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And just reading through this thread echoes what I seem to be hearing in conversations with my peers in the area - a lot of us that have been around for awhile and have tried different things are realizing that maybe business is just streaky now and it will be hard to attribute a good month to an advertising program or promotion since business doesn't seem to follow any pattern at all anymore. Still good to advertise and try new things but I wouldn't necessarily count on the observed results being what you might expect, either way!

After a record January and March, I suppose it was no surprise that May was also a new record! February and April were good, but not record-setting. Expecting the trend to continue this month... But YTD is up 6.5% so I am happy!!!

.75 and I charge $55.00 which is just under .4 at our currently hourly rate. Technician MUST perform a fairly comprehensive inspection and we don't have any lube techs. Just 3 ASE Masters. Oh, and when I'm on the phones it seems like about 75% of people say that is exactly what they are looking for and the rest often hang up as the price is too high. Guess which ones you would like to have for customers... :-)

When I was a young pup starting out in this "trade" (early 70's) I worked at a Service Station. The owner went on trips arranged by a local parts store with many other area shop owners every year. Not only did this prevent us from knocking the competition - it actually enhanced our businesses as we could recommend our buddies up the road for car-lines they might specialize in or services they performed that we didn't. And THAT was really good for our industry... Plus the trips sounded like FUN!!!

I shopped mine when my staff wanted me to switch to automatic deposits. I was using a soft-ware package and writing checks, sending in all the taxes myself. Shopped ADP and PayChex - can't believe I waited so long to do it. I ended up at PayChex, but they have some interesting policies...

GREAT POST! We also stock the Lite Brite System - seems to be the only one that actually works. And like you, I have a hard time selling the job and making any money. Especially if it is cold and cloudy out and we have to use the UV lite to make things dry. And I have a shop around the corner with a sign out front doing the 3M job for like $39.95 with a "Lifetime Warranty". I think I may change my tactics and sell more headlights. :-)

Old guy still working on some old cars so yes, we still keep a barrel of 10W30. But you are correct - it lasts a LONG TIME! :-)

We keep a 55 barrel each of 5W20, 5W30 and 10W30 Synthetic Blend. We also have a bag-in-a-box rack for each weight in conventional oil and full synthetic. And we also keep Mobil 1 0W20 and 0W40 in quarts. Customers appreciate the fact that we have very little waste going out of the building from oil containers! Of course, it is our job to point that out...

When I moved into my new building three years ago, the floor drains had been filled in to accommodate the State of Michigan. We have an epoxy-painted floor and use a Tennant Floor cleaner to keep it clean and pick up melted snow, slush, ice. Thinking it will be BUSY tomorrow... :-(

I agree - pretty strange... Been in business 24 years and we our best ever May and June, the worst July in three years (since we moved!), a record August and September and we are on track for a record October! July had people going home early - no particular change in marketing or ANYTHING. Just SLOW... And WEIRD!

Still using my own paper sheets. Just ordered more. Balancing the "personal touch" against Technology. I'm sure the scales are tipping... Schedule 45 minutes, pay .75, charge .45, still only close about 65% of the callers on the phone looking for prices EVEN when we describe what all we check and do. Another auto repair that has been turned into a commodity and completely dumbed-down...

Please see below...

What do YOU want to do in YOUR shop? If it is work on cars - HIRE a Service Writer and go work on cars. In my shop I think this is the BEST WAY, but I still enjoy working on cars and not listening to the whinging at the front desk (I was back in the shop singing along with the music happy as could be for awhile last week!). On the other hand, if you like the front desk and feel you have better control up there (but I bet like me you roll too much labor together and give away too much billable work! Seriously, it DOES take longer to change plugs AND wires than just to change plugs...) then you need to add some accountability to someone in the shop and stop trying to be shop foreman AND service writer. That will just wear you out! I think hiring a Service Writer was one of the best things I ever did!

We find it easiest to just use OE (or Delco or Motorcraft) since we have NO TROUBLE programming them. Have had nothing but trouble trying to program VDO or NAPA Sensors with either our Snap-On tool or a neighbor's BarTech.

We only offer a fairly complete "Maintenance Service Oil Change". Includes a very thorough checklist performed by an ASE Nationally Certified Tech. Includes test battery, blow the horn, check ALL LIGHTS, wipers and washers, all blower fan speeds, inspect MOST cabin air filters, inspect belt and tug on the tensioner, ROAD TEST THE CAR, lift the car and look for leaks, shake the suspension, measure tread depth & set pressures, silicone spray suspension bushings (NO ONE DOES THAT!) and lube all the hinges and latches. l pay the tech .75, charge only $50.00 Labor - I'm bumping that another $5.00 next year. Oil filters are typically $8.00 - 10.00. Conventional 10w30 oil is $3.50/qt., Semi Syn 25w 20 or 5w30 is the same. Synthetics (including 0w20 & 0w40) $8.00/qt. Average oil service out the door is around $80.00 - Synthetic just over $100.00. When PROPERLY EXPLAINED AND SOLD more than half of the cold-callers buy - "That is EXACTLY what I am looking for". If this trade would STOP GIVING STUFF AWAY and training customers to look for QUALITY instead of price... We average about 60 of these a month! Our regulars have been known to call it the "1000 points of light oil change"! :-)

At my shop we always use the FINE setting and balance to .1 oz. instead of the normal .25 and that makes a HUGE difference. If the tires are within .1 oz. static AND dynamic (both sides) they should be smooth to just over 100 mph (I amateur car race in case you were wondering). Other than that I would agree with the above post! As an aside - my best ever apprentice (dammit, he enlisted in the Coast Guard) was taking classes at the local community college. He was balancing his tires in class with a weight and side-cuts in his hand. The Instructor asked him what he was dong about the same time he looked at the read-out on the balancer. Scott (my apprentice) told him he was balancing tires as he had been taught and the instructor stuck around to see how to set the machine on FINE and how that all worked out! Never been prouder of one of my guys... steve