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.…
Rad Air’s Formula for Success An ASA member-shop that started in 1975 with a good, simple formula for success is showing the world that it was on the right track from the get-go. The shop is Rad Air Complete Car…
113th Congress, 2nd Session – January 1-December 31, 2014 I. Monitor Legislation in the 113th Congress A. The Washington, D.C., office will advocate positions before the Congress in support of or in opposition to legislation as directed by the ASA…
Writing a successful estimate today requires technology, understanding your market, knowledge of substrates and other key factors. Your estimating system is the first step toward a lean and efficient repair process, and it deserves to be understood and scrutinized before…
Best practices from the Automotive Lift Institute help reduce your risk of citations and fines. Over the past five years, health and safety officials across North America have increased their focus on vehicle service providers. This is in response to…
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…
Leads list of Top 10 shops What do you get when you team a crackerjack technician with a marketing expert? A top-notch shop, that’s what! The best in the nation, according to Motor Age, which annually names what it thinks…
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:…
Report sends mixed message on state regulation versus federal regulation. Title V of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act required that the newly established Federal Insurance Office (FIO) of the U.S. Department of Treasury “conduct a study…
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…
ASA opposed federal program to destroy older vehicles In 2009, the U.S. Congress passed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act, and the president signed the bill June 24, 2009. As implemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the…
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…
A report on small business committee hearings on the implementation of Obamacare The U.S. House of Representatives has ramped up its review of Obamacare or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). With the technical problems that have crippled…
Online reviews are the new ‘word-of-mouth.’ Whether you like it or not, your business has an online reputation. And it’s going to affect – if it has not already – the way potential customers feel about you. It’s going to…
ASA members voice their opinions on this phenomenon happening in the collision repair industry. Is consolidation of collision repair shops taking over the industry? Is it doing away with independent shops? How is it impacting ASA members? To find out…
Oil changes are the most common automotive service. But, our industry depends largely on marketing hype instead of facts and standardized test results to evaluate and select fluids, lubricants and filters. Many teachers remain unaware that the American Petroleum Institute…
