Joe Marconi

This is the best they could come up with?????? Am I the only one who thinks these ads are stupid???? I understand the "run flat" angle, but please give me a break!

Same for us. We have a drug testing policy and inform all employees and new hires that random drug testing will be performed. I have yet to do this but will start. I now have about 14 people working for me and I have had issues this past year with 2 techs that were stopped for DWI. They are both gone now, but we all need to protect ourselves.

First, great point...if you not on the first or last page you will probably not be noticed. And I agree about the bait and switch ads. We have this in my area and I will not go down the road...ever. As far as picking a radio station. We took note of what radio stations our customer’s listened to by seeing what our customers had pre-programmed on the car radios. We also asked customer what they listened to the most. Then I called those radio stations and asked for their demographics reports. You need to match the radio listening audience to your “ideal” customer. For us we are looking for family people or women, home owners, with kids, 2 car families, and 35-60 years old with incomes above 65k. In other words, my audience is not the hip-hop culture or teen culture so I would not want to buy time on those stations. It’s also important to pick a local radio station; if possible, that does a lot for the local community. Once I picked the radio station I focused on drive time traffic reports and weather reports. People tend to listen to the traffic and weather and not switch to another station when an ad comes on. Hope this helps.

I have the same issues. We need to balance the week. Networking is great, but we need to run a business also. I am very selective now on what I do and what I get myself invloved with. There are only so many hours in a week. As far as your prize...When our paths cross (and they will some day), diner and drinks are on me!!! Thanks for your loyalty and support to AutoShopOwner!

I think you have something there. What this does is make you think like a businessperson, not a tech. To network with people from different businesses, increases your knowledge. This will make you better. Good stuff!

I agree. When a new customer complains about another shop, I remain silent and don't pass judgment on anyone. We need to stick together and become more professional. The more we raise our image the better we will all be. The more we stick together the better we will be too.

Thanks for the concern, nice to know there are people out there like you. Starting our 2nd location has been tougher that I thought. I have no regrets and business is ok. It's just that I need to hone my skills better, revise my systems and re-work old policies. These are the growing pains of expanding. If it were easy, everyone would do it!

That's great information, we went a little nuts today on a lexus. We have the Bar Tech. It read the fault ok, but re-set was a pain. Thanks again!

I read the article and here is my reply I posted: You sound bitter, and I can understand fully. I have been in the auto business since 1974. But, I have to tell you, one of the biggest problems is with too many shops that don't charge diagostic fees, that are willing to install customer supplied parts and other bad practices that hurt us all. We need to look in the mirror. We may not be able to change the public,but we can change ourselves. Joe Marconi AutoShopOwner.com OsceolaGarage.com

The past few years I have been more involved with local business groups. It has helped me network among local business. I like to hear from others on your thoughts about local networking

I promote my business all year long with seasonal promotions. For the fall and winter we do have a promotion which includes: Oil change, tire rotation, multipoint inspection, BG MOA & CF5 for $69.95. I have been doing this for years. We call it: “Seasonal Maintenance Package”. It is very successful, plus it gives us a chance to sell batteries, tires, brakes, antifreeze services, etc. I do think the key to advertising and marketing is to have a constant and continuing program throughout the year with reminders, newsletters, and email newsletters. Also, the past few years we have cut out all paper ads and yellow page ads and put our ad dollars in TV and radio. Radio is great because you can do 10 second spots that directs your marketing to the season, holiday specials or whatever.

Good question. I would like some info on that system too.

I am here. I took some time off. My son from California came to visit. Sorry for not keeping in contact

That must have been hard to do. I can relate to that too. People don't realize how difficult our jobs are. As far as your thoughts on the tech I fired, I think you are right. A lot of shops in my area are slow too. But, I really think that we should begin to see business get a lot stronger in the coming months and should stay strong up to the New Year. Thanks for email! Joe

