Joe Marconi

I have found that the best service writers are those with "some" automotive background but were never techs. Training to be a tech from a young age actually wires your brain to become too technical and not customer service minded. It's the main reason why mechanics-turned shop owners have a tough time with business. For me, I use craigs list, the local paper and career builder. I also ask vendors and tool reps. With many dealerships closing, you might find service writers out of work. My most recent service writer worked five years as a manager in a qucik lube. It took me a while to untrain some of the sales tactics that he was taught, but he had the people skills, which is probably the most important thing to look for.

A few things bother me. Is the tech someone with a questionable past? Has anything like this happen before with this tech? Accidents do happen, that's why we have insurance. I don't understand why he can't find the exact spot where the accident took place. And, if he hit the dog, where is it? In any event, have you spoken to the owner of the car? Does he/she want it fixed? Can you make some sort of deal. You need to remember, the very first thing that will suffer is not the cost of the repair but your reputation if this is not handled right.

Mechanics Seek Out 'Right to Repair' By ANGUS LOTEN When independent mechanic Joe Marconi replaced a faulty windshield-wiper switch last summer on a 2004 Saab—a minor type of repair often done at his shop—the car wouldn't start. Mr. Marconi, who owns Osceola Garage in Baldwin Place, N.Y., discovered the switch needed to be "initialized," something only a Saab dealership can do. Initializing is a problem that has been happening more and more often, says the 55-year-old mechanic. "The entire car basically has to be reprogrammed to accept the new part," he says. In the end, he was forced to pass the vehicle, and his customer, on to the dealer. As auto makers design vehicles with increasingly sophisticated technology, independent mechanics complain they lack the proprietary tools and data to service many late-model cars. There are some 500,000 independent auto-repair shops in the U.S., industry figures show. Many garage owners hope the new small-business-friendly tone in Washington, including sweeping regulatory reviews unveiled last month, will re-energize the Right to Repair Act, a bill they say levels the playing field with auto dealerships. The bill, which in various forms has languished in Congress for nearly a decade, requires auto makers like Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., to supply smaller repair shops with the same onboard-computer data they give to their affiliated dealerships. Technology in newer vehicles controls everything from the steering wheel to the fuel delivery system, brakes, air bags, tire pressure and more. Supporters, including a range of auto-service-trade associations, consumer groups and small-business advocates, say the move will boost competition in the auto-repair market, forcing dealerships to lower prices. Auto makers, who fiercely oppose the bill, say they need to protect trade secrets from cheap generic parts makers. The car makers say mechanics already have access to what they need to get vehicles back on the road. Yet there appears to be some grass-roots support for the bill. A survey in November by AutoMD.com, an auto-repair-information website, found 83% of 2,800 car owners polled said they favored right-to-repair legislation. Supporters have shown up on Capitol Hill in jumpsuits and overalls to rally lawmakers to pass the measure. Initially introduced by Rep. Joe Barton (R., Texas) just before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the bill was buried under a wave of national-security legislation. It has since been reintroduced in every federal legislative session, only to get bogged down amid strong lobbying by auto makers and dealers. The latest version was sponsored last year in the Senate by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.) and Sam Brownback (R., Kan.), while a bill put forward two years earlier by Reps. Edolphus Towns (D., N.Y.), Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.) and George Miller (D., Calif.) had more than 60 co-sponsors, including high-ranking members from both parties. Both Sen. Boxer and Rep. Towns expect to reintroduce the bill as early as possible in the new session, with concessions aimed at easing auto makers' intellectual-property concerns, their spokespeople say. But supporters say the bill may stand a better chance in states such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut—and in Kansas, where Mr. Brownback is now governor. Last July, the bill passed the Massachusetts state senate only to collapse when the House closed its regular session—the closest its come anywhere to being enacted—after debate on a casino-licensing bill put all other issues on hold. State lawmakers there also expect to reintroduce the bill later this year. "We think the momentum now is at the state level," says Aaron Lowe, vice president of regulatory and government affairs at the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, a Bethesda, Md.-based trade group that has lobbied for the bill since 2001. It estimates that repairs cost up to 34% more at dealerships than small repair shops, or an extra $11.7 billion spent by drivers on their cars every year. "Once it's adopted in one state, we expect it'll spread to others pretty quickly," he says. Auto makers aren't going to let that happen without a fight. "The problem is they want full access to all the computer information, not just the repair codes but also the design and manufacturing codes. And that's where intellectual property kicks in," says Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a Washington advocacy group that represents Ford, GM, Toyota, Porsche and other auto makers. She says all the necessary tools and diagnostic data for any repair job are available online from individual auto makers, as well as from tool manufacturers like Snap-on Inc. Mr. Lowe says mechanics aren't interested in auto makers' intellectual property. "We don't want to know how to make their onboard computers. We want what's on those computers. That's what right-to-repair is all about," he says. Beyond intellectual-property issues, Sandy Bass-Cors, executive director of the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality in Alexandria, Va., says mechanics are frustrated that the federal government spent billions of dollars bailing out GM and Chrysler during the recession, while boosting dealership sales with the Cash for Clunkers program. "Yet they're keeping the same motoring taxpayers from having a choice in repairs," she says. For now, Mr. Marconi says he's taking vehicles that need reprogramming to dealers himself, often at a loss, rather than send drivers away. "This is crazy," he says. "But in this economy the last thing you want to do is turn down a customer." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703555804576102272750344178.html

