Joe Marconi

Last week we held two consumer clinics for women. Both were a huge success. I spoke about the importance of car maintenance, safety, what to do if you have a break-down and gave them many more tips. I expected the clinic to last about an hour or so, but went on for over 2 hours.

The clinic was so successful that I am already planning another one in July for teen drivers and students going back to college.

Welcome to the site. You will learn a lot from the "old" guys on this site I look forward to learning new ideas from you and hopefully be able to offer some input, especially since I did the same thing you did.

I guess I'm one of those "old guys"...right?

Welcome to ASO!

I have a few questions for you az mike. How long have you been in business? What are your future goals for your business? AND, the most important question, are you happy with the way things are with your business?

I know signage is important, but never saw a sign make that kind of difference. If the banner works, keep it.

Signage is a big issue in my area too. When I was building my new location the town had so many restrictions. The town has no clue about business.

Even the placement of the signs makes a difference.

Is it possible to load the signs onto the site?

hi

this my first post

has anyone tried the bosch kts 340 for domestic and asian and any euro s thanks guys and i really enjoy this forum

Welcome to AutoShopOwner! Sorry, I have no knowledge of that tool.

Glad you enjoy ASO, stay invloved.

Another good point Joe, I hate sound like my parents but.... these kids today. ! ... !! I try to keep things light hearted.. it doesn't always work. Call it emotional call it EGO call it what you want, but you're right in the fact that it's like a couple of kids in a sand box fighting over the same toy.

 

I try to make a point of telling them... when you cross the threshold park your EGO there... picked it up when you go home. Gonzo

I say the same thing. There is something I want to bring up. There may be reasons why a tech comes to work with issues (for example, a bad marriage). It's hard for the tech to shut off his/her emotions. And I think we all know the difference.

NOW, with that said, I think the the current generation is vastly different from the past generations, for a number of reasons. And I think it's tough for us old dogs understand that difference.

Hey guys, Mark has recommended a book titled, "Customers for Life". It is written by Carl Sewell. I have read this book a few times. I patterned a lot of my marketing stradegy based on this book.

When you get a chance, pick up a copy and read it. It is an easy read and a page turner. I know I am getting off topic but I thought it was important enough to mention.

Joe, buddy ya said it right. I will have to put myself into the catagorey of "self made mechanic/owner" as I stated in my book.. "If only I knew then what I know now...."

 

As you said, me too, I was the kid that fixed everybody's car, I was good at it ... at a very young age... and I'd would agree that it was being a mechanic first and businessman second.

 

I am very... very proud to be a part of the independent work force in this industry and not ashamed to say "I'm an independent"... there's no golden wrench under my pillow... I'm a blue collar family guy with a lot of time learning to run a business... Nobody handed my a pot full of money to start... I did it the hard way... and I'm still here.

 

Joe, I guess that's why we see eye on a lot of issues... you and me... we came from the same streets. Glad to be a part of ASO... glad to keep posting... I think it's great what you've done with ASO...

 

more shops should know about it.

Gonzo, it appears we share many of the same qualities (for better or worse). But one thing I know we all have in common: We all want to do the right thing for the customer and do the best job possible.

I once had a mentor explain to me "Ya gotta play ball in the field your in." After reading so many post on how other are doing things I amy put out a free scan and see how it works. I do believe it can work in certain markets. And it has to be explained very carefully to the customer. And yes I would rather have them doing it here than at the "parts" store. It just goes against every grain in me as a tech. And I dont want to be the guy thats gonna get the rep that "they do it for free".

When I first started out I did free estimates. Would work for hours for nothing. Then I started offering a "discount" if the work was performed the same day. That has pretty much eliminated the "free" estimate. I am open to advice and ideas. If someone told me runnin neked down Main St. would increse my car count I would try it. Or maybe hire someone youger and better lookin to do it

The current economics in my area are very trying to say the least and I really need "paddle harder". We are at 15% unemployment and the snowbirds have all left for the year. I will survive just because I believe I will and the Faith I have.

Sorry if this got off track sometimes I just dont know when to "shut up".

Jeff, you are not off track. This is what ASO is all about. I fully understand how you feel. I don't think too many people will object to your plan, I think many shop owners fear that it may be "perceived" by the consumer as bait and switch.

We have also adopted a "scan and advise" approach for some customers, particularly first time customer. But, we are very careful and explain the entire process before we start. I think this is the difference.

Even In the worst economy, I am not going to give away the farm just to get people into the bays. But I will offer a marketing plan that the consumer sees value in.

After all, the only true purpose of business is to create a customer (The great Peter Drucker coined that phrase).

Hi Joe, I think you're right in every case.... especially the old part.. LOL

You know one thing I did find... back when I had a lot of employees ... is the one time I had a guy who would leave during the day because of some ... stupid... made up emergency... (I'm sure of it) What he would do is leave a job half done... and then the next day he wouldn't show up... then somebody would have to finish it. It turned out .... he didn't know how to do that paticular job, and he would come back later to find out what we did to make the repair.

