Joe Marconi

Let's hope we make a difference this November. Because, the "change" we were promised might just be the change left in our pockets.

Highlights from the NACE/CARS Convention at Las Vegas

The convention had more collision industry companies and OE presence than the auto repair sector. The overwhelming majority of people attending were also from the collision side. I did get a chance to speak to many shop owners from all segments of the industry and to many of the companies on the convention floor. The seminars were very worthwhile, both technical and business and overall the Convention was very informative and valuable.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Key note speaker, Kelly McDonald, spoke about the diversity in not only the work place but our consumers and how we need to change our businesses in order to compete in the future market place. She also touched upon the differences in the generations and how they will differ in the workplace and the challenges we will have with advertising and marketing to the younger generations, which are vastly different from the baby boomers.

• There were companies like Elite that presented seminars and business solutions for both collision shops and repairs shops.

• Many new car dealer owners I spoke to were at the convention to find out about the collision side of the industry and plan to expand into the collision business and auto repair business. For some, selling cars will no longer be their number one profit center.

• May business seminars focused on the customer, the future and the how we need to become customer focused and get the people in our company working toward the common good of the company.

• The collision companies dominated the convention from hardware suppliers, to paint, to body structure and glass. Many on-the-floor presentations showed new techniques for collision shops.

• The OE manufacture showed their support for not only their dealer franchises, but to the aftermarket collision business. The OE promoted factory approved parts vs. aftermarket parts for collision shops. It appears that the OE, ASA and the collision side of the business are aligning themselves together, from my perspective.

• AutoShop Solutions, a company that can help shops with Internet marketing, sales and training.

• On the floor, mini technical clinics gave the attendees a brief overview of the complex future we are facing with respect to technology.

• Mitchell1 and CARQUEST presented their new features and how they are committed to the aftermarket repair business.

• Repair Pal was there with live demonstrations about their online service.

There was a lot more, if I remember any other important highlights I will be sure to add them. Working the Elite Booth with Bob Cooper, Karen Cooper, Kirk Gray and Mike Boden was rewarding. It gave me the opportunity to meet many industry leaders and great shop owners from around the country and Canada.

Deliver Consistent Service

I think we can all agree that people do not flock to McDonalds because of the delicious, healthy hamburgers, right? But how are franchises like McDonalds successful? Well, one of the reasons is that they deliver consistent service. Notice, I did not say the best service. People are creatures of habit and tend to return to what they are most familiar with. Businesses can create this feeling of familiarity by delivering the same level of customer service by all personnel, same quality repairs and by keeping the process from phone call, to vehicle write-up and car delivery all the same. Obviously we need to strive for outstanding customer service and the very best in terms of repairs, but without a consistent pattern for the customer to latch on to, you may be not be anchoring the customer to your company.

Remember, even different people answering the phone with different phone manners and phone skills can cause inconsistency in your customer service. The more consistent your business is in the eyes of the consumer, the more repeat business you will have.

Do any of you use Identifix? Is so for how long? How useful has it been to you? Is it worth the cost? We use to use Identifix but got away from them about four years ago when we changed service manager. Now we have a new tech who swares by Identifix so we are looking at them again.

We use Indetifx also and it has saved us countless hours of diag time, it is truly a lifesaver. We also use IATN which is great also. The only plus with Identifix is that they post confirmed fixes and you can ask for one-on-one technical help. Identifix owns IATN too.

My name is Uzek Susol, I live/work & have grown up on Orcas Island Washington.

I started tearing apart lawn mowers & cars in my grandpa's back yard as far back as I can remember, quit school at 17 (couldn't stand sitting listening to things that didn't stimulate me) & went straight to work in an auto repair shop.

When I was 22 (1990) I opened my own shop, started with $5,000 & a rented 2 bay shop, in 2000 I bought commercial property & built my own 8 bay shop with 4 ASE technicians, a service writer & a 24hr Towing/Roadside Service, we recently became a Napa AutoCare Center.

