Joe Marconi

Memorial Day: Let us remember Why we celebrate. Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades.

Source: Got a bad apple in your shop? Get rid of him fast!

Ever had an employee that spreads doom and gloom throughout the shop? You know the one; the employee that damages morale, complains about everything, comes in late, and is miserable all the time. And, after trying to fix him, you realize that you can’t. But, “He’s a great producer”, you tell yourself. Well, is he? The fact is, if you have a poison employee, ask yourself this, “What damage is he doing to the rest of the shop?” Also, how is he damaging the morale of the shop? What production loss is occurring that is due to his attitude? Consider this; you, as the leader of the company must have the support and respect of everyone. If you allow the bad apple to stay, others in the shop will not feel you are a leader that cares about everyone. They will think you only care about the bad apple’s production. They will think you value money first, and people last. When this happens, the rest of your team will begin to shut down, morale will continue to suffer, and so will production. Here’s another scenario you are familiar with too. When you do finally get rid of the bad apple, the others will rejoice and tell you, “Well, it’s about time boss!”

Perhaps the first step in running a business is to realize that the owner needs to earn a profit. Profit is not a four-letter word. And also realizing the true cost of discounting.

What an amazing example of human kindness. These are things we need to focus on and promote. Thanks for sharing! Simply amazing.

Perhaps the worst time to look to hire a technician, is when we lose one. At that point we go into “Crisis Hire” mode. We most often settle for anyone, rather than taking our time to find the right person. We need to take a lesson from large organizations and sports teams. Their strategy? They continually recruit. I did not say continually hire, I said continually recruit. You need to be on the look out for the talent in your community. Find where the best of the best are working now. Reach out to these people, get to know them. Make is part of your overall business plan to stay in touch with trade schools, the military for returning vets, and any other employee agencies. Identify key people in your local auto community and ask questions; where are the best technicians? How can I contact this person? Who knows this superstar tech? In other words, allocate a significant portion of your time in the area of recruiting. Your goal is to have people in the pipe line. So when you lose an employee you have a list of contacts to reach out to. In the book “Work Rules”, a book about Google and its employee strategies, the author states that Google follows this rule: “Hiring is the single most important activity in any organization"

I want to wish everyone a Happy Mother's day! A day where everyone can reflect on the things that are priceless.

The damage from salt and other chemicals used on winter roads in the norther part of the country is reaching epidemic proportions. The body of the cars don't seem to be affected, but the undercarriage rot is a serious issue. Pick up trucks especially are prone to rust and rot. We see trucks with as little as 70,000 miles with serious frame rot, rusted through brake lines and fuel lines. We have tried to sell rust proofing packages to customers with new cars, but with limited success. Aside from the increased sales with brake line and fuel line repairs, are any shops promoting rust proofing to their customer base, and how successful are you.

If not managed correctly, employee vacations can kill your business. Having everyone take vacations back to back, as in the summer months, will not only kill production, but kill morale. The reality is that people do look forward to their vacation time. There is nothing wrong with this; people need down time and enjoy time away with their families. But we need a balance too. The other issue is that sometimes the owner of the business is the last person in the shop that schedules time off. The owner needs down time too. With the summer months approaching, what's your policy on vacation time?

As shop owners, we need to know the numbers of the business. We need to know when we are profitable, what margins we need to make on parts and labor, and continuously monitor and measure the performance of each employee. But, if your focus is only on the numbers of the business, you will sight of the most important component of your business…your employees. And you will struggle. People are driven not by numbers, but by emotions. Oh, everyone may say they work for money, and to a certain degree, that is correct. But to truly have a workplace environment that is united and all pulling in the same direction, you must put people first, quotas second. When you put people first, the group becomes strong. Everyone feels that what they do matters. Everyone feels that the shop owner is interested in them as a person, not a number. Reach out to your employees as people. Create a workplace environment where everyone feels secure. Create the feeling of family. You do this, you will build a powerful team. And the numbers? When everyone in your shop works as a family unit, the numbers and profits will take care of themselves.

This is actually a serious issue. Take into consideration quality of parts and quality of work. And, the consumer, who makes decisions based on the dollar, without considering safety or integrity. I recently refused a brake job that needed rotors because the customer wanted to only slap on pads. And why do we accept those ridiculous drug commercials? Imagine this: AD: Is your car having driveability issues? Stalling, hard start and low fuel mileage? Your car may need "BoosterPro" . This product will put the life back into your car's engine. Ask you car care specialist about "BoosterPro" - (fade to a car owner hugging his car with the hood open) Disclaimer: May cause severe internal engine damage, transmission damage, damage to your cars cooling system and fuel system. If you experience idle engine surge for more than four hours, seek help from you car care specialist.

