Joe Marconi

The demands of running a shop can catch up to the best of us. As a shop owner for nearly thirty years I know all too well that down time away from the shop is a must. The business marathon we all seem to run can lead to burnout, which can have detrimental consequences on your business and more importantly, on your health. Book days off and schedule vacation time; your business will survive. Actually it’s your survival that’s more important. You will be surprised how more productive you are once your internal batteries are recharged.

Here in New York we have an annual safety and emissions inspection. All vehicles for the first 2 years only get a safety inspection, after that all vehicles sold after 1996 get a safety and OBDII emissions check. Any car with a check engine light fails automatically. For cars 1995 and older, going back 25 years, need a dyno emissions test if you live New York City and the surrounding counties around NYC. As you can see it’s a confusing program and not the best run program. However, I support it and think that if we did not have this program too many people would not maintain their vehicles properly. Has a public inspection station it is truly amazing the state of disrepair some of the cars are that come to me for the first time. I hope NY never gives up the inspection program.

I am going to edit the lesson play and "spell check it" and post it in a day or so.

I promoted it a number of ways. I made a generic TV commercial about consumer clinics what aired a month before the clinic date. I will use the commercial in the future, since I will be holding these on a regular basis, probably 4-6 times a year. I had 2 already. I also announced on the radio, it on my web site, a made a poster for the waiting area and I sent out an email newsletter a few time inviting people to come to all my customers and to all the local business groups in the area. We also asked the local papers to give us some free press. I also featured it my quarterly newsletter . We started promoting it about 6 weeks prior to the first class and now it will be promoted on an on-going basis with classdates to be determined. It was a women’s clinic only. We had one guy show up for the 2nd clinic (my daughter’s boyfriend). There was no fee for the class but the clinics were actually fund raisers for local organizations that help needed families. Most women donated something. We actually will be starting Defensive Driving courses at my shop also, but I would not incorporate the clinics with the driving course; two separate audiences and deferent massages. Plus the defensive course is a required 6 hours. I do have a lesson plan: If anyone would like a copy let me know I could send you my notes.

The food bank program is a great thing to get involved with. You should be proud. Shop owners need to realize how vital it is to their business to get involved with the community. When people see you outside the shop environment, it makes a difference.

The only car maker we flash is Toyota. The question is how often do we need to do this and are we able to get a return on our investment? Also, what vehicle makes do we buy the programs for? I think we as business people will need to make some hard choices in the future. I had a Volvo last summer with a bad window motor, only to find out that after I installed the motor, it had to be re-programmed. This is a deliberate act to get that car back to the dealer.

We had an Infinity the other day with a high idle problem and a logged error for idle control. We diagnosed it as a bad idle control motor which took out the computer. The problem is that the computer needed to be re-programmed. So we had to send the car to the dealer for the reprogramming. We are seeing more and more of this. What are your plans to compete in the future? Should we concede and just send these cars back to the dealer?

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.

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?

Welcome to AutoShopOwner! Sorry, I have no knowledge of that tool. Glad you enjoy ASO, stay invloved.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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”?

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

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.