Joe Marconi

Do you have a formal onboarding, or employee orientation, process? I know that so many shops these days are looking for employees, and many shops have been short-handed for some time now. But, is it wise to throw people into the mix without a formal onboarding process? Many say that the time it takes to prepare a new hire will pay dividends down the road. Your thoughts and comments...

From what I am seeing, the majority of the shops in the U.S. are preparing for EV service, but for most, it's "wait and see what happens." There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Plus, for many repair shops, especially in middle America, the EV revolution will take longer to take place.

Very interesting discussion. In the U.S., the state of California has the same agenda, and New York is going to follow. While I do know all about what is being discussed, you don't hear these facts often and are not reported on the majority of news stations or reported in the newspapers. The only TV News Station that I know of in the U.S. that reports these facts is Fox News. This is a serious situation, mainly because the EV push is so strong, politically. The people need to know all the facts. It is thrilling to hear this side of the facts on EVs. in the U.K. Thanks for posting!!!

The same here in the US. There is a big "behind the scenes" political agenda for pushing EVs. EVs are coming. is the world ready? I don't know. A lot of things need to be figured out: Charging stations, the time it takes to charge fully, the current state of the electric grid, what about those in heavily populated cities who live in apartment buildings, and the environmental impact of mining the elements needed to build the batteries. EVs are coming, there is no doubt about that.

I do understand the strategy, and the 4-day employee rotation model. I still think that this is a case-by-case decision that only the shop owner can make. I spoke to a shop owner last week at the Elite Eagles course, and he said that there was no way he was giving up the 6 day workweek, and also stated that Saturday is his best day of the week.

Great points Eric! How is the UK solving the EV charging station issue?

When I was in business, I had two locations, and we were open Monday thru Sat. Saturday was usually to 2pm, unless we were busy that day.

HA! I know, it appears that everyone has this on their minds; and not just people from the auto industry. At dinner with friends, I get bombarded with questions about Evs. But, I do agree....Please, let us wait and see.

I too became a big believer in in-house training years ago. It started out as a way to reinforce procedures and checklists, then evolved into online webinars, and inviting guest trainers.

I am really enjoying your posts! And I really hate hearing, "It's an EV; what's going to break? It doesn't need ANY servicing or repairs!" The public will learn the truth about EV eventually. Thanks for the info!

Larry, you bring up a few things I did not consider. And I guess if there is a strategy that works for one, who is to say it's wrong or right? As always, thank you for your perspective.

Last week I had the privilege to present the Fly with the Eagles Course in Indianapolis, Indiana. As always, the power of the course was the amazing shop owners, managers, and service advisors who attended the event. I left Indy with a fresh new enthusiasm that the aftermarket auto repair shop is alive and well. The level of professionalism and passion is proof positive that as an industry we are the very best, and will meet the challenges of the future!

When I started my repair shop in 1980, we mainly worked on three car lines: GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Through the decades, technology has dramatically changed the average automobile. Plus, today, we have many more car models to worry about, then add EVs, hybrids, and who knows what else car makers will throw at us. Is it time to rethink our business model? Can we really be that shop that works on All Makes, All Models?

I was speaking with a few shop owners last week at the Elite Fly with the Eagles conference. They were telling me that they are down a technician, and while the other techs are pitching in and doing a great job at getting the work done, one of their fears is tech burnout. I guess being busy is a blessing, but at what cost? What are you seeing at your shops? Is tech burnout a real issue?

This is fascinating information. What types of patterns do you see in terms of repairs and services on Teslas?

Training is becoming more and more crucial, mainly because technology is changing at light speed. Do you have a training budget? How do decide how much money should be allocated to a budget, and what areas of training?

An amazing review on business management systems! Thank you. Choosing a business system these days is daunting. I urge ASO members to read this!

The Right to Repair act affects independent auto repair shops. Below is an excerpt from The Auto Care Association: To show your support, go to this link: https://www.autocareadvocacy.org/take-action-tell-congress-support-right-to-repair/ The Issue: From the Auto Care Association Direct access to vehicle data is under threat by vehicle manufacturers. Historically, OBD-2 ports have granted vehicle owners and technicians access to vehicle data to assist with maintenance and repair. However, in the digital age of the modern car, vehicle data is now transmitted wirelessly and sent directly only to vehicle manufacturers. In 2021, 50% of cars have these connected capabilities and by 2030, about 95% of new vehicles sold globally will have this connectivity (McKinsey). Wireless transmission of data, also known as telematics, allows vehicles to be diagnosed and in some cases, repaired without ever going to a shop. While access to this data could provide many benefits to car owners, currently the data is sent only to the vehicle manufacturer who then serves as gatekeeper for the data, determining who can have access and at what cost. This is a detriment to consumers, which could result in: Increased cost to the consumer Limited consumer choice in where they take their vehicle for maintenance and repair Impact to consumer safety and security with unstandardized data Lack of privacy: drivers unwittingly generate new revenue streams for vehicle manufacturers every time they get behind the wheel. For the aftermarket, this can result in: Loss of innovation Lack of competition Reduced collaboration TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC:

Not to get political, but we need to move from a mentality of entitlement to a mindset of accountability. That is not to say that if people need help, we should help them, but moving forward we need to define clearly what the government should do, and not do.

You bring a whole different perspective to the mobile service business. I guess with your talents and your positive mindset, along with the fact that you really enjoy what you do, it works. Keep us updated, it's a great topic for future posts.

You should work for the government as an advisor. I get it, and you make sense. People need to go back to old fashion values and be accountable for their actions. Not looking for a bailout.

You bring up a great point. How did they get into this situation to begin with? What would they do if there were no bail out? All good points.

First, thank you for posting! Your perspective as a mobile technician is very informative. It is obvious you have great technical skills, as described by the work you perform. And I see that you do advise customers that some jobs are beyond the scope of what you do. A few questions: How do you bill your jobs? Would you mind sharing your labor rate, and part pricing? And what does Your future look like? Do you have plans on opening up your own brick-and-mortar shop?

Frank, that's what happened in my market area after the 2008/09 recession. People held back from buying new cars, but then a flood of people purchased new cars, and we saw the dip in business. Build now while business is still good, in order to ride the slower times. We have been through this before, we are no strangers to the economic roller coaster.

I feel the same way. I urge everyone to attend the next R+W conference and others like this. Hands down, you will walk away a little smarter, a little better, and with renewed energy and passion. That I can guarantee!