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flacvabeach

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Everything posted by flacvabeach

  1. Stay away from my coach. He's evil and you wouldn't like him and No I won't tell you who he is. If you've given your coach a fair chance to perform and you've done your part, and you're not satisfied, call Brian Stasch and give him a chance to fix the problem. If I tell my coach I want help, he immediately provides tools and ideas and dogs me until I get a potential solution in place. They have access to a wealth of tools and tried and proven techniques. I don't know why they wouldn't give you quick proposals to help you solve your problem. Our coach helped us develop a matrix that covers SAs, techs of all grades and it pretty much insures good margins if you're doing all the right stuff. It's nice because we don't have to sit around fretting about what we should pay - we just figure out where a new prospect falls on the matrix based on skill level. It rewards them for different aspects of performance and it keeps us out of trouble on tech overtime.
  2. Gutsy first impression. Not gonna attract a lot of soccer moms. Some people might move on the the next Google search listing in hopes of finding a phone number. Might scare me off if I want my 2005 Honda accord serviced. But cool visual layout.
  3. In our growth with ATI, we have invested the most time and energy on tech and service writer pay plans and it has paid off immensely. We have a safety net weekly pay that increases with tech productivity and profitability from SA performance. An important aspect is that tech overtime is covered in the event of a wage/hour complaint. We are currently "killin' it" as they say and our techs and writers are making great money as a result. All I can say is get coaching. The best athletes in the world all have coaches - shouldn't you?
  4. We are general service, but chose to ally ourselves with The Hybrid Shop and specialize in hybrid vehicles. I believe that hybrids have a strong future in our business. The first ones that came out are aging and need help. Hybrid owners are almost cult-like and really love their cars. We used our special skills training and equipment to rescue distressed cars and became a used car dealer. The Prius has a huge following and the damn things last forever. One of our company shuttle vehicles is stuck at 299999 on the odometer and we proudly point that out to customers. Soon we will be maintaining the hybrid city buses under contract to the local transit administration.
  5. Not directly on topic, but there is a Chrome extension that is called Open SEO stats. It tells you in a little tool bar widget what the page rank or authority is for the page you are on. Page rank is important. If you drill down in the tool it give you some pretty neat SEO metrics about the page, but if you really get interested and dig too far, they want money. It takes time and effort to even get ranked initially. Craigslist is a 5 as is Carfax. Facebook is a 9. Identifix is a 4. My page is a two which is where most businesses seem to stall. Kind of fun to look at your competitors' pages and see where they are and go nonny nonny booboo if they are lower than you. If you have had your page maintained by a pro for some time and you are unranked, it might be a topic for your next meeting with them.
  6. Do you have the source code for your site or did they leave you high and dry? If you don't have the underlying content you'll be starting from scratch.
  7. We periodically distribute our employee handbook and shop practices manual to the whole staff and they are supposed to sign a receipt for each acknowledging that they have read and will comply. This time a relatively new tech told our admin person he would sign. Why not? Because under the section about wheels and tires it says "do not use battery operated impact tools to perform final installation of wheel attachment hardware." He had a big expensive half inch drive battery impact and thought he should be able to use it for everything. I was very proud of myself for not going out there and telling him to do what the hell I said. I calmed down and put the justification for the rule in writing. Here it is: ****************************************************************************** Wheel installation is arguably the riskiest operation we perform in terms of the potential disastrous results possible if performed incorrectly. Engines and transmissions failing catastrophically pale in comparison when you consider the results of a wheel coming adrift at speed. To minimize the risk and the corporation’s liability, we have established what we feel is the best and most reasonable approach. It is based on a standardized process, tools with known capabilities, and technician experience and training. Some companies require that all lugs be torqued manually to manufacturer’s specs. We have adopted a less stringent process, but one that is accepted practice in our industry and has minimal impact on technician productivity. Implementation of this process depends on the following: A compressor with adequate pressure and volume to insure that it is capable in almost all circumstances of providing more torque than needed for the types of vehicles we service. Half-inch drive air impact wrenches that are known to provide more torque than needed for the types of vehicles we service. Torque sticks that limit the torque to approximately manufacturer’s spec. Battery-operated tools have permeated our industry and in most cases they are easier to use and offer improved productivity. There are great performers and not-so-hot performers. There is no way for management to evaluate the performance of every impact gun that appears in the shop and there is no way to determine the continuing performance of those tools as their batteries discharge and deteriorate with age. The standard process for wheel installation at First Landing Autocare incorporates the use of professional-grade half-inch air impact wrench connected to shop air supply with the correct torque stick for the application. Battery impact guns are not to be used for final tightening of wheel fasteners. ************************************************************************** How does the group feel about this?
