or my repair. I ordered a reman wheel from my regular supplier, informed the customer of the situation and told the insurance company the price of the wheel. There was a few back and forth communications because the insurance company and they would not pay the difference at first, which was about $100. The determining factor was the phone call from the customer who gave the adjuster an ear fill how she felt. Begrudgingly, the insurance company paid the difference. The lesson here is to remember that the job you are doing is your work, and a reflection on you. Let us not reduce our standards and integrity because the insurance company wants to save a few bucks. It may come back to haunt us.

How badly hurt are you? The reason I ask is, are you in good enough health to go to work each day? This may be a blessing in disguise. This may be the perfect opportunity to build your business by finding ways to maintain sales and build your business. Ultimately, shop owners need to understand that in order to grow, they need to rely on others around them. If the business is too dependent on you, it makes a situation like yours, devastating. How big is your shop, and how many people do you employ? I am not an active mechanic in my business anymore. I once was. When I made the move to train and trust others, my business took on a different meaning for me. I was able to see things from the sidelines, instead of out on the field. I am more profitable with the pen, then I am with a wrench. Working on my business has become my focus. Entrusting great people around you is the key. I hope this makes sense to you. Keep up the dialogue here, I know I speak for all ASO members when I say, let’s see if we can help you through this.

This was one enjoyable article. Wow, the things kids say...but "there's a whole lotta truth behinds those words". Isn't it amazing sometimes how we are viewed. Even by those who attempt thingS, fail and still cannot recognize that we are professionals dedicated to this craft. I guess there are some adults that we will never be able to change. THANK GOD THERE ARE CHILDREN AROUND TO STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT, ONCE IN A WHILE, RIGHT?

Now that's funny!

I just found out from my service manager that the dealer tried to discredit us by saying that she should have the brakes done at the dealer because you can't trust aftermarket parts. This really disappoints me. I never discredit anyone; it never does anyone any good to bash another shop, dealer, mass merchandiser, etc. Why do they continue to perpetuate this battle? We will follow up with the customer to see how the brakes feel. Thanks to all who replied.

I really don't want to beat up on Honda car dealer. But I need to vent. We recently had a customer bring in her Honda for an intermittent brake problem. She said it was hard to explain but at times, maybe one or two times in a week, the brakes just don't feel right. We tried to get as much information from the customer and ask all the right questions, but she couldn't clearly explain what was happening. We perform a few brake inspections, including measuring pads on all four wheels, removing calipers to inspect for seized slides and pistons, numerous master cylinder tests, road tests, etc. We found nothing conclusive. By the way, all pads measured at 4-5mm. She was low, but had time left. Plus, we did not feel that replacing brake pads would solve an intermittent brake problem. The customer decided to go to the dealer because she heard of a possible brake problem on the internet. The dealer sold her a 4 wheel brake job and one caliper. When she picked up the car, they said, "Although we could not verify your problem, we felt it was in your best interest to replace the brakes and one caliper". You can imagine how I felt. She brought the pads back to us and we showed her the life that was left on the pads and we measured the pads in front of her. She was nice about it, but I could clearly see that she felt like she was in the middle and did not know who to believe. I don't know if I would have done anything different. Sometimes we learn from a situation, this times I have more questions than answers.

Nice touch and a real nice story. Yes, one the things we can never control is time. And if we are lucky enough to be around the next couple of decades, we should see a few mind-boggling advances to the automobile.....mind-boggling to us....Ah, the cylce of life...

Is Your Web Site Mobile Ready? Keeping up with technology is nothing new to anyone in the auto repair business. As a rule, I would say most of us stay pretty current with new technological advances to the automobile. But, are you keeping up with current trends and advances when it comes to marketing your business? I know you have a web site, but how compatible is it on your smart phone? Let’s take a look at a few facts. Over 90% of smart phone users have searched for local business information. Over 60% of smart phone users call a business after searching on their phone and out of that, 59% have visited that location. The most intriguing stat? Nearly 50% of all internet searches are done on a mobile devise (either on a smart phone or tablet). And that number is expected to continue to grow. A web site’s format on a home computer or laptop is not the best format for a mobile devise. Your web site must be formatted for a smart phone and other mobile devises for a number of reasons. According to Google, four out of ten internet searches are performed by using a mobile device. That means you may be losing a lot of leads if your website is not mobile friendly. Web sites that are not mobile ready will be downgraded, according to Google. This means, your business will appear further down the page. Mobile sites should mirror your main web site in logo, graphics and design, but the home page is just not packed with all the information that’s available on your main site. So keep things real simple on your mobile site. Mobile sites need to launch quickly. People who are searching on their phones want to access sites quick and easily find the information they are looking for. There only needs to be a few icons giving the potential customer a few options such as: Services offer, click to call button, appointment button, hours of operation and directions. If your web site is not mobile ready, speak to your web site designer and learn more about marketing potential from a mobile friendly site.

