Joe Marconi

I have a customer with a Toyota Highlander who is looking to install a rear camera in his car. Does anyone have any information or experience with this? Are there aftermarket kits or OE kits that anyone has installed. Any help would be apprciated...

We all have had employees that quit. Sometimes we are grateful, sometimes it makes an impact on our business and the recovery from that loss is an issue. I have mixed feelings about rehiring people once they quit. If the person left once, will they do it again? Is this a pattern and part of their personality? I know of many businesses that have a No Rehire rule. And, I am inclined to sway to that opinion. But, it’'s not always that black and white. Sometimes a young person can be influenced by a smooth talking sales manager at a dealership and steal the tech. In time the job is not what is supposed to be and the tech is looking to return. Would we take this tech back, if he fit our culture, was a productive worker and a competent tech? Let me know your thoughts…

Great parody, reflects the way many feel today...

I don’t know all of you, but one thing I do know…You have all gone the extra mile for a customer. It’s who we are, it’s in our blood. We have stayed late to finish a car, came in early to get a jump on things. We’ve even sacrificed our son’s soccer game for a customer. It was Wednesday this past week and we were down a tech. We had work piling up and a customer walked in and said that his son is visiting from Buffalo and that there is a horrible grinding noise from the right from wheel. “He needs to head back home tomorrow, is there anything you can do”? Inside I cringed, but I said, “Sure, just leave the keys with Mike and I’ll take care of it”. Luckily it turned out needing front brakes only. We did the brakes, changed the oil and we had the car back to him by the end of the day. I don’t know how we did it, but we did. When the customer came to pick up the car, he walked over to me and said, “Joe I could clearly see how busy you are, and it means a lot to me that you managed to take care of my son’s car. It’s nice to know there are still some people who care about their customers, I will never forget this”. So, we might not be the richest people in the world, but in a way the riches we get you cannot put a price on.

More Dealer Tactics to Contend with! A customer rudely commented to me that my price for a wheel alignment is $10.00 higher than the dealer. He went on to say that if I were higher than the dealer, I must be ripping off my customers. NOW, most of you know that I am Bronx Born Italian-American and I don’t like my buttons being pushed in this manner….but I remained cool and asked him how did he know this? He said that the service department called him at his house to let him know that his 2012 Buick (with 8,000 miles on the clock), should come in for service. The service advisor went on to mention that after a year, they need to go through the car, change the oil, rotate the tires, perform a wheel alignment, check the air condition, perform a fuel service, plus a few other services. He then asked the service advisor, “How much is a wheel alignment”? He knew our price because we just put a set of tires on his wife car and aligned it. Is this guy kidding…who’s ripping who off? How does this service advisor know over the phone that the car needs all this work? A car with 8,000 mile on the clock! I explained to the customer that HE is the one who should be questioned, not me. For him to suggest this work, he needs to know prices. And dealerships have been positioning themselves against the independents because their bays are empty and they need the work. I asked him, “If this service advisor was busy, do you think he would have the time to call you”? And do you really think you need all that work on your 2012 Buick with only 8,000 miles”? He looked at me a little funny. I told him; "To put your mind at ease, I will inspect the car, check the alignment and give you a print out, peform a complete multipoint inspection at no additional cost when you bring it in for your next oil service". He’s coming in Monday. We need to be aware of the on-going tactics and strategy from the new car dealers. They want our customers, and will be more and more aggressive. Plus, in some strange way, many customers view the dealership as the All-Knowing Grand Old Oz. In a way I was lucky this customer approached me.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA) are teaming up to create legislation on proper tire repair procedures. Are there that many improper tire repairs being done in this country? I am I naive to this. I know in my own shop, we inspect each tire and will discard a tire if there is any question of its integrity. Only those that can be safely repaired are. Has any shop had an experience or know of many cases of improper repair. I know there have been some cases in the media, but first hand knowledge from fellow shop owners would be appreciated.

Being a tech in the rust belt, my torch set is my best friend. We do use rust penetrant, with limited success. Some of the bolts and studs we see are so rusted and corroded, there’s nothing left of them. No amount of spray chemical will loosen this up. Seized bolts are one thing, rusted away is another. For some applications, nothing beats the heat wrench.

All good points and this has been brought up at the preliminary meetings. The key thing is to truly identify those that are service writers who never turn a wrench. The accident rate for these people is quite low, near zero. If they start to insure service writers who are also techs, the plan will fall apart. If the rates are changed to make up a short fall, then yes you are correct. We will have gained nothing. There are plans and safety groups that give dividends for low accident occurrences. But the fact remains that for large shops (3 service writers, 8 techs for example); the company is paying workers comp for 11 techs. No matter how you slice it, that particular shop pays more, dividends or not. And, this shop actually pays into workers comp more per capita. Is this fair? The addition of a service writer to most independent shop is a relatively new position. I have to believe that the fund’s liability to support worker accidents was formalized by technician accidents, not by service staff. Additional service writer positions only add to the wealth of the fund, but not to accident rate or its liability. There is no easy answer and no one wants to go thru the process to create a new classification, only to be back in the same boat. If this is true, is there no hope? We should just give up at of fear?

