Joe Marconi

I remember when Sears was advertising a lifetime warranty on wheel alignments. It would annoy me when customers would ask, "Do you warranty your alignments for life?" I agree with you that there was a time when you paid for a premium product, and the company stood behind the quality with an amazing warranty. Snap On Tools for example.

Source: Improve Your Repair Shop Production with the Power of Praise!

According to a Gallup poll, 99 out of 100 people say they want a more positive environment at work. The study also says that employees are more productive when they are around positive people. If you stop and think about it, this speaks volumes. A positive workplace produces happier employees, which ultimately improves shop production. And one of the best ways to promote a more positive workplace is with praise and recognition. Everyone wants to be recognized for the work they do and want to know that what they do matters to the overall success of the shop. Without enough praise and recognition, employees become disengaged. When this happens, morale will suffer, and so will your business. Poor morale affects every aspect of your business, including customer service. As a shop owner, I know how difficult it is to run a repair shop. You spend so much time handling issues and problems. Sometimes it's hard to put aside the issues and find the good that's around you. But the reality is that if you want a more productive and profitable business, you need to have positive work environment. And that begins with hiring the right people, and then making sure that employees receive adequate praise when warranted and recognition for a job well done.

Gonzo, it is truly amazing how you take the ordinary things that happen and turn it into an interesting article. Years back a customer came in complaining of a smell. She said it smelled like something died in the car. Well, something did die. A mouse worked it's way into the vents and ended up in the heater motor. I had the pleasure of going on the hunt, finding dead Mickey, removing it and cleaning it. I will never forget that smell.

This is a classic! What an enjoyable read. Thank you for posting!

Source: Shop Owners: Has your repair shop reached success?

As a young child, my father would tell me that it doesn't matter what you choose to do in life, just work really hard and become the best you can possibly be. That was sound advice 50 years ago, and it's sound advice today. As shop owners, we are on a journey, not a destination. And, your success will always be determined by what you achieve, and not by the achievement of others. It really doesn't matter what the shop across town has achieved, or how many locations you have, or the amount of cash you have in the bank. Comparing yourself to others is not where your focus should be. Now, please don't misunderstand me. We can learn a lot from the success of others. And we should study how others have achieved greatness. What I am saying is that everyone has a different perspective on what that greatness looks like. Here's the bottom line: Commit to personal excellence, commit to continuous improvement, promise that you will help others around you achieve their personal success, maintain your integrity and ethics, don't accept being average, and above all, be the best you can be. If you do these things, you will attain success.

I agree with M-Spec. We don't know all the reasons for his multiple jobs. Now, with that said, I look for reasons NOT to hire. What I mean by that is we tend to make allowances and tell ourselves that we may be able to cure or somehow make this person a good fit. This may not be so. I totally understand that qualified techs are hard to fine, but do your homework. Have a long meeting/interview with him. Find out as much as you can about the person, not the tech. If you can provide a workplace in which he feels secure and motivated, then the odds of him staying are a lot greater. But, if he is the type of person that fizzles out on his own (for whatever reason), you will be the next shop on his resume. Many Master Techs get burned out too because the shop puts so many demands on them to be the savior of the shop. It takes a team to win a game, not one superstar. As with any potential hire, take your time and do your homework. The more you do in the beginning will pay off down the road. Good luck!

You are always in control over your own destiny. So, your strategy of looking back and planning for the future is sound. Having goals and putting a plan together is the only way to achieve what you want out of life. As far as helping people, you do that every day by providing quality service at a fair price. We sometimes confuse our mindset. Too many shop owners think that helping others is sacrificing the income we need and deserve. Set your pricing strategy to be probable and stick with it. Continue to bring value to your customers. Your best customers and future profile customers look at value, not price. There is a difference. Break down every aspect of your business. Clearly write down your goals and break down those goals into smaller short term goals, which will be the pathway to achieve you Long Term Goals. Review these goals often. Keep them at your finger tips. Lastly, know your numbers. Know preciously what is needed to achieve your overall objective. No one knows what the future will bring. But the best way to get out of life what you want is to help create the future. This is what you are doing. Good Luck! What you believe, you can achieve!

As we close out another year, it’s only natural to look back and reflect on our accomplishments and shortcomings. While this process has merit, we need to focus more on our accomplishments and strengths, than on our weaknesses. Take time to review your accomplishments and use them to spring-board your business and your life in the right direction in 2015. This strategy will help to encourage your future outlook and help to direct your behavior to think in the positive. Let’s face it; there will always be obstacles to overcome. That’s called…life. But business, as in life, is not a destination, but a journey. And just like any journey, it’s the experiences we encounter on the way and how we react and learn from those experiences that really matter. Happy New Year!

