juanpablo4219

oh, I make Money, I did not leave my professional life to do my Hobby. ...By profession I am an Accountant/Dir. of Operations/ Consultant as you can see, I wore different hats throughout my professional career. I just got tired of it.😉

Since felt I got lost in the writing, got a little curious and ask ChatGPT about a reflection and meaning of my statement(above) this is what I got. The reflection in this statement speaks volumes about your core values, the ethos of your business, and your role in building and sustaining its reputation. Here’s a breakdown: Commitment to Customer-Centric Values: You emphasize genuine care for the customer and their car over sales. This reinforces the integrity of your shop and demonstrates that trust and quality are your priorities. Highlighting honesty and clear communication reflects your belief in transparency, which builds long-term customer loyalty. Transitioning to Leadership: You acknowledge your journey from being hands-on as a service advisor and tech to focusing on the vision and strategy for the business. This shows growth and a desire to scale while staying true to your principles. Specialization as a Strength: By branding yourself as a brake and suspension specialist, you’ve carved out a niche that sets your shop apart. Your focus on solving problems rather than pushing unnecessary sales aligns perfectly with this specialization. Marketing and Adaptation: Your willingness to adapt through seasonal advertising campaigns and platforms like Google and social media demonstrates your understanding of modern marketing and customer outreach. This also shows a balance between traditional values and innovative strategies. Persistence in Growth and Reputability: Starting from scratch and consolidating your shop as reputable reflects your resilience and dedication. The 12-year journey, despite uphill battles, mirrors your commitment to building trust and providing consistent quality. Data-Driven Success: The mention of a 13% average sales growth over the past five years shows you’re mindful of metrics and measuring success, while understanding that external factors like the economy can influence outcomes. Personal Touch in Tough Times: Sending personal text messages to follow up with customers demonstrates how deeply you value relationships. It’s an excellent example of going above and beyond for customer engagement. Key Reflection: Your business thrives on integrity, specialization, and a commitment to customer care. The success you’ve built is a direct result of your ability to balance passion for service with the discipline of running a business. Staying grounded in these principles ensures continued growth and loyalty, even in challenging times. This reflection captures the heart and soul of your shop’s identity. 2/2 4o

"We check out EVERY car that came in. And not to make more money, but to take care of the customer and their car." This is me! I am the owner/service advisor and the tech. ....lil by lil, I am transitioning to my original position, the man with the vision. I am not a Sales guy. We as a shop, care more about taking care of the customers than pushing sales, as a shop, we care for our customers. We advertise on Google and social media. it works for us. I said it in the past, We're a specialty shop, we do Brakes and Suspension. I run the shop as a Business and it should . I could be wrong but taking care of our customers has worked for us for 12 yrs. We still a young growing business. It has been an uphill battle to consolidate our self and be considered a reputable shop, since I started the business from scratch. We work with the idea of fixing a problem, not creating sales, Keep in mind the specialty shop. Our customers know us as an Honest shop and clear in the work we do. we let our work do the sales and our customers referrals. when things gets tough and by now I know the time frames, I personally send out text messages to our customers and follow through with previously given quotes. I created different advertising campaigns for the different seasons of the year, so that helps. Our avg sales growth is in the last 5 years 13% . sometimes the economy don't help but that's life.

Wow, 55 Year in Business, That's an accomplishment! ...with that amount of years, your business is a land mark for the city/town where you live. Your business is 55 years old, I am 52 years old and my business is 10 years old. We have had our ups and downs but I started this business from scratch.. I don't considered myself a mechanic since I did not go to school for that. I am an Entrepreneur/accountant that got retrained 10 years back to do Brakes & Suspension work. ...and Yes, I come from a family of Mechanics, I just did not enjoyed it when I was young, now I loved it It's harder for a younger business to even consider the thought of competing with a 55 year old. HOW? The business itself has it's path and journey, at that age of a business, somebody will come through the front door, it could be minor activity or a lot of it. Now reaching goals and owner's expectation is something totally different! Congratulation I just hope one day our business can reach to that age, and that would be up to my kids...

