Joe Marconi

8 hours ago, JimO said:

I own a gas station with service bays and we are open for gas/diesel seven days a week. For the first forty years we were in business our shop was open six days a week but ten years ago we reduced our shop hours to five days a week. We were very concerned that we would lose customers by closing our bays on Saturday’s but that failed to happen. Have we possibly lost some customers over the last ten years to other shops that are open on Saturday? I am sure we have. I am also sure that if our shop was open 364 days a year that we would lose some customer because we were closed that one day a year when he or she needed help. I have answered our phone on Labor Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Thanksgiving with requests for oil changes, tire repairs, brake work.... and had to explain to the caller that we are open for gas/diesel but closed for repairs. The caller was home, not at work, it is a holiday, they were aware it was a holiday and yet they expected me to say “sure, bring it over, I just need to call my family and tell them not to expect me home late for Thanksgiving dinner because you have been nursing a slow leak in your right front tire for the last two weeks but now, on Thanksgiving, you have decided that you need it repaired”.  I guess I am trying to say that it is impossible to satisfy the needs of all our customers 100% of the time, we will disappoint people. Life is short, our job is demanding, we are all all probably working too many hours, away from our family and loved ones. If you think your customer base will tolerate a four day work week - Go for it! Unfortunately I am old fashioned,I still wor ry about being closed for repairs on Saturdays so for right now I will continue with the five day work week.

Wow, I can empathize and sympathize with you!

I grew up in the gas station business, and we worked every day, rain or shine. We had to be there. I tip my hat to you for putting things in perspective and having the guts to make changes that affect you and your employees' lives. 

AND I CAN RELATE TO YOUR STATEMENT, "I still worry about being closed for repairs on Saturdays..."  When I went into business, my father told me, "You will feel guilty when you take a Saturday off."

Funny how so many shop owners think and feel alike! 

8 hours ago, JimO said:

I have had a/c in our shop and offices for over 25 years and it was the best thing we ever did. I am in NJ and it gets very hot and humid here in the summer, the a/c makes life bearable. I have been in business for 50 years and my two techs have both been with me for over 40 years each and maybe that is one of the reasons they have stayed with me. The last 3-4 weeks have been very hot and our a/c does struggle to keep the shop area comfortable. Opening bay doors frequently and bringing in vehicles that have been baking in the sun only adds to the heat load. My guys are very good about quickly moving vehicles in and out of the bays which helps. They will also complete small jobs (that don’t require a lift) outside rather than bringing the vehicle into the shop which also helps minimize heat gain. I try to fill every bay at the end of the day so we start off the next morning with bays and cars cold. The a/c runs day and night otherwise we would start the day with a hot building that is unable to catch up during a hot day. With everything we do to minimize heat gain there are some days that the shop does get uncomfortable for a few hours in the afternoon but it is always better than not having a/c. 

All great points, I know all too well that feeling at the end of the day when spending 8 to 10 hours working in the heat. Great job for providing a comfortable workplace. 

28 minutes ago, vbtoytech said:

I have an offer for $6 more an hour at an independent with no air conditioning.  No thanks.  I didn't get a degree and master certified to be miserable all day.  That said, heat affects some more than others.

Wow, thanks for sharing that! Could you expand on what is important to you in the workplace?  It would great to get your perspective. 

1 hour ago, tomkatv10 said:

The consumer drives the market. People need their cars. So the shop has to be open at least five days a week. We are not open weekends, so the crew gets those two days to spend with family and friends. My crew likes to work. Most of them don’t take their full vacations or PTO. They would rather take the buyout at the end of the year. I think you need to know your people, your culture and most importantly your finances before making that type of decision. 

Great points and I tend to agree with you.  You also bring up a great point about the consumer. 

And Culture is King. 

13 hours ago, Transmission Repair said:

Three things motivated my crew.

1.  Great working conditions, proper shop equipment, and a great wage.

I agree with all, but especially like the fact you mentioned, "Great working conditions" as number 1.  

14 hours ago, xrac said:

We’ve discussed it but haven’t implemented.  The places here who have implemented longer hours haven’t seemed to be that successful with it.  To me the main issues are supervision and parts availability. 

