Are you giving away free work without even realizing it? Struggling to raise your labor rate without losing customers? In this episode of The Gear Box Podcast, we sit down with Jaron Kleber from Repair Shops of Tomorrow to tackle one of the biggest challenges in the automotive industry—knowing your worth and charging for it. We’ll break down why so many shop owners underprice their services, how to confidently set and increase labor rates, and why giving away ‘freebies’ is costing your business more than you think. If you want to build a more profitable, sustainable shop, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss! 

Today, Jimmy Purdy and David Toole talk about the pros and cons of owning multiple repair shops. David emphasizes creating a strong shop culture, particularly when expanding locations. He shares advice on preforming reviews and evaluations of technicians to ensure they are aligned with shop standards and discusses the challenges involved in managing financial aspects of a growing business. 

00:00 Streamlining for Growth and Profit

07:52 Interviewing: Beyond Questions, Assessing Fit

12:56 Repair Level Evaluation Process

19:34 Embracing Classic Cars Against Trends

24:41 Occasional Vehicle Mechanic Consultations

27:42 Valley Springs Acquires Giant Tree

33:51 Teen Driver Lands Job at 17

39:36 "Transforming Work Culture"

45:56 Balancing Workload and Staffing Ratio

49:16 Learning from Skilled Shop Owners

56:29 From Transformers to Team Investment

58:43 Seeking Independence in Coaching

01:08:05 Employment Regulations Hinder Productivity

01:12:08 The "Unneeded Feeling" Dilemma

01:17:08 Dave the Car Guy Updates

Christian Mosley joins Jimmy Purdy to talk about automotive repair shop marketing. Christian talks about the pros and cons of social media how many shops have found wide success online. Jimmy shares his experience offering no-cost inspections to improve customer retention, saying that their retention rate increased significantly. The bottom line, though, is that quality work and good processes are essential in long-term customer relationships.

00:00 Understanding Client Lifetime Value

08:29 Targeted and Broad SEO Strategy

12:42 "Building a Self-Sustaining Business"

18:37 Convenience vs. Personal Interaction

25:49 Unexpected Positive Impressions Matter

29:18 Pre-Digital Marketing: Mailers and Tracking

32:14 Optimizing Repair Specials Timing

42:12 Reducing Resistance Increases Success

47:03 "Finding the Right Customer Fit"

50:25 Prioritize Quality Over Marketing

54:48 Business Audit and Digital Review

58:44 Comprehensive Digital Marketing Solutions

In this episode of The Gearbox Podcast, Jimmy Purdy and Mike Allen talk about adaptability in today's industry. Mike shares why he offers free diag and gets into the constant balance between maintaining quality service and achieving growth.

Listen to Mike Allen's new podcast "Confessions of a Shop Owner" HERE

00:00 Rural Store to Automotive Career

04:13 College Dropout Party Life

07:59 "Anomaly and Natural Selection in Business"

10:33 Assessing Growth and Contentment

14:32 Diagnostic Compensation Unchanged

19:10 Two Possible Conversation Outcomes

20:34 Owner Operators' Confidence Struggle

23:10 Value of Paid Coaching vs. Free Info

28:29 Scaling Business Challenges

30:19 Overvalued Small Business Reality Check

34:25 Cash Flow and Cars Debate

36:49 Technician's Emotional Roller Coaster

40:03 Scaling Challenges and Service Quality

43:19 Customer Relations Impact Warranty Perception

46:00 Evening Party Plans

Today, Jimmy Purdy and Coralee Zueff talk about shop management and how to find the ideal ratio of technicians to service advisors. Jimmy asks Coralee to share her experience and advice to shop owners on how to gain trust between advisors and technicians. Coralee gives tips on setting expectations and improving diagnostic processes for shop owners.

00:00 "Gearbox Podcast: Automotive Journeys"

05:42 Setting Customer Expectations as Advisors

07:17 Flexible Collaboration in Auto Shops

09:50 Streamlining Diagnostic Time Approval

14:42 Improving Diagnostic Processes in Shops

19:46 Handling Customer Complaints

22:44 Embracing Mistakes for Growth

23:46 Effective Communication in Shops

28:53 Balancing Car Repair vs. Replacement

30:55 "Comprehensive Car Inspection Sales Strategy"

34:43 "Balancing Human Touch in Sales"

38:49 DIY Auto Troubleshooting Tips

42:46 Finding Comfortable Terminology

45:46 Training Service Advisors on Brake Maintenance

49:00 Positive Feedback Journal

50:33 Global Auto Industry Coaching Classes

Todd Westerlund is an industry vet. Over 15 years of technical experience and more than 18 years in the repair shop coaching. Todd is a believer in opening your shop seven days a week for ultimate customer service. He also shares advice on how to make your processes more efficient. 

