Joe Marconi

It appears you have a great opportunity, but have issues that you already recognize. That is good, very good. I have been in business for 33 years and in the auto industry since Jr, High School, working with my father. The best advice I can give you is to listen to your instincts. You are saying all the right things and your concerns are valid. You need procedures, policies and organization. This will not happen overnight. Create a written plan; yes a written plan, on what you need to do to get the shop operating with efficiency. Work on the plan, one baby step at a time. Your observation of how your father ran the business is right on point. Years back we all ran our shops as your father did, it's the only way we knew. But, moving forward, you need to be more business-minded. You father is passing on the business to you, and that should make you and your father proud. The key to success will be in you becoming more of a business man; learning leadership skills, the numbers of the business, business management and team building. I hope this helps. Please keep posting and we will keep helping. Good luck!

Focus on People, not Numbers Legendary UCLA Basket Coach, John Wooden, never focused on the score of a game. John Wooden believed that success is achieved by paying attention to the details of the game, not concentrating on the score. He also knew that well-trained players, executing a plan and paying attention to personal performance and team work, will ultimately lead to success. Under his leadership, the UCLA Bruins holds the record with 11 Division 1 NCAA Championships, 10 national titles in 12 seasons, including 7 straight wins from 1967 to 1973. His strategy, a focus on people and team spirit, brings out the very best someone has to offer to the team. His record is a testament to his strategy. As business owners, we often get caught up in the numbers of the business. I am not suggesting the numbers are not important. Shop owners need to understand all the financial aspects of business. But a business, just like any team, will reach high levels of success if the organization has the right people in place, that pays attention to all the details, and are in an environment where the focus is on team spirit and achieving the personal best of each individual. With this strategy, the numbers, the score, will take care of itself.

Welcome to ASO Josh, we are here to help. So please don't be shy and participate in the forums. We will all benefit from it. Good luck to you!

All great comments. Learn about business and as much as you can. I give this advice to all, is the business side of business that will sustain you in the long run. Good luck and keep us posted.

First, good to have you back, ASO is not the same without you Gonzo! An excellent view from the perspective of others. We all get caught up in our own world and the assumptions we make are not easily seen by others. Great insight and something for all of us to think about.

Many of you might have heard of fellow shop owner, Audra Fordin. Her shop is located in Queens, New York and is doing something outstanding for our industry. She has been recognized in the news media and in many trade publications. She started a web site called WOMEN “AUTO” KNOW. Not only is it brilliant marketing, she has created a program that is actually helping to improve the image of our industry. I urge you to check out her web site and “Take the Pledge” and join her organization. At the very least, you owe it to yourself and to our industry to find out what she is all about. Trust me, you will be impressed. Here’s the link to her site and her shop: http://www.womenautoknow.com/

You can brag....be proud!!!

Great post! I agree with the comments too. We do a lot of brake jobs also, and on a lot of car lines. In the early 80s it was easy: Ford, GM and Chrslyer. So we stocked pads. There are too many numbers now. Do your research and get the best deal on quaility parts from a supplier you have confidence in. Brakes are a great profit center. Let the parts house carry the inventory, keep the cash flow in your pocket. Don't look at COGs aquisition only, also look at the money sitting on the shelf. When you factor that, it makes a difference. Understand your margins and insure that all jobs are generating a profit. Best of luck to you, keep us posted.

I love when a salesman comes in and says those classic words, "I know I can save you money." That's when I run and hide.

I am in New York, about an hour north of NYC. By late Jan and Feb is does slow down. The winter storms, heating bill, paying off credit cards from Christmas, people don't go out as much. Combine that with the emotional aspect of winter and it can be tough. Perhaps the best thing you can do is to make sure all year long you do a good job each time a customer comes and leading up to the winter. Identify all future work, tell the customer that you will call them to set up the appointment and make sure that you book all the next LOFs, just like your doctor and dentist. Best of luck, there only so much cleaning and sweeping you can do, you need $$$$

For the past few years we hear O'Reilly's radio ads, but have not had the opportunity to actually see one or know of a store. I know there are shops out there that do business with O'Reillys, can you give us details and any info on their parts and service? Just curious.

