Jeff

1) You spend a lot of money to make the phone ring 2) Most people don't know what to ask except price I give phone quotes all day. I used to not...gotta do the test, etc. Now I give a quick est and then tell them that it is subject to change. The key is to try to get them in. Some will, some wont. And some have become very good customers. It is all about getting them in and EDUCATING THEM.

My personal tool box is valued at over 200k and is primarily snap on. In the beginning I used the cheap stuff. The problem was it broke at the worst times, caused me injuries, and it was a hassle to go get the crap warrantied. Quality tools may cost more but they are PRICELESS! I have stuck with snap on over the years because they are consistent. I have matco, mac, cornwall etc that I cant get warrantied because there are no reps in the area. BUT everywhere in the world I have went there was always a snap on rep!

Day after Thanksgiving can be busy with all the travelers. I was gonna play it by ear myself. I only live a mile or so from the shop so if something comes up I get get there quickly.

I am very good friends with my Snappy guy. To that end we may "visit" a little longer that normal. But they also have a time frame to keep. He rarely is here more than 20 minutes unless I make a major purchase that requires contracts to be signed and such.

First of all most of the info providers track the IP address you log in from when you signed up. Secondly most of them have a limit on how many users can be signed in at a time. Third it is a cost of doing business. As far as the Google thing I really don't trust all the crap I see on the internet. I gave a buddy of mine in Tx my Identifix log in so he could fix his daughters truck. Caused all kind of problems!

When Orange County Choppers was big I used to laugh. The "club" I rode with so long ago would build bikes to make money for certain "projects". We were building these things before we had plasma cutters, cnc, etc. Now we never built a "corporate" prize bike but many of them are still running around. And the only TV time we got is when the cops busted one of the members!

Going against the grain here....I do install customer parts. Mark up the labor a bit...no warranty at all beyond the part will not fall off. If the parts are wrong and the car has to set till the customer gets the correct parts then it is billed dailey "inconvience" fees. Labor is added for a second r&r. Additional testing if needed is billed at full rate ++++. Now I can say this does not happen often. But I cant see letting the dollars get away. And I have turned a few into very good customers. At the end if the profit is equal to me suppling the part then it is all good.

Her lack of technical knowledge may be a benefit. By not knowing she may tend to ask more questions which is a good thing. My process is to greet customer. Write up estimate ( i use Mitchell Manager ) and have signed. Convert to repair order and print tech work sheet. address customers primary complaint and perform inspection. Up date estimates and call customer for approval. Re print tech sheet with any updates. order and bill parts. Completed tech sheet turned in and ro is converted to Invoice and customer is called. When customer picks up I address any declined work and try to get a future appointment. Print 2 copies of invoice. Customer gets one and other is attached to all prior paper work and filed.

I may have said this before but it worth repeating. I used to have a problem when the estimates got big, BAD NEWS. Then at a business seminar I had a fella tell me "It aint bad news..it is information the customer paid you to provide them" PERIOD. I prioritize the needs to 3 catagories. Safety, performance, convience. Cold A/C dont do much good if ya cant stop the car. And I do encourage folks to have a pre purchase inspection. As to the used car lots...most of them want it done on the cheap. I dont play that game. I have a few that bring me the "tough" work and they pay with out question.

In my shop I have my son and myself. I meet and greet, do all the paper work, order parts and do most of the computer diag work. It can be challenging to try to figure out where all the time went n a day. First thing I can tell you is get a blue tooth device for your phone. No more running for the phone when it rings. Secondly I print out daily "calender" pages similiar to a Day Timer. That stays on my clip board all day. Then as I move about during the day I can track my time.The sheets also have room for notes and such. Each car gets a tech sheet so we always have a clip board with the tech sheet and time sheet. Really helped me track the time thru the day.

The contract is between the warrenty company and the customer. I tell contract holders that I will contact the warrenty company on their behalf and deal with them. ANYTHING THE WARRENTY COMPANY DOES NOT COVER THEY ARE RESPOSIBLE FOR PERIOD. The problem is these people are lead to belive the contract covers EVERYTHING. Some pay well and some dont. Just dont let the warrenty company dicate to you what is right and wrong. We are the repair profesionals.

