ScottSpec

It's funny, Yesterday I came in and one of my techs was searching a BMW for a starter relay that Alldata showed behind the glove box. So then he went scouring the web for help. Eventually he found that there was no relay and that the information in Alldata was incorrect. This seems to occur many times a week. My service manager has nicknamed it smalldata and nodata. Scott

Simon, While you did hit a sensitive subject, I don't feel attacked, and there is no need to be apologetic. Our exchange may be a bit passionate, but I don’t feel it has been uncivil or disrespectful. I think we are probably very much in agreement, just stating it in different ways. I want mechanics to be treated as the professionals they are. I think your frustration with the lack of professionalism and questionable characters in this industry, is another way of stating the same thing. Here is where I have struggled in our exchange. You seem very committed to learning all you can to be the best shop owner you can be. You are here participating in this forum, on a holiday weekend even. You are willing to watch YouTube videos and have probably watch some of the videos promoted here from the Car Count Guy or the Car Count Fixer. You seem willing to consume as much information as you can, in order to improve your job performance. I image you consider yourself to be a committed professional, and you should. I don’t know if you still see it the same way, but in your initial reply, you painted a mechanic that approaches his profession the same way, as inept or inefficient. My guess is that you are thinking about the guy who watches a few YouTube videos and thinks he is a mechanic, while I thinking about one of my guys trying to find a better way to keep tension on a BMW timing chain while he replaces the upper timing cover gaskets. Most of my YouTube Videos have to do with software development, but here is a good example of somthing you might find useful if you ever run across a 3.0 or 3.2 SIL 6yl with a bad R.E.A.D. unit. https://www.scottsautomotivemd.com/volvo-rear-end-accessory-drive/ Hope you have a great 2018 as well. Scott

skm, You are correct about hitting a nerve, but probably not for the reason you think. It was by introducing a fictional character into a discussion about the costs and benefits of modern technology in our shops. A discussion about how to clearly define what is and what is not business use, and how to enforce policies. When one of my daughters was in her teens, I monitored all her internet activity. Because she was a teenager and I did not trust her decision making. This was about 15 years ago. I want my mechanics, my customers, and the public to see my mechanics as the professionals they are. If I have to monitor their activity, like I monitored my daughters, it would seem that I see them more like teenages, and less like professionals. I'm not saying I have the answers or know what is best. As I stated in my original post. This is a tough one. Which is why I joined this discussion. I do know my business has benefited immensely from their access to these tools. I have been out of the shop for the last week. I know that when I go back next week everything I left to be done, will be done. And they do it without a single call or email to me. We have Alldata, VIDA, ISAT, ODIS, & Techstream, as well as access to Mitchell and most other manufacturers online systems and I can assure you from experience, that they all have their shortcomings. With regards to YouTube, I personally find it an invaluable resource. I have created and posted numerous videos that contain valuable information that I can guarantee you will never find anywhere else. Scott

skm, I've never met anyone who had that vast amount of knowledge "already in their heads". I would love to know how and were one obtains all that information. Especially knowledge of problems and testing methods that are experimental or don't even exist yet. Are you saying your techs already have all this info in their heads? Do they know where the most connectors are on every model of Volvo and BMW? Do they know if there are any software updates to address the neutral lockout on the turn of the century Volvo's? Or if their is any software updates to address Volvo evap codes? Do they know which modules are on the high speed bus, low speed bus, lan, and all the functions of each module? What modules use serial and which modules use parallel communication? Do they know which manufacturers require a locksmith license in order to program keys? Do they know what causes oil consumption in the SIL 6cyl? Do they know what modules are mated to a car and what modules can be transferred to another car? Do they know where to have a module cloned or repaired increasing the likelyhood of the customer purchasing the repair, and increasing profit to the shop? Do they know how to test every make and model air fuel ratio sensors? Do they alreay know how to set up ISTA, ISTAP, OSS, Techstream, VIDA, STAR, and how to configure them with the OE interface or a J2534? I hope you get my point that anyone who claims to have all this knowledge already in their heads is most likey not being honest. Scott

I'm curious how you are able to eliminate all non-work related use? How do you monitor that? What are your parameters for detemining non-work related? Scott

This is a tough one. My guys spend a signifcant amout of time on the internet doing research about the cars the are working on. Forums, Youtube videos, Alldata, etc. They use their cell phones as well for research, to take pictures of things they are working on to share, or for a reference so they are sure to put it back together correctly. They also spend a fair amout of non business related time on the web and on their phones. If you took these tools away from them, would it be a gain or a loss for your business? My guys get their work done, so for me right now the benefits outweight the costs. Scott