From my experience Yelp has mixed reviews. Some shops love it and others don't. As with any marketing strategy, sometimes you need do your homework, see if it fits into your business model and give it a try. We have tried many things in the past, some work, some don't. The ones that work you stick with. For obvious reasons, I will avoid endorsing any particular company.

This is the first conference for Ratchet and Wrench. I will be there and I also will be presenting two seminars. One on Sales and the other on creating the right work environment, which will also incorporates leadership. I hope to see many AutoShopOwner.com friends there.

I want to wish everyone the very best this holiday season. I hope that each of you get to spend quality time with family and friends and enjoy the things that matter the most. Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The holidays are a great time of the year to strengthen your relationship with employees and customers. Spend time with customers and employees discussing holiday plans and family. Show everyone that you value people first, profit second. Make sure you are genuine and show sincere interest in others. In the spirit of Christmas, the more you give the more you will receive. And of course, never forget your own family. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Gonzo, your articles are extra special around Christmas. Thank you so much for what you do for AutoShopOwner! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

You bring up excellent points, and I agree. The key thing is to understand your business model. In your case, it would be financial suicide to bring in "Oil Change" waits. Also, for you the Oil Service is the way the way to go. On the other hand, there are many successful general repair shops that have dedicated oil service bays. They use those bays to bring in additional cars for Oil changes in the hope that they can create new customers and up-sell work to the other production bays. There also needs to be a balance. Too many oil change waits can kill a business. The mindset of a wait customer is get it in, get it out, and on to the next task of the day. If we as an industry can only sell more Oil Services, we would all be in a better place. Great post!

Below is a link to an interesting article about Delphi and the technology it is bringing to the industry; such as advanced technology that will actually communicate to traffic lights and other cars. How will this technology affect the collision business remains to be seen. Here's the link, a must read for those in the Body/Collision Business: http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/delphi-advances-automated-vehicle-project-at-ces-2016/?eid=284835314&bid=1258239

This is a shocker, but here's link to an article on a potential sale of Advance Auto Parts to O'Reillys Auto or to an investment firm. According to a report in StreetInsider, auto parts retail giant Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP) is exploring a potential sale of the company after being approached by an interested buyer. StreetInsider, referencing a source "familiar with the matter," states that the potential offer could fetch up to $200 per share if a sale is successful. The company's stock as of Wednesday afternoon was trading at $161 per share, up 9 percent from Monday's close of $147.61 per share. Negotiations, however, are said to be in the early stages and may not lead to a deal. Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/real-estate/2015/12/advance-auto-parts-shares-spike-on-reports-of.html?ana=yahoo A must read!

Source: Will the Mild Winter Hurt Business?

While many shop owners may not enjoy a harsh winter, there's always that feeling that a tough winter is good for business. But is it? Last year was one of the worst winters on record in the northeast. There was a ton of winter-related work. But, when you factor the days closed due to snow and ice storms, sales did not reflect any real increase. I know I may be simplifying this, since there are a number of reasons why business may slow down in the winter months. However, to rely on a tough winter to bring in service and repair work may not be your best sales strategy. The winter will be what it is; tough or mild. We cannot help that. But, what we can do is prepare for either scenario, which is building your customer retention rate by proactively identifying needed future work on each vehicle, discussing all future work with each customer, creating service reminders and creating a follow up call list to contact your customers when those service reminders go out. We cannot predict the future, but we can help create it. Start today with each and every customer to ensure that they come back to you for all their service needs. Remember this: Every car in your shop today will need a future LOF service, future services and future repairs. The question is, will they be coming back to you?

Follow up calls is one the best marketing strategies and great customer service. Plus, it just makes sense. The customer experience doesn't stop after the car leaves your shop. Don't over think this. Simply get a list from your management system of the people that were in for service. Go down the list, make the calls and make notes. We call most people, especially first time customers. We don't call customers that came in a set of wipers or a light bulb or other simple services.

Welcome to AutoshopOwner.com. This site has the best minds among shop owners on the planet. I learn each day from these guys.

Thanks for all the great comments on my article. I write real-life stories that each of us can relate too. Glad to do my part for the hard working shop owners!

I just love your version of the 12 Days of Christmas! Thank you for all that you do for ASO. Merry Christmas to you too!