The Power Of Gratitude: When People Feel Valued And Appreciated, They Are Better Able To Handle Customers
Automotive repair facilities often say their business would fail without their employees. But do their employees know that?
The Marketing Diamond
I’ll bet you’re using marketing backward. Yes, backward. The good news is, I’m also betting every one of your competitors is marketing backward, too. Let me explain.
Five-Star Mediocrity: If You’re Not Creating Positively Memorable Experiences, You’re Not Creating True Customers
Specializing in training for independent tire/auto service businesses, I normally steer clear of new vehicle dealerships for tires or service work for my personal vehicles. The exception to this rule occurred recently when I brought in my 2016 Chrysler 300, a company car I lease through my business, into my local Jeep-Chrysler dealership in response to a safety recall notice.
Bill Etscorn & Sons Auto And Collision Centers: Three Forward-Focused Brothers Carry On Their Family’s Vision Of Customer Care
What do you get when three third-generation shop owners come together to run a business? You get the Etscorn brothers and their three family-owned and operated shops, all operating under the Bill Etscorn and Sons Auto and Collision Centers’ umbrella.
The Truth About Convenience: It Is Quickly Becoming More Important Than Price
Anyone who has been in our business for some time can tell you the auto industry has changed dramatically – and so have our customers’ habits and expectations. For today’s customer, convenience is everything.
Your Frontline Employees Are Your Brand: Do You Have The Right Ones?
If shops have no staffing strategy or formalized hiring process in place, clearly, they need to make a change. While shop owners may not be able to control things such as recalls, interest rates or industry evolution and trends, they can control who they hire.
The Art Of Setting Goals For Your Business: Continuous Improvement Helps Pinpoint Opportunities For Growth
For years, I’ve stressed the importance of setting appropriate benchmarks, holding your team accountable for reaching them, and measuring daily to track your progress so you can train and adjust to hit your goals by month’s end. The old way of running a shop, where you send your financials to an accountant and find out on the 15th of the following month whether you made or lost money, is long extinct. You can’t fix the month’s numbers if you don’t see them until it’s too late!
Passion Powers Performance: Does Your Team Have It?
Former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, said, “People with passion can change the world.” A bold statement for sure, but perhaps you’re not looking to change the world. Perhaps you’re just looking to create a more successful automotive repair business. Then, does passion really matter? In short, yes – and quite a bit at that.
Rick & Ray’s Auto Plaza: Culture Of Professionalism Caters To Both Customers And Employees
It doesn’t get much bigger than this; at 23 bays with 15 hydraulic lifts, Rick & Ray’s Auto Plaza has positioned itself as a top contender not only in Fort Worth, TX, where it’s located, but also in the surrounding areas where the shop’s notoriety continues to bring in business.
Honesty Is The Best Policy – Higher Standards Of Customer Service Wins Customers Every Time
As automotive repair shop owners, we are absolutely held to higher standards to meet customer service expectations. That’s because of the associated negative stereotype that comes with consumers having to dole out money on recommended repairs, oftentimes that are unexpected or that amounted to more than they can afford. Most customers equate honesty from a shop as good customer service, and feel it should also be an inherent practice. And, they wouldn’t be wrong about that notion.
Eliminating The Uphill Battle Of Attracting Customers
Spending your time, money and effort to fill your bays is probably one of the last things you want to be doing with your time right now. But, much like paying taxes, marketing your shop is a necessary evil. After all, customers are the lifeblood of your business.
Four Creative Ways To Improve Employee Morale
Experts say there is a direct relationship between keeping employees happy and getting the best out of them, but improving morale in the shop is a deceptively simple goal. Sometimes, in order to raise morale in the shop, you have to get creative. Here are four areas where business owners can lift employee spirits and create a happier, more productive workforce.