Alex, Thank You. Scott

Alex, When you get a chance would you try a search for Volvo Service Rockville and see if we are on the first page. I have been doing some work on my SEO and from the computers I have tested at, I have made it to the first page of results for that. I'm working on consolidating urls to scottsautomotivemd.com but the results may come up with one of my other urls. Thanks Scott

Alex, Thanks. I have been working on this the last few hours. I thought I would try eliminating the slant sites creating optimized content pages on my site which is why you are now being redirect from those sites. I did copy the Volvo page for all of these and I am going to start editing them tomorrow. I'm going to focus on building the site to attract owners of European cars since that is what we want the most. I don't see the slant sites doing much for me so I don't think there is any harm in removing them for now. Once I get the site further developed, I'll check back in. I do have Google analytics on the site, and a sitemap which I submit to Googles Search Console. So I will monitor those as well Thanks Scott

Alex, Thanks for all the feedback. I have some questions but want to give you some history so you better understand my situation. We started in 1989 as a Volvo specialist. I was one of the first adopters of Google pay per click and it served us quite well especially at .10 to .20 a click, that faded as it's popularity as well as the price rose. We still did very well with organic since everything continued to show us as as Volvo Specialist. About 7 years ago we started getting into general auto repair. While we still did pretty well organically with Volvo, not so much with general auto repair as there are a lot of shops in this area. Starting last January, we started direct mail marketing for more BMW customers. In May we bought the customer base of a German Car specialists and did some more direct mail marketing to those customers. The direct mail company created what they call slant sites for many of these marketing pieces. http://bmwrepairrockville.com/ http://audirepairrockville.com/ http://vwrepairrockville.com/ http://volvorepairrockvillemd.com/ earlier this year we had another company create us a 4 page site to see how it would do in organic search as many of the other shops they had built sites for were coming up on the first page. We also got the urls, yelp page, and google business listing for the other business. I started redirecting the urls to a page on our site. From my research, I think there are pros and cons to having all this presence on the web. On one hand it could provide several avenues and gives us a bigger foot print on the web, on the other hand Google may see it as spammy and not get a clear picture of what we do. Since our search results have been dropping over this past year, I have to believe something is negatively affecting us. So a few weeks ago I created the 4volvoservice.com site and linked it up to the Google business page I got from the other business and I started redirecting the other 4 page website to the Kukui site. I also ended up removing the Google business page from the other business because while the reviews were ok, they are related to the other business. I have since recovered it. This in an effort to see if I can bring Volvo Search back up. A big part of my marketing challenge is our split identity. Our business is about 76% European cars and 24% other makes. While we would love for it to be 100% European, we would not survive without the non European. I have read, as you mentioned that it is usually best to optimize one site. So the challenge of that is creating a site that European car owners will not see as just another general repair shop, while not alienating the non-European car owners. As I am writing this, I'm thinking it may be best to create 2 websites. One for the European and one for the general auto repair and take down everything else. Love to hear your thoughts on this. Also, I have a bunch of domain names that are forwarded to my sites. I have heard this can hurt SEO as well. Do you have any thoughts on that? Scott

Our Volvo specific site: http://www.4volvoservice.com/ And Our general repair site: http://www.scottsautospec.com/ Scott

We are a small shop. We provide Tee Shirts and Sweat shirts and the employees provide their own shorts and pants and clean them at home. I have had a washer an dryer for years to wash various items around the shop. You can pick them up pretty cheap on Craigslist. We washed our own rags for many years. About a year ago I realized it was considerably cheaper to purchase new rags and throw them away when you are done. I hate being wasteful, but I'm not sure how much different the environmental impact of disposing new over cleaning dirty rags is. Last time I purchased rags on eBay they cost me 11.5 cents each. I calculate with a service, including a portion of the delivery charge, environmental fee, and taxes, it was a little over 20 cents a rag. Washing them yourself is about the same since you need to use a strong cleaner and was them about 3 times. Also, I too have found with laundered rags, they tend to still be a bit oily and have debris like metal shavings in them. Scott

