Joe Marconi

This has happened to nearly everyone and has happened to me. Contact Google ASAP. If that person was truly not in your shop, Google knows. And always reply, as you did, in a professional manner. People understand, don't go nuts about this. Start asking some of your great customers to post good reviews, and get that pushed down the list. And contact Google. Good luck! And relax! I have been there too.

That is a tough question to answer without being too general in nature. However, here's my opinion. I am in New York, and it's not uncommon for top techs to ask for 40 to 50 an hour. BUT, the bigger question is how to pay that salary. A lot goes into it: Production, the type of work you sell, your labor rate, are you charging more for labor with jobs that don't include parts; such as complicated computer-related problems? I am going to state a disclaimer before I continue: THE FOLLOWING IS GENERIC IN NATURE, AND YOU MUST DO YOUR OWN MATH TO DETERMINE YOUR LABOR RATE. Now with that said, to pay a tech $45.00 your labor rate for that tech (at 100% productive) needs to be around $180.00 per hour.

The liability issue is a big one. Training and the right equipment are key.

I should have asked that question, and wanted to. And, I agree. Most of the time, the heart is gone long before the toolbox is. Shop owners need to become more engaging, sit down with their employees, find out what's important to them, are there any issues, and do all they can to retain the people they have now.

Yesterday, I spoke to a fellow shop owner, who wants to remain anonymous, but wants to share this story. In the past few months, he lost two top techs to a local dealership. This shop owner runs a EURO shop, and these two techs are highly trained and well-known for their expertise. The dealer was willing to pay them each $10.00 more per hour than they were earning, around $40.00 per hour. NOW, there are many factors with why employees leave, and it's not only for money. HOWEVER, we need to be very careful and stay engaged with our employees now more than ever. It's hard enough finding good people these days, we don't want to lose the ones we have! Thoughts? Comments?

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) is the buzz these days, and many shop owners are uncertain about investing in this technology. There is a lot to consider: The space required, the liability concern, the cost, the training, and will this technology change dramatically in the next few years. Are you considering investing in an ADAS system? If you have an ADAS system, can you share the pros and cons?

I am honored to announce that I will be the keynote speaker at the Ratchet + Wrench Conference in September 2022. If you are planning to go to the conference, please reach out to me. It would be great to get together. Below is more information on the conference. Joe Marconi

Doctors do it, dentists do it, hairdressers do it, nail salons do it, oil burner service companies do it, veterinarians do it, Chiropractors do it, and chimney cleaning companies do it...Why is it that so many shops don't book the next appointment for their customer? The biggest argument I hear is that the customer does not know if they will be available on the future date set in the calendar. Well, no one can be sure that the date set 6 months from today is good. Here's my opinion. Every customer in your shop today will need another future service. And those customers in your shop today are right in front of you when they pay today's bill. Why not book their next appointment? If they can't make that future date, rebook it. Let me hear from you. Pros, cons, excuses, etc.

Wow, what a story. It's hard to imagine these days, any acts of kindness. Any update on this story?

Thanks, Mike, great to see you on Auto Shop Owner! Hope all is well my friend!

Those are words of wisdom, from the heart and real-world. Thank you for sharing!

Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines, was once asked, “Who’s more important, your customers or your employees? Thinking back on what his mother had taught him, Kelleher responded, “My mother taught me that your employees come first. If you treat them well, then they treat the customers well, and that means your customers come back and your shareholders are happy." Shop owners have been taught that the customer is always right and that their needs supersede all other needs. Anyone in business dealing with people every day knows that this paradigm, in reality, doesn’t always hold up. In business, you need customers; without them, you don’t have a business. However, without employees, you don’t have a business either. It’s the old “chicken or the egg” question. Here’s my view on this; I agree with Herb Keller that employees come first. But I take it one step further. You need a team of superstar employees who share your culture and value the team concept. You need people that love what they do and want to help others. Then, as their leader, you need to treat your employees well. Why? The way you treat your employees is how they will treat your customers.

When was the last time you sat down, one-on-one, with your employees? Let me clarify one thing, I was never a proponent of the traditional yearly review. For me, I would make time to sit down with my employees every few months. We would discuss their goals, how they view the company and how they view me as their leader and boss. I would also try to talk to everyone each week, very informal, and not about business. For me, this strategy helped with employee engagement and morale. What's your process for employee reviews?

Are other shop owners seeing an increase in customer financing? Are more and more customers in debt, or not adjusting their income to the increasing costs around them?