Town Hall Academy - Archive

By Carm Capriotto, AAPBusiness

Town Hall Academy - Archive episodes

July 06, 2017THA 014: Customer Retention Strategies
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Gene Morrill opened Certified Automotive in Glendora, CA in 1978 and has accomplished something that has never been done before. He won Motor Age’s top shop 5 out of seven years. (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013)
We interviewed in episode 6 & 7. What I love about Gene is his commitment to the customer and in his interviews, you will learn a lot about Gene’s remarkable results and how he has worked hard to get where he is. He was also on a round-table on The Value of a Business Coach.
Recently Gene has become a business development coach with Elite Worldwide.

Ron Haugen owns Westside Auto Pros in Des Moines Iowa. Celebrating their 20th year in business in 2017 Ron has a staff of 25. Ron is an ASE Master Technician, has his AAM certification and is an AMI Certified instructor. Ron also provides coaching and consulting for auto shops across the country.
Ron is Co-Chair of Vision, Hi-Tech Training and Expo, President of the Des Moines ASA chapter and wants to be in Puerto Morelos Mexico whenever he is not in Des Moines! You can hear Ron is episode 107 and on Town Hall Webinar on ‘The Great Qualities of a Service Writer‘ and the very powerful webinar on ‘Business Succession: Selling your business”. Ron was also on a Vision KC round table.

Maylan Newton from ESI – Educational Seminars is a business coach, trainer and industry speaker. Maylan is no stranger to the podcast having paid it forward on two episodes … 108 and 140.
Maylan is no stranger to the power of the customer as he speaks and trains on Professional Business Development, Service Writers School of America and In Shop Training and Support. He is an approved AMI Trainer.
He is a much sought our speaker at industry events in the US and Maylan will speak at this year’s Automechanika among others.
Talking Points:
You need to know your customer profile. Have an avatar of your ‘perfect’ customer.
When they walk in the door you’ll know ‘this person needs to be my customer’.
If you have the perfect customer you will do everything to keep them.

Social media is important to talk to your customer.
Become top of mind awareness in the palm of their hand.
Social is social not sales media
Create organic content

You go to Disney for the experience not for the price
Make your customer feel special
Focus on the people not the cars

Is Loyalty a factor?
Not as it used to be
You can build loyalty one transaction at a time.
Older generations are more loyal than younger.
Younger generations are not build that way.
They will go to another shop and they do not see it as not being loyal. It may be convenience.

We need to treat millennials differently (special)
They have money to spend
Loyalty is different
Communicating differently (texting)

Explain what your benefits are and be sure the customer understands the value they have received.
Adapt to current communication styles of your customers
Walk them out to the car, be sure it is clean and give a comprehensive explanation of what you did and what is next and what may happen next.
What we want is not what they want. Keep an open mind.
Gene Morrill uses a mailed newsletter to his customers.
Includes call to actions with puzzles.

Keep important notes on every customer so you can keep a fluent dialogue and maintain a close connection to them.
Keep your name out there.
Chinese auction donations. Banner for the little league park. Make it local.

People need you less often because cars are built better so you need to find ways to reach out to them through other means.
Go to the little league games of teams you sponsored.
Have a marketing plan, calendar and budget as a percent of your sales.
List everything you do for marketing. Be specific. Put a dollar amount next to the initiative.
Tough to determine the actual ROI
Your plan needs to be a year long

Your customers personal experience goes a long way for retention.
Retention starts when the phone rings.
Be what you want your customers want you to be.
20% of your data base generates 80% of your capital
Identify them and reach out

Never blame the customer for anything that goes wrong. Take care of them. Empower your people to take care of

