Town Hall Academy - Archive

By Carm Capriotto, AAPBusiness

Town Hall Academy - Archive episodes

April 25, 2018THA 064: Workplace Organization the 5S Method
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!

Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
This is the only weekly forum for aftermarket professionals bringing fresh and innovative discussion to inspire and grow individuals and companies.
The Panel:
Pat Brown received her MBA from Bowling Green State University and her BA in Marketing from the University of Findlay. She worked as VP Global Branding & Communications, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. She also was the VP Marketing Dealer, at Strategic Planning, Inc. She is now retired.
Pat also served on the Tire Industry Association—Board of Directors, the Benton Ridge Telephone Company –Board of Directors, the Liberty Benton—Board of Education and the Hancock County Board of Education.

Ryan Goff a resident of Caldwell, Idaho, grew up in the family tire and automotive repair business, Rogers Tire Pros. Ryan attended Boise State University while still working in the family business. He helped to grow and expand the business to two locations. Ryan served on the Tire Pros Western, National Council, and is currently serving on the Tire Pros technology advisory council. His wife Andrea, son Cash and daughter Presley are his world. In his free time, he enjoys working out doing Cross Fit and enjoying sunny days on the lake. He is a lover of Boise State football and spending time with his family on their boat.

Brad Goff is from Rogers Tire Pros located in Caldwell Idaho. His father started the company in 1978 as mostly a front-end and alignment specialty shop. Brad grew up working in the business from the time he was little and by the age of 12 was changing tires and doing many tasks in the shop and learning as he went along. In 1990, Brad joined the business full time. In 2005 expansion plans started and they opened their Caldwell location at almost 15,000 square feet in 2008 and expanded again in 2018, opening their second location in the fall of 2018 located in Meridian, Idaho.

Keith Tucker is a 2nd Generation Independent tire dealer. He started changing tires on a 20/20 Coats part-time on summer breaks at 15 yrs old. Keith attended college at DSCC.
He worked with his Dad, Jere Tucker and his brother in the family tire business. During that time was certified in alignment and suspension. On September 1, 1991, Keith partnered with his Dad and his brother Jeff in a 2-bay retail tire & service location named Triple T Tire & Alignment.
With their new adventure, Keith did everything from tire changer, lube tech, alignment tech, service truck, brake tech, customer service and many more.
Triple T Tire sold all major and some minor brand tires. In 1995, they relocated to 8 bay shop, with new equipment and designed for efficiency. In 2002 and 2004, the family acquired additional locations through acquisition.
In 2004, they merged the 3 Dyersburg locations into 2. Today the family owns 3 locations in West TN, and 2 in Dyersburg and 1 in Paris, TN. Both markets are farm and rural markets.
As the business evolved Keith has seen extreme changes in the industry. The management team is working to spend more time working ON the business rather than IN the business.
Talking Points:
5 S origin (sometimes referred to as Kaizen, continuous improvement)
Japenese factories were all about continuous improvement.
Experiencing unprecedented efficiency, safety, growth.
5S is credited with helping Japanese factories eclipse American Industrial success.
Adopted by US Manufacturers with the same dramatic gains.

5 S Overview
Sort
Tidiness – throw away rubbish and unrelated materials.

Set in Order
Orderliness – Set things in proper place for quick retrieval and storage.
Remove the ‘hunt for’ tools and equipment, stapler, etc.

Shine
Cleanliness – Clean the workplace. Everyone should be a janitor.
If you have time to lean you have time to clean.

Standardize
Standardization – Standardize the way of maintaining cleanliness
Assign janitorial duties.

Sustain
Discipline – make it a way of life. This means commitment.
This can be the most difficult and everyone has to be committed.
Reinforcement constantly.

Typical 5 S Benefits
Decreases
Injuries
Defects – comebacks
Unproductive downtime
Underutilized techs
Training/orientation time
Tools/inventory searches
Inefficient work routines
Underutilized floor space

Increases
Safety and morale
Quality
Extended equipment life

It’s all about getting rid of waste
People
Time most precious asset
Waiting waste and motion waste

Process
Efficiency – reduce steps by process mapping
Result of neglect, inefficient scheduling, indifference (we’ve always done it that way”

Information
Too much clutter?
Only save what you need

Assets
What is not necessary?
Get rid of it

Ideas:
Quick Cart. Oil Change/Batteries/Inspections. A general service cart- discussed in the interview. Time saver. Every item is labeled and in a highlighted place in or on the car.

Where in the business:
The shop and the back office can benefit from this discipline.

Team buy-in.
Potential to get a few more cars completed per day because your systems/processes are lean and ‘well oiled’.
Make the 5S’s part of your meetings and huddles. Always be striving and rewarding for efficiency.
5S/Lean needs to be a part of your culture.
Efficient techs do not want clutter.

Implementation tool is ‘Process Mapping’
Pat tells about her coffee example when she found 15 seconds of time savings.
Involve team and look at every step in a process.

Implementing a digital process in the shop such as vehicle inspections is a form of 5S.
Stop and look deep. Just because it has been like this for years doesn’t mean it is right for today’s business environment.
Working on the business is the most difficult task to do.
Don’t get into the trap to do it yourself. This is the best excuse not to have to train someone.
We run around every day being inefficient.
Think of the spaghetti diagram as to the wasted steps in your shop.

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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
56 min
April 18, 2018THA 063: Making Business Partnerships Work
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!

Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
The Academy Panel:
Anthony Lucido – Co-Owner CoAuto
Anthony Lucido started working in the service station business in 1995. He has been tinkering with cars since the ripe age of 12 years old. The first car he ever drove was an older Subaru he tuned up for his dads’ friend, after the repair he drove up and down the long driveway (official test drive)
Anthony was an intern at the Porsche Service Training facility his senior year in high school where he was taught many valuable lessons that have stayed with him to this day.
Anthony is an ASE Master Certified Technician, Advanced Level Specialist, Service Consultant, Undercar Specialist, Maintenance & Light Repair Technician–He currently holds 15 ASE certifications and 3 advanced level certifications. He and his brother Vinnie went into business and opened CoAuto in 2014 and become a student of the automotive business.
In 2017 Anthony received his Integrative Nutrition Degree for Health coaching as he was planning on going into another field after building this business, but after attending Vision in 2018 Anthony has a renewed passion for the automotive industry. Anthony is married with 2 boys and a beautiful wife.
Vincent Lucido – Co-Owner CoAuto
Vinnie Lucido has had his hands in the automotive industry since 1996, starting in High school as a CSR at one of the last 76 Full-Service Gas stations in Reno. He found a passion for helping people through their most prized possessions, their automobile. Vinnie and his brother Anthony partnered together & opened CoAuto in 2014 and have been nothing but success in their new undertaking. Vinnie is ASE certified and has operated in every capacity of the automotive repair field. Throughout his career, he has been a customer service representative, a service writer, a technician, a manager and now an owner. Ultimately, he finds he is happiest when he is in communication with his clients and gets the opportunity to get to know his guests. Vinnie spends his time building relationships and networking and in turn, the shop continues to grow.
Vinnie an avid outdoorsman and enjoys all the Tahoe area offers. In his spare time, you will find him in the rivers, whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddle boarding. In the mountains, snowboarding, timbersledding, and mountain biking. In the desert, dirt biking, rock climbing, and hiking. In the lakes, kiteboarding, wakeboarding and swimming. In the city, one-wheeling, biking, and hanging out. Vinnie also lives a yogic lifestyle and teaches the art of Budokon. Budokon like a triathlete has 3 disciplines which are martial arts, yoga and calisthenics. He is passionate about health and wellness. He and his beautiful wife Dawn are in the works of opening a yoga retreat in Belize where he plans to retire and enjoy all the Caribbean has to offer.
Jeremy Austrum Owner, CEO, Next Generation Auto, ASE Certified Master Technician
Jeremy Austrum was raised on his family’s farm in Hammond, WI. He graduated from River Falls High School in 1994, and then attended Dakota County Technical College, where he finished the Automotive Technician Program two years later. Jeremy has been an ASE Master Technician since 1996. He continues to complete additional training courses each year to stay up-to-date with the ever-changing automotive industry.
Jeremy was employed at Goodyear in Eagan, MN from 1994 until spring of 2011, when he and Shawn started Next Generation Auto. He and his wife, Jessica, (with the help of friends and family) built the house they live in near the Austrum family farm. In 2010, they had their first daughter, Daisy, and Lulu LeeMarie was born May 30, 2012. The family is completed by their dog, Miller. Jeremy thanks his mother for teaching him to be hardworking and honest.
Shawn Kline Owner, CFO, Next Generation Auto, Advanced Level ASE Certified Master Technician
Shawn first started learning about the automotive industry in 2003. While in high school, Shawn began working at a local Ford dealership, learning much of the basics about cars and light trucks. He went on to work at a local Goodyear with his brother, where he met Jeremy Austrum. Jeremy soon became Shawn’s mentor, and someone to look up to as he started his career.
After graduating from high school, Shawn attended Dakota County Technical College, where he took the two-year automotive program. At DCTC, he was chosen to compete in the Minnesota Automotive Skills competition. Shawn placed fourth in the state out of over 100 participants.
Shawn continued working at Goodyear for a few years, and then decided to join the Army. He served in the Army Infantry, and after he was honorably discharged, he returned back to Goodyear. He took his ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) tests to become Master Certified in all eight categories, and also earned his advanced level certificate. To this day, Shawn continues ongoing training to stay on top of the latest in automotive technology.
After eight years with Goodyear, he and Jeremy opened Next Generation Auto in Baldwin, WI. He and his wife, Daphne, along with their two daughters and two Australian Shepherds, live in Baldwin, and love being part of the community. Shawn is even part of the Baldwin Fire Department.
Talking Points:
Advantages and disadvantages of having a partner.
Understand the role of each partner, respect the role that your partner.
Qualities of a partnership: Communication, Trust, Honesty, Core Values, Vision, know your roles find a 50/50 relationship.
Know your communication type. Take a DISC test. Make sure your personalities mesh.
Have an owner meeting weekly.
Business coach has improved the partnership.
Challenges:
Are you each putting in the same hours?
Do each other understand personal commitment?
There is a balance of working in the business vs. working on the business. There are two distinct differences.

Buy-sell agreements are necessary so the surviving partner does not have to deal with the family of the deceased partner. Life insurance will help fund the agreement.

Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Email
This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
51 min
April 11, 2018THA 062: Come Backs – Prevention, Reputation and the Cost
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!

Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
The Academy Panel:
It’s often said that if you choose a job you love you will never have to work a day in your life. Joe Marconi can say that with sincerity, Joe owns multi-branch operation Osceola Garage in Baldwin Place and Croton Falls, NY. His dream after graduating high school was to someday open up his own automotive repair business and that dream became a reality on October 1, 1980.
Joe was born and raised in the Bronx; he relocated to Putnam County, NY and founded his company on the culture and philosophy that he was taught growing up: Treat people with respect, take care of your customers as family and always go the extra mile. These principles quickly became the secret to Joe’s continued success.
Joe is also a part-time business coach and trainer for Elite Worldwide and co-founder of autoshopowner.com. Listen to Joe’s previous episodes HERE.

In January of 2017, John Long purchased an interest in Total True Automotive dba Schertz Auto Service, Schertz, TX, for which he worked since July of 2005.
Growing up John was not interested in vehicles even though his father had always fixed their cars. John’s passion was sports especially hockey. John played anything and everything growing up. He is still a huge sports fan and sports numbers junkie.
In his late teens, John started to gain more interest in vehicles and just after his 21st birthday he accepted a position working at National Tire & Battery as a service advisor. He knew nothing about tires or vehicle systems and how they worked, but he learned as much as he could.
In 2005, John and his wife decided it was time for a move. He arrived in San Antonio late on a Friday night after driving 24 hours straight and interviewed with Mark Roberts on Saturday morning. Mark hired John, and for the next several years he helped grow the new mechanical repair shop business. Listen to John’s previous episodes HERE.
Gary Keyes is the owner of E & M Motors Auto Service in Stuart, Florida. Gary started as a tech, right out of high school back in the service station days in Miami. He also worked in a Toyota dealership for 10 years and decided he was smart enough to open a shop himself. He says he is still learning.
Through the value of networking, as a member of ASA, he found and purchased E & M motors. Networking with peers, he says, is one of the most powerful benefits of association membership.
Gary is also a trustee of AMi and earned his AMAM (Accredited Master Automotive Manager) certification. Gary is also an ASE Certified Master Technician Since 1978. Listen to Gary’s previous episodes HERE.