I may be old fashion, but aren't we in a service-oriented business?  Are employees today really interested in a 4 day work week?

With that said, I think years back, most of us worked too hard, too many hours, and did not take enough time off.  To me, time with family is perhaps a major consideration.

Is there a balance?  Work hard / Family time? 

There's a lot of talk these days about a 4-day work week.  Some discussions include the entire shop only being opened for 4 days, other discussions talk about rotating employees to work only four days, while the shop remains open for 5 or 6 days. 

I am on the fence about this. I do see the benefits, but it's not as easy as some may think.

Thoughts, Comments? 

This past summer set record heat in many parts of the country. As a former tech, I know what it's like to work 8 to 10 ten hours in 90-plus degree temperatures with unbearable humidity.

Does air conditioning help with morale and productivity? Is the investment worth the benefits?

As shop owners, we are constantly finding ways to motivate our employees, and often we think it's money. Money does factor into motivation, but don't employees want other things? 

If we knew what motivated our employees, we stand a better chance of keeping them and improving morale and production.

So, how do we find out? Do we ask them? Would they tell us? 

8 hours ago, JimO said:

It certainly seems that our current administration would love to see the EV’s dominate our country as soon as possible. They fail to acknowledge regardless of the fact that the required infrastructure of charging stations fail to exist. Hour many current repair facilities have the required training and expertise to repair EV’s? This push to replace internal combustion vehicles will no doubt cause some unintended consequences. Many underground storage tanks were replaced during 1980’s to meet new, stricter, Underground Storage Tank regulations. These 40 year old tanks will need to be replaced again very soon. How many locations will be willing to invest $400,000 to $500,000 to remove and replace their tanks knowing the uncertainty of the business? Due to the current high cost to purchase an electric vehicle, the affluent areas will see the change over to EV’s sooner than lower income areas. Expect to see low volume stations that are located in affluent areas closing rather than risk high debt with little or no chance of recouping their investment. I feel like a blacksmith watching the first horseless carriages roll into town. The strong will survive but there will be many casualties along the way.

Great perspective! Our current administration should contact people like you! 

The economics involved to invest in the future of a typical gas station, especially to replace underground tanks, is overwhelming to many. 

Even with this big push for EVs, there are so many hurdles to overcome.  

The blacksmith analogy is something I agree with. However, many smart blacksmiths became our first auto technicians and repair shops. 

3 hours ago, jeff fitzgerald said:

If the particular make you specialize in is popular in your area it COULD work. I am managing a shop now that is tied to a used car facility. New operation and we are gearing up to service what we sell. The owner wants to follow that matra but is hesitant to invest in the necessary equipment. I am looking into the Opus systems which I believe will give us about 95 percent coverage. Specialty tools could be an issue but that will be an as need purchase. It's not gonna be easy. 

You bring up a great point!

Way back, it was easier to tool up for most makes and models, the training was available, and the technical information was also pretty much available.  

Fast forward to today: the amount of specialized training, tools, equipment, and information needed is mind-blowing, compared to what it was. 

1 hour ago, Jerrys Auto Center said:

I just gave 1 of my men a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of $70 / week in the form of tool payments… Tool truck payment, something he needed through Amazon or  even the Freight store.  The money is tax free to the employee, so he gets to spend 100% of it, I have no tax match on it and I get to write it off as an Expense. Win, win for all. 

Very innovative!  Also shows the employee that you are thinking of him. 

I think in the short term, the internal combustion engine is not going anywhere soon. But what about the long term?  If the electric vehicle is to become the dominant vehicle model in the future, how does that change the traditional gas station business? 

I think it would be interesting to hear from our fellow gas station shop owners, and how they view their future. 

Let's face it, we all need a certain income in order to pay bills and take care of our families. But when it comes to paying bonuses and incentives, money is not the only way to reward performance.  

Other than money, what non-monetary bonuses or rewards do you give to your employees? 

There is so much talk these days about pay raises for employees, raising prices, inflation, cost of living, and labor rate increases. 

But when was the last time you gave yourself a raise? Or have taken corporate distributions?  