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52 min
June 29, 2017THA 013: Expense Control – Best Practices
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Maryann Croce of Croce Transmissions in Norwalk, CT and a former banker. Along with her husband Tony they own the shop they purchased 17 years ago. 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. Maryanne is also a member of Women in Auto Care. (023)
Dave Kusa Established, Autotrend Diagnostics in 1989 and is in Campbell, California. (San Francisco Bay Area) Dave is an AAA-approved auto repair facility that provides general maintenance services for foreign and domestic vehicles. Dave is president of ASCCA, the California Shop Association.
Dave works hard building customer relations and home town value in a city of 2.5 million people. Listen to his episode: 127 and Town Hall LIVE on Concierge Service and Car Care Clinics for Women.
Doug Callaghan from Vics Service Centre in Wainright Alberta. Doug won the prestigious ACE (Automotive Career & Education) Award in the small (under 50 employees) category. This award recognizes automotive aftermarket industry companies truly dedicated to investing in the growth of their employee’s knowledge and skills and offering professional development and career opportunities. He was honored at Auto Care Association’s Fall Leadership Days in Washington, D.C., Sept. 8, 2016.
Doug, in episode 49, shares the monumental transformation his company has gone through from training, culture, leadership, new hiring, digital vehicle inspections and a second location …. He credits this evolution to having a business coach.
Talking Points:
A budget keeps you in a spending parameter
Working with a business coach has helped grow net profit
Business coach brings accountability

Expense control is a team effort
Be careful on shop supply leakage
Return on Effort is as important as Return on Investment
Are we making the most use of our time as an owner. Are we delegating certain tasks that allow us to spend our time on owner tasks

When is an expense not an expense?
Community networking helps build relationships with local businesses that can help you in the future. Roofer, plumber, electrician, landscaper etc.

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42 min
June 29, 2017THA 012: What Keeps You Up at Night?
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Bob Greenwood, AAM, 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 , writes monthly management articles for Motor Age magazine in the USA and writes semi-monthly shop management articles for CARS Magazine.
Nov 2012 Bob was one of 37 Canadians out of 400,000 people in the Canadian Automotive Industry awarded the Queen Elizabeth 2nd Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada for significant contribution and achievements to Canada. (Listen to Bob in EPISODE 49, 200 and Town Hall: Preparing Your Business for Sale or Succession)

Bill Nalu is President of Interstate Auto Care in Madison Heights, Michigan and has been in business for 30 years.
He collaborates with industry professionals, in building today’s “high-tech/old-fashioned” customer service system.
He currently serves on several industry and educational advisory councils including AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper, Dorman Industries and Cardone.—-
(Listen to Bill in these episodes: 39, 69, 100, 118, 200, THA: Resolutions and How to Manage a Negative On Line Review)

Jim Myers from Eau Claire Auto Parts serving the Chippewa Valley, WI. for 25 years. Jim owns 4 Auto Value part stores, a machine shop and a hydraulic repair center. He fields sales reps and the service professional is the main focus of his business. He started stocking shelves, was a service writer at a dealership, then worked for Gates Rubber as a district rep and then on to BIG A Auto parts in a sales position.
With loans from friends and family he started Eau Claire Auto parts and never looked back. (118)
Talking points:
Why are we letting our brain trust leave the industry without replacements.
Amazon is a learning machine. It is so easy to order a part from Amazon without thinking of the value of a relationship and follow through service.
The internet of things cannot be ignored.
Business Model Transformation (BMT)
In the future, the government will consider that an Autonomous car will be considered a driver.
Gasoline was the original commodity. We move from Commodity to Camaraderie with Gasoline and we will need to do it with the advent of ecommerce. How do we reach out to the world?
Shops that are going out of business did not want to embrace change.
You’ll need to re-invent your business model every three years if not you will die.
Should a business be valued on its ability to forge into the future?
What other special services will you need to survive and become a specialist?
There needs to more looking into future than in the past. Prove it out mathematically. ROI. You cannot live in the rear-view mirror.
As the CEO of the business you must develop your company and set the vision. No working in the business only working on it. (The world is moving too fast)
You must relearn the business gain. If not, you must get out because you are effecting the lives of the people who work for you.
Let’s talk about the Why along with the How Much!
It may be time to let the young generation take over, but they must learn that relationships are very important in business.
Parts distributors have an important role and has the same challenges that the service professional and must find their next transformation.
Your value add package can keep you up at night.
Run toward the new opportunities. Talk about it.
Find new fleet business. Do the math.
Do we miss the opportunity? If we don’t embrace it someone else will pick it up. It is only missed by you if you ignore.
The phone is the most important tool you have in your shop. Move your customer from how much to the why how much.
We must always know what is going on and to position the company for rapid change.
You do not want to go through a 2AM wake-up alone. Many successful entrepreneurs have a business coach, belong to associations, have a mentor and trusted advisers.
A lively debate on supporting the local supplier.