Amazing! Should be required viewing for all Americans!

You brought back fond memories with the part about the 67 T Bird. I remember working on those A/C systems. The funny thing is, back then it was no big deal, we all understood how the valves worked. Question: were we better mechanics back then? I see young tech who are very advanced in areas of electronics and computers, but mechanically they often struggle. Thoughts?

I agree with Frank. There needs to be a process and method for estimating. Mitchell and Alldata are probalbly the most popular. Keep in mind that many jobs are not found in the book and the "book" is not the Bible either. Good judgment sometime takes over when the book does not seem right. Another point, it's common today to have menu priced jobs too. For example, wheel alignments. Most shop establish a set price. keep asking questions, we will help you along the way!

I agree Keith, we all have The Working Man's PHD, right?

Iit's much the same way in New York. The classifications are regulated and set by the State Workers Comp Board. I switched carriers a few years back because they assurred me that they can classify my service advisors as sales people. Well, the State came in, did an audit and I had to pay back premiums. The state has no service advisor class and lump them into the same class as techs. I am working the the local Serivce Station Dealers Association to set a meeting with the State Board. It may be futile, but I have to see it through.

I did buy one, it's called a crystal ball....

Great comments Keith! I feel much the same way. It’s an interesting thing about car counts. We have seen car counts remain very strong; in fact some weeks they are thru the roof, but sales…well that’s another story. Like I said in my post, it’s rare when a customer just throws the keys on the counter and says, “Call me when it’s done”. I don’t know if we ever truly got out of the recession. I think the long term affects of unemployment, high gas prices, high food prices, loss of retirement funds, loss of equity in your home and the constant barrage of bad news from the media has taken its toll on the American public. We are all tired! I have a good friend in the restaurant business. I asked him the other day, “How’s business”? He told me that his cliental has not diminished, and that he gets the same amount of people coming to his restaurant every week, but they are not spending the money like they use to. Many of them order just the meal, no appetizer and no dessert. So, people want to go out, but they are very cautious. I hope you are wrong with your assessment of the last man standing, but we will see.

I had a feeling you did, but did not want to bring it up....

Living in New York, I don't know what's worse: the extreme cold in winter or the extreme heat and humidity in the summer. What I do know is that summer heat and humidity can take it's toll on anyone. Most of us have gotten used to it, and we accept is as part of the job. On extreme days, I do make sure the techs get a gator aid break or similar. It's tough being in the shop sometimes when temps get above 105 degrees. We need to gve ourselves a lot of credit. Most of us do and never complain...

I bring this up often, but it's worth bringing up again. It's August, and that means in a few weeks many people will be heading off to college. We should market this: Give tips for the road, safety, getting the car checked out for the trip back, etc. I offer a Back to School Promo, which includes and oil change, tire rotation, multipoint check, and a fuel and engine additive. It's a great promotion and has a lot of value to students headed back to college. Any other marketing we can share?

The other day I was discussing customer issues with my service advisors during our regular meeting. It appears, they tell me, that people are more edgy today than ever. It used to be years back that people would throw the car keys on the counter and tell us, “Just call me when it’s done”. Now, it’s more like, “Call me first if you find anything”. I am not complaining about sales, it’s been pretty good lately, especially after a less than normal winter. It’s just that the mood of the consumer is somehow different. Is this the new normal? I think it’s so important now that we see things from the consumer’s point of view. Give them great service, quality work, and show them that there is great value in our services and repairs. I wonder what the rest of the country is seeing?

My all-time favorite myth? When a customer says to me, "You do have that machine that tells you exaclty what's wrong with the car, don't you"?

Want to Destroy Someone’s Enthusiasm? Tell them what they did wrong! The best way to kill someone’s enthusiasm and passion is criticism from a superior. All too often, the boss or manager never engages in any conversation with the staff unless it’s to point out what the employee has done wrong. We all make mistakes. Pointing them out without recognizing someone’s accomplishments is a waste of time and does no one any good. You will bring out the best in people when you appreciate and encourage people. People desire recognition and want to excel. Try to overlook mistakes, point out success and praise accomplishments. People will respond better to praise and appreciation than any amount of reprimanding or criticism.

Amazing, there are a few sane people left in this country....

When we speak of creating a vacation schedule, I don't know if it's denying someone or just trying to be fair. We have 15 employees. The goal is to make sure that everyone is taken care of, when it comes to vacation. I also think that an employee who as 10, 15 or more years with a company should have a little more say than a new-hire. Each year, as we grow, it becomes a juggling act. A company has an obligation to also remain profitable; in addition to recognizing that the people in the company are the most important element of the business. Small business is dependent on its workforce. There are not a lot of substitutes when one or more employees are not at work. The work simply does not get done, that would normally have gotten done by those on vacation. I guess there is no easy answer, but to factor vacation time into your business plan. Everyone needs down time and everyone looks forward to it.

Great saying, I am going to use that!

A very special message, and one that I personally thank you for. Too much of what we do DOES go unnoticed and it can turn us sour over the years. But those, like you, with a passion to excel will make a difference in someone's life. Whether it is a customer, a friend, a family member or another shop owner. Your articles express what most of us think, but cannot put into words. For that, you should be proud.