Jimmy Johnson was the head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 through 1994. He had a reputation for being a no-nonsense disciplinarian who was tough on his players. Falling asleep during one of his meetings was considered a “career-limiting move.” Everyone knew this. Everyone, except for a backup linebacker named John Roper. During a…
You just got a bad review on Google. It’s a 1-star with a nasty one-sided story about what a terrible job you did, or how your shop ripped them off. As the shop owner, your head is ready to explode. You want to reply with your side of the story. I know the feeling. As…
Calling a place of business to get a task taken care of, make an appointment, or just to gather information can be a dreaded event. Many people will put off the call because they know how they will be greeted and treated by the business. The caller’s expectations are so low on how they will…
I went to the shopping mall during the holidays. My goal was to enter through the automatic doors at the main entrance. I conducted an experiment to see what I could do to get the doors to open for me. First, I sat in the parking lot, closed my eyes, and imagined the doors opening. It…
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…