Joe Marconi

Source: When hiring, look for character, talent and then skill

Sorry, I never have.

Great article and 100% correct. Sometimes we spend too much effort to bring out in someone what's not in them to begin with. Give me talent, the rest we can teach. Great stuff Gonzo!

I want to wish the very best this holiday weekend. Spend time with who matter most, family and friends. Happy Easter and Passover. Joe Marconi

If you have not read “The One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard, you should. And, if you have read it, and it was a long time ago, read it again. It’s a short book you could probably read in a weekend. But don’t let the size of the book fool you. This book is as good as any other book when it comes to employee management. For me, the biggest lesson from the book is to “catch people doing things right” and praise them for it. Too often we focus on what goes wrong. While you need to address mistakes, slipups and errors, you should put more emphasis on what goes right. This will lead to people “wanting” to repeat that same behavior. Why? Simply because you took the time to recognize them. So, start today…go out in the shop, walk around, and find someone doing something right and praise them for it!

Source: Catch People Doing Things Right!

A jury found Chrysler responsible in the death of a 4-year-old Georgia boy in a fiery Jeep crash and ordered the auto maker to pay $150 million in damages. The reason is that the location of the fuel tank is behind the rear axle, making it negligence by Chrysler Corp. My question to all members is; is there really a safe place to locate a fuel tank? There are a lot of shop owner/techs reading this. Isn't the gas tank vulnerable no matter where it is??? Please: I want to know your thoughts on this. http://www.wsj.com/articles/georgia-jury-hits-chrysler-with-150-million-penalty-in-death-1428018912

Sorry, although I have presented many seminars and courses with my work with Elite, I have never been involved with a votech school or college. But, I would like to hear from others if they have first hand experience. Great post!

Best of luck to you and welcome to AutoShopOwner.com. Don't be a stranger. There are so many shop owners member that you can learn from and exchange ideas. Networking is the key.

The International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN) announced the launch of iATN Auto Pro Careers, a new service that allows industry professionals to create profiles and search for new jobs, while also giving employers the opportunity to post open positions and search for qualified candidates. By the way, if you do not belong to the IATN, you should join. It's a great resource for technical information. Here's a link for more information: http://www.searchautoparts.com/motorage/references-service-information-service-repair/new-iatn-auto-pro-careers-service-simplifies-

Shop liscensing has been a debated topic since as long as I can remember. The North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday introduced Senate Bill 454 that would require collision and mechanical repair shops to be licensed to conduct business in the state. Below is a link to the article in Ratchet + Wrench. What is your stand on shop liscensing? http://www.ratchetandwrench.com/RatchetWrench/April-2015/North-Carolina-Introduces-Shop-Licensing-Bill/?utm_source=KnowledgeMarketing&utm_medium=RW%20-%20Newsletter%20Emails&utm_term=RW%20-%20RW%20Insider&utm_content=RW_TheRWInsider_20150402&utm_campaign=%20North%20Carolina%20Introduces%20Shop%20Licensing%20Bill&eid=211700044&bid=1040900

Very funny!

From my experience, there are very few DIY'rs that can really do what we do. You cannot be a weekend warrior and expect to be at the same level that someone who does it everyday, commits to on-going training and is surrounded by a team of other techs, with the right tools and information. BUT, the one phrase that I cannot stand from a DIY'rr is when they say, "I do all my own work". That's when I have a little fun. I reply with, "Oh, really. What type of alignment machine do you have in your garage, and what brand tire changer to do have, and what make tire balancer do you own". They usually mumble a few words and leave.

Before you call me crazy, please read on. Your tools, your technical ability and your equipment are all components of your business. And of course you cannot conduct business without these components. But, the real key to your success is who you hire and how you manage your employees. In addition, morale has more to do with worker engagement than any other element of your business. And engaged workers are more productive, have less comebacks, take less sick days and contribute to the growth of your business. We all know one undeniable fact: Happy workers create happy customers and happy customers put you in a position to win. Think of it this way; what wins baseball games? Is the stadium? Is it the training equipment? Is the beautifully manicured field? The baseball bat? The baseball? These are elements of the game, but it’s the quality of the players, combined with their drive to be the best, that ultimately determines success and win games. Hire the best talent, work real hard to keep morale up, and do all you can to bring out the best in all your employees. Do this, and the rest will fall into place.