Thanks for the post and for clearing that up. I think we can now see what you mean.

Wow, simply amazing! Hard to believe how out of touch some people are mechanically.

Years back we cut most rotors. Today, the metal is not the same, even on cars like BMW, Volvo, Mercedes and Audi. Most of the time its a better brake job to replace the rotors with the pads. That's not to say we don't use our lathe, we do. But it's rare that we do. We do use it a lot with drum brakes and cut most drums when we do a brake job.

That is a very good question. And I really don't want people coming to me complaining about others in the shop, even in management positions. For me, I like to stay in touch with everyone, and pretty good at seeing what is going on. If you watch how people react to each other and the subtle comments and body language, you will see that there is a probelm. Then it's up to the owner to speak to everyone and be candid about how everyone is getting along. This actually happen to me with a service advisor a few years back. I knew something was wrong, but did not know to what extent. When I started getting negative feedback from customers, it was time to pull the plug and let him go. Afterwards, the techs came to me to thank me. Thanks for the comment! Joe

Source: Get rid of the bad apples and improve morale

It looks like you are a tech and the real issue should be presented to the owner. Gravy techs are needed in any shop. Techs of all levels are needed in every shop. But no one position should shine and have an unfair advantage. Perhaps the real issue is that many shop owners are not properly charging for hi tech testing and repairs. While most shops enjoy the profits of what a gravy tech can produce, it does not mean that other services that demand hi level of skill should suffer, with regard to profit. It's the same old story, service advisors and/or shop owners easily bill out 1hr to 1.5hrs to hang pads and rotors, but struggle with how to charge for 2 hours of diag testing. Shop owners need to compensate techs according to their skill and experience. My A level techs get paid higher, a lot higher. For that reason the work they do is billed accordingly.

Get rid of the bad apple and improve morale I am a firm believer that the head of any organization is responsible for the culture of the company. And that culture will determine the morale of the organization. It’s no different for shop owners. If we walk around miserable, the whole shop will be miserable. If we convey an attitude of enthusiasm and maintain a positive attitude, morale improves and production goes up. Yes, that responsibility starts at the top. I am also a firm believer that employing the wrong person can undo any good the boss or manager does and can kill morale. It’s that old saying, “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” You know the type; we’ve all had them at our shops. The employee that’s always in a bad mood, who complains about each and every job you give them, never wants to help his fellow employees, talks about everyone behind their back and thinks that boss does everything all wrong and that if he were in charge, things would run much better. Sound familiar? You have one those? Do yourself a favor, get rid of him or her. I recently had to make that choice, and I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Years back I would always prorate a new employee and make Jan 1 a new year for each employee with regard to benefits. That meant that when vacations got renewed, along with sick days, raises, etc., every benefit for all employees came due at the same time. For the past few years we have gone to policy of anniversary hire dates. It's more work to keep track, but it staggers the vacation time, sick time and other benefits you may offer. What other policies are shop owners using?

Here is an interesting article on privacy issues with black boxes... http://t.autos.msn.com/news/new-law-covering-%e2%80%98black-box%e2%80%99-data

It's the next item on my wish list!

We do, esspeically when it comes to safety. We note on the invoice any issues we have and have the customer sign it. However, there are times that I would not allow the car to leave. I don't think that is legal, but if the car is really unsafe, such has leaking brake lines, I insist the car be towed off my property, not driven. It makes some people mad as hell, but I rather them be mad at me than drive an unsafe car. Some things transcend money and business.

Welcome to AutoShopOwner.com Adrian. Don't be a stranger to the forums, we are here to help. Plus there's a lot of great posts you can research thru. Good luck to you.

Gonzo, you are right on target. We need to push the issue. We do have influence you know. Comebacks are hurting our reputation and consumer confidence and we should let our part suppliers know how we feel. In the end the customer's perception is key. And if their perception is that we are selling low quality parts, we all suffer.