FROGFINDER

The only place I have found anyone worth hiring lately is from Craigslist. The local paper and other media have been a waste of money. But it is tough, tough, tough finding anyone.

True, Sad but true.

Automotive skills. and 100 grand worth of tools , like common knowledge is not so common in today's world.

You focus on your game and let the cheaper guy focus on his. I wish all phone shoppers the best of luck and remind them i do used vehicle inspections for $99.00.

Talk is Cheap

I tend to direct people to a very good tire shop two blocks down from us. If the tire is to be dismounted and inspected and repaired it gets done safely at n/c to the customer. Many times the problem tire has internal damage, age or wear that dictates the need for a new tire. If so they are at the right place. I will ask for the customers prayers and referrals.

It's all about Prayers and Referrals.....The harder i work the Luckier i get-The Frogfinder

Whatever the cost of a part you must make the profit that you need to stay in business period. With information age it is tough and it will get tougher. We are in a war.

<em class='bbc'>Are your service advisors engaging customers, or are they part of the walking dead?</em>

 

Ok, I admit it. Let’s get it out in the open. I am a zombie movie fan. There is something about dead people shuffling around grunting in an expressionless, catatonic state that captivates me. The new TV series, The Walking Dead, is my current favorite show. However, when it comes to catatonic customer service people…well that’s another story.

 

Two Saturdays ago I went to an upscale clothing store to purchase a new suit for my son’s wedding. Being a special event and the fact that I haven’t bought a new suit since Reagan was President, I figured it was time. Buying a quality suit was my goal, the money was secondary, not that money isn’t important, but this is my son’s wedding and buying a nice suit would, for me, add to the overall enjoyment of the occasion.

 

Well, the karma in the store just wasn’t right. Everyone seemed preoccupied, confused and stressed. After waiting for nearly 10 minutes I finally managed to get a saleswoman to help, and together with the help of my wife, I picked out a real nice suit. The Tailor worked his magic and told me to come back in a week to pick it up.

 

Last Saturday I went back to the store to try on the suit. Again, you can tell something just wasn’t right. There were sales people on the floor and a few at the sales counter. But they were not engaging anyone, just shuffling around aimlessly. Every minute or so a sales person would shuffle by us gazing into space. As I tried to communicate, I could hear a faint grunt coming from the sales person. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it was definitely a grunt…..maybe a secret sales language? Or code? After a while my wife turns to me and says, “It’s like the walking dead”.

So here we are in the middle of this upscale clothing store, where my original intention was to have an experience what would add to the enjoyment of my son’s wedding, and it feels more like the movie set of “The Night of the Living Dead”.

 

I did finally find the same saleswomen who helped me originally. I quickly tried on the suit, grabbed my wife and ran out of the store. I was afraid that whatever infected these people might be contagious.

 

It may sound like I am making light of the situation, but don’t mistake my humorous analogy with a very serious situation. This incident got me thinking about business in general and how customers are treated, especially in our shops.

 

When customers come into your shop, are your service advisors engaging with them in a timely manner? Are they smiling and act in a way that make customers feel special, like family? Are your service advisors doing all they can to provide world-class service, treating people with respect, smiling and engaging in a little small talk? Or are they more like the Walking Dead, arms hanging at their sides, expressionless faces, with eyes staring off in the distance and grunting like zombies?

 

Let’s face it; being in business is not always a walk in the park. Some days are tougher than others, and we all get caught up with the daily struggles that weigh heavy on our shoulders. But the truth is the public has no idea what we go through and we need to understand that above all the customer experience is what matters most for the success of our companies.

 

So, where ever you are from now on, whether it’s a restaurant, hotel, on a plane or even in your own shop, pay particular attention to the sales people. See if you can spot any of the walking dead. If you do, tell them they just may be better off auditioning for next year’s Walking Dead TV series, and stay out of the customer service business.

 

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Hard hearts=zombie service.

