One of my members owns a very successful shop on the west coast. Despite COVID restrictions, wildfires, and being in a fairly small city, his shop thrives. His car count has stayed strong, his technicians have stayed productive, and sales are up almost 40% compared to 2019. I asked this shop owner for his insight…
Have you ever walked into a business and not been acknowledged? It does not feel great. All the more reason to be sure you always acknowledge a customer who has entered your business within 2-3 seconds. Even when you are assisting someone else, you can excuse yourself to make eye contact and say, “be with…
“So, you expect all of us here today, to be able to charge these unrealistic prices?” This question was posed to the ATI instructor by “John” while he was in an ATI service advisors class. John is a service manager who has been writing service for over twenty years. He has been there, done that,…
The countdown is on to a new year. If 2020 left your shop feeling like you’ve been in a boxing match most of the year, you are not alone. Auto repair shop owners across the United States and Canada faced challenges none of us expected. The good news is, if you made it to December,…
What happens when you have an intake dialogue with a customer, send the work order to the shop, they complete what was on the work order, you call the customer to say the car is done and they ask: “What did you find out about the noise I was hearing?” You can now hear a…
“Mike” is a shop owner who works in instead of on his business. His business has him in bondage to the point, that when he needs to speak with his ‘A’ tech, he doesn’t look out in the bays, he looks in the mirror! I suggested that he contact a certain “headhunter” recruitment company that sources, screens, and…
Are you going to be sobbing over your Thanksgiving turkey as you think about December? Many auto repair shop owners tell me that the holiday season, while busy for many retailers, is their slowest time of the year. They see the car count drop off each week so repair orders are at their lowest and…
The next few months of 2020 is a time to maintain your focus in your personal and professional life. Energy is running low; momentum slows and a shift in gears starts to appear. You must keep an eye on the ball to achieve the goals set forth for your personal and professional lives in 2020….
Richard Branson, the billionaire entrepreneur, has a famous quote we need to take to heart in the automotive repair industry: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” When we look at other trades in the United States – electrician, plumber, HVAC – a well-defined apprentice/journeyman…
There’s a familiar story that is told of a new insurance agent named “Jack” who was struggling to make sales. He would contact ten leads and come away with ten rejections. He believed that business was slow due to the bad economy in his area and the fact that many of his customers were focused…