Talking Points:
To improve the end product and to reduce comebacks, you must build quality into the repair process. Quality control checklists at the end of the repair can only do so much.
Quality, not quota, is the strategy you need to adopt to reduce comebacks.
You have to Slow Down in order to Speed Up.
You need the ability to throw down the STOP card

Comeback prevention starts at the front door.
It is all about communication. Writing enough information to the technician will make for a better diagnosis.
You cannot accept a work order that says ‘Check Engine Light’, or ‘Dead Battery’.

Instead of Quota (production), it needs to be Quality. You need a culture of caring and quality that will go a long way to manage comebacks.
You should always be looking to improve. Your processes will drive a well-managed quality program.
You must log every comeback and discover if it was communication, process, part quality or training, among other come back reasons.
Must log where the part was purchase and brand. You need to be able to spot trends.
What were the costs up to and including a rental car etc. See below link for a comeback cost analysis download.

If failure rates are too high on a product line, this group would change parts brands. But they would let the supplier know that they were having a problem.
Quality of parts today is in question and you need to pay attention to comebacks so your costs and reputation are managed.
Top failures that can lead to comebacks in order of the experience of the panel.
Communication. 50%
Part Failures. 40%
Technician Errors. 10%.
They take their jobs seriously and do not ever want a comeback.

Do the math on comebacks. See the cost report (link below) that shows an example of the cost of a steering rack comeback.
In the eyes of the customer, no matter what type or kind, even if a missed oil change sticker, shows a breakdown in the process. The customer may think what else did they miss?
You need to follow up with each customer on each job. Probe the customer and understand the post-transaction. So important for first-time customers because their anxiety level is high. This helps to ease it when you call back 48 – 72 hours after the repair.
Your overall reputation of quality, honesty and integrity can lessen the blow of comebacks.
A bad review or experience can snowball and get out of control if you don’t manage.
A good Quality Control process after the repair is important to tighten up the quality of the repair process. Many times the person who does it should not be the tech who worked on the car.
To repeat the right behavior, give the tech a high five and praising when there is a perfect QC done on the vehicle. This will reinforce the type of behaviors you are looking for.
Spend a lot of time on internal procedures and processes so that post repair quality control is nearly perfect every time. Follow the procedures 100% of the time. No exceptions.
Vince Lombardi Quote: “Perfection is not attainable, but if you chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
It starts from the top and the culture you determine for your company. Every team member is a key component to the success of the company.
Put the emphasis on quality not quota. Success is in the details.
Your quality will be determined on how you lead others. People will want to be praised and be included in how the company functions.

Referenced in the episode:
Concierge Service – The Next Frontier. Town Hall Academy Episode 008
Bobby Bassett from Gates on Cooling System Come Backs
Download the AASA and ASA Joint Task Force: The Cost of a Come-Back
Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Email
This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
45 min
April 04, 2018THA 061: Know Your Daily Sales Break Even Number
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!

Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
The Academy Panel:
John L. Francis has over 50 years of industry experience and has owned and operated Francis Automotive Services Inc. in West Chester, PA, for more than 35 years. John’s most important business philosophy as a shop owner is to “be honest, speak from your heart, and always be authentic”, so it’s no mystery why he’s been so successful.
John is a past National Chairman of the Automotive Management Institute. He has served as the Chairman of ASA CARS. John also served on the ASE Board of Directors for 8 years and served as an AMi trustee for many years as well. He’s been featured in AutoInc magazine and is a two-time runner up for NAPA Tech of the Year. John is a recipient of the AMi Alpha Award. Not only is John an extraordinary business professional, but his commitment to the industry and his peers is second to none. Listen to John’s previous episodes HERE.
Rick White has been working in the automotive, software & coaching industries for greater than thirty years and is currently an AMI-approved training instructor. He owned and managed several successful automotive repair shops. Currently, Rick is President and Lead Coach for 180BIZ, an auto repair shop training and business coaching company proudly serving the independent auto and truck repair owner since 2006.Rick has been acknowledged as an industry expert and has been featured in many automotive trade publications. Rick has been training and speaking at industry events across the country including AAPEX, Vision and for AASP PA just to name a few. Find all of Ricks contributions to the podcast HERE.
John Cooper is a partner at ECP Auto Repair & Service in Cuyahoga Falls , OH. Before becoming a business owner John worked in manufacturing for 23 Years. That is where he met his future business partner, Nate Winston in 2008.
Talking Points:
Knowing your break-even point — the point at which total cost and total revenue are equal is important to running a business. It is not just good enough to reach your daily break even, you must exceed it if you are to stay in business.
Knowing the break-even point is helpful in deciding gross margin on parts, labor rates, setting sales budgets and preparing a business plan. If you do not reach your daily break-even then there is a great chance that you had a loss of profit for the day.
Find the worksheet calculator for break-even, a promised in the episode, at the end of the talking points.
Critical to know you’re breakeven so you know if you’re digging a hole.
Include monthly loan payments in expenses to have the cash flow to pay them.
Calculate your break even at least every six months, quarterly preferred.
Watch for expense creep. You must pay attention to your expenses closely.
Health insurance.
Fuel costs.
Energy costs.
Waste/Recycling costs.
Subscriptions and fees.
Shop supplies, gloves, eye protection.
Phone and internet invoices.
To name a few.

Gross Margin Creep and accuracy.
Costs of oil and staples. Review supplier invoices and be sure that you are making the right margin.
Inventory on the shelf, is your computer cost reflected properly?
Credits for cores, alleged defective, new returns.

Know your break-even number but don’t focus on it. Don’t focus on surviving, focus on thriving. Calculate a growth number and focus on that.
We are activity driven and feel that fixing more cars per day will raise your sales and margin.
John Cooper valued his business coach, John Francis in showing him the light for break even and to create a sales goal that included a strong profit.
Components of a Break-Even Calculator
YTD Gross Profit Percentage
Average Monthly Expenses
Monthly Depreciation
Monthly Principle Payment (loans)
Days Open Per Month

Power of gross profit in break-even number. Run the calculator and see the impact margin makes to your break-even. The higher your Gross Margin the lower your Break Even will be.
Gross Margin management is important. Be sure your costs are correct in your SMS and your margin on labor has been reviewed quarterly or at least twice a year.
You must normalize your expenses and be sure there are only expenses directly for the business in your P & L.
Expense creep. You must watch your expenses if not they will grow. Carefully review all expense invoices before they are paid.
Be careful if you are installing an engine that will carry lower margins. You will make your sales nut but may not hit your gross margin goal. Those anomalies happen. Be aware. This demonstrates that break-even is not an exact science.
Billed hours per day is a strong indicator.
What are your potential billed hours per tech?
Your labor inventory.

