Joe Marconi

All great points! One thing, honesty is something to be proud of, and it can be a profitable strategy.

A recent article in Auto Service World finds that parents still continue to push their kids away from the trades. With the future of our industry at stake, we need to take the responsibility to get promote our industry. If not us? Then who? We need to raise the bar, increase of profits, offer people great wages, great benefits and a career they can be proud of. Am I a dreamer, or a visionary?

The technician shortage is far from over. I don't believe that this problem will be easily solved. One thing that I have been hearing is that the techs that are looking for a new company to work for are asking for a lot more money. My questions are: Are you willing to pay techs what they want, and what about those techs that are working for you now? There is a side of me that says, we do need to pay all techs, on average, higher wages. But where does the money come from?

Women in Auto Care awarded more than $410,000 in cash and tool kit scholarships this year to deserving high school and post-secondary female students. For more information and to help promote the auto industry, go to:

A great conversation about family in the business. Great comments and advice from Charlie and from Paul. Worth the watch for sure!

A great idea!

This is such an important topic. I have said this years ago, we can solve the tech shortage if all the shops commit to an apprenticeship program. There is no one that will come to our rescue. It must come from within. And also, we need to continue to improve the image, the look and feel, the pay and benefits package, and the leadership skills of the independent auto repair shop industry. Sorry, I'll jump off my soap box now, but this is such an important topic!

Great points Larry! A parts matrix has to be tweaked, as price costs increase, you need to move your tables up too. Great point. And believing in yourself and your prices has ALWAYS been an issue. We need to value what we do first, before we communicate that value to the consumer!

A great strategy and important for the future of the aftermarket independent repair shops. Also, hosting car care clinics is also a great strategy. I held car care clinics for teens, woman's groups, seniors and even DIYers! It's amazing how people crave for information from a pro.

Oh man, this is a serious issue. And not to point to profit only, but what about comebacks and warranty issues?

Two weeks ago I was the Elite Fly with the Eagles, a three days event where I and and another Elite business coach, present topics and hold discussions on how to operate and grow your auto repair shops. A common concern from many of the shop owners and managers attending the part quality. This has been a concern from the days of COVID, and still exists. MY QUESTION: What are you seeing with part quality? Is it as bad as what I am hearing?

All great points. We need to do all we can to attract and retain quality employees.

Happy to hear that you agree. I would like to hear from other shop owners. Are you making the income you need, deserve, and expect from your auto repair shop business?

You had an advantage due to your business model, great point!

When I was in business, I knew the value of Wait Customers. BUT, I clearly defined what that meant. With vehicle visits way down to what it was, we need to be careful not to have too many customers waiting for service. You need the time to inspect the vehicle and time to perform the work you want to sell. I had a rule: A wait customer is a low mileage vehicle, scheduled for a basic oil change service or tire rotation, or a vehicle that has been recently in for a major service or repair, and now in for a re-inspection. Additionally, even though I had a large facility, 11 bays in my main location, I would only schedule two 8am waits and two 1pm waits. Our car counts were 100 plus per week. There are some shops that do not allow any wait customers. I think this may be difficult for general repair shop model. Your thoughts, opinions.

I hear it in podcasts, I read it in magazines and it's all over the news - Employees need to earn more money. Well, I agree, especially in the auto industry. For too long technicians and all other employees in the typical auto repair shop have been under valued and under paid. HOWEVER, too many shop owners have not be compensated properly for what they do either! The problem: Too many shop owners are not as profitable enough, they don't always underhand their numbers, shop production is too low and their prices structure is not adequate- all leading to shop owners not paying themselves what they deserve. MY OPINION - shop owners need to earn more in order to pay their employees more. Challenge me, agree with me, add your comments. This is an important topic if we are to attract and retain employees!

I agree, in spite of the what the news tells us, prices these days are higher than ever, and the cost of living keeps creeping up.

This is a great detailed list of the key issues we face these days!

I agree, it is not worth it. Live your life by ethics, integrity and morals.

According to economic reports, inflation has eased in 2023, which is largely based on commodity items and certain other goods. But, does this mean auto repair shops should lower prices? Sounds crazy? It is. I am making this post to remind everyone that auto repair shops in general have been too cheap for too long. Additionally, repair shop owners must continue to track their expenses and ensure that their labor rate and pricing is where it needs to be. Shop owners deserve a great income for several reasons: A business must turn a profit Profit allows a business to grow Profit allows the business to pay their employees the wage they earn and deserve. Profitable auto repair shops help with attracting and retaining employees.

With technology moving at light speed, it is a monumental task for technicians to keep up. What training do you require, and is that training mandated?

Most of the members in Auto Shop Owner are probably independent auto repair and service shops. All do oil changes, and many may have quick lanes in their model; I did, I had two quick oil change bays in my large location. It was an 11 bay facility. I think that oil change only these days is a tough model. This is my opinion. If I were expanding today, I would focus more on preventive maintenance, EVs, hybrids and also general auto repair and service. I also believe that, unlike years back, to be All Makes/All Models is going to be a tougher business model in the coming years. Contact the Oil Change Franchise companies for their research. You will see that they are changing their model too.

I am going to borrow a quote from billionaire, Warren Buffet, “The best investment you can make is in yourself,” This statement, while simplistic, speaks volumes. A shop owner is much more than a boss, a shop owner is a leader. And leaders are solely responsible for the success of their team. This means that you must work hard and commit to a life of continuous learning and improvement. It also means that if the team fails, a leader must always blame himself or herself for that failure and find ways to improve. For your business to flourish, you must invest your time and energy in understanding what your role is in your company. It also means that you must be committed to continually improving your level of competence. This does not mean that every task is your responsibility. However, it does mean that the buck stops with you. If your business is not where it needs to be, or you are looking for increased growth, then it is your obligation to do the hard work and set goals, have the vision, perform the research, and develop the plan to achieve your overall objectives. When you invest in yourself to become the best leader and the best businessperson you can be, others around you will feed off your energy and your passion. This sends a strong message to everyone on your team that you have what it takes to bring the company to the next level. One last thing, another obligation to your company is assembling the right team of people around you. Once you have the right people, you need to invest in them too. Find what truly motivates them, not what you believe inspires them. Be a coach to your employees and always strive to bring out the best in them. Be strong with your convictions and expectations, build strong relationships with your employees, and don’t be afraid of admitting when you drop the ball. While Warren Buffet is best known for making billions of dollars with his investment strategies, I want to believe that this quote has its basis in something that money cannot buy.

I agree with you 100%!

Great story, thanks for sharing. It is hard to believe that this stuff happens. And to your point, in some way of anther we all end of paying for this garbage.