Good day to every one and very thankful for the responses, everything helps. I already took some action and reduced our advertising to the zip codes where we get the most on google ads. working up on a list of follow up from our current customers Also working on an advertising campaign for the coming holiday, Memorial Day and the summer, it's just around the corner and the traveling starts right after the memorial day, since school is out. Thanks again, I will come back with a report right after the end of this month

Good afternoon... 2nd half of April was challenging... Our Sales were close to last year but not enough. We were short 9%... We're doing google ads and that works for us.. Again, we're a Specialty shop, We're a brakes & front end shop big challenges for this year. We have to keep in mind, we're in a Presidential year. It has been my experience that in this type of year Sales are more of a Challenge. Also every things is very expensive, as consumers, we don't have the buying power, which creates a big problem for the consumer.. I am really good about finding solutions to the problems but at this point my view is very cloudy and gray, which makes it very difficult to have a clear view. We live in an area where there are several small town within our town and we advertise in the surrounding areas. I am going to consider to reduced our advertising area to just within town and see what results throws this approach Thanks JP

I am in the same boat with the Dr. with same problem.. People don't care, I had to go to make an appointment in person, and the Dr. that was helping me there, no longer works there

great! who services these machines?

Yes indeed! We're a brake and front end shop. We're busy a shop in the summer. People travel and want their car in top shape. Keep in mind the Texas heat hurts the entire vehicle. Tires, brakes and cooling system. We're a small shop, if I take vacation, we closed. There's only 3 of us and we work hard. When it comes to vacations in the summer, either we take long weekend once in a while or/and if the entire week, we just close. My belief is that People deserve to be off for more then just a long weekend. We need to be away to come back fresh and ready for the 2nd half of the year. JP

Here's where we are. We had a great first half of the year. We grew 15% compared to last year. I do considered the Summer, a change of season and consumer habits. When June arrives the consumer behavior/spending habit change to the vacation period. Kids are out schools and families travel, life is good for shops. This year has been the exception, the heat wave that we're going through does not help in south Texas or any place in Texas. Texas has a hot summer, but the 100 plus temperature does not help at all. It just does not invite people to go outside. I do advertise on Google and I have been checking everyday, and my conclusion is that not many people are looking for services, since I am paying less than the usual budget. August is a different month, a lot of the parents who have kids in college come to services their kid's Car, get them ready for their kids to go back to school, I am hoping things will turn around, even thou" August is the hottest part of the summer🤞😁 ...and this is my mid year report Regards and stay cool😎 JP

Good Day Joe ...We are a brake and front end shop. I know what you are talking about. We don't do lifts for that reason. We do leveling kits and considered the job as replacing Struts and it's base on the time plus some. A lift kit leaves a lot of work with out been paid for.. I think is more of guess on the amount of work and hours combine.

Yes and no😁 My thoughts it depends on the area and the age and conditions of the vehicle. At some point the owner have to make a decision to continue with his old car or consider buying a new one, new/used. We have seen cars in our shop with hi mileage. 13 challenger 441K miles 17 Tahoe 290k miles 15 Durango 300k miles. Worst people but these hi mileage cars instead of new ones. Very few new cars.

There's only 3 persons in our shop and we all talk to customers. When the techs are ask for prices, they're referred to the office/me. Get him a quote and it's the customer's decision, and yes, I am part of the techs/ service advisor/manager/owner. And yes, I am a working Boss,like one of my friends told me, I also work as a tech and I am the one that tells the customers that they need to go to the office/customers' area. We even got a bad review for telling this one customer to come and wait in the office. I answered the review with respect and told him that we have a designated area for a reason, if you go to Restaurant, they won't allow u to go into the kitchen for a reason, same principle.

👏👏👏👏👏 congrats!

not so bad after all... real state investment it's a steady check at the end of the month and might be better than SS and 401k now days... that's my plan.

I have spoke with both local reps( hunter & snap on)and not much help,they send me links to what I already have seen and knew. keep in mind, I am in Brownsville, Tx. At the border, we don't see much of the equipment in question here but I know is there.