I find myself happy working & making good money in a beautiful location but having a hard time finding time off & watching my kids growing up way too fast.

Welcome to AutoShopOwner.com! It sounds like you are a "Self Made Man", that's what America is all about. I hope you find ASO informative and has value for you and your business. Looking forward to speaking with you on the forums.

Joe

Cofounder, ASO

Well I think I'm going to check out of this discussion at the LIAR part. I will leave you with this, I will continue to do 100-115k per month on my 95 percent repeat customer base and you can carry on with your 2 hour brake jobs and continue to believe that it CAN NOT be done in less than an hour in the end it does not affect me at all.

I want to remind everyone that this forum is for the open exchange of ideas and opinions and we need to conduct ourselves as professionals and respect each other as colleagues. We are all passionate about the work we do and that is commendable. However, shop owners may differ how they approach a particular job. We are all business men and must make decisions how we want to run our business. We live a free-enterprise society. We may not agree with someone, but it does not mean they are wrong or right.

The thing to remember is that through dialogue we can all learn and benefit through shared knowledge. I greatly appreciate everyone’s input and look forward to continued discussions in a civil and professional manner.

Thank you

Joe Marconi

Cofounder, AutoShopOwner.com

Something occured today that really made me my day and that makes me think that we have a bright future at our shop. A first time customer come into the shop. He was the owner of a small Service Master carpet cleaning franchise. He told me that he didn't know where to take his van to be worked on and so he had asked four different people. None of these people knew each other but they all told him to bring his van to our shop. How is that for word of mouth. Our business is up about 8% this year and we are knocking on the door of $1,000,000 in sales. Honestly it looks like the next hurdle will be expansion. We are land locked and will soon be out of parking and bay space but it is a nice problem to have. I am not bragging but just so thankful to see all of the hours, all of the years, and all of the hard work starting to pay off.

That is a nice positive story! I like the way you are thinking. Put a plan together (on paper) and start working the details. There is never a better time then there is right now...capitalize on your passion and momentum! I was in your position a few years back, I expanded, and I can tell you it was worth it. Don't get me wrong, IT IS A LOT OF WORK, and you will second guess yourself over and over, but if were easy, everyone would be doing it. Keep the fire burning!

Our business too is about 95% retail. The fleet work I have is ok, but many of them are demanding (which is understandable). Contractors are another thing. They want bottom line prices and want it yesterday. By the time a contractor brings in his pickup, it needs a ton of work and it's a hard sell. Any work we get from the local towns has to be approved as part of their budget, so we don't actively seek that work.

So far the event has been ok for the mechanical side, very good for the collision. The Collision vendors are here in full force and there is a lot to see. The seminars are great, from the ones that I took both business and technical. The attendance has been pretty good too. The OE also is also here, and it more dedicated to what they can offer to the collision side.

Some of the more well know vendors here are:

Elite worldwide

Auto Shop Solutions

Mitchell 1

Repair Pal

Customer Link

Jasper Engines and Transmission

Identifix

Motor Age

Body shop Business

Ford

Chev

Chrysler

Hunter

...there are a lot more, just can't remember right now

Today is the last day, flying home in the morning.

Me? A Flasher?

 

Ok, ya got me… I’m a Flasher… or more to the point a Re-flasher. With today’s cars and components it’s not uncommon to have to flash some drivability controller or theft system. As an independent shop most of the re-flashing you can do will be for drivability situations or theft systems. Right now, the federal laws (Clean Air Act) only requires the manufacturer to give access to the “emission” related systems which means, an after-market scanner may only be able to provide you with part of a download vs. the entire download. Those “extras” are left to the manufacturer/dealership shops. Some of those extras could be HVAC, 4WD, wiper systems, just about any system deemed not necessary for drivability, however if a system is part of the PCM and it will effect drivability (ABS on most GM’s for instance) then it is shown as part of the downloadable software. However, if you can get a dealer level scanner and dealer level software… then it’s no problem. But, for the most part I’m not going to get into the reprogramming with a tech 2, WDS, or any other dealer level scanner, I’ll stick with the re-flashing that is available for the independent market that we will all have in our tool inventory sooner or later.