I send out an email blast using Constant Contact, hand out flyers and a poster on the front counter. And I agree with you, seasonal and other promotions are very good marketing tools, mostly they convey value to the customer.

I have a customer with a Toyota Highlander who is looking to install a rear camera in his car. Does anyone have any information or experience with this? Are there aftermarket kits or OE kits that anyone has installed. Any help would be apprciated...

We all have had employees that quit. Sometimes we are grateful, sometimes it makes an impact on our business and the recovery from that loss is an issue. I have mixed feelings about rehiring people once they quit. If the person left once, will they do it again? Is this a pattern and part of their personality? I know of many businesses that have a No Rehire rule. And, I am inclined to sway to that opinion. But, it’'s not always that black and white. Sometimes a young person can be influenced by a smooth talking sales manager at a dealership and steal the tech. In time the job is not what is supposed to be and the tech is looking to return. Would we take this tech back, if he fit our culture, was a productive worker and a competent tech? Let me know your thoughts…

Great parody, reflects the way many feel today...

I don’t know all of you, but one thing I do know…You have all gone the extra mile for a customer. It’s who we are, it’s in our blood. We have stayed late to finish a car, came in early to get a jump on things. We’ve even sacrificed our son’s soccer game for a customer. It was Wednesday this past week and we were down a tech. We had work piling up and a customer walked in and said that his son is visiting from Buffalo and that there is a horrible grinding noise from the right from wheel. “He needs to head back home tomorrow, is there anything you can do”? Inside I cringed, but I said, “Sure, just leave the keys with Mike and I’ll take care of it”. Luckily it turned out needing front brakes only. We did the brakes, changed the oil and we had the car back to him by the end of the day. I don’t know how we did it, but we did. When the customer came to pick up the car, he walked over to me and said, “Joe I could clearly see how busy you are, and it means a lot to me that you managed to take care of my son’s car. It’s nice to know there are still some people who care about their customers, I will never forget this”. So, we might not be the richest people in the world, but in a way the riches we get you cannot put a price on.

More Dealer Tactics to Contend with! A customer rudely commented to me that my price for a wheel alignment is $10.00 higher than the dealer. He went on to say that if I were higher than the dealer, I must be ripping off my customers. NOW, most of you know that I am Bronx Born Italian-American and I don’t like my buttons being pushed in this manner….but I remained cool and asked him how did he know this? He said that the service department called him at his house to let him know that his 2012 Buick (with 8,000 miles on the clock), should come in for service. The service advisor went on to mention that after a year, they need to go through the car, change the oil, rotate the tires, perform a wheel alignment, check the air condition, perform a fuel service, plus a few other services. He then asked the service advisor, “How much is a wheel alignment”? He knew our price because we just put a set of tires on his wife car and aligned it. Is this guy kidding…who’s ripping who off? How does this service advisor know over the phone that the car needs all this work? A car with 8,000 mile on the clock! I explained to the customer that HE is the one who should be questioned, not me. For him to suggest this work, he needs to know prices. And dealerships have been positioning themselves against the independents because their bays are empty and they need the work. I asked him, “If this service advisor was busy, do you think he would have the time to call you”? And do you really think you need all that work on your 2012 Buick with only 8,000 miles”? He looked at me a little funny. I told him; "To put your mind at ease, I will inspect the car, check the alignment and give you a print out, peform a complete multipoint inspection at no additional cost when you bring it in for your next oil service". He’s coming in Monday. We need to be aware of the on-going tactics and strategy from the new car dealers. They want our customers, and will be more and more aggressive. Plus, in some strange way, many customers view the dealership as the All-Knowing Grand Old Oz. In a way I was lucky this customer approached me.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) are teaming up to create legislation on proper tire repair procedures. Are there that many improper tire repairs being done in this country? I am I naive to this. I know in my own shop, we inspect each tire and will discard a tire if there is any question of its integrity. Only those that can be safely repaired are. Has any shop had an experience or know of many cases of improper repair. I know there have been some cases in the media, but first hand knowledge from fellow shop owners would be appreciated.

Being a tech in the rust belt, my torch set is my best friend. We do use rust penetrant, with limited success. Some of the bolts and studs we see are so rusted and corroded, there’s nothing left of them. No amount of spray chemical will loosen this up. Seized bolts are one thing, rusted away is another. For some applications, nothing beats the heat wrench.