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50 min
June 28, 2017THA 011: Your Website – Tactics To Improve
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel (Alphabetical Order):
Ryan Clo
Ryan Clo owner of Dubwerx in Cincinnati, OH is an eighteen-year veteran in the Automotive Service industry. He currently owns two specialized Automotive Service businesses located in Cincinnati, OH. Ryan grew his enterprise from a single customer into a multiple highly profitable business with 12 employees, 99% customer satisfaction, and he has automated his business so that his presence is not required.
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 at The Institute as the “Systems and Processes guy.” Ryan teaches several business management classes for the automotive industry.
For full disclosure Ryan is a client of our guest Todd Westerlund from Kukui.
Doug Grills
Doug Grills from AutoStream Car Care Center is a chain of FIVE family-owned, automotive service facilities that deliver honest and professional automotive repair and maintenance services to customers in the Greater Baltimore/Washington/Washington, DC area. Doug along with his partner Rick Levitan have been around the service station business for over 25 years and have built their reputation by offering best-in-class service to their customers.
All AutoStrem Car Care technicians are ASE Certified and the shops are AAA approved.
For full disclosure Doug is a client of Danny Sanchez from Autoshop Solutions.
Danny Sanchez
Danny Sanchez owner and founder, of Autoshop Solutions. Danny Sanchez, grew up spending countless hours working around his dad’s auto repair shop in California, eventually taking over and running the business himself. Autoshop Solutions started in 1998, when Danny founded Auto Web Solutions. The Internet was starting to take off, and Danny took great interest in the powerful marketing benefits it could provide. As a successful shop owner himself, Danny used Auto Web Solutions to consult with other repair shops on their business and web presence.
In 2005, when Google launched AdWords and changed its search engine to favor local businesses, Danny saw a huge opportunity for the automotive industry to draw more clients from the Internet. With just a handful of clients and a few websites, Danny built the foundation of his company – quality, affordable, automotive websites and Internet marketing solutions, designed exclusively for the auto industry.
Todd Westerlund
Todd Westerlund, CEO of Kukui has been in the automotive industry for 28 years. Todd spent 15 years as an ASE Certified Smog Technician California and also spent two years at a dealership. In 2013, Todd joined Kukui, a marketing software company with a mission to improve technology for the betterment of people and businesses worldwide.
As the CEO of Kukui, Todd is consistently studying, attending business classes and consulting with shops all over the United States. Some of his duties include: keeping industry leaders informed about new technology, setting Kukui’s growth strategy including event planning, and planning industry sponsorships and partnerships.
Talking Points:
SEO
Mobile Friendly – Mobile First
Is your site working to convert customers?
Google is really your partner.
Generating 5 star reviews is very important to get good rankings in Google.
You must create an exceptional experience first.
Asking for review gets easier.

