Joe Marconi

Welcome to AutoShopOwner.com. There is a ton of information on this site that will be helpful for your son. Best of luck and please don't be a stranger. Looking forward to your comments and posts.

Again Gonzo, you bring up a topic that we deal with on a daily basis. Through the years it has become increasingly harder to explain the need for preventive maintenance. Perhaps it was better in the old days when cars broke down, when they started to run rough, stalled out, etc. The average person could feel something was wrong and brought the car in for you to perform your mechanical magic. Today, cars run and run and when it's time for maintenance, the customer has no clue why and truly thinks that vehicle maintenance is putting gas in the tank and changing the oil every now and then. Let me stop here....I could go on and on. You really do have a knack of get my blood pressure up, don't you?

Source: More consumers going back to the New Car Dealer for Auto Service

At a recent local business EXPO, I had the opportunity to meet and speak to a lot of people. One of the questions I asked people is, “Where do you get your car serviced?” This is a question I often ask when doing these events. What surprised me was the increase in consumers going back to the dealer for routine service and repairs. I followed up the first question with a second question, “Why do go to the new car dealer for service and repairs?” Here are some of the answers I got: · It’s a new car · I have to go to the dealer, it’s under warranty · My sales person said I had to · My dealer uses original parts, I don’t want any problems · It’s a lease car · My dealer packaged a service plan for my car · I got a discount book with services · The dealer extended the warranty if I do all the services there · My first year of services were free, after that I got used to going back I have been in business a long time. Years back people bought new cars and maybe went back for a few oil changes, but that was it. Things have changed, and dealers are very aggressive with their marketing tactics. From what I am seeing, the dealers are winning back customers. The fact is dealers want our customers. Between the shrinking margins on new car sales and the fierce competition, the new car dealer needs the income from service and parts. We need to take this seriously. We, the independent aftermarket repair shops, are still the first choice with the motoring public, but for how long? Smart dealers are doing a great job at winning customers back after the sale is made. Dealers are also booking the vehicle’s first service and selling service packages. Many dealers are positioning themselves as “price competitive” too. Thirty years ago dealers charged what they wanted in the service bays, and sold cars in spite of themselves. And we had an endless stream of broken cars lined up in front of our bays. All was good. It’s not that way anymore. Cars are built better, have less routine service items to replace, last longer and don’t breakdown the way cars did years ago. Add to the fact that every sector of the repair industry is a Total Car Care Center. We can remain number one, and we should. But we cannot ignore the new battle field. The competitors you need to pay close attention to are the new car dealers in your market area.

Years back we stocked up to a few hundred tires. That was a much different time. Today there are so many choices and so many brands. You need to define your business model too. Tires are considered a commodity, so selling the masses is not easy. However, selling to you profile customers is not a issue. Today, we have sourced out a few tire companies and get deliveries all day long. Stocking tires requires a lot of cash sitting in inventory and can impact your cash reserve, which will impact your ability to pay your bills.

Great topic Gonzo. The car has evolved so much in the past few decades. I do feel fortunate that I became a mechanic during a time when things were very mechanical in nature. But, I have to agree, today's cars require a different mindset and the commitment to continuously evolve.

Great idea. This helps builds relationships, which promotes morale and team spirit.

We use torque sticks as a first step, then we lower the car until the wheels just touch the ground; we re-torque the wheels again with a torque wrench. As the tech re-torques the wheels, he also chalks the top of the tire with white chalk as a mental note that he completed the operation. This may be a little overkill, but having a wheel fall can also kill.

Yelp has a love/hate relationship. While I personally do not agree with their strategy, many companies do. And Yelp is very proactive with respect to search engine and ranking on the web. I would speak to a local marketing person who understands web marketing, reviews and website/business ranking. There are other ways to promote your shop. Paying Yelp has to factor into your budget, and for some that can be costly. Good luck and great post!

This is a tough one, and I have sure many of us have been through this situation. I think all the posts are right on target. One thing to remember; no matter what happened, we need to make sure we regain the confidence of the consumer. Have the customer return two more times within 100 miles to recheck ALL lug nuts on ALL wheels. I had a similar situation years ago on a Ford. After replacing a set of tires, one of the wheel loosened up within a few hundred miles. We took blame, but the car came back again, and one by one all the lug nuts would loosen up after a few hundred miles. We ended up replacing all the lug nut and studs and no further issues. I have no concrete explanation for what happened. But if you are in this business long enough, it is amazing what you will see. Good luck, I know what you are going through.