Could we extend on this topic adding what does an Automotive Repair Shop really need on their site. I have built a lot of websites over the years. I still struggle with what is really needed. There are some nice looking sites here but some of them are quite busy and overwhelming. What do customers want to see? There is a shop across the parking lot from us. They have a one page website that is at least 10 years old. They don't have any social media accounts but if you search for auto repair in our city, they used to come up on the first page almost every time. I just checked and they are currently on the top of the second page. I did a backlink check and there are only 4 to their site. I have too many websites, I have considered very basic site with some special offers on the home page to entice people. What are your thoughts? Scott

We have 2 options for our customers. We are a Bosch Authorized service center and a NAPA Authorized service center. We offer CFNA from Bosch and Synchrony thru NAPA. Here is what I have found. Most of the customers that have applied have been denied. Customers with good credit have credit cards and just use them. I have spent hours submitting applications online and decided it is not worth my time. Now, I just email the customer the link and tell them they have to apply online. This also helps you avoid that always uncomfortable situation of tell the customer that they have been denied. Scott

I have struggled with the customer supplied part issue for many years. This is what I do now. A friend of mine named it the "Higher Authority" response. When I get a customer that wants us to use their parts, I just tell them that I can't. I have copied and pasted our written policy below. Scott’s Automotive - Customer Supplied Parts Policy Unfortunately we cannot install customer supplied parts. Our business license, as well as a number of our agreements with affiliates, requires us to have a minimum level of insurance and to provide a 24 month / 24,000 mile warranty, no exceptions. We would be unable to meet those requirements when installing a part supplied by a customer, thereby violating numerous agreements. By asking us to install a part you supply, you are asking us to risk losing: · Our Business License. · Our Maryland State Inspection Station License. · Our Maryland Tag and Title Agent License. · Our NAPA AutoCare Service Center Status. · Our Bosch Service Center Status. · Our RepairPal Certification. · Our AskPatty Certification. · Our Amazon Services Status. · Our ASA Membership Status. · Our ExtremeWrench Listing. · Our Great Reputation. · And most important, our relationship with YOU.

How do you calculate the average R.O. in your shop? I know the simple calculation is to divide gross sales by R.O.'s, but that alone can give you a pretty inaccurate number. I am big into documenting and making notes on everything. I save all emails from customers, etc. So every car or part that goes thru the shop gets an invoice. This helps keep track of what happened and when, makes sure inventory is not lost, and that taxes are paid. So when a loaner car needs an oil change or light bulb, a R.O. is created. If one of the employees needs an oil filter, an R.O. is created. There is no labor on those and the parts are billed at cost. We also do Maryland State inspections. Quite often they are for other shops and the R.O. is never going to be more than the cost of the inspection. When they bring it back for re-inspection, another R.O. is created for $0. If a customer comes by to have us check their oil, coolant, ck tire pressure, etc. an R.O. is created. So simply dividing gross sales by R.O. count can rally skew numbers. Also, do you include sales tax? I have played around with many variations. Sometimes I will filter out the invoices below a certain amount or with no labor. I figure the inclusion or exclusion of sales tax is not a big deal as long as you stick with the same methodology. Scott

When you switched from conventional oil to synthetic, did you see a change in the type of customer that responded? On the surface, it seems it might draw in customers who are willing to invest in their vehicle and limit the ones who aren't. Also, I see you offer a 10% discount on the front page of your website for new customers. How to you handle the regular customer that thinks you should give him the discount for being a long time customer? Thanks Scott

Do you still do oil changes with conventional oil? Scott

Thanks for taking the time to share all this insight and info. You've given me a lot to think about. Your last comment about figuring out a message board has me a little confused though. I have another question about your oil change specials. Is this an on going special/price, or a offer that comes and goes. Do you have a time when customers are paying your normal price for oil changes? Thanks Scott

I have been reading your post over the last several weeks and what you have had to say has really intrigued me. It makes me want to come check out your shop. The cheap oil change has never worked for me and you have me wondering what I'm missing. Right now we are doing a $80 synthetic oil change that is bringing in customers that are willing to invest money in their cars. When we have tried the $19.99, $29.99, $39.99, etc., we get customers that usually don't spend more than that. Also you continue to beat previous sales. Most shops I am in contact with are seeing year over year sales on a steady decline for several years now. In fact, I just purchased the customer base of one that went bankrupt. I have a few questions in you have the time and are willing. The first question is how do you handle the oil change part of a service. For example, a 15,000 mile service on my Volvo includes a little more than an oil change. It includes a few other checks, a cabin air filter, and we also put some BG chemicals in it. For this example lets say we get $200 for this service and we normally charge $85 for an oil change. In this case would you modify the price of the service because of the oil change special price? I know you said you will accommodate a customer's requests when it comes to oil and filters, but do you try to upsell the oil change itself? Do you try to move them to a better oil or filter to increase the R.O.? Do you have any insight on why like my shop, most shops dislike and struggle with the oil change specials, while it seems to be working so well for you? Last question. Do you have any thoughts on why you have been able to thrive over the last few years when most in this business are experiencing flat to no growth? Thanks Scott