Review marketing.
Google Analytics
Long Tail Keywords vs Short Tail Keyword
53 min
June 28, 2017THA 010: Car Care Clinics For Women
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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel (Alphabetical Order):
Jody DeVere works with automotive retail locations to become Certified Female Friendly®, learning how to create a culture and experience that attracts and retains loyal women customers. The AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® program includes marketing and advertising programs that resonate with women.
She is a social media ‘marketing to women expert’, automotive journalist, car care & safety spokesperson who has worked with many major automotive brands. The AskPatty.com Automotive Advice for Women website and blog and article content has been featured by the New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Oprah’s O Magazine and Women’s Day.
Her message: “Women are just as passionate about the cars they drive as the guys are. Creating an experience that “WOW’s” women will increase market share, drive ROI and differentiate automotive retailers.” Jody is a podcast alumni in episode 081 and our 1st Town Hall LIVE on Customer Loyalty
Leigh Anne Best has been the Marketing Director and Customer Experience expert at Mighty Auto Pro for the past 11 years. She is also the Co-Founder of Brakes for Breasts and serves on the Advisory Board of Ratchet & Wrench Magazine and the AAA Approved Auto Repair Advisory Board.
Her first Ladies event was Women, Wheels & Wine back in 2008 and her most recent event, Women, Wheels & Waffles had an attendance of 109 women. Leigh Anne has also been assisting the Women’s Board of the Car Care Council with developing a kit for shop owners to host their own events with several different levels of participation.” Listen to Leigh Anne in Episode 28.
David Kusa
Established, Autotrend Diagnostics in 1989 and is in Campbell, California. (San Francisco Bay Area) Dave is an AAA-approved auto repair facility that provides general maintenance services for foreign and domestic vehicles, including heating and air conditioning systems, engines, emissions, fuel injection, transmissions and tune-ups. Dave is president of ASCCA, the California Shop Association.
Dave works hard building customer relations and home town value in a city of 2.5 million people. Listen to his episode: 127 and Town Hall LIVE on Concierge Service
Talking Points:
Why is car care education so important to women?
Women are making 80% of the buying decisions.
Women want safe and reliable transportation.
Women are asking basic questions like what kind and type of oil does my car need.
Your first women’s car care clinic should not be overthought. Just do it.
There are many templates available to help.
Can set up education stations.

Women need to have fun and entertaining and reward them for their time.
I learned so much and it was very interesting.
Get the women to feel empowered.
Free Manicures and other women friendly services.
Women brag about the money they save. Coupons and deals are important to engage with

Women are powerful word of mouth marketers. They’ll be on Facebook while at your event.
Your team can shine for these events.
Your community size depends on how often you will hold these seminars.
You could hold a series of events over time:
Fluids day, Tire Day, etc.

Women, Wheels and Waffles. Leigh Anne Best’s event.
Women who are aging out of foster care are invited to Mighty Auto Pro
At Ask Patty, they act as a marketing force for their clients. They will create the graphics needed for social media to promote your women clinic. They have ideas and graphics and a step by step plan and timeline for a women’s clinic.
Availability of a report from the Women in Auto Care Here. This is a draft and Amy Mattinat from the Women in Auto Care is interested in your feedback. Her email is: here.
Find the time to commit.
Address your women clients with events during the year.
Consider doing a Facebook live event around women’s car care needs
Build themes: Women’s history event, Mom and daughter car care clinic, Prom Time, College

Use community organization to embrace the event such as girl scouts
Press releases can support your event to include radio stations and newspaper

