This week on Wrench Turners Podcast

Regional Fixed Operations Director

Rohrman Automotive Group

Austin Conroy

In today’s episode, we talk about:

✅ Getting worn down

✅ Be comfortable with being held accountable

✅ Getting past 16%

Let's get into it.

j.

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I'm Joshua Taylor

I help Service Managers and Mechanics understand each other.

Check us out online: www.wrenchturners.online

Episode Summary:

Austin Conroy shares his journey in the car business, from starting as a salesperson to becoming a fixed operations manager. He emphasizes the importance of networking and finding mentors to learn from. Austin also discusses the impact of customer experience and the need to balance appointments with walk-ins. He highlights the value of accountability and holding oneself and others to high standards. Austin's insights provide valuable lessons for anyone in the automotive industry. In this conversation, Joshua Taylor and Austin Conroy discuss various topics related to the automotive service industry. They explore the importance of upselling and profitability, the challenges of mobile service, the adoption of new services, and the seasonal workflow challenges faced by technicians. They also discuss the impact of seasonal changes on technicians' well-being and the importance of building relationships with customers. Additionally, they touch on the issues of sign-on bonuses and guarantees, as well as the need for technicians to analyze their performance and focus on communication and trust.

Key Takeaways:

Networking and finding mentors are crucial for personal and professional growth.

Customer experience should be a top priority, and appointments should be balanced with walk-ins.

Accountability and high standards are essential for success in the automotive industry.

Continual learning and training are key to staying ahead in the industry. Upselling and profitability are important for automotive dealerships and service centers.

The adoption of mobile service is still in its early stages and faces challenges from dealerships, manufacturers, and customers.

Technicians should focus on building relationships with customers and removing barriers between themselves and the people they serve.

Analyzing technician performance and focusing on communication and trust are key to technician happiness and success.

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Background

06:50

First Year in the Car Business

09:39

Career Progression and Key Moments

14:34

Current Role and Responsibilities

16:10

Effecting Flat Rate Hour Production

25:13

Importance of Networking and Mentors

30:03

Impactful Conference or Event

33:38

Moving Away from Appointments

38:32

Customer Experience and Accountability

41:22

Balancing Customer Experience and Appointments

44:08

The Future of Service Appointments

45:41

Upselling and Profitability

47:19

Challenges of Mobile Service

49:39

Adoption of New Services

50:30

Challenges in the Shop

51:52

Seasonal Workflow Challenges

53:19

The Impact of Seasonal Changes

55:24

Improving Technician Performance

56:48

Sign-on Bonuses and Guarantees

58:53

Building Relationships with Customers

01:01:00

Focusing on Communication and Trust

01:02:55

Analyzing Technician Performance