Gonzo, I just finished posting my weekly business tip....I should have read your story first. My post talks about handling angry customers. But, I forgot to make your shop the EXCEPTION. How do attract these people??? Too funny!!!!

That's an amazing video!

When Things Go Wrong (Handling Unhappy Customers) I wish I could say that my shop has never had an unhappy customer. But the truth is, from time to time, we have dropped the ball, resulting in a very ugly situation with a customer. We have all been there. Following a few guidelines will help you through a difficult situation: *First, let the customer speak. Don’t interrupt or try to defend yourself. This only makes matters worse. Let them talk as long as they want. Venting will actually make it easier to resolve the problem. *If possible, bring the customer into your office, away from other customers or staff members *Stay calm at all times. Do not get into a debate with the customer. *After the customer is finished speaking, empathize with the customer and apologize. It does not matter who is right or wrong at this point. If the customer is upset, this must be dealt with first. *Review the problem with the customer to make sure you completely understand the problem. Make the customer know that you understand the problem and want to make things right. *If this is a comeback, do all you can do repair the car as quick as possible *For other situations, you will need to resolve the problem. First, ask the customer what they would like see done to make things right. Sometimes their solution is reasonable and something you can live with. If the request seems unreasonable, you will need to negotiate a resolution. *Remember, you need to maintain a professional position and do what you need to do to solve the problem, even at the chance that you may lose that customer. *Do a follow up, no longer than a few days, to insure that the problem was resolved to the customer satisfaction. PLEASE NOTE; there have been times when customers were completely off-base and wrong. I have had people argue with me at the front counter in an abusive nature. I will not allow this at my business. Nor, will I accept my staff to subject themselves to abuse. I tell these people to leave and find another shop.

Thanks for those kinds words. A lot of time and effort goes into making sure ASO is top in its class! And yes, Alex does a great job!! Joe Marconi cofounder

Many of us need butt kickin’ from time to time. I remember years ago one of my techs could not get a car started after he had tuned it up. I was real busy that day and didn’t fully realize what was happening. After an hour of pulling his hair out, I finally walked over to him. He told me the car had no spark to the plugs and that he tried a coil and module. I said, “NO SPARK AFTER you replaced the wires, cap, ROTOR and plugs?” He said, “Yep”. Gonzo, You know the rest of the story. I screamed out, “Take the distributior cap off, you forgot the freekin rotor!”