I DO stock dexos and full synthetics that meets the requirements of those that call for it. Please dont misunderstand...I do use the oils that meet factory requirements. And yes the API standard is met also. For instance some of the fords I service call out a 5w20 syn blend. I keep a few cases of Motorcraft oil for those that request it BUT my house brand meets all the same specs as the Motorcraft per their labels. Again it all boils down to REGULAR MAINT.

Phynny...The point I am trying to make here is it is the regularity of maint..not the product. Understand? Can you mathmatically prove that the synthetic oil gives better mpg? What proof or science do you have that proves that regular oil changes with synthetic lubes will give you longer life that conventional oils? I have yet to see it. The PROOF I HAVE is a Ford 4.9L!! ORIGINAL ENGINE TRANSMISSION AND REAR DIFF...ALL SERVICED WITH CONVENTIONAL FLUIDS! Now how you run your biz is you. Me? If I tried to flip my customers from a 30 lof to a 70 lof and told them they could come back half as often...???? Now as far as Wolfs Head being a "bathtub" blend..It is manufactured by Amalie..ever heard of it? Seems to me they do a lot of Top Fuel sponsoship. Meets all the SAE requirements...meets engine manufactures requirements. Now lets talk facts,.science...proof.

I have recently started in the tire biz. Yea I know that is auto 101 but it is a new revenue stream for me. I hope to get a pass thru the first if the year, then marketing it to the local shops that do not do flashing. Little things like this I hope add up to better dollars.

I cant see where a full synthetic will increase fuel mileage enough to justify the cost. Like I said 300k on a 4.9L Ford..in Florida heat and humidity...driven daily..and used like a truck. Lof is done every 6-7k with whatever I have at the shop...wix filters for the most part. Now with that said the newer engines may need a synthetic due to the variable cams and such. And not for the extra "protection" that a synthetic provides BUT because synthetic will not coke like conventional oils. That in turn reduces the possibilities of plugging up an oil port. Growing up on the farm..my father was a stickler for equipment maint. We used Wolfs Head if I remember correctly. These were large diesel engines that worked 18-20 hours a day during season. And a couple times a year my father would send oil samples out for analysis. He wanted to know before we had a major break down if we needed to pull down an engine for re-haul. Never had one come back negative.

I personally think the max life oils are a joke. I have over 300K on my Ford F150 4.9 auto. Has always used whatever I was using in the shop. Regular maint is the key!

I stopped using iATN when I was belittled for wrongly stating I had used my Solus when I had actually used the Vantage. You would have thought I was a 5 year old just picking up my first scre driver! I like the Identifix...have used the call in help line with mixed results. LOVE the direct hit feature!

I have been letting my son do more of the "wrenching" and I am TRYING to stay out of his way. It is tuff...especially when I can hear him having trouble with something. What has become so simple for me can still be a challange for him. But he is learning and is already a pretty good mechanic, having hung out with ole dad all these years. Onward and upward!!

Just up past the oak stump that has the Pabst can settin on it!

How will you be paid for the details at the new shop? Do they do full details there now or is this a new venture? Is there a dedicated area for you to work in? I would be looking into the car count and location. If the count is good you may have a "captive" audience. If the location is good you could build your client base on street side advertising. A lot of variables here.

When I first started I hared calling customers with large repair estimates. Felt like I was the bearer of bad news. THEN...I had a long time shop owner ask me whu I felt that way. His reasoning was "it is not good or bad news for you. It is information the customer is paying for that you must share with them. It is only bad news if they have negleted the vehicle or failed to plan for such problems. No more or no less." Now days I have no problem telling someone the cost and I am always prepared for the worst from them. A lot of it I blame on the manufacturers and dealers. They fail to go over the needs of the vehicle with the owner. And the makers seem to think that everything is a "lifetime" fluid/fill. The consumer is not prepared for the inevitable failures that are caused by this train of thought. Then you have the folks that are still living in the 60's that think a "tune up" should only cost $50 because that is what it cost on their 1955 belair!

Who is responsible for materials? Will you be able to bring in your own clients? What is the repair shops car count avg? These are the first few things that come to mind.

But did ya get the tatto and tee shirt Gonzo? LOL!

The thing I like about Amalie is they have a tech line you can call if you have questions about lube applications. I know a few here may not agree but I use their universal transmission fluid. If there is any doubt as to application I can call their offices to get clarification. And they will stand behind it if any claims should arise.