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38 min
June 18, 2017THA 009: ASE Value Proposition -Consumer -Shop Owner -Technician
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Amy Mattinat
Amy Mattinat of Auto Craftsmen in Montpelier, VA had the good fortune to combine her love of cars with a career in the automotive industry. Whether going on ride-and-drives, teaching car care clinics or running her independent repair shop she is able to combine her two passions: educating the public, especially women, about car care so they can make informed decisions and educating young women about the many career opportunities available in the auto care industry.
Amy was awarded the National Women in Auto Care’s ‘Top Female Shop Owner of the Year’ in 2012 and served as President of the Women in Auto Care 2014 through 2016.
Trish Serratore
Trish Serratore is the President of the National Automotive Technicians Education foundation (NATEF) and Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) and Senior Vice President at ASE. She works closely with all of the organizations within the ASE Industry/Education initiative, which also includes ASE and the Automotive Training Managers Council, to help provide the qualified automotive professionals the industry needs today and tomorrow.
Among many honors, in 2010, Trish was named one of the “Top 100 Women in the Automotive Industry” by Automotive News.
Eric Carlson
Eric has been a technician for over 40 years. His formal automotive education came from Ferris State University where he took all 8 ASE tests prior to graduation in 1977. Eric has re-certified every 5 years since. He took the L1 when it was introduced and is now L3 hybrid certified. Full disclosure: Eric is a subject matter expert for ASE and has participated in writing test questions, in the past 2 years, for the L3 test.
Eric and his wife Jamie bought Ervine’s in 1994 and added Grand Rapids Hybrid to the family in 2013 after Eric became the first Master Hybrid Service Technician in Grand Rapids, MI. Eric has been interviewed by several local television stations and publications seeking his expertise on everything from basic maintenance to the ramifications of “Right to Repair” legislation. Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid became an ASE Blue Seal of Excellence shop when it was introduced and have been since.
Talking Points:
Eric Carlson will only hire technicians that are ASE Certified. His position is to be sure that every technician was going to become a Certified Master Automotive Technician. All his current technicians are CMAT.
The messaging from the top down has a big factor if the technicians will keep up their certifications and become a Master Technician.
We need to educate the consumer on where to find ASE certified technicians.
Amy promotes the value that ASE certifications mean to her customer.
300,000 ASE certified technicians as of this interview.
Eric is a subject matter expert and has worked on the creation of ASE test questions.
Amy suggests if you have stayed away from ASE because you are not a good test taker, start with your Brake certification first, because you know brakes so well. Gain the confidence.
ASE has a new consumers web presence: ase.com/drivers
Being ASE certified builds a technicians knowledge that is important to our industry.
ASE began in 1972. They are the only industry driven credentials in the industry.
“There is a lack of qualified technicians in the industry.” Trish Serratore. “We need a student pipeline.”
ASE is reaching out to shop owners to get their technicians certified.
“We don’t tell the consumer how good we are at what we do.” Eric Carlson
“My techs are proud to be ASE certified.”, Eric Carlson
“If a shop owner requires ASE certification for technicians it shows a very positive business culture.” Amy Mattinat.
What does the patch mean on the uniform of a ASE certified technician?
Is it difficult to get them sewn on from your uniform provider? Eric Carlson says no! Because of the high degree of competition uniform companies will do anything to get your business.
Techs stand a little taller with their patch on.

ASE Blue Seal recognition demonstrates to the consumer a shops commitment to technician certification.
Has the word ‘certified’ been overused in our industry?
We are trying to change the image and attract people to our industry.
ASE can provide logo’s. Go to ASE.com to find out how to best promote your shops certification milestones.
See episode 122 for an ASE Roundtable: “ASE Test Uncovered”