 

He didnt' last long...

If a tech makes up a phony excuse to leave early because he can't complete a job, he is in the wrong business. No one can know everything...you ask for help. Even after 38 years in the business, I know enough to understand my limitations.

The problem with struts is the size of the ticket. However, we are more successful in selling struts now then ever before. We don't push the replacement but we explain vehicle sag over time and how the ride will be improved. We present the cost and let them decide. Often we tell them that they have a nice car and it will remain so if they put a little money in to it. It is suprising but I would say that we probably have a 25-30% closing rate on these overtime. However, it is all strickly soft sell. We explain the need and educate them as to why. We explain the benefit and allow them to make the decision.

Do you sell an alignment with every strut job?

Part of your advertising and marketing program needs to incorporate community involvement, whether it’s with local business groups, church functions, the local chamber of commerce or other local organizations. The community needs to know who you are what you offer. Make it a point to network with business people to help promote local business and show that your support the people in your local area.

Remember, people like to know who they are doing business with, knowing who you are will help drive people to your door.

Getting Back in the Suspension Business

 

Getting Back in the Suspension Business - AutoPro Workshop Blog post - Where Professionals Gather for Better Business

How do you feel about the shock and strut business? We do a lot of steering work and alignments, but the shock and strut business is a tough one. A set of struts with an alignment is not cheap. Don't get me wrong, we always inspect and advise the customer, but many times other priorities come into play

This is an important subject. How we communicate and speak with our customers can make a huge difference with closing sales. If we do not do a great job at explaining the "why" we need to perform a certain test or service, the customer may not see the value in what you are selling. This can lead to buyer’s remorse or lost sales.

We work hard at making sure that the customer is part of the sales process and understands the value.

It’s one thing to say,” Mrs. Jones,it looks like you car is due for a tire rotation, may we go ahead and perform that service for you today”? But it’s more effective to say, “Mrs. Jones, it looks like your car is due for a tire rotation. By rotating tires and checking the balance we can extend the life of your tires and save you money in the long run. May we perform that service for you today”?

The 1% Solution: Knowing Your Break-Even Point

 

http://www.tirereview.com/Article/73130/the_1_solution_knowing_your_breakeven_point.aspx

Great article, all should read and keep as a reference.

I have become religious about calculating, measuring and monitoring break-even among other key numbers. But I don’t settle for break-even and think this is an issue with a lot of shop owners and business people in general. Many shop owners I speak with know their breakeven, but fall short with respect with income. Why? Just paying your bills and covering your expenses can never be your goal.

After we calculated our break even we need to add to that number what we want to see as our return on investment. We need to set our goals and work toward them.

Break-even must be viewed as our starting point. Once achieved, we need to push that number up.

Welcome aboard, ROBK. I'm happy you found us.

It seems like you started your shop the way a lot of us have.

Our goal is to help grow your business, so keep the questions comming and read through the forums. There is a wealth of inforamtion.

Xrac, I want to make "Takin Back Our Country" our national athem.

You are remarkable what you bring to ASO!

A million thanks!!

Mark, I have intentionally waited to participate in this forum to see how others would respond. As the co-founder of AutoShopOwner.com I did not want my comments in any way dictate the direction of the conversation. Rather, I wanted the members of ASO to openly express their feelings on this touchy subject.

Initially the term you used, “lurking”, seemed a bit offensive and I wanted to be sure I understood what you thoughts and opinions are before jumping into the forum.

I am a 38 year veteran of the aftermarket “independent” and spent the last 30 years in my own business. I don’t know your background, but I will tell you mine.

Guys like me came from the streets. We were fixing cars while still in high school and did it because we loved everything about mechanics. We were the best of the best in terms of repairing cars so we naturally started our own shops. It was not long after we were in business that we realized that the skills of mechanics have little to do with the skills of running a business. We had no formal business training prior to starting our companies.

But changing one’s mind set is difficult for many independents. I guess I was lucky and did change. I changed from the “man in business” to the “businessman”. The more I learning about business the more my company grew. Last year I build a second location and I need to tell you I researched all business models from quick lubes, tire stores, dealerships and other franchises in creating my own business plan.

I have grown steadily through the years and continue to grow in a time where most other businesses are having a tough time and many are failing.

The oil change issue can be debated to death, and I can appreciate both sides. I have adopted a lost leader approach with respect to oil changes because I too believe that a healthy car counts promotes opportunity and opportunity increases sales.

We can also debate the “Free Scan and Advise” issue to death also. I see both sides and fully understand the marketing approach you speak of.

The thing to remember is that we are all in this game together. We need to learn from each other and work to be the best we can be. But people have the right to choose how they run their business and we must be tolerant of others and not judgmental. Yes, I have to admit, that like you the business decisions I have made resulted in a tremendous growth spurt in the last two years, primarily for all the reasons you speak of Mark. However, I can’t impose my beliefs on others and I hold all my fellow ASO colleagues in the highest esteem.

