Joe Marconi

Yes, I agree. We need to sell more maintenance services. In addition, when someone comes in for an Oil Change and a laundry list of other issues, we need to be very careful not to include valuable diag time in a routine LOF. For example, a customers states that he is feeling a vibration on acceleration or as an oil leak. We charge separately for these concerns. I think this is an area where shops can improve on, in addition to selling Maintenance services, not just LOFs

More and more shops are considering calling customers in addition to sending reminders. Think about, you dentist does it, your doctor, hair salons do it, the eye doctor. It's proven that when someone is called in addition to a reminder, it increases the return rate.

My wife and I went to Mall yesterday to buy a gift for my grandson. We passed the men's belts and noticed a sales offer; 30% off all Belts. I stopped to look, and my wife said, "Don't you need a new belt?" So, I picked a $40 belt that was marked down 30%, which brought the belt down to $28. My wife pulls out a $20 coupon, which brought the price down to 8 bucks! What is the real price on the belt?....what is the cost price to the store on the belt? Makes you think, right? I struggle with 10% discounts on AAA customers. Is price all smoke and mirrors, when it comes to retail?

Wow, that is amazing!

This goes on all the time. Take it as a lesson that everything needs to be documented and payment must be paid in full before the car is released. Speak to your accountant about uncollectible debt. It's a shame, but there are people like this out there.

Back in the early 80s when I started, an oil change was priced about the same price is it now at many repair shops. This is a controversy that is debated with many different opinions. We did not care back then about oil changes, we were making too much money on broken cars. Plus, you did not have the competition you do now. Truth is, cars don't breakdown like they used and everyone now is a Total Car Care Center: Just look at Transmission shops, Midas, Tire Centers, and even Body shops now do services and repairs. Oil changes are still the one service that drives your customers back to you. So however you look at oil changes, with regard to price and profit, I don't think we can survive with them.

Great story Gonzo. True to form of who we are and what drives us.

How to capitalize on the tough winter Spring is here… well technically it is. There will be a lot of winter related work and we need to capitalize on this. Take care of your customers. Make sure you inspect every car. Don’t get tunnel vision and just focus on the immediate concern. Remember the concept of total car care. This strategy will benefit the customer by identifying key services and repair issues, saving the customer in the long run. It’s all about taking care of your customers. And the added benefit? What it will add to your bottom line.

I may have been the boss but for the first 10 to 15 years in business, but I spent most of my time in the shop. This was a time when we did not have office staff, a service advisor, clean up crew or a foreman. The duties of those positions were carried out by yours truly. I would spend of my day running around, working on cars, greeting customers, did the banking, cleaning bathrooms, doing repairs on the equipment, selling work, all the bookkeeping, on and on and on; Until I reached the breaking point. Fast forward some 15 years later, and I now run the business, and all the positions that were once my responsibilities are now in the hands of selected employees. We have grown because of this, but sadly, there is a disconnect. I feel I am no longer Joe the boss/mechanic/one of the guys. I am the just the boss. It may be my perception, but perception is reality, so they say. Coping with this is hard. I got into this business because I love the cars. I still do. I love this business. When I speak to my people, it’s The Boss speaking, not Joe. Is this a common situation, and if it is, how to you cope? Or is it really a problem?

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Are there shop owners make it mandatory that their techs attend training each year? if so, what type of training and how much? Also, how many shop owners pay for the training and also how many pay the tech's time if the training is after work hours. One more thing, what about other staff member training; Service advisors, etc? There appears to be vast differences between shops with regard to training, available training and how much training.

If the customer correctly guesses at what's wrong with his/her it's nothing more than that, a guess. And again, respect and attitude trumps everything.

Gonzo, I have to tell you that your article really hit home. I often speak to my wife about this very issue. I have never had an issue or problem with a car, it's always the owner that gives me grief. Now, let me say that there are a lot of fine people out there. But, there are too many that walk the earth with attitudes that are close to criminal. I remember this one customer who would complain each time he got his bill. 50 cents for a bulb would be too much. He would throw the money at me when he paid his bill and say, "Here, take my money, take it!" It's hard to focus on the good people when there are so many nuts running around. Well written on a touchy subject.

MotoLogic is a real nice program, and layed out nice too. Easy to use and navigate. They need to fill in the gaps. It's a product from Advance Auto Parts.

Marketed correctly, an alignment machine can be a goldmine. Hunter is perhaps the best out there, it's what we have. The new Hunter is real nice, quick and easy. If you do go for it, make it part of your inspection process, when you can. For example, when we have slow day, I put one tech on the align machine to get a qucik read out for all the cars on the schedule. With the Hunter it's quick and easy. We then disucss the print out with the customer, if the alignment is out. For the winter months, it's an easy sell and you are doing the customer a real value by extending the life of the tires. You can create a package also: Alignment, tire rotation, balannce, suspension/steering check.

You do not have to rehire former employees, and you should proceed very carefully if you are considering any former employee. Your employees represent you, your company and the culture of your company. Be very careful who you hire from this point on.

It is amazing the stories people tell and how they explain the problem they are having. It's more amazing when a husband and wife start to argue with each other over who's version of the story is correct! But, as you said, in the end, it makes an interesting day at the office.

Source: Will you adapt and cope with changing automotive technology?

Will you adapt and cope with changing technology? I remember back in the mid 70s, my boss complaining that electronic ignition was going to destroy our business. “They are taking away our tune up business”, he would say. In some ways, he was right. Technology and change is something that we cannot control. In fact, “change” is perhaps the one thing we Can count on. And, as in life, it’s how we deal with change that matters. I guess the blacksmiths of late 1880s viewed their future with apprehension. Those that aligned themselves with the horse and carriage, faded into oblivion, those that viewed themselves as someone who could adjust to the change, became our first mechanics. We are at a critical crossroads again. Hybrids, electric cars, hydrogen cars and other new technologies will bring great changes to the automotive world. How will we cope with these changes? In the mid 1980s, Smith Corona, a 100 year old type writer company, vowed to never abandon what made them so successful; the typewriter. In 1995 Smith Corona filed for bankruptcy. Smith Corona looked to the past, when it should have been looking to the future: The Personal Computer Age. To secure your future, look to the future. There you will find opportunity. Oh, it will be different, but there will be opportunity for those who adapt. It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change. -Charles Darwin

Selling tires is not necessary, especially if your shop is small. The advantage of selling tires is that you are offering your customers another service, rather than going somewhere else. But, again, most shops can build a lucrative business and not sell tires. For large repair shops, it makes sense, since they can keep the business for themselves, while still performing all other hire level repair and service work. However, I do think that you will need a balancer and tire machine. This items are essential shop equipment. Also, have the ability to repair flats. I hope this helps.

I am not a big believer in additives to solve problems. We do promote Preventive Maintenance, and we use BG products. BG also has a Lifetime Protection Plan if you start the service before 75,000 miles. So they stand behind their products. I also tell my customers that are keeping their cars for a long time to service all the fluids BEFORE they turn color. For example, when the tranny fluid is burnt and brown, it's too late. Like I always say, "The time to start thinking about taking care of yourself is not when your in an ambulance after having a heart attack"

We have all been down this road, and if there is one thing I cannot take is rudeness and how some people don't respect what we do. If you think about it, the first red flag was the fact that he took his MERCEDES TO PEP BOYS. I am not putting down Pep Boys, but they "target low price, get it done cheap". Most of us do not operate like that, we offer the very best at a fair price. Another lesson to take care of your profile customers, and let some pass you by.

Welcome to the site, your perspective should be different, but I imagine you encounter many of the same issues everyone else does.

Will do Gonzo!