I ask my techs if they think they want to own the tool, now I use this only in cases where I know I will buy the tool and inventory it. Like a special tool for holding timing ect. If its a set of sockets that are made to make the work easier, thats on them to buy. Its a gray area between myself investing in my shop and my techs investing in their future and I try to be a nice guy and help them out. I also will pay on their tool accounts for a job well done, they always love that.

 

I get an impression that this is a new topic for you, if so definitly some things to consider:

-seperate place for special tools

-A inventory in your parts system with seperate group so you can run inventory.

-Tag system for signing tools out, I'm lax with this, but when something goes missing or misplaced, all of my guyys are inconvienced enough to not make the same mistake.

-Label tool with an engravor(sp?).

 

If your just asking around, I like to be reasonable with my techs, I don't want them to spend their hard earned money on every tool for the job. My guys have been working for me for a long time so I don't mind buying tools for them that I will own but are available for them to use to maintain a level of feeling like I'm there for them, not working against them.

 

Hope that helps!

That's the way we see it.

After spending time and money at everywhere else and the problem is still there....the customer tells me he/she is broke but can i take a look to see what's wrong for free like -------- does. The truth is many people cannot afford my help anymore after they have wasted the money elsewhere.

Some of my mentors won't hire a person that can't write or spell.

The Texas summer sun is taking it's toll on a/c and cooling systems. Trip checks and used car inspections on all car's. You don't want a customer to break down in another shop.

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"A man has to know his limitatons" Dirty Harry

30 % of my work is fixing other people's cheaper repairs.

Eventually there will not be an Auto Zone, Advance, O'Reilly because one of the players will disappear. My guess will be Advance.

The "Do It Not " segment is growing and that's what effects all of us. Last one out turn out the lights. Many businesses/brand's (American Motor's, Pontiac, others too numerous) have bit the dust but bless the The Lord and Family i worked today.

The generation that maintained vehicles is graying/dying off. Many people think that a trip thought the fast lube, a stop at the gas station and a drive through the car was is all that is needed. That being said most every car you see on the road needs $200.00 worth of something. The need is great but many customer's are broke.

I often tell people if they don't bring the car to me-take it to the dealer. I get referrals from the surrounding dealers as well. When asked about cost of a repair being done at another shop if it's sounds fair i say stay where you are. I offer to look at the car for a second opinion or a visual look over to see if the repair looks good. I often get the callers return phone number and call them up in a few days to check on how things went.

I remember take a number and stand in line at the auto parts store in the early seventies. Fathers and son's would be doing brake jobs, tune up's, water pumps, fuel pumps, engine job's,etc. I think something is lost when a family can't fix their own buggy.

Great point! I have seen this too. My best salespeople are my own customers.

Referrals in our waiting room is music to our ears.

Wishing you comfort and peace. Dog's are living unconditional love. Someday i hope to be as great as my dog thinks

i am.

As a kid growing up in the auto business, my father and I would spend a lot of Saturday afternoon’s at Babe’s Body Shop. Babe was an old Army buddy; and as they reminisced about the old days I would wander around the shop and the yard and look at all the banged-up cars. I would also watch the body men in the shop pound a wrecked car back into shape. One thing Babe knew, there will always be a constant supply of banged-up cars.

 

Fast forward today: Is the body business seeing a decline in accidents? Are safer cars reducing the likelihood of accidents to a point that it is affecting business as usual? Fewer accidents are a good thing, overall. But what affect will this have for the future of the body business?

Watch the Total Out Rate. Modern vehicles are designed to sacrifice themselves for the safety of the occupants. I see many late model cars that drive and look repairable be totalled due to the cost of all the air bags,expensive HID headlamps, a/c condenser and radiator.Cars that just a few years ago would have been repaired are now recycled to make other products. I have also seen a rise in vehicles that have been wrecked but the customer could not afford full coverage insurance so off to pick a part it goes or they drive with the damage.

Yup.

