Automotive Field Theory

When You are the Owner, Nobody Stops You From Making Bad Decisions - Nathan Bryant

• What Nathan thought he was going to do, wasn't how it worked out when he opened his shop.
• He was doing brakes for soccer moms and had very little diagnosis.
• His first two years were challenging to say the least
• He thought he knew how a shop worked from a mangers perspective. It is different when you are the owner.
• When you are the owner, nobody stops you from making bad decisions.
• He realized he had to get his ego out of the way.
• Things change, not for the better or worse; they change
• The change that happens when you go from being the technician to being the service writer. Or when you go from being the service writer to the service manager. Or when you go from being the technician to the owner. And then all of a sudden, you're the technician, the service writer, the service manager, the janitor, the accounts receivable, the accounts payable, the bookkeeper and the repairman.
• I will pay good money for people that can do things that I can not do.  Web design, my lawyer, my accountant. These are people that can largely charge me. 
• It's more education. Management classes. It's getting them to places like Vision KC  where they're going to learn something,
• I was talking to a person who's the head of Lincoln tech. And she was saying we need to start talking to kids in the sixth grade about becoming auto mechanics.
• Nathan and Matt love to solve puzzles
• Solving problems are fun
• And if we can get that across to, you know, six, seventh, eighth graders, you know what, maybe we get somebody excited about this because the jobs, are not the same as they were 20 years ago, it's not anywhere near as dirty, and it's not anywhere near as greasy.  We get to be software engineers sometimes now.
• The key of everything is education, and we need to educate ourselves. 
• We let things build up because we are afraid to confront them. When you do you have to be willing to hear things you may not want to hear, which could be criticism of you, and you must be willing to accept it and then decide if it is valid. You may own part of the problem.
• Many people are not comfortable with conflict and dealing with your shortcomings. 
• Clear lines of communications and job expectations, both ways, are necessary

Watch Full Video Episode

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and Autel

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. PicoAuto.com

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Subscribe on YouTube: @automotivefieldtheory

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Follow the Money - Inspiration from Mike Rowe

• Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame has a lot of good advice.
• One of them that I liked, but aimed at young people is, to show up early, stay late, keep your eyes open your ears open and your mouth shut work hard. Get. And become indispensable. I think that is really, really, really good advice. I don't think it gets executed nearly as well as it should. I think our society is breeding you know, a certain level of entitlements and they're not alone.
• Just the ones coming into uh, the auto repair profession are not the only ones that are feeling entitled and it isn't just young people.
• The whole point is when Mike starts taking a high-altitude view of dirty jobs that, you know, over the course of the year, Something becomes very apparent to him, not to us as the viewers
• One of those is most of those people are millionaires, meaning that the owners of those businesses. 
• And that's kind of the moral of the story. It really is. And I guess this is a quote that he has said aimed at young people, don't follow your dreams, follow the money.
• Your competition, pretty much all service, the same car lions do pretty much all the same type of work. They all have tire machines. They all have tools and equipment to do, you know, brake services and all that.  One, maybe two scanners, aftermarket.  
• The difference as I'm thinking about this, follow the money,  do stuff that nobody else wants to do
• Are you working on Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, Land Rover? Many in your market do not want to touch them.
• Do all shops in your area know you work on them?
• Do you have a large lift that can hold a Sprinter van? Are you the go-to shop for that?
• Do you have factory scan tools?
• Are you environmentally friendly? If yes does the marketplace know that?
• Are you a timing belt/chain specialist?
• Are you doing stuff that others do not want to do? ‘Follow the Money

Watch Full Video Episode

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and Autel

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. PicoAuto.com

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Subscribe on YouTube: @automotivefieldtheory

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

• We compare the automotive to health care. Ever think of comparing us to Chef’s or Cook’s?
• I'm watching an episode of a master chef with my daughter
• The speed, efficiency, economy, and emotion that these professional chefs displayed and the contestants could not keep up was very glaringly obvious.
• The fastest texts that come to mind that I've personally witnessed. And I mean, I know some are just insanely fast out there, and I've never seen them work, but the ones that I've seen firsthand, and it's not the terrible many, but the ones I've seen, that's the other thing. They work soul clean.
• Everything laid out in a certain way is very orderly, which helps proficiency, efficiency, and quality. That's exactly what I was watching on this cooking show.
• You do not have to have a license to be a chef. Education helps, and of course, experience helps. 
• But you can go into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, have a brilliant cook back there, and have a great steak.
• A brilliant chef can go to a hole-in-the-wall shop and have a very smart or capable, skilled technician work on their vehicle. And you would never know other than maybe Google ratings or Yelps or something of that nature and word of mouth, or randomly right. 
• And if you had good luck. it's five years, and they are your mechanic, and they've always come through for you, and you're referring people to them.
• There is a difference between shops with different labor rates, like steak restaurants.
• If you have the investment in the facility, people, tools, and equipment, why not be sure your customer understands that they are getting quality, just like you’d get at a high end restaurant
• We often compare ourselves to the health care industry.  Maybe thinking about quality food and customer experience at a restaurant will help us better explain and relate our pricing and services to our customer.