  8. Kukui provides a lot of metrics about how and what your website is doing. I had an opportunity to have dinner with the head guy at Kukui and I came away very impressed with his enthusiasm and knowledge of the science of web marketing. Former tech and shop owner and Demandforce employee who got out before they went corporate.
  9. Well put, alfredauto. We've been given instant access to the entire body of knowledge and experience of mankind accessible through a small device we wear on our belt. Are you really going to limit yourself and your tech to looking only at a few select "pro" websites? We work on anything that comes through the door and I'm going to use every resource available to get the info I need to succeed. Is there a lot of crap out there/? Sure. It's like panning for gold - you sift through a lot of mud and sand and fool's gold, but when you find a nugget, it makes it all worthwhile. There are a lot of dedicated generous techs and shop owners out there posting valuable info to personal blogs and obscure forums. Google lets you find them. We specialize in hybrids and I'm very thankful for sites like artsautomotive.com and priuschat. Yes, on priuschat your have to weed out the BS and idle chatter, but sometimes I feel like that's what I have been doing in daily life for 66 years. There's a YouTube video out there for everything. I want my techs to be hungry for faster easier, safer, more efficient ways to get things done, rather than simply following in the footsteps of old dogs like me. For those who interpreted my earlier statements as thinking my techs need Google to learn their job, my real point is that when I walk through the shop and see one of them staring into that little glowing screen, maybe, just maybe, they are learning something new and doing something beneficial for both me and them. But it doesn't really matter because I don't judge their performance by what I see them doing moment to moment in the bay, I measure their performance by productivity numbers and labor margins and how they assist with team building and improving our company culture and mentoring junior techs and hanging in on Friday evening to finish that last minute job. I mostly like to see them making a ton of money, because under our tech pay plan that means I made a ton of money.
  10. Good point. It's utterly incomprehensible.
  11. One thing ATI will stress is that you need to have a mobile-friendly page if you want to get Google's attention.
  12. My first thought is that you shouldn't advertise for techs on your public page any more than a restaurant should put "chef wanted" on theirs. I'm not in a position to critique, but ATI conducts a media class that is mind-blowing. Whether you do your own site or farm it out, you need to know what's effective.
  13. Seems all of this would be resolved by having everybody on a performance-based pay system. My guys, from advisors to techs, are trying to bust as many hours a week as they can and hate distractions. Besides, I feel stupid if I give them a hard time about it and find out they were doing a Google serach about the car they are working on. It's a fact of life. Learn how to deal with it.
  14. Everyone needs to be aware that under Obamacare, you will be punished financially if you elect to reimburse employees for health insurance rather than establishing a company plan. The "excise tax" as they call it, is $100 per day per employee! Check out the IRS link here.
  15. My response would be that you can't afford to be without a program that helps you create and store professional, attractive courtesy inspections. The Smartflow portion might be overkill in a small shop, but then again, you might grow into it.
  16. The on-site training was not free. I'm not going to quote prices - you need to ask Autovitals about that. Our trainer was a shop owner who sold his shop in San Diego, bought another shop in CA and runs it remotely from Raleigh, NC. Definitely and expert at shop management and Autovitals functionality and it was obvious he was fired up about what he was doing. He worked his butt off while he was here, training in group mode, one-on-one, and modifying inspection scripts. We've always had a problem with techs not following a process on complex diagnostic jobs, so we worked with him to develop a script that, if followed, should stop techs from taking a WAG at what expensive part they should change.
