I was working in a shop the other day; what a great day it was! Customers came in to have work done on their cars and the phone was ringing off the hook—it was wonderful to see. Customers were in the waiting area and walking around outside waiting for services to be completed on a…
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 area. When…
Who is usually the lowest paid person in your auto repair shop? Most of the time, it is the shop owner. When we account for every hour you spend working at the shop open to close and then the time you put in after-hours on maintenance, book-keeping, marketing, and fill-in-the-blank, I often find that the…
It was the worst recording of an incoming phone call that I’d ever heard. It was so bad that I was sure Ashton Kutcher would appear to confirm that the call was really fake and I was being “punk’d” as a surprise guest on his hidden camera reality show! “Linda,” who drove a Toyota Camry,…
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…
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,…