ASE Website
ASE Consumer Facing Webpage
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49 min
June 18, 2017THA 008: Concierge Service – The Next Frontier
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
David Kusa established, Autotrend Diagnostics in 1989 and is in Campbell, California (San Francisco Bay Area). Dave is a AAA-approved auto repair facility that provides general maintenance services for foreign and domestic vehicles, including heating and air conditioning systems, engines, emissions, fuel injection, transmissions and tune-ups.
Dave is president of ASCCA, the California Shop Association and works hard building customer relations and home town value in a city of 2.5 million people. Listen to his episodes: 127, 226
Bruce Howes has specialized in the service of European automobiles since he was 21 years old. He is a Bosch Trained technician, with extensive experience in BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. Bruce’s business background began with his family business, his grandfather owned an automotive repair shop during the 1920s.
In 2003 he opened the Atlantic Motorcar Center in Wiscasset, ME. Bruce leads a team of highly trained and certified technicians. His business takes a rather unique approach to customer service, focusing on relationships with customer and car. Bruce shares “When a customer comes in and spends more time sharing their son’s baseball game, or showing us photos from their last vacation, then I know I’ve done my job.”
Bruce is also a Dale Carnegie graduate and former volunteer with Junior Achievement.
Jeremy O’Neal is President and lead sales trainer for Advisorfix, began his career as a Service Advisor and quickly moved into Service Management at the dealership level for VW, Audi, and Porsche. His strong customer satisfaction scores and ability to increase sales consistently placed him in the top 3% of Service Advisors across the nation.
Talking Points:
What is Concierge Service?
Jeremy O’Neal, “True Concierge Service is not a company policy. It is a code of conduct that everyone in your company adopts.”
True Concierge Service is anticipating the needs of your customer before they ask for it.
We are in the transportation business. Are we fixing the car or the patient?
Are customers demanding a higher level of convenience?
Is our time bound world making demands on your customer service level?
Can Concierge Service create a more loyal customer?
Can Concierge Service create more required work or better maintenance numbers?
The power of differentiation?
Why is convenience important?
Customers want to feel important, know that they are heard and their needs are understood.
Cleanliness if key for female friendly and employee morale.
How deep should Concierge Service go? What are the minimum thresholds. Here is the clinic as discussed on the Academy.
Clean Loaner Cars is differentiation.
High miles to show my maintenance is so important.
Convenience of Uber, Lyft.
Run properly is has a positive ROI.

If you wash cars don’t put a service limit. If you commit do them all. Be sure you provide a clean car back to the customer.
Car is done on-time at the promised time.
Customers will judge us at time of delivery.
Provide a token of appreciation inside the car.

Treat car delivery as a celebration. High Fives.

Pickup and delivery service of the vehicle?
Shuttle service/Uber, Lyft service.

Wash and vacuum car.
Bruce Howes sends a box of brownies one week after a repair.
Bruce Howes also has a strategy called ‘One Free Thing’. They look for these opportunities.
A Door Squeak, Light Out.
Will tell customer at time of delivery.

Walk out with customers and take out the seat cover and floor mat. Don’t let the customer do this.
The last touch

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48 min
June 17, 2017THA 006: Managing a Negative On-Line Review
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Kathleen Long the VP of Customer Success and GM of the Shop Network at RepairPal. One of Kathleen’s focuses is sharing results of their constant surveying of the automotive consumer. Liten to Kathleen in episode 156.
Cecil Bullard is President of the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence. He is a trainer and business coach in the automotive aftermarket working closely with service professionals. Listen to Cecil in episode 86.
Bill Nalu is President of Interstate Auto Care in Madison Heights, Michigan and has been in business for 30 years. Bill collaborates with industry professionals, in building today’s “high-tech/old-fashioned” customer service system.
Bill has been a big contributor to the podcast and he currently serves on several industry and educational advisory councils including AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper, Dorman Industries and Cardone. Listen to Bill in episode 39, 69, 100, 200, 118, and 226
Talking Points:
Bad reviews Happen Is it necessarily a bad thing.
Is it Really a Bad Review.
Determine who your customer is so you’ll know when they walk in the door. If you do business with discount people you will pay over and over in many ways including a negative review.
How can you shine from a Bad Review.
How much is attributed to the in store customer experience?
Will you know if you’re about to get a bad review?
Is it important to have a cooling off period?
Solve the problem if you can.
How do you respond to a bad review?
How to counteract bad reviews.
What really happened and can it be fixed. Is it internal or external?
Does Sorry work?
Practice aggressive hospitality.
What about bogus reviews?

