“Greg” and I were struggling to figure out why his car count wasn’t improving. He had ten five star google reviews. When I Googled all of the primary automotive search terms for his area, I found him on the first page and in the top spot. His website was so strong that I would send…
“Harry” is a hiring manager for a Fortune 500 company. One fateful morning, he’s driving into the crowded company parking lot to begin his day of scheduled interviews. After several minutes of circling, he finally locates a space and pulls in. He doesn’t notice “Bruce,” sitting in a brown Buick, waiting for the same spot! “Hey, Jerk!”…
Don’t try this at home! The year was 1999, and I was a new manager who was having a problem getting my people to embrace the courtesy checks. During a shop meeting, I was explaining all the reasons why completing the forms was good for the car, the customer, and the company. Before I could finish, “Terry,”…
Hard work doesn’t pay off. I know Shop Owners who work around the clock but still have low car count. They arrive early, stay late, but have a low retention rate. They work hard to fill their racks, but their customers don’t come back. These examples lead me to believe that hard work doesn’t pay off. Now,…
“Traffic was really bad!” “There was a bad accident on the beltway!” “I was pulled over by a state trooper!” If I had a dollar for every time someone has made one of these statements, I’d have about 327 dollars! ATI Fundamental #20 instructs us to Be Punctual. While I’ve heard the previously mentioned reasons for…
As an automotive repair shop owner, you know how important it is to keep your technicians busy. Having insufficient cars coming in the door can break the bank quickly. Often, marketing is the weak point that causes this problem. If you feel overwhelmed at the idea of marketing your auto repair shop, here are the…
Even the best shop inevitably has a dry spell once or twice a year. Or perhaps you have a shop that struggles all year long to keep your technicians busy. No matter the situation, we tend to make all the classic excuses. My market is different, claim count is down, the shop down the street…
How do they do it? I asked this question several years ago, as a new member of my local Toastmasters International club. The meetings were held every Tuesday, and the room was always packed with aspiring speakers. At the district conventions, the leaders of the other clubs complained about member count being down in the…
It’s late in the evening and you’re out of town, driving without your GPS device. You don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going, but you do know that you’re hungry! Up ahead, you see the next exit has fast food options so you turn off and go down that road. You…
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins communicates the concept of The Stockdale Paradox. It’s based on the experience of James Stockdale, a high-ranking naval officer who was held captive as a POW for seven years during the Vietnam war. He was tortured repeatedly and had no rational reason to remain positive. The dates on…