Joe Marconi

It may be baloney, but consumer perception is their reality.

Strangely, there are not a lot of shops in my area selling nitrogen... yet. But I can see it as an up and coming profit center. Are you going to feature tires, steering and suspension work. If so, it might be worth considering. You can also do a market study in your area to see if there are other shops and national chains that are marketing it. If there are, you can judge the effectiveness in your area.

Informative article. I really need to get on the ball and increase my focus on social media marketing.

I agree with that. The Toyota vehicles of the 90's seemed to be of higher quality. I read in the Wall Street Journal how Japan is concerned that this will hurt the image of the country. Remember as a kid; "Made in Japan" was considered junk. I also think that the USA will try to capitalize on the misfortune of Toyota.

I was wondering how everyone feels about the issues with Toyota and the recent problems they are having with their vehicles.

We should all be thinking about our exit stradegy, and estate planning is one of those touchy areas.

Even con men are affected by the economy? They will bargin a rip off?

We could ask the members for input and start putting together a list. Then we could talk about what we like and do not like. It can be done.

I would appreciate any mention you could make. I feel that AutoShopOwner can provide a great, needed service to our industry, Thanks, Joe

The problem with our industry is the lack of consistently from shop to shop. We continue to portray a low image of the auto service business. Just look at the condition a lot shops are and the overall look of the customer reception area. Not to mention the bathrooms in too many shops. If we are to move from the Stone Age we need to clean up our act across the board. No code of ethics will work if we don’t send the right message to the consumer.

what a nightmare!

I was happy to see the Saints win. It's their first ever win and they are a great team. It was a good game.

My Napolean is about 6 feet. I guess they come in all sizes.

Well, now I know for sure which side of the isle you favor. And, I am right with you. I am going to tell this joke first thing tomorrow at work.

I am a firm believer that we need to tell the customer the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I once feared telling the customer all the issues with their vehicle. I felt this would turn the customer away. I was wrong. I now instruct my service advisors to tell the customer all that is wrong. We will also work within the customer’s budget, if needed, to prioritize the work. I want my customers knowing the complete condition of their vehicle. In the long run, this is better business. As far as you Napoleon, I have one of those too. I think we all do.

I think we need a code of ethics that all shops adhere to. It must be confusing for the public too. You have one shop that resets the light and sends them on their way, while another shop wants to properly diagnose it. It would be nice if we were united, but maybe I just a dreamer.

I think we need to have the mindset that we should constantly be looking for qualified people. Too often we are caught with our pants down, left shorthanded because an employee has decided to leave or we terminated an employee. I use all the methods you pointed out but my favorite is asking around and finding people who are unhappy at their present job. Finding good people is not an easy task and has been a reoccurring nightmare for me.

Positive Economic Indicators for 2010 We are not out of the depressed economic woods yet, but things are definitely turning around. We are all still here and better days are coming... I can feel it. Here are a few positive indicators: * Consumers are changing the way they purchase new vehicles. Consumers are thinking long term car ownership, which will help business down the road. * New car sales were down in 2009 and older cars are getting older. People are getting more adjusted to the idea that they need to spend money to keep their cars running. * According to The NPD Group (a consumer research firm), 28 percent of consumers polled said they plan on taking their car in for repairs and/or maintenance they have been putting off in 2009 * 21 percent of consumers polled said they plan to perform more frequent maintenance services in 2010. * According to The NDP Group, 79 percent of people polled said they were willing to spend more for top quality products * The percentage of vehicles on the road still under manufacturers’ warranty is at historical lows, which means consumer are more likely to take their cars to independent facilities rather than back to the new are dealerships. Note: source, National Oil & Lube News

We have all been down this road in some form or another. When a situation like this occurs, you need to ask yourself, "What is the right thing to do? Not only for the short term for but for the long term". Can this company be so short sighted? Amazing!

We have been using Identifix for years and find it very helpfull. We also have IATN, along with Mitchell and Alldata. I find that you cannot rely on one source.

We have seen a lot of new people come to us due the closing of so many new car dealers. Many of them are used to loaner cars. I don't want to loose this customer base. I think for me, it's worth the try.

We live in a society where we have, "throw the net out policy". How can everyone be accountable for everyone's action? I had a car stolen from my lot a few years back and the first thing the police and insurance company asked was; "Were the keys left in the car". I told them what difference does that make, the keys in the car gives someone the right to steal??? I did not answer the question.

This is a problem we encounter in our area too. Just yesterday I had someone come to us asking to reset the check engine light so he can pass the NY State Inspection. When I explained to him why I could not, he told me that he has been doing this for years!! He then went on to tell me that he was new to the area and first went to the Valvoline Quick Lube down the block from me and they told him that they don’t work on check engine lights. I explained to him that we would need to diagnose the problem before he could pass the state’s inspection test. He looked at me with a smirk and walked out in a huff. If other shops are resetting check engine lights out there, they need to stop. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy.

What a week! Glad to back online. Thanks to Alex for all his hard work and diligence.

I think catering to women is a great marketing idea. Making your facility clean, neat and comfortable is not only appealing to women, but to men also. The look of you customer service area has a lot to do with your ability to sell and attract the “right” customer. When we built our new facility we designed the customer area more like a professional office. We also took some design ideas from luxury hotel lobbies. Our customer bathroom has plants, art work on the wall, automatic towel dispenser, a hook on the wall for a women's bag or coat and we too have a baby changing station. Our clean-up people check the bathrooms throughout the day.