Good day. ADAS is my next adventure/challenge. I have been studying this for about a year. What I have learned so far... the technology is in the cars but not so much for the aftermarket repairs shops.. At this time, It's still very expensive for a shop to make such a large investment. There's no universal/one fit all equipment able to calibrate all models or cars. It requires an enclosed bay with a level floor, lighting(and why not A/C too😁) an extensive knowledge of alignment and be familiar with the different systems that are calibrated, able to diagnostic and trouble shoot electrical problems(at some point), It should be ez, I dare to say.😂 Here's my question, where do we get the training to have a better understanding of such systems? ...Things that I have encounter, sales people sale, tech installed and the training is very poor, since the tech does not do the work daily with the systems. I would like to know who's the "Guru" on this type of systems, If we have to attend a training that would make us feel comfortable on doing this type of service. If we can get some answers to this questions, it would make us more at ease in performing this task. JP Brake and Front Shop

Good Day! The first quarter went well for us, we are a Brake and Front End shop, We were able grow 17% . We increased that percentage of sales compared to last year's first quarter. We had to make a slight increase in out prices and still made some profits.. I can't say the same about April 2022 and 2021. Sales decreased. Here's my analysis, last year the people had money from the Government incentives and their tax return around this time of the year.. People were not buying new cars. They were buying used cars at a high price or fixing their old ones and that's good for business! Now this year, People don't have government incentives and they only have their tax returns. They're been cautious about their spending due to the high prices on everything. The last 2 years were extraordinary years due to Covid 19. Now the pandemic is almost gone and we're coming to a more ordinary year, meaning we're going back to our regular sales trend... my analysis till the moment. ...Regards to every one and looking forward to hear your comments JP

Good Day! We are a Brake and Front End shop! We do oil changes, state vehicle inspections, suspension work, alignments tune ups, cooling systems, what I call "basic maintenance". I have learned to say "No" for the fact that we have small location, the property itself won't allow us to do some of the big jobs. we are an in & out shop We have 4 bays, 1 for alignments, one for state vehicle inspections and 2 for brakes and suspension and anything else within our capabilities. we are a 2 man show, but we work fast and efficiently to where we don't delay our customers more than we need to. We have become a Suspension Specialist shop, most of our revenue comes from alignments and suspension work. The big jobs are for the big shops, where they have room for the cars and more techs, and the cars stay over night. I hate to take a car and don't deliver within the time.. Some of our customers want us to do odd jobs out of scope of work, but time is a very valuable commodity, we take a big job and then I have to either turn down work or don't deliver the big job on time. I just don't think is fair! the big jobs put a lot of stress on us because we want to finish them on time.. and some time we end up loosing time and money... My next addition to our list of services will be the ADAS. The camera and sensors calibration goes a long with our scope of work... I am still studying the process... not many places down here in Brownsville, TX doing that type of services yet..

Yes Indeed, If you asked me, It's about having the right mind on innovation and having the right tools and technology, That's what's going to keep us busy and in business.

Good Day joe... In our case, we are a brake and front end shop. The little research that I've done, EV still needs to be worked on suspension, alignments, brakes and balancing tires. In our town, recently opened a Tesla Dealer ship, and up until now we have done one Tesla alignment and it wasn't so bad. nothing different! Please keep in mind, I am in Brownsville, Texas, where the gas and diesel trucks rule. I believe it's going to take a while for the local market to take off on the Teslas. We're beginning to see them more and more on our local town. It's just matter of time and they will come. JP

Policies and procedures makes a big difference and how a business is successful or a failure. They should be aligned with the mission statement of the business When we have written procedures, more than likely it's because something happened and was resolved. Policies and procedures reduced the amount of headaches for a shop manager or an owner. ...and Yes, the policies and procedures will confirm the success of the second location along with having the right people.

Again "hope is not a plan" A plan is better than no plan at all. It has been a tough year for the US 🇺🇸. This year has been our break through year. We have increased our sales by 10% . The last quater is always the hardest. There are, like it was mentioned before some factors to consider for the last months of the year. Google business has been a great tool for us... In the last 2 years we have been working on branding and promoting our business on social media with that intent. We're a 7 yr old brake and front end shop and we're beginning to see our efforts to pay off. Regards JP

...to answer your question, YES, that's the right "Business Decision" (key word Business). I know it's hard, I myself have been in that situation on previous Jobs as Dir. of Op's. You keep the staff that align with your business Mission & Vision statement and go from there. These are the best employees to have in this kind of situations. I am sure the compensation will come later on.

Thanks for the advice...exclty my plan but around my 60 years.. who's your coach?😁