What Did We Learn About Digital Automotive Inspections After Nine Months?
Now that Paperless Back Shop (PBS) digital inspections have had some time in the field, we are hearing some amazing feedback. Not only are our users reporting increases in the number of recommendations made by technicians during inspections, and more recommendations making it to the tech worksheet, but shop dynamics are improving as well.
How To Sell Auto Repair In 2014
As our industry continues to evolve, there are a number of changes you need to consider. Cars are being built better, so they are lasting longer. With service intervals constantly being extended, you will see your customers less often. Here are some tips that can help you be more successful this year when it comes to driving up your sales and customer satisfaction.
Get The Most Out of Your Shop’s Point-of-Sale Software
Choosing shop management and point-of-sale software is a bit like buying a vehicle. The sheer number of makes and models available can be intimidating for a shop looking to get started or change to a new system. So, how do you choose
Improve Auto Repair Employee Performance By Setting, Tracking Goals
Improving employee performance is a critical issue that most shop owners struggle with on a daily basis. I’ve discovered that building and maintaining a strong team of high performers is an ongoing process that requires a range of strategies, from providing the proper training to offering opportunities for growth.
What’s Your Exit Strategy?
I recently asked a friend in his late 50s about his plans for retirement. He told me he expected to die at his desk – and he was serious. He gave no thought to a time when he wouldn’t be in his business. Part of being a proactive business owner requires that you look a few moves down the chessboard – whether that means keeping the business in the family, turning it over to a management team so you can golf more or selling the business.
Building A Hybrid Service Industry
In 2012, Matt Curry, former owner of Curry’s Auto Service shops in Virginia, founded The Hybrid Shop to solve an emerging problem in the growing hybrid automobile market. “The only solution for hybrid vehicle owners experiencing poor vehicle performance is to go to the dealer and have the battery replaced,” says Curry. He adds that the cost of a new battery can run as high as $4,000. “That’s the only solution that a dealer offers.”
7 Tips On Delivering Extraordinary Service
Most shop owners will start pumping more money into their marketing campaigns when they are looking to increase their car counts. This can help bring new customers into your shop, which is certainly important, but the value of your new customers diminishes if you’re unable to keep them coming back. There will be no greater key to your success in the coming years than your ability to create a memorable customer experience that shows your customers you genuinely care about them, so here are seven tips that will help you deliver extraordinary service, and keep your customers coming back to your shop for years to come.
Focus On People And The Rest Will Take Care Of Itself
Legendary UCLA Basket Coach John Wooden never focused on the score of a game. Wooden believed that success is achieved by paying attention to the details of the game, not concentrating on the score. He also knew that building a team of well-trained players capable of executing a plan, and encouraging personal performance and teamwork, would ultimately lead to success.
Shop Management: Ethical Sales And Full Disclosure
In our industry, there are unwritten rules that shop owners have followed for decades. They know that they have to hire gifted technicians, stay at the forefront of vehicle technology, and can never jeopardize their relationships with their customers; just to name a few. Unfortunately, there is another rule that far too many shop owners have believed in for decades. The one that says that whenever you have first-time customers in your shop, and you discover that their vehicles need a lot of work, you are better off holding back on some of the recommendations.
Age Of Convenience Dictates Streamlined Communication Methods
The manner in which the majority of your customers prefer to communicate about vehicle service is changing, as their need for convenient and easy information access accelerates. You likely have noticed that their attitudes and expectations are vastly different than what you were used to encountering.
Relax – R1234yf Is Not The End Of The World
I recently attended the Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s 2014 Training Event and Trade Show in New Orleans. The main topic of discussion was R1234yf, or “twelve-thirty-four” in A/C lingo. There has been a lot of hype about the changeover to this refrigerant. Don’t panic. The reality is that it is not the “air conditioning apocalypse” some are predicting.
ASE Undercar X1 Specialist Certification: Not What You Would Expect
Are you one of the 7,570 technicians who are ASE-Certified Undercar Specialists? If not, you should be. I recently took the X1 Exhaust Test to qualify as an Undercar Specialist. To gain this certification, you must be concurrently certified for Suspension & Steering (A4) and Brakes (A5) from the Automobile & Light Truck Test Series, and Exhaust Systems (X1) from the Specialty Test Series.