Never had one breakdown. We are pretty vigelant about maintenance, keeping them clean, and inspecting them between each use. While this does not eliminate the possibility of problems, it greatly reduces them. We have had a few check engine lights and one Customer mentioned that one of the cars seemed very sluggish. It turned out to be a fuel pressure sensor. I do have BG on the road cards in each car and NAPA road side assistance cards in each car, just in case. We do have a large decal/wrap across the top of the back window. And small ones on the side glass. You can't miss them, but almost a year of having the loaners and not one call because of them. Knock on wood, so far no damage other than a scratch or two. Hope I am not jinxing myself. Right now I have full coverage on all the cars. I was surprised to find out it was less than $200 a year more for full coverage. I think right around $160. When I started this, while I would prefer not to loose a car, I figured there is a chance it will happen at some point. I accepted that as part of the costs. Loosing an engine or transmission might be more costly. Obviously, there are risks. Not sure if it is more or less risk then any of us take every day. Your mechanic can forget to tighten the drain plug, leave an important part loose or off. The master cylinder he installed could be faulty and fail causing an accident. That is why we have insurance, and you can minimize your risks with the loaners the same way. If anything changes with our loaner situation, I'll try to post an update here. Scott

Like Joe says, there is a lot of gray areas with issues like this in the business. Like most of the other reply's here, a lot of it has to do with how you present it to the customer. It's not totally clear from your post, but it sounds like your CSA presented the issue "bulb out" and the solution "replace bulb" and the cost. The customer agreed to the "cost" to "solve his issue". So if the "issue" is not resolved, you cannot fault the customer for not wanting to pay the "cost". A lot of customer's will understand, but it is not unreasonable for a customer to see this as unfair. Now, if you state to the customer, "you have a bulb out and we need to start by finding out why, and that will cost x and if it is just a bulb, it will only be x", what you are selling them and what they agree to are very different. That way there should be no conflict getting paid for it as you should. Scott

xrac, I realized I did not address one of your questions. We have not modified any contract. I would markup the agreement in a warranty situation if the customer requested it, but no one has ever asked. There is a lot of trust between us and most of our customers, so when we tell them the loaner is free with the warranty work, it is good enough for them. Other than that, right now I cannot think of a situation where I would be willing to modify the contract. Scott

xrac, For me, the loaner agreement is for legal protection, and to prevent being taken advantage of. We have loaners to make life more convenient for our customers and us and I don't want it to become something that creates more stress for anyone. So the minimum of $125, and or the time limits for example are not hard and fast. Neither are the gas and toll charges. For me, they are used when a customer is not playing fair to speak or the cost is significant. Do keep in mind that a large portion of our customers are, or become long term customers. So looking at one visits expense might skew things a little. Here are a few examples. A few months ago a long time customer's car was towed in for a fuel leak. She took a loaner car. The plastic gas tank was obviously cracked. When I gave her the price to do it, she decided to get a new car. I looked at her service records, we had over $7,000 in income from servicing this vehicle. I think letting her use the loaner car for free was the right thing to do. One evening we had a customer come to pick up her car after we had done some servicing. When she went to leave, the car would not crank. One of my mechanics went out and determined the started was bad. We had just replaced it 3 months earlier. We put her in a loaner, sent her on her way and took car of the car the next day. I think charging her to use the loaner in that situation would have been wrong. I did bill a customer for $35.00 worth of tolls. A few others for speeding tickets. I have had cars come back with only 1/2 a tank of fuel, but since the customer's bill was over $2,000, I did not worry about it. Funny thing was the next customer filled it up. So far, offering the free loaner cars has been one of the things I have done to help my business. And so far, it has not been as costly as I expected. I realize that issues may still arise. The last thing I want to share is that we are getting ready to give customers the option to fill the tank or be charged. That way at the end of the day if their time is limited, the don't have to stress about filling the tank. Scott

Everyone in our shop is paid a gross salary plus a percentage of gross sales. This way they have security and an incentive to produce individually and as part of a team. Scott