Goal setting must include stretching your number. Incredible growth happens when you intelligently stretch beyond the norm. You may have to include more people to accomplish this and keep watch on when that new hire many need to happen.
You need to have the people to reach your stretch goal.
A good idea to plan out three years ahead.

Michelangelo said: “The danger in setting goals is not setting them to high and missing them; it is setting them too low and hitting them. “
It must be your goal, not your coaches, and it must be a stretch.

John Francis: If you are hitting your goals 60% of the time you are doing good in having set stretch goals.

Download The Break Even Calculator Spread Sheet offered by John Francis Here.
Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Email
This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
41 min
March 28, 2018THA 060: How To Get Value From Recorded Service Calls
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
The Academy Panel:
Rena Rennebohm service advisor coach and the Chief Training Officer of ACT Group. When not gardening or cooking Rena is working her chosen trade, Coaching Service Advisors across the country.
With over a decade of Service Advisor experience, from the independent side of the business to the dealership side and back, Rena has seen and dealt with just about anything and everything! And after becoming proficient as a Service Advisor, she moved to the Coaching & Training side of the automotive industry. Her experience in Coaching and Training Service Advisors has allowed many, many facilities to not only build their total sales exponentially, it has helped build a stronger NET profits as well. Listen to Rena’s previous episodes HERE.
Lauren Giver started in the industry in July 2016 when she went to work for the repair shop that had been maintaining her vehicle for two years. She was hired as the Office Manager, but a big part of her job was talking to customers on the phone and at the counter. Lauren quickly found that this was the favorite part of her job, and truly why she wanted to work there in the first place. She had never received that level of customer service or felt valued as a customer at any other repair shop and she was excited to provide that experience from the other side of the counter. After the shop manager challenged her to make a sale, when she had absolutely no technical or sales experience, she sold the job and found that she enjoyed writing service just as much. It allowed Lauren to help people, which is what she wanted to do. After nine months, she was informed that the owners were retiring and selling the building, but through the connections that she made, Lauren found a wonderful home at Los Gatos Auto Service in Campbell, California where she currently writes service, full-time. Listen to Lauren’s previous episodes HERE.
Keith Williamson is the owner of Williamson’s Repair and Tire in Bondurant, IA for over 20 years. He is a member of ASA Midwest where he leads the Shop Owner Support Group (an amazing group of shops) in Iowa. He and his team focus on the customer experience, as well as Hybrid, Electric and emerging vehicle Technologies. He recently added a solar array to his building and uses a Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt as shuttle vehicles and plans to add more hybrid and electric vehicles as they continually update their loaner fleet. He is a member of RLO Training’s Bottom Line Impact Group for 4 years. Listen to Keith’s previous episodes HERE.
Talking Points:
We do not like hearing ourselves on a recording. That is human nature.
A great way to instill a proper greeting is to have a smile ‘on’. It reflects in your voice.
If you have a standard script, this ensures that your consistent phone techniques are solid.
Because you are paying attention to the proper phone technique it is a big accountability factor.

Listening to other people’s call is easier than listening to your own.
Sometimes you need to listen to a bad call, but there is always a silver lining; a learning opportunity.
Service advisers need quality training and the recorded phone call is a key to that training.
If your shop does not record calls, an option to find out your strengths and opportunities is to have your shop ‘secret shopped’.
Learn to speak to a customer at their pace and level of understanding.
Save good calls and go over what a good call sounds like.
When you find one that works play it over and share it with your team. You will grow your business.

Every service writer needs to find and develop their own style.
Recorded calls and coaching helps to convert and opens the learning to be a better communicator.
You’ll discover misunderstandings and you’ll learn from them and may make changes to your policies.
If more than one service adviser, consider a team listen, but do not create any vulnerable moments. Make it balanced and fair for teach service adviser.
Find a recorder that does outgoing and incoming calls. It is important to cover both. Some shops use two recorders.
Some marketing companies offer call recording with tracking that also supports conversion rates.

Call recording will teach every owner that they have no role on the counter.
Call recording puts the bow on your service advisor training.
Lead to conversion at an average shop is 30%. So this tool will work to improve that.
Find all the positives in every recorded call.

Learn the Socratic question method. Basically, ask more questions.
You learn how to be your better self.
Don’t make assumptions. If you record you now have proof.
You cannot correct a service advisor by hearing only one side of the call.

Barry Barrett: 70% of the time when you give a price over the phone you are inadvertently lying to the customer. 80% of the time it is more expensive.
Lauren Giver says the recorded call is her most important improvement tool.

Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Email
This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
47 min
March 21, 2018THA 059: Critical Daily Actions That Matter
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas,
perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
The Academy Panel:
Bambi Crozier, wife and co-owner with Neil Crozier, of Car Clinic in Lowell, AR (Northwest Arkansas), has a passion for the hardworking shop owner. Her vision to Change the Face of Automotive Care motivates and inspires every aspect of her daily operation. She entered the industry in 2012 as an entrepreneur shortly after moving back to Arkansas. She spent more than 11 years at AT&T in client relation roles and has a talent for looking at her business and the auto industry through the lens of a client. She moderates an online Facebook group called “Auto Shop Owners Group”. Bambi’s previous episodes HERE.
Mark Goldsmith found his passion for cars in 1971 when his first job was at an independent shop. He took all of the ASE required tests and earned his Master Technician Certification.
In 1988 Mark opened Mark’s Independent Service in Chatsworth, CA. Mark’s Independent Service works exclusively on Volvo, Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Mark and his team have always focused on fair values that put the customer first. He’s worked hard to create the type of auto repair company that has built trust with his customers and like to be known as a dealership alternative! He is an ASCCA member and he loves it when his customers say his shop is better than the dealer. Previous episodes HERE.
Rick White has been working in the automotive, software & coaching industries for greater than thirty years and is currently an AMI-approved training instructor. He owned and managed several successful automotive repair shops. Currently, Rick is President and Lead Coach for 180BIZ, an auto repair shop training and business coaching company proudly serving the independent auto and truck repair owner since 2006.Rick has been acknowledged as an industry expert and has been featured in many automotive trade publications. Rick has been training and speaking at industry events across the country including AAPEX, Vision and for AASP PA just to name a few. Find all of Ricks contributions to the podcast HERE.
Bambi Crozier planning guide and list HERE.
Rick White article on Fraud HERE.
Talking points:
Bambi Crozier Routine:
5th of the Month: Review P&L & Income Planning, Review & Pay A/P, Review & Collect A/R
20th of the Month: Review Goals and Plans to Achieve them for next month
Monday – Manage the business
Second Monday – Employee Reviews
Weekly Review Stats (ARO, GP, CC, Billed Hours, Sold, Efficiency)
Review Daily Recap Results from Mary
Review Bank Deposits
Spot Check Tech Inspections, QC Inspections, RO Profitability, Declined Work