Maybe I am a dreamer, but collectively we can make a difference. That’s why I have dedicated a great portion of my time to my website, AutoShopOwner.com. Through the open exchange and sharing of ideas, great things can happen.

The truth is Mark, we NEED to hear from business people like yourself and I for one welcome you aboard. Please don’t “Lurk”. Please participate; we can all learn from each other.

Joe Marconi

We belive you need to train others even thou we all want to maintain profit. The trouble begains when you create an elite few that thier will comea day they turn and eat your lunch.

 

We believe cross training is the vest practice in all jobs

Everyone has their strengths and we need to know those strengths. We try our best to make sure all techs get the same training and same opportunity but when the shop is slamming busy, the work gets dispatched in order that can do the job the quickest.

I don’t remember lateness being problem years ago. Maybe I’m getting old, but I remember a more responsible work force. Sure, you always had the expectation, but the majority of people knew there were a set of rules and they stuck to them.

I think this lateness is at epidemic levels and part of the reason may be the enormous amount of obligations people have with their lives today. But regardless of what the reason is, lateness kills productivity, costs this industry valuable dollars and should not be tolerated.

Ahhh one of the benefits of running a one man shop..... The shop I was at before going out on my own it was a constant problem. One tech I ended up changing his hours instead of 8 to 4:30 I gave him new hours, 9 to 4:30. Which amounted to less money for him at the end of the week. He did make it in by 9 and the other techs referred to his walk across the parking lot to the shop at 9 every morning to his walk of shame as he came in. Had it turned into a problem with other employees he would have been let go. The only thing that saved him was the hard time we had finding anyone worth hiring. What I could never figure out is how come the guy that lives an hour away shows up on time every day rain show or shine, but the guy that lives a mile away on the same street is always the late one?

I don't believe in having different rules for different people. The same thing happened in my shop; A tech wanted to start at 9:00 because he said he could not get up early. I explained to him that he knew the start time when he was hired and it should not be an issue. I also told him that it would affect morale if I allowed him to come it late.

After battling with a few months, I let him go. He was a good tech, but when I look back, I made the right decesion.

Impact wrenches at 20 paces... all Queensberry rules apply...

You know, that works with our generation fine, but people today are sensitive and emotional. I tell my people to look past personalities and just get along with your fellow workers. It's a challenge and sometimes I feel I am running a nursery school for kids, instead of a company with adults.

Wow, your situation is a lot worse than I was speaking of. But, you are right, sometimes to minmize the negative impact or if the issues cannot be resolved, someone has to go.

 

This situation is about petty things, little things. It's hard for me to think that I would have to do something that drastic. What I fear is that the bickering may hurt shop morale, which in turn will hurt business.

 

I have sat them down already, it was ok for a while, but I can see the war clouds forming again.

A few years ago we had one of our techs (Tech A) start hanging out with another tech (Tech and his wife. The end result was Tech A began an affair with Tech B's wife and then she moved out from Tech B and moved in with Tech A. We wound up with a situation of near fistecuffs. We set both of them down and told them that one of them had to go and that although Tech A had been there the longest that Tech B was the one on the higher morally ground (ofcourse if they hadn't of settled it we would have had to fire one of them). However, after some arguing Tech A quit. In a way that was unfortunate in that he was the best one of the two. If I had the situation you describe I would set them both down and tell them that one of them had to find another job or that I would be forced to either terminate one or both of them for cause.

Wow, your situation is a lot worse than I was speaking of. But, you are right, sometimes to minmize the negative impact or if the issues cannot be resolved, someone has to go.

This situation is about petty things, little things. It's hard for me to think that I would have to do something that drastic. What I fear is hurting shop morale, that will hurt business.

I have sat them down already, it was ok for a while, but I can see the war clouds forming again.

LOL. No it wasn't a typo. That was intentional.

 

If you want the younger techs to learn, you must give them the harder work. You might want to be able to "incentive" the top tech to help the younger ones to learn.

That's excalty what we do, glad to see we are on the same page.

BTW, I am going to use that term from now on; flat rape

If you are paying by the hour, that will work. If you are playing flat rape then you will piss a bunch of people off. This still happens at the dealership that I use to work at. The gravy suckers/loudest bitchers got all the easy work and the rest got stuck with the hard/low paying diagnostic work.

Was that a typo (flat rape)? if not, I like that term!

The reason I ask is that I have a few youger techs that I think need to move up the ladder. If I continue to give the check engine lights and other diag work to my top techs, if will keep the youger techs back from learning. I happen to charge a premium for diag work, so the techs are ok with that type of work.

As far as those gravy/suckers are concerned, YOU are right! I will not tolerate that t my shop, I cured that problem years ago.