Joe Marconi

All policies and procedures must be clearly defined and written; Uniforms, hours of operation, cell phone use, lateness and all other aspects of operating your business. In addition, you also need a workflow process where everyone is on the same page with regard to inspecting a car, brake jobs, oil changes, diagnostic work, etc., etc. We all have different ways of doing things, but there needs to be consistency in how we operate. Every shop is a little different, so I recommend doing your homework. One tip, get everyone involved. NO ONE likes change, so the more "buy-in" you create from your staff the more successful you will be.

What a story! And funny! You can't make this stuff up. It's like an Abbott and Costello routine. Really funny. Not many people can figure out North, South, East or West. I gave up using those terms in giving people directions.

There are organizations and even computer programs you can get to help with that. A shop's employee manual is specific to the individual shop. So, if I send you mine, it will not be appropriate for your business. There are also online services and manuals that you can download. Many payroll companies also help with this. You can also see if your local chamber of commerce as anyone resources. You are on the right path, good luck! Hope this helps.

Let me understand this; You will work only for and at this repair shop? You will not be able to grow this business for yourself? Where are you now and tell me more about how you earn your income.

Great addition to the site and great job Alex!

I had lunch the other day with a fellow shop owner. Like me, he’s been in the auto industry for decades. Everything we needed to know back then was contained in one manual. Any diagnostic skills were learned and remembered as needed, from memory. When computers came about in the early 80s we all learned about trouble charts, pin point diagnostics, lab scopes, multi meters and following a logical approach to solving problems. My friend asked me if having the resources as we do today, like IATN and Identifix hurt our diagnostic skills. It’s no secret that many problems that would have taken hours to solve are now revealed to us with a few strokes of a key board. But I don’t think you can compare today’s sophistication with technology from 30 years ago. It is different today, but I don’t think IATN or Identifix can take the place of a skilled technician. I do think having these online resources greatly helps us. For me, I think that IATN and Identifix are worth every penny.

Last Wednesday I brought my wife’s car in for a few repairs: a T belt, a check engine light repair, spark plugs and a few other services. The car also needed front struts and mounts. The car would hit really hard over any road imperfection. The check engine light was related to a fuel problem, and I noticed a lack of power at times. As I drove the car home after all the repairs were done, I could notice a big difference in the way the car ran and handled on the road. Yesterday my wife took the car out, went to lunch with my daughter and then out to the mall and I few other errands. She had the car the entire day. When she returned home, I asked her, “So, do you notice a difference with the way your car runs and handles on the road?” With a straight face she says, “Not really”. Not really? I could not believe my ears. How could something so obvious to me, go unnoticed by someone who drives the car every day! This got me thinking about how our customers. We work so hard and at times perform technological magic. How many of our customers notice a difference when they get their car back? I would bet many do not. It all goes back to what the customer CAN and WILL notice. And that’s how they are treated, the look of you shop, your customer bathroom, your techs, how clean the waiting area is, and the appearance of the car when they get it back. Unfortunately, the hard work under the hood or under the car simply goes unnoticed.

Last Tuesday I attended a seminar on YouTube marketing. The speaker discussed how creating videos, with the right search engine optimization, can really help your ranking in Google. He gave examples and actually showed us that more and more listing that come up on Google searches have videos, which actually helped that company increase the chances of getting top listing. I thought it was a real interesting seminar. In terms of the new era of advertising and marketing, it’s a whole new ball game! We have created a few YouTube consumer videos, and in the process of making more. Is anyone else creating videos, and how has it helped? Or not?

I can fully appreciate the time table of all the different eras. Growing up in an automotive family, I remember way back to the late 50s. And my father often spoke of the cars pre WWII. Looking back thru the years, much as changed. It evolutionary, you really don't notice the subtle changes year by year, but when you think about a 1967 GTO, it's a whole different animal. First there was "Cro-Magnon Man" - now's there's "Chrome Era Man"..... love it....that's me too!

The Lincoln Principle Abraham Lincoln was one of our greatest presidents. He was a man of integrity, morals, conviction and ethics. He was also known to have a temper. During the Civil War he would demonstrate great anger and disappointment for people in his administration and with many military leaders. He would sit down at night regularly and compose letters condemning people for what they did. These letters were not pleasant to read. After a letter was complete, he would take it and put it in his desk draw to be mailed the next morning. At the end of the War, his draw was filed with these letters, not one of them ever mailed. I have learned that all too often the only times we address someone is when things go wrong. While we cannot ignore mistakes, we need a balance. In fact, it’s far better to catch people doing things right, and give praise. Also, in the heat of the moment when things go wrong, our judgment is clouded and we tend to lash out and say and do things we often regret afterwards. The person on receiving end more often will shut down too, and nothing will get accomplished. When things go wrong, pause, assess the situation. Hold your anger. Put it away, as Lincoln did. After you calm down, you will be in a much better frame of mind to deal with the issue.

