How shops get sick when they get too busy It starts innocently enough: the shop gets busy, and the little things start to slide. First, the inspection process breaks down. Technicians start pencil-whipping their inspection forms, trying to get their…
Regain the magic you once felt. Why do people fall out of love with their auto repair businesses? This could happen for any number of reasons, but primarily it occurs because they lose hope due to the various challenges they…
With individuals being bombarded with more than 3,000 marketing messages a day, here’s how you can create marketing for your shop that stands out from the competition. With individuals being bombarded with more than 3,000 marketing messages a day, here’s…
What are you afraid of as a business owner? When I started to work on this topic, a wealth of resources opened up, along with an abundance of shop owners who contributed to this article. The evolution was exciting, and…
Are the right people and procedures in place to make your shop shine? Let’s start by looking at the evolution of the NASCAR pit stop in a Cup stock car race. Guys leap over the wall, and the gas man…
ASA held its annual business meeting March 6 at the Sheraton Overland Park near Kansas City, Kan. The event included an open meeting of the board of directors, a swearing-in ceremony of the new board, and a reception for ASA…
The secret to growing your shop is attracting customers. But that leads to the old chicken-egg scenario. Editor’s Note: This article contains an example of fictitious gross profit rates and is only used to illustrate mathematical formulas within the story.…
Getting out of your office and connecting with others in the industry can pay off in big ways. It takes vision, inspiration, perseverance and hard work to build and maintain a successful repair shop. Pursuing the ideal dream of “absentee…
There is no easy recipe for what makes up great customer sales and service, but focusing on the basics is a good start. Step 1: Hire great people. Step 2: Let them turn customers into raving referral fanatics. Step 3:…
The key to a low-pressure sales approach is to educate, rather than sell. For more than 30 years, I’ve been hearing comments like this from automotive service personnel all across North America. Listen up: “I’m not a salesman; I’m a…
Getting to the heart of teamwork involves buy-in from the top. In American management lingo, being a “team player” either means taking the blame for something someone else did or working for no pay to make someone else look good.…
Focusing on the results instead of the activity can help elevate your shop’s success and increase your bottom line. John Wooden, one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time, has a quote: “Do not mistake activity for…
Your marketing, call analytics, data that you generate – and how you keep in touch with your customers – can determine whether a customer chooses your shop or a competitor’s. Recently I was speaking with the owner of a two-location…
Top shop owners share a number of traits Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with many of the top shop owners in America, and have discovered there are a number of traits they all share. So…