Tuesday – Product / Growth
First Tuesday Review Training Plan & Employee Progress
Second Tuesday – Review Equipment Needs and ROI
Third Tuesday – Review Processes, Policies, Procedures
9am Writer Meeting (Results, Profit, RO, Workflow, Employee Feedback)
Emailed Daily Morning Battle Plan from Jayson to Bambi

Review Daily Recap Results from Mary
Review Bank Deposits
Spot Check Tech Inspections, QC Inspections, RO Profitability, Declined Work

Wednesday – Marketing / Communication
First Wednesday: Review Referral Program & Announce Winner
Second Wednesday: Review Marketing Calendar
Weekly Thank You Cards for last week clients
Review Daily Recap Results from Mary
Review Bank Deposits
Spot Check Tech Inspections, QC Inspections, RO Profitability, Declined Work

Thursday – Partnerships
First Thursday – Review OSHA Items / Safety Plan Meeting Notes
Second Thursday – Review Legal Requirements / Needs
Review Daily Recap Results from Mary
Review Bank Deposits
Spot Check Tech Inspections, QC Inspections, RO Profitability, Declined Work

Friday – Culture / Recruitment
Second Friday – Review Incentive Plan
Third Friday – Review Pour in Training for Inner Circle
Set Weekly Battle Plan for next week
Review Recruiting actions and next steps
Review Daily Recap Results from Mary
Review Bank Deposits
Spot Check Tech Inspections, QC Inspections, RO Profitability, Declined Work

Mark Goldsmith
Communicate with staff before work starts.
Review appointments with the service writer.
Perform repair order audit from the previous day.
Review inspections that are complete.
Help my team when they have a technical problem.
Go over the bills with the bookkeeper (JoAnn My wife).
Check online reviews. I have Colleen respond to them she is much better than me.
Go over future appointments.
Prepare for the weekly meeting.

Rick White
Grow & protect your brand.
Are you living your culture?
Inspect what you expect.
Customer experience.
Quality of work.

Generate awareness of your business.
What are you doing every day to stand up, stand out, and make a difference?
Mailings & “do it for you” programs aren’t as effective.

Grow your people.
Daily & Weekly meetings.
Coach & feedback to get better.

PACE
You set the
Purpose & Passion of the shop
Activity & Attitude
Commitment & Caring
Energy & Expectation

Bookending your day as a tool and setting yourself right at the beginning of the day.

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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
57 min
March 14, 2018THA 058: How to Become the Employer of Choice

Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas,
perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
The Academy Panel:
Ryan Clo is a nineteen-year veteran of the Automotive Service industry. He currently owns two specialized Automotive Service businesses located in Cincinnati, OH. Both businesses have systems and processes in place so that his presence is not required on a daily basis. Ryan’s first business, Dubwerx, has a 99% customer satisfaction rate while maintaining profitability and growth.
Ryan currently consults for the Institute of Automotive Business Excellence providing guidance to automotive businesses including on-site evaluations, off-site coaching, business plan development, and one-on-one coaching with owners and staff. He is known as the “Systems and Processes guy.” Ryan teaches several business management classes for the Automotive industry.
Ryan is also involved in the growing startup community in Cincinnati, OH meeting with other entrepreneurs regularly to discuss best practices and the future of business. Ryan volunteers his time serving on the editorial board for an industry magazine and two community non-profits in Cincinnati, OH. Listen to Ryan’s previous episodes HERE.
Dwayne Myers is a partner in Dynamic Automotive in the greater Maryland area. Dwayne invests time in the industry with the Auto Care Association and serves on the education committee with CCPN (Car Care Professional Network). Dwayne was recently honored as one of only 17 outstanding individuals that qualified for the prestigious 2017 World Class Technician Award presented by The Auto Care Association and ASE. He is very passionate about hiring and sustaining a strong and engaged team. Listen to Dwayne’s previous episodes HERE.
Barry Barrett is an authority on sales and selling. He is the Director of Training for RLO. Barry’s sales and training capabilities operate at full capacity in his dual roles as the lead salesperson and service manager trainer.
During Barry’s career as a Service Manager and top sales person, he honed his talents in communicating with people.
Barry is tireless in his pursuit of excellence in the automotive industry and in all that he does. His passion for providing tools to train owners and their teams to the next level is unlimited. Barry is a Ziglar Legacy Certified Coach. Listen to Barry’s previous episodes HERE.
Talking points:
How to become an employer of choice.
Less turn-over
Many shops that have the best or lowest price don’t necessarily have the best people.
Create and perpetuate a strong business culture and live your core values.
If trust is a core value, then tell a story about how it works in your company to every new
It is not an overnight happening. It takes time. Listen to episodes on business culture HERE.

Create a family atmosphere where you people come first. Take care of your people, they will take care of your customers.
Your reputation as a top place to works travels from the inside out.

Recommended book:
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

How to get A players to beat a path to your door:
“A” players want to work with other “A” players.

Our industry needs more help with HR.
Better interviewing skills.
Vetting candidates.
Assessments.
Orientation.

The right people want a career path.
As a shop owner, think of your job in the industry as an incubator to grow technicians, service advisors and the next group of shop owners.
Keep in mind your shop could be a ladder in the career of your people.