Watch Full Video Episode

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and Autel

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. PicoAuto.com

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Subscribe on YouTube: @automotivefieldtheory

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Matt Fanslow and shop owner Dutch Silverstein speaks to techs about Jobs, Wages, and Opportunity

• You need a record of your achievements
• Technicians need to show up on time for work, 15 minutes early
• Have very few comebacks
• You are reliable.
• Know their production numbers
• If they go shopping for a job, be able to substantiate to their new employer their productivity numbers
• Ask prospective employer and see proof of production hour opportunities
• Significant other: dinner with and a shop tour
• A technician should have his attendance ready to show the prospective new employer
• The intangibles are you're going to be increasing shop performance, increasing shop.  Standing in the community. And so far as reputation, the tangibles are basically the hours that you're going to turn, that you're going to prove that's going to result in more money if you're not willing to address both of those things.
• The tangibles are basically the hours that you're going to turn, that you're going to prove that's going to result in more money if you're not willing to address both of those things.   
• Often can knock back 60, 65 hours a week. That's great. That's wonderful. Be willing to show pay stubs to prove that.
• Trust is earned
• Owners should do reconnaissance to find top techs
• If you had to get your car fixed where would you take it or have it serviced
• Do you know if a shop is focusing on:
• Transactional vs Relationship business
• Advocacy vs salesmanship
• Volume-based vs one that isn’t
• Car count or average repair order
• You should ask what the gross margin is on labor in the shop along with the posted rates
• Not hard to figure back if you can fit into the shop’s wage scale
• You should ask about the marketplace they pull customers from
• The research should already be done to discover the average income level. That will help prospect understand the labor rate    
• Ask to see work orders to see what type of work they are doing and the hours per RO
• How many hours are your techs turning per day? The owner should have average RO
• Is the shop busy?
• How is the shop equipped?
• Do they do training?
• Is there high turnover?
• How long have your techs been there?
• When leaving your current shop to go to work for Shop ‘B’ and your current employer will match your offer, don’t get righteous indignation until you understand the facts (reasons) behind the offer.
• Understand what the owner is going through and talk as civil people
• Today technicians have leverage
• Know where you are based on common numbers. What is your value?
• Dutch believes there needs to be a concerted campaign
• This is not your dad's Oldsmobile. You’ve got to be smart to repair today’s vehicles
• Being a technician is not a consolation prize
• There have to be practical tests
• Standard set and need to be met
• Side work should stop to make room for better pay
• Unfortunately auto repair is a commodity
• Can you afford ADAS equipment
• Can you afford to hire rock star technicians
• Stop the march to the bottom
• Techs can earn what they want to earn if they know how to ask for it, to receive the value. Techs have to know the numbers so they have a better understanding of their place in the shop and the market

Watch Full Video Episode

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and Autel

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. PicoAuto.com

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Subscribe on YouTube: @automotivefieldtheory

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

• Liz works with her husband Keith Perkins in L1 Automotive Diagnostics and Programing, Tulsa, OK
• They also operate the L1 Automotive Training Company www.L1Training.com.
• They operate 3 mobile vans and have a brick and mortar shop
• She learned to be a diagnostician from the ground up
• Liz loves programing
• She continues to train even though she isn’t in a truck on a daily basis
• She is doing ADAS calibrations
• They do a lot of work for collision centers
• The mobile diagnosis business is growing
• Working on Work-Life Balance
• Liz and Kieth have a strict schedule to spend time with the children and devote time to the business

Watch Full Video Episode

Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology and Autel

Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. PicoAuto.com

From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Autel.com

Contact Information

• Email Matt: [email protected]
• Subscribe on YouTube: @automotivefieldtheory

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Download and Listen on Our Mobile App: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/app/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: https://remarkableresults.biz/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

Matt Fanslow is the diagnostic tech/shop manager at Riverside Automotive in Red Wing, MN. His primary responsibilities are to diagnose driveability and electrical/electronic issues, and perform most all programming, coding, initializing, adoptions, etc. Basically, if it needs to be figured out or has wires, it goes to Matt. He’s been a tech since 1996.