On the T.V. show “The Apprentice”, Donald Trump bluntly and with little emotion blurts out a simple phrase; “You’re fired”. But believe me, there is nothing simple or unemotional about firing someone. Although I’ve done it many times before, having to let someone go is a distressing event. I accept it as a part of doing business, but even when a person fully deserves to be fired, the process still stinks. Last year I hired a tech in preparation for our expansion project. With the addition of 4 new bays, I knew that increasing staff and getting the right people would be challenging. When I hire people I look for more than skill level. Obviously, the person must be technically competent, but there are other qualities that are equally important. For me, having that perfect “fit” is essential for the morale of the shop. During the interview process I try to get a feel for the applicant and am more interested in making sure that the new-hire will have the personality and character that will work well with our team. All shops have a particular culture. From my experience, the better your people work together, the more productive your shop will be. I thought I found such a person. This newly hired tech had a great sense of humor, seemed eager to learn, came in early every day, was always willing to help other techs, and worked hard. He graduated from a well-know automotive trade school and had a number of years experience under his belt working at a dealership. He had all the makings of a team player and potential leader. All was good for about 6 months. Then things began to fall apart. A few months ago a pattern began to develop. The quality of his work was not up to our standards and he started to get a few comebacks. A lot of them were silly mistakes; he forgot to rotate the tires, or neglected to install a set of wipers, which had been clearly written on his work order. It wasn’t just the comebacks that bothered me; it was the lack of focus and indifference I began to see. He didn’t seem to care as much as he did, just a few short months earlier. The other techs began to see it too and shop morale began to suffer. I have to tell you, I never give up on anyone. That’s not my style. It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to train a tech, and having to fire someone would negate all of that. Plus, the way I feel is that, whatever happens in my shop and what my people do, is my responsibility and is a direct reflection on my ability as the leader of the company. We had many one-on-one meetings and I gave him additional training to get him back on track. But, nothing seemed to work. Still, I did not give up. I moved him next to my lead tech, as a sign that I believed in him. I thought working next to our top tech would be beneficial to his self-esteem and boost his image, but that didn’t work either. When I caught him a few times on his cell phone while working, I knew the end was near. What happened next would be the decisive moment. I caught him in a lie. Then, I caught him in a series of lies. There’s a saying that someone once told me, “Man does not have the memory to be a perfect liar, you will eventually get caught”. Dishonesty was something that I could not tolerate and he had to go. After I fired him, I began the mental process of examining the entire situation. Did I do all I can to work with this individual? Was there something that I did that turned this employee from a potential star into a dud? Did I miss something in the interview process that may have indicated a problem? I was disappointed in him and in myself. As shop owners we need to remember that we cannot judge our employees by who we are. We need to remember that sometimes no matter how hard we try; we cannot get out of someone that’s not in them to begin with. We also need to realize that sometimes there aren’t any clear reasons why some people act the way they do. Firing someone is never easy, but if an individual’s actions put your business in jeopardy, you must act and let that person go. It’s not about the person you’re terminating; it’s more about the rest of the team. The greater good of your company must be your determining factor. I never did fully understand what happened with this tech, but I do feel better now that he’s gone. Shop morale is better and I’m over the emotional roller coaster this individual caused me. Actually, it got a whole lot better when I found a new technician two weeks later, shook his hand and happily told him…“You’re Hired!”

Tom, could you go into more detail with real numbers about that plan?

I still feel that we need to remain strong through these times. The more we fight now for our market share the better we will be when the economy turns around. If we retreat and pull back, we might not be able to catch up and our recovery will be in doubt.

We often asume that the customer knows and understands what we are doing, but many time they don't and won't ask. When you review with them a detailed report, it shows you care and builds value. Also, telling someone that their brakes are ok now, but will need to be rechecked in 4 months is a powerful marketing tool.

We do use checklists. It keeps the techs on track and consistent with procedure. Plus, it gives the customer a report which adds value to your service. Check out the checklists I designed on this site. Go to downloads. Let me know what you think.

I think it goes beyond that. Politcal pressure from large corporations (like the car makers) sways political opinion and create consumer policy. Politcians then dictate policy and the masses of people follow like sheap.

Do you use a printed checklist with a copy for the customer?

We also pay more than most shop and dealerships. But, I also feel I have the best techs because of it. I know when I worked for flat rate in the 1970's, those lean weeks were tough. I was newly married with a new born baby. I had to work another part time job. I think we should pay our techs a decent wage and reward them when they produce.

I think I give too many chances. The way I feel now is that when an individual is not pulling his/her weight and will cause the entire shop to suffer, it's time to let that person go. I need to think about everyone, not just the person who needs to go.

I agree, great points. when is America going to wake up? Like I said before; More Junk Politics!

More and more shops are adopting the flat rate pay model. Is this the future? I don't like flat rate pay. I have long paid my techs an hourly rate plus bonus based on performance. I feel this gets my techs motivated with security. Many think my plan creates a dead-beat attitude. I don't think so. My system rewards those who excel and are willing to work hard. Am I wrong? What plan do you have for your techs?