 

J2534

 

The reason for re-flashing can be many, sometimes it’s an update to the transmission for better shift quality or to installing a new PCM. Each manufacturer has their own specific way of handling the procedure to obtain/process/and download the needed software. There are a lot of useable aftermarket scanners that can aide in the process and some are better than others. The one thing they all have in common is “J2534” which is the needed software/cable setup to perform re-flashing by an independent.

 

One of the first things you’ll need to start the re-flashing is a subscription to that particular manufacturer’s website. Costs vary and the length of subscriptions will also vary. Here is a list of the websites that I use:

 

GM – www.gmtechinfo.com

 

Ford – www.motorcraft.com

 

Chrysler – www.techauthority.com

 

Honda – www.serviceexpress.honda.com

 

Toyota – www.techinfo.toyota.com

 

Nissan – www.nissan-techinfo.com

 

These are the most common ones that I will use from time to time, if you don’t have these websites saved somewhere, you should…. Write these down and keep them handy.

 

After you purchase the needed subscription there will be some information that you will need to obtain either from the car or from the website to start the process. Follow the information given on that particular manufacturer’s website.

 

Toyota requires you to not only gain access to their website but also you will have to obtain a CD from them before you can do any re-flashing. So if you are planning on doing any re-flashing on a Toyota you’ll need to have the CD ahead of time.

 

I can’t stress enough that you need to follow every word and follow every command while doing the re-flash… be careful… take your time. If you run into a questionable area check the home page of the website for any 800 numbers you can call and talk directly to someone. I’ve had to do that on many occasions… and there is no doubt that talking with someone can speed up the process when you’re stuck. On most of the import cars I’ve found that you will need to obtain the original controller ID from the module you are re-flashing before starting the re-flash. This can be obtained thru mode 9 of your scanner. These calibration numbers will indicate whether or not there is a re-flash even available or which is the latest calibration for that model. On some of the individual screens you may have followed all the information correctly and there is no “next” soft key to click on… the only soft key says “exit” don’t worry it’s not going to take you out of the program… it will only advance you to the next screen.

 

Generally, the re-flash can take up to 30 minutes in some cases so give yourself plenty of time to complete the process without any major interruptions. Be sure to have the vehicles battery fully charged and or on a suitable charging unit for the duration of the re-flash.

 

As of this day and age, I can’t say that re-flashing is all that profitable…. Yet…it’s necessary but it just doesn’t come around often enough to make the big investment for all the different makes and models out there. Personally, I think the PCM units are far superior to the first years of the computer age cars. But, I’m very confident that it will be profitable in the near future. As the computer driven car becomes older more and more re-flashing information will be released to the independent side of the industry. (Wish we had complete access now)

 

There’s one common factor when it comes to software, obtainable scanners, and electronic information, it not only changes rapidly, it probably has already changed by the time this article is in print. So don’t be surprised if the information and data has changed by the time you take your first attempt at reprogramming… take it slow, read carefully, and follow all the directions.

 

Remember it only seems difficult when you first try it… then it starts getting easier each and every time after that. Go for it… ! !

Fantastic information for ASO, I really thank you for sharing this with everyone!

Women Explained By Engineers

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, I need to show this to my wife...or...maybe not....too funny!!

It's 7:30am Las Vegas time, I am checking in. This event is huge! Gonzo I will look for auto body news and I will take pictures too. I wll make notes and give a summary in a few days. Talk to everyone soon...

To answer Gonzo’s question. We don’t do nearly enough reflashes at present time, but we are finding that the number is increasing. We probably do a few per month.

