Feelin’ the Love
I’m not a big believer in coincidences, unless they run contrary to common sense. Say, for instance, a consumer says their car won’t start when they come out of the convenience store unless they first pull down the visor mirror.…
Columns
The Surest Bet in Vegas: CARS@aAAPEX
Meet the entire auto industry, from widgets to gadgets and the people who make and repair them. Attend the premier automotive service repair event of the year, taking place Nov. 2-4 at CARS@AAPEX. Back in Las Vegas at the Sands…
Schnepper: The value of active membership
What’s the real value of an ASA membership? The board of directors and executive leadership of ASA believe that it’s active involvement. Of course, members enjoy the significant discounts they receive from our Sponsored Benefit Providers, and they frequently tell…
Don’t overlook automotive technology as a high-tech career path
Parents, if becoming an automotive technician is not high on your list of career choices for your child, perhaps it’s time to look again. Automotive service and repair has changed dramatically in just the…
WWYD: Should customer receive free battery?
A customer had her ’95 Nissan pickup towed in to our shop and said, “The truck sits a lot, and it won’t start. Just let me know what it needs.” We performed a charging system diagnosis and determined that the…
Holcom: Are your customers ‘family’?
I’ve been in this business for a few years, and whether I heard it during a training event, picked it up while networking or just figured it out, I’ve learned that to retain or to acquire new clients you have…
Greenwood: Supplier vs. Partner?
Owners should plan all their management and employee training a year in advance. There’s too much to do to think it can be handled in a last-minute fashion. Because proper planning is required to ensure the team continues to develop…
A Tale of Two CRVs
Case studies illustrate diagnosing a vehicle’s misfire and a customer’s misfire. If your shop is like ours, Honda CRVs make an appearance weekly. Mostly…
Julie Massaro takes reins for ASA-Colorado
Julie Massaro has been named as the new Executive Director of ASA-Colorado. Julie is an association industry veteran with extensive experience in project management, member recruitment, meeting planning, cost containment, budget management and volunteer leadership. Julie has more than 20…
Schnepper: Cars, sensors and scanners
Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, recently stated that the car industry will change more in the next five years than it has in the past 50. I don’t know about you, but I think the past five years have been a…
Redding: Insurance reform returns to spotlight
House passes repeal of McCarran-Ferguson Act for health insurers. Two major national issues have pushed insurance reform back in the national spotlight. First, efforts to reform or repeal Obamacare have produced a renewed interest in the repeal of the McCarran-Ferguson…
Keller: Sync up for success
In 43 years of shop management and ownership, I’ve made every mistake possible. There was a year when my accountant had to prepare 102 W2s. Imagine how broken my systems and procedures were to go through that many employees in…
Greenwood: The Big Decision
Many complexities of our business are now front-and-center. Consider the following: The independent sector of the automotive service industry is experiencing a crisis of profitability, retailer attitude and public perception. Most shop owners have bought themselves a job, not a…
Customer complains of brake noise, has them replaced elsewhere, seeks reimbursement
An ASA member writes: I have a customer who has spent thousands of dollars with me during the past several years. Eighteen months ago, we installed genuine Toyota brakes on his 4Runner. A month later, the customer returned to my…
Redding: House subcommittee holds hearing on self-driving cars
When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its Federal Automated Vehicles (AV) Policy in September 2016, the focus was on NHTSA issuing a guidance document and its four key sections: vehicle performance guidance; model state policy; NHTSA’s current…
Van Batenburg: How does the original Toyota Prius Plug-In stack up to the new Prius Prime?
Twenty years ago this December, the Prius was introduced to the world. Three years later, it came to America and the quintessential hybrid was born. Everyone has heard of Prius. The Plug-in Prius came out in model year (M/Y) 2012…
Rich White to retire from Auto Care Association
Rich White, senior vice president of the Auto Care Association (ACA), will retire in June after an 18-year career at the association that includes overseeing marketing and communications, market research, member services, trade shows and education and serving as the…
Schnepper: Importance of teamwork & friendship
This is my first article as ASA’s chairman of the board. And I thought this would be a great time to share how I got involved with ASA and with two of my mentors. First, I had the opportunity to…
Trending