Source: The Lincoln Principle

The future had little meaning to me my first few years in business. The only future I cared about back in the early 1980s was the end of each day. I was too entrenched in the day to day operations to be concerned or aware of anything else. My thinking today? The future is everything. I have been in the auto industry nearly 40 years, I can truly say that I am proud of the job we do as independent shop owners. We keep America rolling. We work tirelessly to serve and satisfy our customers. Oh, we complain at times, but in the end we get the job done. We are aftermarket shop owners; something to be proud of, a badge of honor. But, we cannot rest on our past accomplishments; we will need unity and commitment if we are to thrive in the future. As an industry we will be faced with many challenges. The world is quickly changing before our eyes. Electronics will continue to dominate all new automotive-related developments. Driverless cars, telematics, infotainment and collision avoidance systems are just the tip of the iceberg. But there are other challenges to contend with as well. We all know how the new car dealerships have changed their strategies. They want a bigger share of automotive repairs and maintenance. Dealerships still need and want to sell cars, but they realize that their market share for new car sales is much less now than it once was. They need to increase revenue from the sale of parts and service. They also know that future car sales are largely made in the service department, not in the sales department. Dealerships want to retain a customer in the service department from the time of the sale of the new car to past the warranty period. That will greatly increase the odds that the customer will buy another car from the same dealership. New car dealers will be a major competitor for the aftermarket repair shops. In many areas around the country, it’s already happening. Telematics is another issue. Malcolm Sissmore, telematics sales director for Delphi Products and Service Solutions, stated at a recent seminar that OnStar has a 70 percent close rate among new car owners. That means when OnStar contacts these customers for whatever reason, 70 percent go back to the dealership for that service. This is something we can no longer ignore. Luckily Delphi is working for the aftermarket and has developed a telematics solution for us. Compared to the 1970s, when I first broke into the business, today’s changing technology has reached light speed. It will take an intelligent work force and a lifetime commitment to continued training to keep pace. Continued investments in tools, equipment, information systems and training will become crucial. Those that do not make the commitment will not be around in the future. Independent shop owners throughout history have always found a way to adapt and change. Our ability to overcome any obstacle is a testament to our dedication to our customers, to our craft and to our industry. We will continue to face many obstacles and challenges. But if our past has proved anything, it has proven that we, the independent service facilities, will continue to dominate the automotive landscape. One of things we can all count on is the continued support from AutoShopOwner.com. ASO will continue to be the sounding board for shop owners. AutoShopOwner.com members are the cream of the crop. Just about any issue you are faced with in your shop can be found within the forums. Plus the willingness to help each other is nothing short of amazing. We may be competitors in some arenas, but ASO members are colleagues and friends. We all benefit when we collectively share and exchange ideas, opinions and knowledge. AutoShopOwner.com is committed to you, the shop owner. Not just for today, but well into the future. Our mission statement tag line says it all, “Networking today for a stronger tomorrow.” View full article

No, not seen Tough One, not yet anyway.

I have learned that the better we manage our shops, the more successful we are. When I worked in the bays, under the hood or under a car, I was too deep in the trenches to see what was happening to my business. When I began to truly manage the shop and understand Automotive Management, things began to get better. It does not mean I am not involved, it means that in order to grow the business, my role as owner is different, unlike the techs or even service advisors. This is one of the reasons AutoShopOwer.com was founded, to offer an online Automotive Management Network that we all learn from, and share ideas and opinions. What experiences have you had that has helped you understand that managing your shop is crucial for your success?

So far we have not seen any changes, except for a slow integration of branded parts, no more CARQUEST brand on the box. Plus, the delivery trucks are plain white, not logos. That I really like! I do expect a complete re-branding of the stores in 2014. We have had many meetings with Advance people and local store owners. Everyone seems positive. It seems that Advance does not want to pattern themselves like AutoZone, but rather build their future along side the independent repair shops. This can be have a major impact on our future. All the Advance reps I have met so far have been extremely nice and willing to speak on a lot of delicate issues. All the repair shops in my area had a great relationship with BWP/CARQUEST and I want to make sure that culture continues with Advance Auto Parts. I will keep posting updates about Advance Auto Parts and CARQUEST as I get them.

Thank you Gary for those kind words. It takes great people around you to really have something great. I am blessed to have that. It is just like AutoShopOwner.com, the great people like yourself, who make great content, make this site the Number One Automotive Shop Management Network site on the planet.

Great article and nice to see a colleague sticking up for you, we need more of that in our industry. I think the world in a tailspin over this price issue. It seems that even though we are seeing some of the cheapest prices now than even before on a lot of parts, there are other items that put us out of the box. On top of that, the consumer is always looking for the best price. It wasn't always like that. Quality did mean something at one time. It cannot be all about price. The other day my wife went out looking for an iron. I told her, "find one NOT made in China." She decided on a Rowenta, made in Germany. I would have preferred USA, but Germany is better than China. The last China-made iron did not last. She said that the store had three models; two from Germany and one from China. The one from china looked exactly the same but was half the price of the German units. Half the price? To me this means it's half the quality too. Sorry for being long-winded, but this price thing struck a nerve. Again, great to see shop owners on the same page!

The Advance Auto Parts purchase of General Parts International/CARQUEST makes Advance one of the largest auto parts providers in North America. This deal allows Advance to have a larger penetration into the commercial market. The good news, according the Wall Street Journal, is that the commercial market is a larger and faster-growing than a fading Do-it-yourself market. No one really knows the total impact of this deal. But one thing is for sure, Advance Auto Parts sees a future opportunity in the professional market, which consists in big numbers; the independent repair shops.

Mike knows this customer very well.

I just read a news feed that says Advance Auto is set to purchase GPI/CARQUEST. This is big news. It looks like this will make Advance Auto Parts the dominant player in the auto parts business, supplying parts to the industry. As many of you may know, Advance purchased BWP/CARQUEST the first of this year, 2013, in my area of the country. From what I see, Advance is making an real effort to understand the independent repair shops and is eager to form an alliance with the shops. We all know they will not give up the retail trade, but this consolidation of two large groups will prove to be a powerful force. Below is a link to the article. http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-355355/

Agree!

Exactly, the customer sees value and understands the process. With no information, the customers sees no value. And as you said,selling the diag testing is a lot easier.