We primarily do Toyota’s, GM and Fords. If you run a full service shop and want to compete with the dealer you will need to consider reflashing. We had a suburban the other day with a power seat problem that needed a reflash as the fix. If we did not have the equipment and GM subscription, we would have to send the car back to the dealer.

The money is made, however, when you promote reflashes, in other words; checking for vehicles that need updates as a routine service and looking for needed program updates when a car comes in with a driveablity, performance or emissions problem. It’s like anything else, if you invest the time, education and money to equip your shop with the ability for reflash cars and you let the tool sit in your tool box, it will never pay for itself.

Hope this helped…

I am flying to Las Vegas Sunday morning and will return on Thurs. As many of you know I will at be the CARS Event with Elite Worldwide. I am working with Bob Cooper and Elite as a business coach and will be workng at the ELite booth, among other things.

I will log on from time to time to check in, but keep the forums going for me!

Joe Marconi

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

Do you have any employees now? I think you need to first sit down and begin to write some sort of business plan. It does not have to be a perfect plan, but something that outlines your present position and where you want to go. Take from me, in 1991 after being in business for 11 years I was nearly broke. Why? I built and business around ME and the busier it got, the worse it got for me. Busy is supposed to be a good thing, but when you are doing everything yourself, as you describe, it will only lead to trouble.

Your problem cannot be solved easily. It will take time. You need to start hiring people. Find out what a decent pay scale is for your area. Take it slow, but do it.

Here’s what I did back in 1991 when I could not work any harder anymore: I outlined on paper all the job titles I held; tech, shop forum, service advisor, bookkeeper, janitor, etc. And, one by one I replaced what I was doing with an employee. I started with a booker keeper, then another tech, then a few more techs, a cleanup crew and finally I hired a few service advisors. I gave myself a 5-year plan to accomplish this. Once I put the plan into motion, my business grew and grew it keeps growing today because I cultivate people around me, good people to help me succeed.

I hoped I helped you. I may have given you too much at one time, but you sound like you need the help. Good luck, keep in touch.

Torque Converter Clutch Drop Out, 98 Dodge Pickup 2500 Diesel

Yesterday, we had a 98 Dodge pickup 2500 diesel that the torque converter clutch would engage and disengage at 40-45 miles per hour, when warmed up. You could clearly see the converter clutch drop out and engage again on a scanner. The first thing we noticed during our visual inspection was that battery terminals were badly corroded. We cleaned them up, road tested extensivly and all is ok. Hard to believe! Like everyone says, always start with basics.

I'd like to see one as well... [email protected]

 

Hmmmmm....interesting, you've added at least a half dozen e-mails to YOUR contact list............

I will send you a sample

Just finally got the truck back to the shop from the customer... Pulling the pump again and drilling the valve out to the next size up, and possibly shimming the spring as well. If not then its off to my friends shop for a pressure test as well... Fingers crossed

 

As well I don't believe this truck has speed sensitive steering either.

Please keep us posted...

Joe, XRAC I couldn't agree more. I feel the Tea Party is the new way. They may not hold a lot of seats but the noise they make has caused the old school to take notice! I have followed politics for a while and truly believe the current administration, if not checked at midterms, will be the ruination of this United States as we have known it for the last 200 years. GOD bless America. Now if we could just get GOD back to America, if ya know what I mean. Have A Nice day!

I love that: Get GOD back to America....priceless!

Joe, I don't know if we were born under the same star or what.... but you REALLY understand the whole thought process behind my writing. It's like the old Dragnet opening comment "the names have been changed to protect the innocent, the stories are true" and it doesn't matter what part of the world you come from it's all the same type of people... clan or whatever ya wanna call it. I always try to write the stories so that everyone across the country can relate to them... and...if they haven't experienced this scenario yet... you will, and hopefully my stories will help prepare that next shop for what is coming next. I honestly believe my stories can help shop owners and techs prepare and be aware of the reality of working with the public.

