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Stories of you first year.

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Gonzo Grand Master

Gonzo

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Always slow in March and first part of April. I attribute it to the late snow falls that come our area, late for us is March snows...not like you guys up north. The big difference is if there is even an 1/8 of an inch of snow they roll the sidewalks up around here. Which means a lot of people don't get a full paycheck that week. With the credit card bills coming in from Christmas, the snow fall, the lack of a full paycheck everybody is broke.

 

As soon as the 15th rolls around it's like a roller coaster ride of busy slow all the way until Sept. when school starts again.

 

As far as my first year... geez...that was so long ago I've tried to forget it....it wasn't great but after 30+ years I'm still at it, still waiting for that busy season. :)

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mccannable Collaborator

mccannable

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Thanks for the input. With starting out the highs and lows can be vary vast and a but uncomfortable at times. We are actively perusing fleet accounts. We have had a great deal of success out of the few we have had and also had owners brings their cars in as well. There is about a dozen companies with a fleet withing a few miles of us. We are not passively waiting for business; that does not allow for easy nights sleep.

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ncsvoboda7 Enthusiast

ncsvoboda7

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Thanks for the input. With starting out the highs and lows can be vary vast and a but uncomfortable at times. We are actively perusing fleet accounts. We have had a great deal of success out of the few we have had and also had owners brings their cars in as well. There is about a dozen companies with a fleet withing a few miles of us. We are not passively waiting for business; that does not allow for easy nights sleep.

I don't mean to hijack this thread but what is the best way to approach fleets to gain their business, do you just cold call and then hopefully set up an appointment to meet with the manager hoping your prices and services are better than whoever they are using now? I have been looking into this lately and would appreciate any advice.

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mccannable Collaborator

mccannable

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I don't mean to hijack this thread but what is the best way to approach fleets to gain their business, do you just cold call and then hopefully set up an appointment to meet with the manager hoping your prices and services are better than whoever they are using now? I have been looking into this lately and would appreciate any advice.

 

We have little skill in "fleet service sales" but we both have sales backgrounds. That is what we are counting on to get the accounts. We are stopping by with a flyer we made asking to talk with the decision maker and going from there. So far its been better than any other form of marketing.

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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
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