ADAS calibration is becoming an everyday service. Do you perform ADAS calibration in-house, or do you sublet it to another shop or a mobile company? And what challenges does ADAS bring to your business? 

With all the different makes and models these days, and the complexity of modern vehicles, is it still possible to work on all makes and all models? To add to that, we now have to contend with electric cars. 

Are we heading to more specialization? How do auto repair shops evolve their business model and their target customers? 

I recently read an article in Auto Success online, a publication for dealerships. It states that there is a market for used tires. I was never a fan of selling used tires. Link to article below. 

Your thoughts? Comments? 

21 hours ago, weighit said:

I own a Tesla and other than the 2,300 mile cross country trip to buy it I have ony used a charging station twice, otherwise charge at home in my own garage. The places I have charged on the trips, the charging stations mostly were either where I could walk away from the car and eat, rest room break or buy something while waiting. Having a charging station in a auto repair faculity would not benefit the shop owner nor the car owner.  Just my thoughts.

Great points!  What are your thoughts about cities, with hi-rise apartment buildings? With tenants on the 8th floor, it doesn't seem feasible at this time to own an EV in that situation.  

13 hours ago, John Shanderuk said:

Just raised mine again to $181.09 and paying techs $60 per flat rate hour. No tiered labor bonuses just $60 per hour. They write the estimates so they live with what they quote for labor. 

Wow, good for you!  What type of shop are you, general repair, or specialize in certain makes/models, etc.? 

Also, when you say the techs write the estimate, do you have a service advisor staff?  Who interacts with customers? 

2 minutes ago, Transmission Repair said:

It's too early for EV chargers.  Perhaps 5 years from now.  It's all a matter of timing.

I tend to agree with you.  Too many things are changing also, and who knows what technology will bring out in the next few years. 

28 minutes ago, southendautocare said:

This has been a good question that has been asked since before I started my business 35 years ago. I as a technician, moonlighted with side jobs for many years, and I believe it was the only way I could make enough additional income to do certain things like go snow skiing, buy toys, and most of all start my business with the additional income and small customer base. We all hope we can pay our techs enough where they don't "have to" for income. I actually enjoyed it (and had the energy when I was younger!).  I don't think younger techs today are as interested or have a place or resources as much, and older techs (average tech age in our area 50 plus years old) want to or have energy to.  Seems like such a small percentage, I'm not concerned it hurts the industry. 

Great points! I too, before I went into business, did side work to earn additional money.  I also work for a tow company on Sat and Sundays.  I also know techs that make a great income but still have their side-work lined up.  This topic does have a lot of twists and turns. 

8 minutes ago, xrac said:

Joe I will be 70 in December.  I think you have the best of all worlds. You have this website, you have Elite, and other organizations you are engaged with.  Hopefully it is just the right mix of relaxation, personal time, work, and meaningful interaction.

 

Again, Frank, right on point. I am right behind you at 67.  And yes, for the first time since high school, I have the right balance.  In fact, I am writing this from my son's home in California, staying here until August. 

Get your plan together and reach out to me if you have questions. But, do what's right for you. 

2 minutes ago, xrac said:

Currently, I am an important man around town.  I know just about everyone and they know me as the OWNER of a substantial business and a fountain of information about cars.  However, when I retire which I hope is soon.  I will become a use-to-waser.  I have already had that experience a couple of times from previous major career changes and I know it is a lonely feeling.  I am sure that it will not be a totally easy or pleasant experience.  I think the only way it would all positive is if a guy absolutely hates what he is doing.  

Frank, I think you hit the nail on the head.  For those that hate what they do, ending a career would be easy. 

For me personally, I always enjoyed what I did.  My original plan was to wait until age 70, but with all that I was doing, it just wasn't in the cards when I began to be approached by buyers.

3 minutes ago, xrac said:

We have very few EVs here in the hinderlands and no inquiries to speak of.  However, a charging station might be an interesting idea.  However, the best concept to me would be if I were an restaraunt owner. You could offer dining and charging at the same time. 

All great points, Frank. Middle America does not have nearly the amount of EVs as the East Coast or West Coast. And a restaurant of some kind, near a major highway with adequate parking may be an idea worth looking into. For me, my advice is to wait and see. Too many variables at this point.