This is good news for the aftermarket industry. All too often we hear about new car dealers and car manufacturer twisting and abusing the Magnuson Moss Act, making claims or making consumers think that they have to use OE parts or that dealer service is required under the new car warranty period. Click on the link below, I urge to read the article. We need to make our customers understand this too. The fact is a consumer has the choice where to have their new car serviced. No car company can require an OE part of dealer service, unless the dealer or car company offers it at no charge to the consumer. Here's the link: http://www.searchautoparts.com/aftermarket-business/news-distribution/auto-care-association-applauds-ftc-settlement-bmw-warranties?cid=95879

Find out if there are any business organizations or business groups in your area. Also check with the local chamber of commerce and speak to the financial loan officer at local commercial banks. The reason I mention this is that your success will be largely determined by the strength of your business plan, not your ability to fix cars. I know this may contrary to many, but it is the truth. Servicing and repairing cars is what you will do. How you become profitable and successful will be determined by how well you understand business, finance, pricing, labor production, employee management, etc. If you start off on the right foot, you will be ahead or the curve, that I can guarantee. Trust me on this. For the first 10 years in business, I was busy and made no money. I was a great mechanic, but a poor business man. The more I learned about business, the more success the business attained. Good luck and great post!

First welcome to ASO. Glad you found us! It is going good. I don't think the program is for everyone. You need a shop that can handle tire sales and at the same time, maintain production. We really don't compete with other tire stores in the area, since we also do full service, general repairs and diagnostic work. So, for us, the G3X is a bonus. We also don't brand ourselves as a tire dealer. I didn't want to be a "Me Too" tire dealer, giving discount tires. We are selective and competitive. Welcome again!

Is there a web site for more info?

The State leaders (around the country) do not understand how important the state inspection is to the safety of the motoring public. We do accident investigations for various police departments and the NY State Troopers. Many of the accidents we see are due to unsafe cars: bald tires, leaking wheel cylinders, other brake issues, loss of a belt which cause the driver to loose power steering, on and on. We all know that many accidents are due to excessive speed and driving under the influence, but safer cars saves lives. Many of the failures we see during the inspection were not known to the car owner. A customer just last week hit pot hole, damaged the tire and bent the wheel.

Ok, I'm really confused. 2ME the world has changed 4ever. Missed you last week..Now I know Y. Joe

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of a business management system for multiple locations that want to merge the data base, but yet keep separate the inventory and financial numbers of each location. I have a friend that tried Mitchell Enterprises and it was a disaster. Any help would be appreciated.

It seems every day you read about new technology or advancements in technology and electronics with regard to the modern and future automobile. With driver-less cars, hybrids, electric cars, hydrogen cars and other technological advances, will the repair shop business as we know it today be able to survive? I am saying that there will not be a need for repair shops. There always will be. And there will be a bright future for those you keep pace with technology. What I am saying is this; Will shops be able to tool up and hire techs that are able to handle all the different technical areas of the future automobile? Here's an example:, back in 50's, Transmission shops emerged and were a separate business from the traditional repair shop. Transmission rebuilding was a highly specialized business. Could we see more specification in the future? We are already seeing this on some level with The Hybrid Shop. Younger shop owners need to consider this and watch the trends and technology very closely. Your thoughts?

Customer that have postponed work will return. The issues is with production capacity. To make up for the lost sales, you will need to increase production. You can do that by extending hours, which will add to increased costs. Or, you can improve production per tech per day, which is not that easy. We may have to be selective in the type of jobs, choosing jobs that maximize profits. It will be interesting.

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the actual part quality? And what about returns and wrong parts?