Your people need to have quarterly goals and you need to help them reach them. What do your people aspire to do within the business and in their personal life? You need to develop your people and give them a roadmap. Look out for their future.
Your people want to feel safe, understood, accepted and secure in their role and in your culture. Treat your people like owners and family.
The pay package is part and parcel to the package. Time off, health care, retirement, room for growth. Organizing events with the team like paintball, lasertron, bowling. Family events, picnics, amusement parks. What are your intangibles; flexibility in work schedule.
You need to pay your people well, but you may not pay more than others. Your entire pay, benefits and culture package will attract great talent.
Create a vision so your new hire can see how they fit.
The only thing worse than having no sight is having no vision. Helen Keller
Most men live a life of quiet desperation and they die with a dream in their heart. Henry David Thoreau
Always identify what is important to a new team member.
A smaller shop may not have the budget to hire an A tech from a dealership. They’ve got to have the money to afford the right pay and benefit program.
You must listen to your candidate and truly hear what they are saying. Be a good listener.
Grow a great reputation.
Customer reviews
Constant recruiting.
Give tours to customer and potential recruits.
The network talks.
Do what you say. Follow through. Listen. Your word means more than you think.
Integrity and trust.

An onboarding process sets the stage.
Barry uses a dream planner and at the end of the 3rd month he reviews it with his new hire.
The quarterly review is all about the team member.
Some millennials want more reviews than quarterly.

Workplace environment is more important than you may know.
Windows, Lighting, HVAC, Locker-room, lunch room, training room, good equipment, dual monitors to make information flow easier.

Apprentice programs will show the industry that you care about growing your own and show career paths to young people.

Facebook | Twitter | Linked In | Email
This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
56 min
March 07, 2018THA 057: Your Profit & Loss Statement. Learn it. Love it.
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.

The Academy Panel:
Maryann Croce of Croce Transmissions in Norwalk, CT was opened in 1999. Maryann was a banker turned business owner. Tony was technician turned shop owner. A big transition on their parts and that extensive wisdom makes Maryann the perfect guest on the Academy series.
Their 4 bays, 4 techs, and one service advisor shop is successful because as husband and wife Maryanne and Tony work at their roles and have abundant trust in each other.
Maryann is also a member of Women in Auto Care and owns smallbizvantage.com. Hear Maryann in her previous episodes HERE.
Bob Greenwood, AMAM, is President and CEO of Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre Ltd has over 40 years’ experience working with Independent shops developing their business to maximize business net income.
Bob writes management articles for ASA’s magazine Auto Inc as well has developed live business management classes for ASA. He writes monthly management articles for Motor Age magazine in the USA and writes semi-monthly shop management articles for CARS Magazine. Bob’s previous episodes are HERE.
Mark Roberts is the owner of Schertz Auto Service in Schertz, TX. Mark is also the former owner of Auto Collision Works. Mark has been involved in the Automotive Industry for over 30 years and has served various positions within the auto repair industry. Mark came to the Collision Repair Industry from the computer mainframe industry and started out as a technician performing collision repairs on autos and trucks. During these early years, he began attending Inter-Industry Conference’s on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) classes in the evening to further his knowledge and skills. Given his extensive electronics experience in the computer industry, he began teaching automotive electronics through I-CAR to other technicians in the industry. During this time he discovered a need for specialists that had a better understanding of electronics related to the collision repair industry. Listen to Mark’s previous episodes HERE.
Talking Points:
The Profit and Lost Statement is made up of Sales, Cost of Goods and Expenses. At the bottom is your Net Income.
The report is easy to navigate once you understand it and appreciate the information it contains and what you can do with the report.
Your emotions will try to override the numbers. But the numbers tell the real story.
Besides your P & L the Cash Flow Statement is as important. (Where does the money go)
Learn and understand the importance of cash flow.

If you have a good accounting system and you, for example, use Quick Books, you don’t need to wait for your accountant to produce and send you a P & L. You can complete your month and print the report.
A comparative P & L report with budgeting and comparing to previous year is invaluable.
Bob Greenwood believes that productivity, your billed hours, is most important.
Are your billed hours improving?

Accounts Receivable should never exceed 20% of your average monthly sales.
Typically, the only charge account should be a fleet or government client.
If you hold a lot of charge accounts your cash is tied up in it.

Take advantage of your supplier’s 2% cash discount when you pay on-time. That number goes directly to your bottom line.
Keep a clean P & L. Pure. Accurate. Healthy. On-Time and Clean.
A profitable. Strong Bottom line company can earn a great multiple from a potential buyer. The word multiple is the goodwill someone is willing to pay as a factor (multiple) of your net profit.
Your emotions will not get your business sold. It is always about the numbers.
Your role in the business also impacts your ability to sell the business. If you are the business you may not get what you expect, because you will leave and could impact the top line of the company.
When Bob Greenwood looks at a shops P & L he starts at the bottom (net income/loss) first and work his way up through the expenses and then Cost of Good (Margin) and finally sales. He also reviews the Balance Sheet.
On the Balance Sheet he wants to see the Net Worth of the business.
The Net Worth is your total net profit you made after tax and dividends for the entire life of your company. He will look at the growth rate of net worth.

Mark Roberts looks at his P & L weekly. If it is strong he knows the business is running strong.
It is your responsibility to manage the numbers.

Great Idea from Bob Greenwood. Save the mail for the week. Have your team open up the mail and look at the expenses that must be paid. An eyeopener for your team.
Raises comes from net profit. We invest for growth.
Don’t get discouraged get encouraged, learn what you need. Easier than ever to learn. Ask another shop owner.

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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
54 min
February 28, 2018THA 056: Your Ideal Customer – Defining Your Avatar
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
Watch like a DOCUMENTARY … Learn like a SEMINAR.
In Part One we discussed Controls, Operations and Accounting/Finance. Listen HERE.
The Academy Panel:
Ron Inchausti always had entrepreneurial ideas since childhood, but lacked goal setting to implement these ideas. He started his automotive career like most, working for someone else. He never considered, or saw the need, to start his own company. This young, eager mechanic had a special passion fueled by providing quality service with a thoughtful approach to the customers’ needs. Ron recognized that the customer was inconvenienced by a car problem, but he knew he could do more than just fix the car.
He worked his way through several independent shops realizing that in order to fulfill his needs, he would need to work for a dealership. Isn’t this the pinnacle of quality service and customer satisfaction? It took less than 2 years for Ron to realize that the dealership did not share his visions of what the automotive service industry should represent.
In 2005 Ron was approached with the opportunity to take over a failing business. The reasons for failure were clear to Ron, and he knew he could build the service experience customers did not know existed. Ron didn’t see the need for a formal business plan or investors. He started Coast Motor Werk with excess passion for a simple goal. This goal would later ignite him as a serial entrepreneur.
He set his goals on providing the highest level of service to a very niche market. He opened his first shop in 2005 along the coast of Southern California. The odds were against him as he immediately narrowed his geographical footprint, as half of his customers could not reside in the Pacific Ocean. To narrow his customer base even more, he chose to work solely on BMW and MINI’s. Taking it a step further, Ron created what he refers to as his “cardboard cutout”. This “cardboard cutout” philosophy of his revolved around his belief that he did not want to get in to the business of fixing cars, but rather into the business of fixing customers. By narrowing his customer base, he could focus his excellent service on excellent customers. Ron shares, “Anyone can fix cars. That’s why I focus my business on fixing customers’ problems. Auto repair can be inconvenient, but the repair process shouldn’t be.”
It is clear that Ron’s success is due to realizing who your ideal customer is and what their needs are. By modeling his business around this philosophy Coast Motor Werk has met, and exceeded, it’s original goal. To maintain growth, Ron is constantly setting new goals as each milestone is reached. He feels without a well-defined goal to reach, he has nothing to work towards. After his first shop had proven the potential of his business model, a new goal would be set. As he has nearly accomplished this second goal of expanding his brand to 5 locations (currently sitting at 4), Ron is already working on what his next goal will be. Listen to Ron Inchausti’s previous episodes HERE.