Don't fear corruption too much. I think you need to put faith in your process and in your people. I have been doing this for a very long time, and my main fear is the inability of my people to sell the work, not selling unneeded work. Yes, I know some may take advantage and those people need to be let go, but most people are honest and just want to do a day's work and get paid for it. Set up processes to indentify needed work and programs to help the people in service to sell the work. If you are truly looking at each car in its entirety and looking out for the customer's best interest, the rest will fall into place. All my techs and service advisors are training to look for potential work with each car. We always address the customer's main concern first, but always make it a rule to inspect the entire car and inform the customer of needed preventive service or other needed repairs. That, I feel is my job. If you don't do that, you not helping the customer or yourself.

Yes, and a word of caution, some insurance companies are good, a lot are horrible. When a customer comes in with an insurance repair policy, we take the time to review the warranty contract. Most of them are “Mechanical Breakdown” policies. So, if the policy says the transmission is covered, you need to know exactly what that means. If the clutches were burned up, and it looks like abuse, it may not be covered. The policy may state that they will warranty the transmission repair due to a particular component failure only, not wear and tear. Be sure to spend the time, reviewing the policy. Another important thing to do is to explain to the customer that the insurance company may not pay the entire cost of the repair. We always explain to the customer that we do not work for the Insuranace Company and may not necessarily agree to what they are willing to pay. The insurance policy is an agreement between the insurance company and the consumer, not the repair shop! Any difference in what the insurance company is willing to pay and what I need to charge will have to be paid by the customer. Make sure this is put in writing on your repair order upfront at the start of the process.

Now that's funny! My wife is a nurse, I will be sure to pass this on to her.

I am curious to know what company you use, but some part houses use different companies based on who they buy from in that particular part of the country. If the price differenence is extreme, we give the customer the option of OE vs. Aftermarket, with the understanding that we recommend the OE. Let me tell you...the very last thing I want to do is buy from the OE or Dealer. I think we all need to support the aftermarket. But quality becomes an issue, not just with Cats, but with any part that does not meet quality standards. In this effort to keep prices down, we just may be hurting the industry.

Good information, I am lossing faith in aftermarket cats. WE DO test them right and have no failure with oe Cats, just aftermarket. And, many of the cats that come back were replaced becuase of rust thru, not for an emissions failure or check engine light. But, they return with a check engine light that was not on before.

Good point XRAC. I am not necessarily opposed to nitrogen and understand fully the advantages of nitrogen, but it has not taken off in our area either. And, on the very rare occasion, when a customer comes in with the green valve caps, the customers don't even realize or remember they have nitrogen filled tires. Plus, all tires need to be checked periodically, and refilled. These same people tell me that they themselves have gone to the local gas-n-go and topped off their tires with regular air. This negates any advantage of nitrogen. I guess, if the entire industry were using nitrogen, it may be a different story...but I don't see that happening...not yet anyway.

For us, we cannot give up the Saturday sales. The business as evolved into a six day a week industry and many national accounts are even open on Sunday. I know many shops out there say they are successful being open from Monday thru Friday, and that’s fine. It’s a business decision every shop owner must make. Our techs and service advisors rotate Saturdays, having a day off during the week. We have a few techs that actually want the overtime, so for them they work Saturdays on a regular basis. We are open on Saturday from 8-2pm. If it’s busy we stay later. We have 8 techs, 2 service advisors and a manager. Everyone has accepted that this is the way we need to do business and it works. We have customers that commute to work durning the week and need Saturday to get their car serviced. If we were not open, they would go somewhere else.

Welcome to AutoShopOwner.com. Looking forward to you contribution, especially in the areas of marketing and advertising and internet related topics.

Yes, I agree. The way they played in the 2nd half, they should have won the game. It's been 42 years, I am a bit tired of saying...There's always next year.

I know this may seem a bit off base, but I have been a JETS fan since the days of Joe Namath. Tonight we shalll see if the JETS will make it to the Super Bowl, the first time since 1969!

Agree, Agree, Agree... we must have hearts the size of watermelons. We make the customer's problem our problem. We have this instinctive need to "fix" anything. How many other business people do that? I wonder???

As a the owner of a general repair shop, I don't really consider extreme bad weather such as a snow storm or ice storm as oppourtunity. How do our Auto Body Shop Owners feel about extreme weather and its effect on business?