00:00 Industry Insights & Training

07:25 Technician's Journey: 15 Years Experience

10:46 Hands-On Training Initiative

20:16 Flexible Work Schedules Benefit All

23:15 Balancing Technician Ego and Client Needs

29:42 Problem Solving in Auto Repair

33:42 Overwhelmed by Work Demands

38:17 Investing in Employees' Future

42:25 "Streamlining Inspection Process"

47:43 "Confession About Car Brake Negligence"

56:42 "Prioritizing Morally Right Hospitality"

58:03 "Open Invitation despite Poor Reviews"

01:05:55 Welcoming Shop Tour Experience

01:12:05 Call Center Amplifies Pre-booking Revenue

01:16:06 "Shops Boost Sales with Callbacks"

01:19:14 Bones: Protection Against Slips

Jimmy talks with Kingston and Ava about their family-run transmission business at AAPEX 2024. Ava shares her journey in office management and how she's learned hands-on and gotten pretty good at multitasking. Kingston is excited about the technical side of the business, and even though he's in the 8th grade, he loves rebuilding transmissions. 

00:00 Transitioned from packaging to office management tasks.

05:51 Mom suggests learning web design for marketing.

08:49 Working for Dad's business is fulfilling.

11:53 Inspect and test cores, then box them.

15:02 Memorize, build, clean, polish, update, test, ship.

18:45 AAPEX is such a cool place, but you don't see many kids.

19:27 Great ATRA Expo-Apex combo boosts knowledgeable discussions.

Listen to Arun's podcast "We Are Driven"

In this episode, Jimmy Purdy is joined by Arun Coumar, owner of Driven Auto Care and host of the "We Are Driven" podcast. Arun discusses the significance of efficient operations and avoiding high-pressure sales tactics to enhance the customer experience. Jimmy shares the challenges he faced in expanding his business, emphasizing the importance of having documented procedures for consistent quality. 

00:00 Misdiagnosed allergy; later treated as seasonal allergies.

10:19 Experience teaches more than the SOP manual does.

12:59 Mistakes and engaged technicians enhance learning effectiveness.

17:17 Improving customer experience with meticulous vehicle inspection.

22:31 Ensure clarity in tasks and prioritize experience.

27:51 Picky customer values professional opinion when shopping.

36:11 Offer half-price diagnostics in November video.

43:39 Estimating unnecessary repairs versus actual car needs.

47:09 Adapt to customers' desires for effective sales.

51:05 Dressed as James Bond with Aston Martin.

59:32 Crank sensor repair complicated, delayed car delivery.

01:03:42 Worried about vehicle accidents and negative outcomes.

01:06:48 Avoiding delay, deceit, and disappointment ensures customer satisfaction.

01:11:13 A challenging year with evolving problems and goals.

In this episode, Jimmy Purdy is joined by Jim Cokonis to discuss the significance of mindset and culture in business, especially within the realm of technician coaching. Jim Cokonis shares an anecdote about Simon Sinek to highlight the benefits of positive management on employee satisfaction. Jimmy emphasizes the difference between treating technicians as people versus mere productivity tools and suggests focusing on positive aspects to boost morale. They also examine the importance of interactive, hands-on learning and its impact on knowledge retention, advocating for a tiered certification system to motivate continual professional development. 

00:00 Balancing multiple roles is challenging for operators.

06:51 Toyota thrives on growing and maintaining culture.

12:23 Finding issues provides dopamine, possibly fostering negativity.

17:22 Present value to customers to prevent dissatisfaction.

24:01 Questioning the value of training certifications.

28:50 Recognize achievements to encourage self-improvement voluntarily.

35:52 Vehicle tracks data; uses ISO class 6 fluid.

40:08 Hands-on learning is essential for AC proficiency.

43:58 Teach others for higher retention and improvement.

49:36 Occupations now require technical reading and understanding.

56:19 Teaching each other enhances growth and learning.

01:00:10 Basics are key, teaching martial arts inspires.

01:05:09 Ensure comma placement for proper pause timing.