Brian Weeks is a third generation shop owner that teamed up with his brother Chris in 1999 and bought the family transmission business that was owned by his father and two uncles. Brian and Chris transformed the business into a full-service automotive business with two locations.
Growing up in the family business allowed him to gain valuable experience at a very young age. At the age of 12, he worked on his first customer’s car for his dad. This experience led to building manual transmissions by the age of 14.
Racing has always been his true passion and was the reason for seeking an engineering degree. Brian graduated in 1996 from Southern Polytechnic State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Technology. He says that the degree continues to pay dividends as vehicle technology advances at a rapid pace.
Brian and Chris implemented a re-man transmission program in 2004 that allowed them to back away from the bench; building transmissions. This allowed them to concentrate on business growth.
A big move for the business was to re-brand in 2010 from Augusta Transmission Clinic to atc AutoCenter. This allowed Brian and Chris to expand the business to more than just transmissions. Now as a full-service repair center they opened their second location in September 2015.
They spent two years on the Jasper Advisory Council in 2012-2013 and was awarded Jasper Engines Top 100 independent shops the past three years. atc AutoCenter was also honored with the Elite Worldwide Ethics award in 2016. Listen to Brian Week’s previous episodes HERE.

Patrick McHugh always tinkered with ‘stuff’. His dad bought an ’85 BMW. They learned all about that car together. A friend, Eric, had a lift and was a BMW person who helped Patrick and his dad learn everything about the CAR.
At 15 years old he started working in an airport, doing odd jobs, to earn credits to learn to be a pilot. He soloed at 16 years old. The day before college he got his pilot’s license
Patrick attended Purdue University where he studied aeronautical technology. He kept flying and earned his instrument license and became an instructor. He loves to teach.
As fate would have it, he became a pilot upon college graduation from Trans State Airlines a regional carrier for United. He was based in Richmond Virginia. With normal pilot downtime, he continued to tinker with BMW’s.
He discovered that being a pilot was not for him, so he went into avionics and shade tree work at home. There were too many cars in the driveway, so he had to decide to stop or go into business.
Bimmer Rescue was created in 2008 in Richmond Virginia and generates a big portion of its business through referrals. They earn their business through their professional service and attention given to each customer.
Patrick’s goal is to develop a relationship with BMW, Mini, Audi, and Volkswagen owners that allows them to get the maximum amount of value from their vehicle rather than buying a new one. Listen to Patrick McHugh’s previous episodes HERE.
Talking Points:
Your Avatar or your cardboard cut-out is your ideal customer. It is you defining the very best customers and then focusing on them.
They trust you and are advocates for you.
Least likely to stray.
Most likely to recommend.

It takes time to cement the logic of your Ideal Customer.
Ron Inchausti makes a connection to his Avatar with food.
When he genuinely has a conversation with this Avatar he loves to talk food.
When you have a conversation that is not about the vehicle your relationship goes beyond repair/maintenance.

To start to find your ideal customer you may have to discover who you do not want to serve.
When you are creating a brand and a brand story not everyone will connect.

Patrick McHugh discovered his Avatar by starting to plot his customers on the map. It allowed him to find a pocket of customer that was 20 miles from his location. He discovered they worked in a business park next to his shop. That was an important profile. It is not where they lived but where they worked.
Process to find your ideal customer.
Look over your records discover the who, what, why and how.
You will not alienate your customer. You are looking for the most market share you can get. You are looking for the peak of the bell curve and people who are suited for your business.
You need to eliminate your non-customers like; the ones who are dealer only, the techies who are DIYers and know every P-code.
When you involve your team, it improves your morale and company culture.
Who are you passionate about serving?

Everything you do from branding, marketing, culture is designed around targeting your ideal customer.
Looking for your ideal customer opens your eyes in ways you never thought possible.
Multi-shop owner: you may have slightly different ideal customers by location depending on the affluence in the market. At their core, they are the same people, but their affluence may change.
Patrick McHugh realized that there are different Avatars with a BMW owner vs a Mini Cooper client.
Don’t design your Avatar around you. It is about your customer. You will attract who you are if you do not have an ideal customer defined.
Your best customer will think of you as their ‘mechanic’, their ‘trusted guy’.
Brian Weeks calls is ideal customer profile P4
Profitable – This relationship affords you to be profitable.
Point others to us – Word of Mouth.
Praise us – Reviews
Passion – someone we are passionate to help…it’s what motivates us.

You are only as good as the last time the customer was in your shop. You must back up your brand promise by what you do.
Advocate vs Avatar
Distinct differences. You can have a customer be an advocate and not be your avatar.
Advocates can influence their family and friends to your business but not necessarily be an ideal customer.

Your Avatar drives your marketing.
Distill your ideal customer down to the ‘Nth’ detail.

Give a name to your Avatar so they become a real person.
Listen to your Avatar. Interview them. Understand them.
If they have complaints about you or the industry fix them.
Customer lounge, bathroom, coffee. Fix it. Make it right. Make it better than right.

Some women come in for the first time with their customer. If the husband approves of the environment, he may never come in again. He wants her to be comfortable.
Ask and offer them creature comforts, even if they don’t partake, the gesture is what matters. It feels like you are inviting them into your home.
What do they value? If they feel valued from your shop, they’ll become a client.
You must hold up your end of the deal.