I know the story...yes a real American Hero!

Source: Consumers ARE going back to the New Car Dealership!

Got your attention? Good! This past Sunday I took a booth at the local Business EXPO in my town. I like doing these things for the obvious reason - It helps to promote my company's brand in my community. But the other reason I do it is to speak with the average consumer to gain information. One of questions I ask is this: "What model car do you drive and where do you go for service?" It is amazing to me how many people go back to the dealer for service work. And here are some of the reasons: It's a lease car, I didn't know you could take my car to you for service It's a new car, don't you HAVE to go back to the dealer? I don't know where to take my car, so I stayed with the dealer I have free maintenance (we all what "free" means) I don't want problems if I need warranty work My salesman told me when I bought the car that I had to used dealer parts and service Aren't the dealer mechanics better trained? By the way, when I asked about the level of service and convenience, all of them rolled their eyes and said something like this, "Well, it's the dealer, you know what you get." MAN! I can't help thinking that if they came to YOUR shop you would win them over just on your level of customer service! So, as you can see, we are in a fight with the dealers. The great news is that we are still the number one choice of the motoring public. Let's fight to stay that way. We, as independent aftermarket shops, do not aggressively market ourselves against the dealer. Maybe we should start? Your thoughts?

I was worried about that too. It's been nearly six years since we installed the flush mount rack and we have not had one incident.

For years I had my alignment machine mounted on the slab. There were always issues with low profile cars and we damaged a number of spoilers and front bumper covers driving cars up the ramp. When I expanded and built my other facility, I opted for the flush mount. There were a lot of added costs, and it has to be done right, but it was the right decision. You drive straight onto the rack with any car and you are ready to go. It's a clean look too. My vote: if you can, install a flush mount.

You make a good point. It is far better to take care of the people that want to do business with you and appreciate you. It's funny, my best customers are ones that are never pushy and always thank us for what we do.

The average consumer is a victim of what they don't know. They really don't know all the associated costs behind diagnostic testing: The scanner, the training, the information systems, the software updates, the complexity of the testing procedures, the tools needed, and you need a highly-trained tech - All of which costs money. Perhaps the consumer sees no difference between a check engine light and a brake noise?

This may be a rerun, but it packs a powerful punch. The issue with charging for diagnostic testing always turns into a heated debate. I do not want to get long-winded here (because we all know I can), but the bottom line is that a shop must charge for diagnostic testing. If not, the shop will never get ahead. Too much labor is eaten away and you can never recover. One of the issues is the lack of standardization among the industry. If it became common practice, and we all charged, it would be a different world. One last thing: Doctors do diagnostic tests that sometimes does not lead to a conclusion. We don't argue with them, do we? But, someone pays for that x-ray or MRI. I better stop here....Thanks Gonzo.....now where did I put that blood pressure medication....

You cannot be all things to all people. If you try, you will fail. You feel bad because you care, that's a good thing. The other day a car was towed in late afternoon. The customer pumped diesel into his Prius. We told him that we would not start on the car until the next day. He called 6:30 the next morning to see if the car was done! I know, I picked up the phone! When I tried to explain that this not a routine repair, he got angry. In fact he came by around 9:30 and DROVE his car away. Mind you, he did not start the car up at the gas station after realizing he filled it with diesel. We told him that was good, and advised him to NOT drive the car. Well, he did. I feel bad too, but you know...he is the issue, not me. All part of a day's work...right?

Welcome to ASO! Don't be a stranger. Great place to share and exchange ideas and learn.

Years back, when I was looking to hire a technician, my first criteria would be the person’s skill level. In fact, I mainly based my decision on the tech’s skill, ASE certifications, and experience. The result? High turnover. Now, I look for character first. Is the person I am looking to hire the right fit for my shop? Does this person have right character? After that trait I look for talent. With the right character and talent, we can teach them the skills. Obviously the tech needs to be technically proficient, but hiring people based on skill alone is not the recipe for a long term profitable business plan. The most important component when hiring is ensuring that the person you are hiring is the right fit for your company.