You are like a doctor and should NEVER discuss your customers situation in public. When you can share great news to a customer you should shout it from the roof top.

I noticed some shops here get customers in with a low ball over the phone quote, then the price climbs up during the repair.

 

I rarely ever have an issue selling a fair priced repair to a customer in person, what I don't have any luck with is selling over the phone. Seems people just call every shop and take the lowest price. Unfortunately I am not always the lowest price, never the highest price, but a fair price (although I am one of the LOWER prices).

The voice contact is the most important contact with another human being that we have. Phone quotes are people reaching out to us. Impact the caller and they will refer others to your shop. Ask how they heard of your shop. Ask them for the vehicles vin number,get callers name, phone number and address. Ask them to come by for a free visual inspection Tell them you will call them back. Make sure they understand where your shop's location is and your hours of operation. Call them back with your fair gue$$, are the parts avail?, time to completion and offer them a courtesy ride/pick up when done. Call them back within 24 hours asking how they and the vehicle is. They should praise you for calling back and thinking of them. Remind them that you need thier referrals and prayers more than thier money.

We try to schedule the brain teasers around the vacations.Most customers are ok with it when they know that we will be all hands on deck next week.

What hurts me is that more and more people no longer afford my help help. I am seeing people in thier late twenty's and thirties having to get grandpa and grandma to pay for the repairs.

Thanks to all Veterans and Families.

In our market the basic services that vehicles have needed in the past are being "given away". I read in one pole that dealerships are satisfying consumers better than independents for scheduled services. I stopped by the local Acura dealership one saturday morning a few weeks ago and saw at least 40 people sitting/milling around the free entertainment/coffee bar area. I went to a tire store and saw 28 people plus with no more parking left. The Stand alone quik lube/car wash was packed selling synthetic Mobil one oil changes for $29.95. When was the last time your shop had more that twenty people waiting for your help? . I remember when working at the auto parts store in 1973 we would have twenty people waiting for us to open. Many of them had rotors and drums that needed turning, tune up parts to match up, starter and alternators that needed testing, etc.

Sometimes i think there is more money to be made collecting the rent and franchise fees from the auto repair shop owner/sweat equity invester than servicing the plastic appliances on wheels that pass for cars today. The mass public expects an oil change For $1x.xx and a four wheel brake job for $9x.xx while they wait or they must have a loaner car. It's getting harder to spend time and effort to provide those services and still pay the bills.

That being said Map out the turf around your shop and locate the vehicles that you want to work on. Contact as many people within the map and let them know about your shop. Make an impact for your shop in your area every day.

ps Thanks to all the veterans that have protect us so we can have a auto repair shop.

Free Maintenance is actually built into the price of car, plus the dealer and the car makers know that if you bring in more customers you accomplish a number of things: the chance to up sell, the chance to create a long time customer, the increased channce to sell another car in the future.

 

The marketing works and I don't like it. Xrax is right, how do you compete with free????

Free draws the people to contact dealer (along with ONstar, iphone apps). The dealers get paid by the customer and by the factory to do recalls and campaigns. When the warranty is over they can up sell to a new car and the process starts all over.

We had a 2007 Toyota Sequoia with a complaint of a growl from the front while driving. You would bet money that the noise was from the front differential. In fact, we ran it up in the air in 4 wheel drive and you could hear the noise from the front differential. Or, what sounded like the front.

 

We took it out of 4 wheel drive, and ran the real wheels only. The tech inside the car shouted out of the window, “The noise is still there”. After listening to the rear differential, we found that the noise was actually coming from the left rear. We pulled the bearing apart and it was filled with rust and scored.

 

The left rear bearing solved the problem, but we got initially fooled.

 

Just thought I would pass this info to everyone...

We have found some with water in the rear differential that ruined the bearings. The rear fluid looking like a milk shake. I think that a tsb covers that on some models. Even the owners of the vehicle thought that the noise was coming from the front.