The Fine Print
What’s the worst that could happen if you don’t read it? I think we’re all guilty of checking the “I agree” button at the end of a full-page disclaimer, just to get an app on your phone or sign up…
Features
Are You In Trouble?
To move forward as an independent shop owner in today’s business environment, it’s time to get your attitude in order. Here’s how. With all the daily pressures of running an automotive service or collision repair business, it’s amazing how the…
When a customer requests a refund for her inconvenience after the shop replaces a damaged gas tank … ... What would you do?
The following scenario was sent in by Andy Daniels of Frank’s Automotive in Tulare, Calif. “A first-time customer had her 2008 Hyundai Sonata V6 towed in for a no-start condition. We ran several tests and determined that the fuel pump…
Smooth Operator
Illinois shop owner creates value for his customers with a service approach that he calls ‘anti-retail.’ Dave Becker is a man with a plan. Becker, owner of Wheeling Auto Center in Arlington Heights, Ill., entered the auto service industry about…
Serviceability Report: Ford Fusion Hybrid
The 2017 118-hp, 2.0-liter model looks good, but is it? Ford Motor Co. saw the light in hybrid technology with the introduction of the model year (M/Y) 2005 Escape hybrid. Since then, they’ve made many improvements and gained market share.…
Position Yourself to Succeed
If you work in this business you either embrace change or change leaves you behind. You’ve heard, or read, that technology is growing at an alarming pace, and it seems that every time I attend a connected-car event the countdown…
NHTSA Releases Federal Automated Vehicle Policy
Increase in traffic fatalities prompts interest in preparing guidelines for federal and state policymakers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released policy guidelines for automated vehicles. Although NHTSA has communicated with the automotive industry and other manufacturers, states…
How’s Your Business?
AutoInc. asked ASA member-shops to complete a questionnaire about how their businesses were performing through the first six months of 2016. Here are some select figures that represent the highlights of what they told us. This year’s “How’s Your Business?”…
Creating a NEW BREED
With changes taking place so quickly in the collision repair industry, here’s how estimators can learn to improve their current processes to write it right. Start a discussion about the process of creating an estimate in the collision repair industry,…
Things to Come
Automotive telematics is here. And experts say it will transform the way that service centers interact with and respond to their customers. How will you prepare to deal with it in your shop? Telematics is one of the most discussed…
Why Interns Are a Must
Believe it or not, they could be the key to the future of your shop – and the future of your industry. For those of you who don’t know me, my wife, Deb, and I started ASA-Massachusetts in 1993 while…
Steps Toward New Relationships
If you follow ASA’s press releases or Facebook page, you’re probably aware that we have made some groundbreaking announcements in the past few months. If you don’t follow these channels, let me catch you up on a few things as…
A Hard-Start Mystery
This 26-year-old Jeep Cherokee requires a bit of investigation, but if you follow the clues you’ll reach a solution. If you’ve been working in an independent shop for a while, you’ve seen your share of Jeep Cherokees come through your…
Performance Plus
How this veteran shop owner built his successful business by making sure every customer gets the same experience. Mark Simons is one of those lucky people who live their life in the right place, right time. Simons, owner of Rolf’s…
Recalls Cited in Support of Vehicle Safety Inspection Programs
Pennsylvania legislature considers bill requiring consumer notice. State vehicle safety inspection programs have seen good times and bad since the Highway Safety Act of 1966. This law mandated that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) prescribe uniform standards for mandatory…
Before … & After
Collision repair professionals and insurance company representatives face off over the need for pre- and post-repair scans. How do you handle a situation in which everybody says they want to do the right thing, but they can’t agree on the…
Under Lock & Key
Don’t be clueless about wireless connectivity. Rapid advances in vehicle security technologies have put the industry on the cutting edge ‑ and on edge. Working on modern vehicles equipped with such a wide variety of security systems is becoming more…
Feeling the Burn?
Has one of your customers gone negative online? Don’t get mad. Also, don’t get even. Try these tips for turning a negative into a positive. The biggest fear many small businesses have about social media is how to handle negative…