 

Like you said... I want to do the job with honesty and integrity... pay me for my time, let us all part ways and go on with our own individual lives. I absolutely HATE people who try to get over on insurance companies or repair shops for things that are not true. Needless to say when I get some slacker in my lobby that thinks they can push their wieght around with that --- "because I'm the customer" type attitude... I've got news for ya buddy... this ain't Walmart, there ain't no upper managment that will take a different look at this problem.... I am the head Honcho here... You deal with me with an attitude... you're going to get one right back...

 

I'll do my job honestly.... I'll treat you fare... I expect the same in return.

Gonzo, when I started AutoShopOwner.com sort of knew it was a good. But, I must admit, after reading posts like yours and from other members, I am honored to be called a Shop Owner. Conversing with everyone has given me a new outlook on our industry.

The wealth of knowledge we can share is priceless. Keep the stories comming; we can all benefit from them.

Joe, I am not that creative. I wish I could say I wrote it. It was forwarded to me by a friend of mine. I do not know who the author is.

I am still using it, it's great!

Drivin’- Drinkin’ and Grandpa

 

One of many slow days at the shop I had a small job come in from one of the local tire shops. This rather young girl brought the car to me from the tire shops just a few blocks away. She told me she was the owner and that the tire shop was rude and wouldn’t help her. I told her I’ve never knew them to be that way, but I occasional get like that depending on the reaction at the front desk. (Trying to lighten up the tension at the counter). She wasn’t much for my kind of humor, so I called the tire shop to find out what the deal was.

 

Her problem was that it would occasionally not start, nothing new, just another typical job. The tire shop didn’t want to get involved with this because it had a breath analyzer attached to the starting system. For anyone out there that hasn’t a clue what this is…, I’ll explain… drinking and driving should NEVER EVER mix, get caught, you’re probably going to have to blow into this ridicules thing to start your car. My opinion, if you get behind the wheel in a condition that would require having to blowing into a plastic tube to start your car, you are without a doubt the most STUPID, inconsiderate person of all times.

 

Don’t drink and drive!

 

Personally, I would rather see the driver’s license revoked and give ya a bus ticket instead. (Mandatory taxi/bus or signed sealed delivered notice that has to be approved by the court system from another driver any time you get into a car. Make ya prove you’re not the person behind the wheel.)

 

Beyond that, I need to find out why this car won’t start. First thing I did was disconnect the breath machine to verify if the problem was “factory” or the analyzer. Once the unit is disconnected from the car I have to call the 800 number on the device to let them know that it is an authorized disconnect and not the driver trying to bypass the system. It’s quite an ordeal to go thru… not the physical disconnect of the unit… that’s easy…but, the information you have to know to prove that you are actually a repair shop when it comes to properly disconnecting the unit. With that over with, I can get back to diagnosing the problem at hand. It turned out to be a bad starter motor. I called the parts warehouse and got prices on a replacement starter for the owner. Later that day the owner called back and said they had just put a starter on so I must be mistaken. …..yea, they did, but it was one of those “discount” brands…..the type that offer a life time warranty…..life time warranty, right a lifetime of changing it. (Note: cheap parts = cheap results)

 

Instead of getting a name brand part they wanted to replace the starter with another “cheap” brand. Ah yes, the cheapo repair part syndrome, repairing your car with your wallet not with wrenches...

 

She came for the old starter and sometime later showed up with the replacement starter. I informed the owner that since you have decided on the quality of the part but the quality of my diagnostics hasn’t changed, however if it fails to start for any reason beyond the bolts falling out of the starter do to the fact that I forgot to tighten them up… it’s an all new diagnostic charge to rework the test… which I have no doubt it will end up back to this cheap starter. It’s your choice, just warning you that I can’t trust these cheap parts to perform like good quality parts… “You get what you pay for,” I told her.

