Joe Marconi

I feel the same Gonzo, shop owners are a rare breed and I am proud to be part of it. I encourage other to tell us their funny story, we are all in the same boat and could use a good laugh.

Maybe he's in the wrong business?

Great article, you are like the knowledge guru!

Well, as long as we are in the confessing mode…here’s one: About 8 years my top tech and I were looking over a wiring diagram trying to locate a particular relay we needed to test. My tech and I are the same age and 8 years ago we were both resisting wearing reading glasses (a big mistake). Anyway, we located the relay on the diagram and saw that the location for the relay said: “WP”, which we assumed meant, “Water Pump”. My tech and I were looking in the engine compartment very confused and I said, "why in the world would they put a relay near the water pump"? One of my lube techs walked over and looked at the diagram and said, “Hey grandpa, that’s not WP, it’s I / P… Instrument Panel. Talk about an embarrassing moment! Maybe we should have a contest: Your most embarrassing moment

Words of wisdom and well said. I agree that much of the information on how to boost productivity and efficiency can be found within the walls of our own facilities, by enlisting the help from our experienced staff. When I was in the planning stages for our second shop I did just that. My entire staff met on numerous occasions to discuss where the productivity problems were. We discussed everything from work flow from service writers to techs, placement of oil filters and other parts, part delivery, bay configuration, shop layout, air lines, drop lights, time wasted between jobs, on and on. The truth is you can increase production by fine-tuning your operation; a little change can make a big difference.

Oh, this is funny! Hard to believe this is true.

I hate to admit it, BUT, years back I had a no start on a car which I isolated to a problem with fuel delivery after checking for spark and yes, I too had to reach for my trusty scanner. To make a long story short, the car was out of gas and I a few seconds away from condeming the fuel pump. It's good to laugh at yourself from time to time.

What a fish! When I was younger I use to fish off the Long Island Sound (New York) on a charter boat. We went for Tuna, Stripe Bass and Blue fish. It'sbeen a while since I have been out, but it was always a lot of fun.

Are you bombarded throughout the day with an endless stream of questions? Well, it just might be your fault. The more you allow yourself to be the “go to” guy when a question arises, the more your employees will come to you for answers. This can zap your energy and decrease your effectiveness for the tasks you need to get done. Try this, when Tom the Tech approaches you with a question, instead of giving Tom the answer, throw the question back at him and ask him how he thinks the issue should be handled. If Tom says, I tried everything and can’t find the problem, ask him to tell you exactly what he did and review all his diagnostic procedures. Continue to ask Tom a series of questions and then ask him what he thinks we should we do next? This process allows Tom to work out the problem in his own mind and will help him with future problems. You should do the same with service writers and other office staff. If your service writer comes to you with a question on how to handle an unhappy customer, ask the service a series of questions to get at the root of the problem. Your questions to the service writer need to be put in such a way that the service writer actually comes up with a solution by himself. There will be times when you as the owner will need to make the final decision on some matters, but the more your staff is thinking and making decisions on their own, the stronger your business becomes. One more thing, if you are worried about them making mistakes…they will. It’s all part of the learning process. The reason why you as the boss can make quick and decisive decisions is because you have been making a lot of decisions over the years, but also made a lot of mistakes too. But, knowledge is gained through each mistake. So remember, answer a question with a question.

That's what ASO is all about....sharing and exhanging ideas and learning from each other

Do you any special promotions?

Summer is returning for most of us in the northern parts of the country. How are shop palnning to capitilize on the summer heat and promote air conditioner service and repair?

I like the car wash feature too. Morale is an issue, anything that an employee can view as a added perk is good.

Great point! We all need to be carful, it's still a business; favor or not.

I agree. Increasing shop productivity is more complicated than the actual time the technician takes to complete a job. We all know that a tech can beat the book time on most jobs, so why would productivity be lower than normal in a given shop? To elaborate on Evan’s remarks; wasted time between jobs, techs performing tasks that are not productive, time wasted finding the right tools or equipment, receiving the wrong parts, on and on, all contributes to lower than normal productivity. I too agree that shop owners need to do an analysis on the actual work-flow process, much the same way the Japanese did decades ago when analyzing how to improve the efficiency of the assembly line, in order to find the waste in shop production. As each problem is solved, more profit is generated to the bottom line.

It felt REAL GOOD to take this poll. My marks were not favorable, trust me!

You would think that in this day and age, a business owner would realize the importance of signage.

I limit my techs to their own cars and immediate family, not their uncles, cousins, etc and NEVER friends. It must not interfere with business and I prefer they come in early (before the day starts). I don’t allow big jobs like engine swaps or transmission, that’s taking it too far.

I hate to repeat myself, but once again I tip my hat to my fellow shop owners that truly take this industry to another level!

First, thank you for serving your country and protecting this great nation, I salute you. As one of the founders of ASO (AutoShopOwner.com) I want to personally welcome you and look forward to sharing your thoughts and opinions. You will have the opportunity to network with ASO shops across the country and around the world. If you need help, just ask. ASO will be there for you. Again, welcome and best of luck to you, Joe Marconi

The better you can automate the customer process the more productive you become and the more prodcutive your shop becomes, which adds dollars to your bottom line. We all need to use technolgy to not not help us in the shop, but also in the front office.

Thanks for your great input. I see you truly understand customer relations and how it has a positive affect on your business and the auto industry. Your comment on your suppliers is right on track. You actually stole part of my thunder for my next tip.

At least it worked out. I know shop owners that were not so lucky. Happy Easter, BTW

That's a perfect situation of what really happens. It has happened to me too; a customer gives us the ok to do the work, only to find out later that they can't pay for the repair. To be honest, there are dishonest business people too, but dont make the "Cure" worse than the "Crime".

It’s important to connect with your customers. Take for example: When a customer informs you that she needs her car back by 4:00 because her son has a soccer game, make a note of that. Make sure you have that car ready on time when she picks up the car that afternoon, say something such as, “Tell your son good luck at the game”. She will remember that more than the service you performed. Here's another tip. We use the customer remarks field in Mitchell Manager to make notes about the customer. If Tom Smith enjoys playing golf, we make a note of that. The next time Tom brings his car in for service, we ask, “How’s your golf game going”? It’s a nice way to connect with your customer and trust me, being personal will help you with sales.