  17. The Virginia Automotive Association lobbies the Virginia legislature continuously in defense of our industry. They are the ONLY organization that does so. They are able to do this only through the participation and membership of shops like yours statewide. The group's current initiative is to obtain a long overdue increase in the state inspection fee. Your help is needed on this and other issues that come up before the politicians in Richmond. VAA has been supporting Virginia independent shops behind the scenes for 50 years. Today they need your support in return. You can sit around and grumble about only getting $15 to do a 30 minute inspection or you can work to change it. I urge you to visit the Association website and learn more, then go to the membership page and sign up! The membership benefits alone more than cover the membership fee and think about how an inspection fee increase could impact your bottom line. If you would like to actively participate in this effort, call or e-mail the association's Executive Director, Steve Akridge and volunteer or just join! Thanks, Mark Anderton
  18. Another update on our Autovitals experience. Over the last couple of weeks we have committed to going paperless in our internal work flow. Previously we put emphasis on improving what was already a pretty good vehicle inspection program by getting all techs on tablets with customized inspection checklists. Two weeks ago we installed 42 inch touchscreen monitors on the wall at each shop in place of the board that formerly held our work order clip boards. Last week a trainer from Autovitals came in and spent a day with the staff at both shops tying everything together, fine tuning the inspection scripts to our needs and showing the SAs what a powerful tool this is to help them sell. There was, of course, some resistance from some quarters, but we work hard at getting employee buy-in and it's hard for them to resist the lure of more work int he bays and more commish in their checks. An added benefit is that managers can be anywhere in the world and get an instant picture of shop and tech loading and spot problem children that need to be dealt with. AV displays a wealth of data about each car in the Smartflow program.
  19. I sense some reluctance to take advantage of the whole ATI program. I was the same way initially, but my family and I have swallowed the program hook line and sinker with results that surprise me. First, I couldn't believe I needed a service writer in a three bay service station, but I made the plunge and now have four service writers in two productive shops. There's always room for improvement. My advice is take full advantage of the ATI program. If your coach isn't motivating you ask for a new one.
  20. My advice is make it comfortable and inviting for women. We have rocking chairs and furniture that looks like Grandma's living room. Keurig machine with snacks. Tablet for them to play with. Toys for kids. Finally Autonet Lobby TV. It entertains and advertises for you and you can create your own content. Content is kept current and fresh by folks out in Utah.
  21. We recently switched our analog two line phone system bundled by our cable provider to Vonage VOIP. They provided a low-priced package of IP desk phones (five for each of my two shops). All five phones at each shop can receive calls simultaneously. All ten extensions look like a single system, so people at one shop can transfer calls to the other shop with a three digit dial. It has great after hours/busy answering functions. After some initial configuration of my LAN, quality and reliability are great. Support is great. Any extension can be configured to ring a cell phone through their app. They guide you through the process of porting your existing phone number. You can turn call recording on and off on a monthly basis. They also offer fax service. We recently added cordless handsets that have amazing range. After some initial fumbling learning how to transfer calls, everybody is happy and that doesn't happen very often .
  22. Last week, as part of an ATI 20-Group exercise, my son and daughter-in-law went with the entire group to do an assessment of one of the group member shops in Nashville. They broke up into sub groups and evaluated facilities, equipment, interviewed service writers, reviewed processes and management practices. The goal over the next couple of years is to visit all shops in the group and do the same thing. It's tough to hang yourself out there in front of your peers like that, but the rewards are amazing. Anyway, the point for this thread is that Autovitals sent a rep to the meeting. Not long after the visit started, Uwe Klienschmidt, the head guy at Autovitals showed up and met one on one with the members of the group who use AV (most are users). He took home a lot of first-hand feedback. That's pretty good support and reinforced our belief we made a good decision going with AV.
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