Dustin Rutkowski

WOW.... There are no words to describe this.....

We don't do tires but I have a lot of collision shops that send work to us "to get rid of those lights on the dash". We use our Verus along with the OTC TPMS tool. We have not found a car we could not service so far.

I was just curious if there are any updates/experiences with KuKui?

All you can do is layout all the information for the customer to make a decision. We to have been in these situations and we do the best to assure the customer of our process. Explain to him your thought process in determining the leak, let him know that now that you have the other gaskets sealing you can now see the source of the last leak. It is a very tricky situation and I hate when we have to deal with those issues but you have to remember that you are not the one causing the leaks. You are just there to fix the customers vehicle issues. If you would have found the main leak first you would still have to fix the smaller ones later.... I would try to get the customer to come to you for oil changes from now on, selling him the fact that during your routine oil change inspections you could have caught the leak in its beginning stages before it got as bad as it did. Good luck!!

We struggle with this too. I would be interested to see everyones responses. I set up standard pricing for each oil change based on a the amount of oil needed. The time for quote comes in when you have to look up the capacities and filters. Filters are the big variable since standard spin on filters can cost you under $2 but some cartridge filters can be over $10.

Message sent!!

With the uniform company I use I paid all the upfront costs for the uniforms for my employees. Weeks worth of shirts and pants and one winter jacket. Then we use the uniform company for the cleaning which is deducted from everyones pay. for the $10 a week it costs each employee, I cannot see it being better for them to wash it themselves. This way each shirt is pressed and presentable. Also if a button falls off or a shirt is torn, knees rip, the garment is replaced by the next delivery.

I agree that my techs purchasing the correct "quality" tools for the job is something I do not want to interfere with. But the tool truck does start to become a gathering point or a water cooler so to speak. When that happens I have no problem reminding them that there are customers waiting. Usually if I see the truck out there for more that 15 minutes then I will go check it out to see what is going on. Or more truly in my case, I am usually out there buying stuff just like the rest of my guys.

Personally we have only been in business for a little over a year. I didn't want to add the cost and liability of having loaners for customers so I tried something else to see if it would work out. I called the local Hertz and Enterprise to see what they could do for me. After talking to them a bit, I was able to negotiate a group rate for my customers that is extremely cost effective and is only a very small fraction of the price they would have received if they just walked in. If I have a major job (Engine, Transmission) I sometimes roll it into the price or just offer to give them a discount for so many days they are in the rental to help supplement it for them. I have not received one complaint and all my customers like the idea that they get to drive a newish car for a few days for a couple of bucks out of pocket. Best part is that they will come to the shop to pick them up, and will drop them back off when the car is complete. Saves me from having to pull one of my guys to run and get the customer.

This is my first thread, so please bare with me. I have now been a business owner for 1 full year and am loving it!!! Things are tight but I am finally at the point were it makes sense to bring in my first employee (tech). It has been difficult this past year wearing all the hats and I have found a guy that would be a great addition to the company. I will finally be able to move from maintaining the business to growing the business!!! My question to everyone is what are the basic do's and don't with my situation? Is there anything fundamentally I should do or look out for? I am currently working on an employee handbook that will extend to all future employees. Everyone will have to sign and date that they have read and understand the contents. Would anyone have a copy of their handbook that they can send me to make sure I did not leave anything out of mine? It is overwhelming to write one of these from scratch. Especially since I am used to having a wrench in my hand, not a pen. I have looked into what is required to be in the book per the state, but i want to make sure that I am not missing anything that may pertain to our industry. Thank you all in advance for your help!!! Best forum I have ever been to!!! Dustin AutoDR

This is our new website. Still needs tweaking but I would love to hear some feedback on it. I like the "My Garage" feature. Customers can set up their vehicle to receive automated emails when factory service intervals are due and they will receive a monthly newsletter with any current coupons. I also like it because it is tied in with my management software so when a ticket is completed a garage profile is automatically created for the customer and they will receive the suggested service emails and also will receive a copy of their invoice by email after they leave. www.autoDRx.com

This is my first post on the forum but I am a long time lurker! I just wanted to chime in about Baymaster. Great software, EXCELLENT support! You get tons of capability for a reasonable price.