Don’t let the business determine your Avatar. Let your customer determine your Avatar. Ask them why they come here.
Update it every year.
Train your people on the value of your Avatar.

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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
53 min
February 21, 2018THA 055: The Importance of Back Office Operations – Part 2
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good!
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Learn from your industry peers in a round-table forum. Get new ideas, perspectives, trends, insights, best-practices and expertise from aftermarket professionals.
Watch like a DOCUMENTARY … Learn like a SEMINAR.
In Part One we discussed Controls, Operations and Accounting/Finance. Listen HERE.
The Academy Panel:
Amy Mattinat is the owner and manager of Auto Craftsmen in Montpelier, VT. Her shop is an ASE Blue Seal Shop, AAA approved and she is a member of ASA, SBN & WiAC. Along with running her independent repair shop, she is able to combine her three passions: teaching small business owners how to run a successful business, teaching car care and safety to the general public and educating young people about the many career opportunities available in the auto care industry.
Amy was awarded the 2012 Top Female Shop Owner of the Year by the Car Care Council Women’s Board, Honored as a 2014 Professional Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women, Awarded the 2015 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Vermont Women-Owned Business of the Year, Awarded the 2016 AAA Business of the Year in Vermont and served as President of Women in Auto Care 2014 through 2016. Listen to Amy’s previous episodes HERE.
Kim Auernheimer, AAM is the Co-Owner & Business Manager of CS Automotive in Brentwood, Tennessee. CS Automotive was opened in October of 2006 in the back of a warehouse and now they call a 6,400 square foot, 10-bay shop home. Prior to joining her husband Rob in the business on a full-time basis, Kim had a career in Commercial Real Estate and Property Management. In July of 2011, she stepped out from the background of the business and joined her husband in the venture of creating an industry-leading standout.
Kim continuously seeks out training for her and her entire team and put the teachings to use. Her belief in industry education has been a large influence on how much success and growth they have had over last few years. She has a passion to improve the reputation of the Automotive Repair industry working alongside other shop owners and industry leaders to improve the overall experience of the customer from the moment they make that first call to the shop until they drive their car off the lot instilling transparency and developing trust during the entire process.
In 2017, she obtained her Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation. This is a result of 120-credit hours of coursework in several core competencies including leadership, marketing, customer relations, accounting, and several other areas of automotive repair business management. Listen to Kim’s Episodes HERE.
Maryann Croce of Croce Transmissions in Norwalk, CT was opened 1999. Maryann was a banker turned business owner. Tony was technician turned shop owner. A big transition on their parts and that extensive wisdom makes Maryann the perfect guest on the Academy series.
Their 4 bays, 4 techs, and one service advisor shop is successful because as husband and wife Maryanne and Tony work at their roles and have abundant trust in each other.
Maryann is also a member of Women in Auto Care and owns smallbizvantage.com. Hear Maryann in her previous episodes HERE.
Jacquie Walter Hower is the Director of Operations and 3rd generation at her family’s business, Zimmerman’s Automotive, in Mechanicsburg, PA.
During high school and college, Jacquie worked part time for the company working in the Quick Lube department as a technician changing oil and maintaining customer vehicles. After her sophomore year of college, she was given the chance to become a manager for a new Quick Lube location for the company.
Since then Jacquie’s love for the industry grew into a passion. As director of operations, she handles a number of different jobs such as customer service, service auditing, daily accounting, training, and community involvement/events.
In the summer of 2016, Jacquie began the Aftermarket Management program at Northwood University where she hopes to complete her bachelor’s degree in two years. Jacquie is involved with the Car Care Women’s Board and sits on the board of directors at the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce. She resides in Mechanicsburg, PA with her husband, Dan, and their two young boys, Brantley (4) and Mason (2). Hear Jacquie in her previous episode HERE.
Talking Points:
Human Resources:
You need a handbook. It is a legal document.
Every employee must agree to it and sign it.
Consider pulling very important policies on separate sheets for review and signature. These critical policies are the most critical. Example: Harassment of all types, Drug/Alcohol Use, Cell Phone Policy, Drug Consent.
Careful if you copy a colleague’s handbook. Every word must be reviewed for legality in your state and for your policies.
Hire slow, Fire Fast.
Be careful though you may have a diamond in the rough.

Potential new hires can be interviewed by other team members.
Work in the shop for a day. Observe and access technical ability, knowledge of tools.
Hire for attitude. Teach competency.
If your new hire isn’t a fit, you’ll know quickly. Keep your eyes and ears open.
DISC profile and Strengths Finder assessments are in order to find the right personality or communication styles for your team.
Have fun and celebrate wins. Work needs to be like home. Birthdays, anniversaries and babies.
If you are having a bad day leave it at home. You are the cheerleader.

Marketing
Understand your ideal customer. Create an Avatar
Discover your demographics. Home price, income, companies in the area, divorce rate.
Know what your customers like. Profiling your customer.
Sports, Music, Radio Stations.

It is expensive to get new customers.
You must track them and have systems to understand your ROI.
Create customer advocates. They are your strong referrals. Your primo customer.
What do they have in common?

You must have a referral program and a system to track and reward.
Customer appreciates a phone call of thanks.
Don’t discount your services.
Understand your customer journey to your company. Was it web, social, blog, etc. Discover the way your customers get to you and track it. Drill down and track your discovery.
Your brand needs to be consistent with your physical plant and your online presence. Do not use generic pictures. Take your own. Your pictures on the web must match who you are and what you look like. Do not misrepresent yourself.
New customers must be tracked to discover customer spend and ARO to help justify your cost of marketing.
If something is working: Rinse & Repeat.
Marketing Ideas:
Take your reviews word for word and repurpose them into a post.
Community events. Simple car shows, Family Service Day, Band Booster,
Get involved with the ‘Best Of’ awards in your community. ‘Best Automotive Repair in your Town’
Shuttle service to local business park.
Graphic wrap for your company vehicles.
Your loaner cars need to have high miles to prove your maintenance program. Keep them clean and polished. Label the vehicle as a loaner car.
The best marketing is in creating relationships. Sponsor sports team and connect your efforts to charity. Food bank, toys for tots, animal shelters, and Brakes for Breasts for example.

Demographic website https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com
58 min

About Town Hall Academy - Archive

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Single-subject Town Hall Format from a panel of aftermarket professionals sharing their knowledge and best practices. The ‘Academy’ is a learning summit for the automotive aftermarket professional.

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