Is Your Shop A Good Place To Work?
I recently got an email from a reader who made me think a little bit. His question was: Do you have any good ideas on how to keep technicians? In my 35-plus years in the industry, I’ve counseled hundreds of shops and have had the good fortune of meeting thousands of techs. Not that this makes
Army Of Advocates
By now, you’ve been in the business long enough to know what it takes to earn a customer’s trust. Through top-notch employees, honest and thorough vehicle service, clean and comfortable waiting rooms – and of course, impeccable customer service – your business likely is reaping the rewards of hard work and focus.
Workplace Safety Protects Your Employees And Your Business
While the subject of safety in an automotive repair shop is not nearly as sexy as a new marketing program or the latest on SEO, it goes a long way toward ensuring your technicians and company remain a vital component of your community, and you remain a profitable entity.
The Expectations Of Generation Y: What To Know When Hiring New Employees
Companies can’t continue to recruit, retain and manage their workforce with the mindset that was commonplace 20 years ago, and that includes your shop. Millennials grew up with advanced technology, mobile technology, real-time data and social networking, so that’s what they know and therefore expect to see from their employer. Here’s an overview of some of those expectations.
What Your Auto Shop Can Learn From The Insurance Industry
In order to build a successful auto repair business, most shop owners feel they need to sell more parts and more labor. Although both of those items are a part of your business model, one thing is certain: your customers don’t look forward to buying either of the two, at any price.
New Technology Boosts Tech Productivity And Shop Communication
Shop owners using the electronic inspection sheet, as well as the paperless back shop, have been going through some inflection points. Getting rid of paper has allowed them to present professional-looking inspection results to their customers and an unprecedented opportunity to educate on “Why now?” and “What happens if I don’t do it?”
Herman Trend Alert: Changing Employee Attitudes
The prevailing belief is that if you are a good leader and you keep your people “happy,” they will stay. Not only is that logical, but we also saw that cause and effect playing out all over the world. Unfortunately, that may no longer be the case.
Embracing Diversity
With each passing generation, our population landscape gets more diverse. The majority of communities throughout the U.S. and Canada have a makeup that is very different from a few decades ago. With these ever-shifting demographics, business owners are faced with the challenge of constantly reinventing their marketing and customer service efforts if they want to cater to all potential customers.
Marketing To Millenials
OMG! It’s about time there’s an article about Millennials (also known as Generation Y) and how they use the Internet. Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000, and there are more than 79 million of them in the U.S. Got any of them coming into your shop? Of course you do. And here’s a hint … they’re different!
Listen To Your Customers – They May Be Smarter Than You Think
Recently, I made an appointment for a tire rotation at the independent tire dealer where I bought my tires, albeit a little earlier than the mileage requirement because my TPMS light was on. When I checked the car in with the service adviser, I pointed out that my TPMS light was on and asked them to please pinpoint and inspect the suspect tire.
Are You Ready For The Surge In Business?
This past winter will no doubt go in the history books as one of the toughest on record. Many shops, mine included, lost six or more days of work in February alone. I don’t want to think about the loss of revenue; I’d rather put it behind me and move on. There are some things that we cannot control, Mother Nature being one of them.
When Saving The Customer Money … Backfires!
A few months back, a customer came in with a broken seat frame on her Honda Pilot. The car had more than 150,000 miles on it and the seat frame broke through use. Replacing the seat frame, with labor, would be well over $1,100. My foreman recommended welding the frame, saving the customer hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Two months later the car returned with the seat frame broken in a different spot.