Fundera.com: Best small business management tips from 31 top entrepreneurs
The summer can be a challenging time of year. Repair facilities are busy, staff vacation time rises and it is easy to get caught up in the day to day.
Management
Jody DeVere: Reaching women via social media in the auto industry
As an automotive retailer, you walk a fine line between keeping your audience informed and engaged and ensuring that they associate you with great auto service and not, say, quirky photos of cats.
AMi: Training customer-facing employees leads to increased profits & improved customer loyalty
By Automotive Management Institute So your technicians are trained to work on your customer's cars, now let's get your customer-facing staff trained to work on your customers! The very best customer service doesn't just happen. Like the technician, customer-facing staff…
Becky Witt: What’s the catch? Learn to smile & take the money
So, a strange person shows up at your shop and offers you 50 bucks extra to do something that only takes 15 minutes. It is a simple task. Actually it’s within the realm of…
ASA launches new ‘Garage Challenges’ video series
ASA is partnering with an auto repair industry leader to produce a series of videos aimed at building an online dialogue to help business owners solve everyday challenges in their shops.
Shop advice: Yes, bathrooms matter with women
As a shop owner, there are many things you can be doing to help make your business more appealing to a female audience, and first impressions are very important.
Ever fire a customer? You shouldn't lose good ones because of bad ones...
“The squeaky wheel gets the oil." The end of the day is closing in and it’s apparent not everything will get done. So, who do you call to get a car held over? Do…
Raising rates without anyone noticing?
Raise your rates! I see this comment a lot in discussion groups. Here's how to do it without anyone noticing.
Developing women leaders in the aftermarket
There’s roughly a four-to-one ratio, men-to-women in employment in the automotive industry. Our industry has over the past four to five years begun to see more clearly the value of having not just women, but women in leadership, and influential…
Benefitting from Cause Marketing
For many shops, hiring women is about putting forward an atmosphere of friendliness and trustworthiness, particularly to women customers, who, as we all know, account for 85 percent of all purchase decisions. It turns out that hiring women involves more…
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
For many shops, hiring women is about putting forward an atmosphere of friendliness and trustworthiness, particularly to women customers, who, as we all know, account for 85 percent of all purchase decisions. It turns out that hiring women involves more…
The Millennial Investment
Within the past few years, millennials have been the subject of much conversation in the automotive industry, as well as in society at large. This discussion seems to echo the same theme, that the generation is lazy, unmotivated and wants…
The Remote-Control Owner
Can your business operate without you? As I began investigating how shop owners felt about this topic, I discovered that not everyone thinks the same. The answers I received ranged from “Yes” to “No” to “Wouldn’t that be nice!” One…
Peevy: Drive your success with not-so-obvious ways to create sustainable competitive advantage
EDITOR’S NOTE: To receive AMi credit for reading this article, create or login to your “MyAMi” Profile at: https://ami.knowledgeanywhere.com. Purchase and complete the short quiz at: https://ami.knowledgeanywhere.com/Implementing-a-Learning-Culture. The article is worth .25 credit hours toward the achievement of AMi’s professional designations.…
Secrets of a Succession Plan
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part Two of a two-part series on Succession Planning. Part One appeared in the September-October issue. Family businesses are the backbone of America. About 95 percent of all businesses in America are family or privately held.…
The Successful Succession
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on auto-shop succession planning. Don’t miss the second installment in AutoInc.’s November-December issue. What is the difference between a dream and a goal? While many shop owners dream about selling…
The Millennial Dilemma
With the average age of a shop owner in America at 55, they’ve been through many generations of customers. But when considering marketing to millennials, many shop owners say, “I’m not sure who they are, and I’m not sure anyone…
And Don’t Forget to Smile!
How to effectively communicate to your customers that your shop always wants to give them superior service. Customer loyalty is much more elusive and difficult to acquire than ever before, and to maintain your customers, you have to continue to…