Nice proactive approach. Thanks for the post on such an important topic!

Social Media Marketing is word-of-mouth advertising on steroids.

AAA has a long history, and has been a partner to the auto repair and service industry, especially with Approved Auto Repair (AAR) certification for the independent auto repair shops. But, in recent years the AAA has caused a lot of friction among shop owners, resulting in many shop dropping their affiliation with the AAA. For a number of reasons, I too have decided not to renew my AAR contract with the AAA. Let me be clear, AAA is regional, so the northeast may have a slightly different program from the southwest. But, we need to remember, that the AAA in the eyes of the consumer is one brand and they do cross channels with their concepts and objectives. AAA has competing shops in some areas in the country, and in some regions wants a backdoor access to the shop's customer information through the shop's business management system. This is a step in the wrong direction. Whether you are an AAR shop or not, you need to be informed on this important issue. Below are a links to a few recent articles in Ratchet and Wrench, one written by Mitch Schneider. I strongly urge you to read them. http://www.ratchetandwrench.com/RatchetWrench/December-2015/Vision-and-Visionaries/ http://www.ratchetandwrench.com/RatchetWrench/April-2016/Regional-AAA-Network-Changes-Put-Pressure-on-Shops/

First, I am very superstitious. Gonzo, you know I have been around the block more times than I care to admit. Every now and then, for someone reason I will think of a customer I have not seen in a while, and that day, the phone will ring, and it's the customer I was thinking of. If it happened only a few times, I could call it coincidence,but it happens a lot.

Source: High shop morale improves productivity

When a workplace suffers from poor morale, so does productivity. When a company enjoys high morale, productivity improves and profit follows. It all starts with the leader; the shop owner. You set the tone. Your attitude will dictate the direction of every employee. Too many work places suffer from poor morale. And it doesnt matter that you have the best tools, the best training, top techs and top service advisors. Without a healthy workplace environment, you will never reach your potential. You will also lose key employees. People do not want to work in an environment filled with stress and drama. As a shop owner, set the right tone each day. Look for things to be thankful for. Dismiss negative thoughts and make it a point to thank the people around you. Is this easy? No. But if you want to succeed in this tough economic, competitive market, you have no choice.

Welcome Vinny to Autoshopowner.com! Your friend has quite a challenge running a one man shop. Perhaps he should join and the members can brainstorm ideas. There are a lot more considerations in addition to parts ordering.

Welcome to AutoShopOner.com! Looking forward to conversations on the forums.

Great classic! It happened again, and it will continue. Perhaps someone has welded us inside the gate?

I agree Frank, and nice to see you on the forums!

Kristina offered to show her, but she wasn't interested. In fact, after she sat down, another customer who was also waiting for his car said, "why don't you let her show you?" She ignored him too. We have come a long way, but still hold the perception of mistrust in some people's mind. We all need to do what we can top raise the image bar.

Thank you, great info.

The other day, one of my service advisors, Kristina, was speaking to a customer about worn control arm bushings on her Honda. The customer was in the waiting room, sitting and reading a magazine, while her car was being serviced along with a New York State annual safety inspection. Kristina got half way through her explanation of the control arm bushings when the customer said, "Stop right there." She then opened up the magazine she was reading (a copy of March 2016 Issue Consumer Report), which was in our pile of magazines and said, "Look here, Honda control arm bushings are among the 5 Sneaky Mechanic Scams!" Kristina did not make the sale and Thank You Consumer Reports, a motorist is now driving a car with worn lower control arm bushings; a potentially unsafe condition. The Consumer reports article was written by a so-called expert, and is slanted against the repair shop. No surprise there, we are easy targets. I don't know how that magazine got into my waiting area, but I will pay more attention to the magazines I offer to my customers. I will also voice my opinion to Consumer Report Magazine and urge everyone to voice their opinions too. PLEASE NOTE: I checked online and the March 2016 Issue is not on the web yet.

I want to wish a Happy Easter, and the very best to you and your family.