 

It went in one ear and out the other. She answer me, “Ok, can ya have it done today?” Whatever, fine, I’ll put it on…. To my surprise……it worked. The next thing was to rewire the breath machine back into the system. No problems there, everything is in working order.

 

Enough said about the repair….the next thing was….. Close out the ticket in the front office. That’s when old Grandpa showed up with one hell of a chip on his shoulder. (I think old Grandpa threw back a few before he showed up too.)

 

“You’re charges are higher than the tire shop,” he said angrily, “I don’t think I should have to pay that much for it if the other shop could have done it for less.”

 

I informed him that my prices were discussed before the job was even done and the price was OK’d before we even started. Besides, the tire shop may have a lower labor cost but, they also said they didn’t have the necessary skills to actually make the proper diagnosis and or the repair.

 

He rambled on about how he had fixed cars when he was younger and knew a lot about them He would have fixed it himself if he knew what was wrong with it. Aha! The old “if I knew what was wrong with it” scheme. Now we are on to something. So it’s not so much…what I did or how I did it…. It was “knowing” how and what I did .

 

Seems I’m not doing my job right, maybe I should just start guessing at the repairs…. Maybe then I could lower the cost of the repairs then I could be like the tire shop…. Or maybe I should just throw a dart at a bulletin board full of pictures of parts and where ever it hits that’s the part I change… or better yet, I’ll send it to someone else who knows how fix it. Oh, wait a minute ….that’s how I ended up with it. Oh that’s right…..I’m the guy who is supposed to be the guy that supposed to fix it for the guy. Guess that’s why I get paid the big bucks.

 

Sorry Grandpa, maybe I’m doing you a big favor… you spend a few bucks with me, that way you’ll be a few bucks shy of that next 6 pack. That might keep you or your tube blowin’ granddaughter from getting behind the wheel drunk and I might actually be preventing a future fatal accident. So do me a favor…. Save some of that hot air for the breath machine Mr., you’ll need it to start the car….

Gonzo, there has to be "clan" of people out there that must share the same genetic makeup. No matter where you go, these people find us. Change the names, the town, and the shop....same clan of people!

What I do like is how you handled the situation. I tip my hat to you. You do not waver, you stand your ground. You are a through-back from a time when people performed a quality job just because it was the right thing to do. Too many businesses today are caught up with the bottom line. Well the bottom line, for me, is doing the right job with honesty and integrity. I am sure you agree.

Twas Monday night, November 1, 2010 　

 

'Twas the night before elections and all through the town

tempers were flaring, emotions all up and down!

 

I, in my bathrobe with a cat in my lap

had cut off the TV tired of political crap.

 

When all of a sudden there arose such a noise,

I peered out my window, saw Obama and his boys.

 

They had come for my wallet; they wanted my pay

to give to the others who had not worked a day!

 

He snatched up my money; and, quick as a wink,

jumped back on his bandwagon as I gagged from the stink.

 

He then rallied his henchmen who were pulling his cart.

I could tell they were out to tear my country apart!

 

On Fannie, on Freddie, on Biden and Ayers!

On Acorn, on Pelosi, he screamed at the pairs!

 

They took off for his cause, and, as he flew out of sight,

I heard him laugh at the nation who wouldn't stand up and fight!

 

So I leave you to think on this one final note-

IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!

 

Amen

Where did you get this? did you write it?

I need to pass this on...

Maintain Eye Contact With Your Customer

Maintaining eye contact is a powerful sales tool. Service people who maintain eye contact will communicate that they are genuinely interested in the person they are speaking with, which will help increase sales. Eye contact during a sales presentation is as important as what is being said.

When using your computer terminal during write up, look up from time to time and make eye contact with the customer. I know many of you are not born typists, but staring down at the computer screen during the entire write up process may send the wrong message. Pause from time to time, look up and engage the customer. This one tip will work wonders by making the customer feel more comfortable.

Be sure to read the last line of this obituary:

 

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=robert-snyder&pid=143718501

Wow, talk about "last requests".