Matt is also a subject matter expert for ASE and has instructed at Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo.

Matt has participated on 18 ASE technical committees for the ASE Practice Test, A6, A7, A8, and L1 tests. He’s also done case studies for Standard Motor Products.

Fanslow’s goal is to do everything in his power to improve the overall level of professionalism within the automotive and light truck repair trade and also raise the level of its public image. Hear Matt in previous episodes HERE.

• Look outside the industry to learn how to successfully promote the industry
• Matt takes a big leap and ties a concept of promoting professional wrestling to the aftermarket
• Main champion could make other champions look bad
• It made more sense to build the other guy up to help all players and build their performance group and have the fans appreciate all wrestlers
• We have a choice not to run a competitor shop into the ground. Help build them up
• You may have more training, one piece of equipment that succeeded in repairing the shop.
• You may be a better shop but there is no reason to put another shop (player) down.
• You win, the customer wins but do not trash your opponent.
•  A special thanks to Matt Fanslow for sharing his passion – For The Record.
• Books mentioned in the content library HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Check out Matt's own podcast HERE.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:

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Matt and Paul talk about their long friendship and that battle of work/life balance.

• They go back a long way from the start of IAtn
• He started in 2012 doing video’s
• Scanner Danner started by putting up content for his students and it exploded from there
• He started shooting crude video’s and there was no term like ‘YouTuber’
• Paul does a lot of good process stuff
• Paul does not look at other Youtubers to keep his own genuine style
• He is subbing at his Rosedale (got to verify spelling - pull from episode I did with him)  tech to help them out because of COVID
• Loves teaching
• Figuring out life balance while working from home
• Being Present and having a presence
• He loves to help people with their cars
• Grandparent now. Life is changing
• You must be active in working on your relationship
• His audience wants to fix cars
• He has a default to stop and fix cars, but Paul sees no end in sight.
• Our industry does help each other.
• Enter Eric’s link to RR 192
• Enter LINK FTR 050 What the Aftermarket Can Learn from Professional Wrestling - Matt Fanslow
• A 1986 Mustang kicked his but and he created a 3 part series on it, coming out soon
• He sees one out of ten of his students missing the basics or paying enough attention to their training. A commitment is missing
• Paul went to Linder Tech
• Paul partner’s with AES Wave

NAPA Benefits Center: napabenefitscenter.com

NAPA Member Site: member.napaautocare.com

• Do we do enough exit interviews?
• Why or why not?
• What can we learn from them?
• Put your ego away and realize this is a great moment to learn about you and your company
• Take the employee that is leaving to lunch, even if it hurts, listen
• Use exit interviews to improve your company and self

What Drives You to Be the Best You Can Be - With Justin Morgan

Justin Morgan

LMV Bavarian Technical Support and Trainer, ASE-Wave Technical Ambassador, ASE Master, L1, CMAT

• Technicians portrayed in movies
• Matt has had a rash of trouble vehicles lately
• Working on a Dodge transmission issue
• He always worried that he is going to get a car that is going to kick his butt
• Asking for help inside your network. It’s OK.
• When you ask for help be sure you’ve done your due diligence
• Matt hates being wrong. But he doesn’t have to be right.
• There is inner turmoil when you can’t figure out a problem. You’ll stay late and let it consume you until you figure it out.

Scott Alton - From the Clients Point of View - Matt Fanslow Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z

• Matt grade school friend who is also a customer of his
• Matt has a photographic mind
• Origins of life, music, and euchre (the card game)
• Scott sees or perceives that the people working on his vehicle are competent
• Dress says a lot about competence
• Personal appearance, also
• Formulate an opinion if you trust the shop
• Overall look of operation, clean, organized
• A professional look gives confidence to trust
• Certification on the wall
• Reviews on the wall
• Read reviews
• When meeting a client for the first time we ask for a certain level of trust
• Consumer: How does it feel to find that shop you can trust?
• I client knows someone at the shop they are more likely to trust
• Used Car Salespeople are going to have all this spin that they're going to give to me. And so you know, a used car salesman, unfortunately, Is linked with your profession in a lot of ways.
• The client must determine if the service advisor or technician is spinning large as a used car salesman would
• When you go to the doctor, you can get a second or third opinion. That's a little harder when the thing you need to get you home is you know, possibly debilitated and not able to get you home if you broke down away from your regular shop.
• Capabilities and equipment drive price of jobs no matter what size they are
• Compensation plans, benefits, investment in training drive margins/price