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54 min
June 17, 2017THA 005: Must Attend Training Conferences
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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Sheri Hamilton is ASA Midwest Executive Director. She not only leads the shop owners in six Midwestern states, Sheri is also the Conference Manager of the VISION Hi-Tech Training and Expo in Kansas City. Sheri and her team are the driving force behind this event held every March. Her passion for education and training is also shown through her service as the Chair of AMi – the Automotive Management Institute. You can hear Sheri in podcast episode 84 and 204.
Pete Meier is the Director of Training for the UBM Advanstar Automotive Group, which includes the training event NACE/Automechanika, Motor Age, ABRN, and Aftermarket Business. His primary goal is to bring working technicians the information they need to succeed. Pete is an ASE certified Master Technician and sponsoring member of iATN. He has over 35 years practical experience as a technician and educator, covering a wide variety of makes and models. You can hear Pete in eppisode 36, 59, and 90.
Matt Fanslow is the diagnostic tech/shop manager at Riverside Automotive in Red Wing, MN. His primary responsibilities are to diagnose drive-ability and electrical/electronic issues, and perform most all programming, coding, initializing, adaptions, 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. 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.You can hear Matt in episodes 122, 146, 200, 206, and 230.
Brent Berman has been involved in the Automotive Industry for over 25 years primarily in the technical field evolving from mechanical to digital. In his eighteen years at Federal-Mogul, Brent has held roles of increasing responsibility in technical training then marketing and now manages the Garage Gurus training group that include Gurus ON-Call, Gurus On-Demand, Gurus On-Line Learning and the On-The Go product technology vans.
Brent also leads the Catalog and Research team, overseeing critical activities from training, tech support, cataloging, e-Data and digital media. Brent also oversees the company’s “Tech First” initiative that seeks to simplify and improve the many touch points it has with all levels of customers. You can hear Brent in episode 110.
Highlights:
Training budgets must be established in every professional shop so technicians don’t have to pay for these top events out of their own pocket.
Training policies need to be established for every technician educational program.
What needs to change is the culture in the shops themselves. Too many shop owners won’t support their technicians in getting the training that, in the end, benefits them too.
How to get the most out of training events.
Pete Meier, “The best training event is the one you can get to.”
Sponsoring vendors at these training events need to be supported. They help keep the costs low.
And more!

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47 min
June 12, 2017THA 004: Preparing Your Business For Sale
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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.
Helping automotive aftermarket professionals improve; one lesson at a time.
Academy Panel:
Ron Haugen owns and operates Westside Auto Pros in Des Moines Iowa. Celebrating their 20th year in business this year, having started with one employee they are now at a staff of 25. Ron is an ASE Master Technician, has his AAM certification is an AMI Certified instructor. Ron also provides coaching and consulting for auto shops across the country. Ron is Co-Chair of Vision, President of the Des Moines ASA chapter and wants to be in Puerto Morelos Mexico whenever he is not in Des Moines. You can hear Ron is episode 107 and 204.
Bob Greenwood, AAM, 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 , writes monthly management articles for Motor Age magazine in the USA and – effective Feb 1st writes semi-monthly shop management articles for CARS magazine and monthly management articles for the wholesale side of the industry in Jobber News magazine, both in Canada as well as writes management articles for Auto & Truck Atlantic magazine located in the Maritime (Eastern) region of Canada
Nov 2012 Bob was one of 37 Canadians out of 400,000 people in the Canadian Automotive Industry awarded the Queen Elizabeth 2nd Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada for significant contribution and achievements to Canada. EPISODE 49
Garry Plimmer Is consultant and former owner of Garry’s Automotive in Boise, ID. His wife Jerilyn and Garry sold the business on January 24th of this year after an 8 yearlong succession plan with two of their employees, John and Jared.
Gary had a successful 2016 with $2 Million in sales with a net profit of 25%. We have been an RLO Training, Bottom Line Impact Group member for the last 6 years, and besides other awards, Garry also won the NAPA/ASE National Technician of the year for 2013. Gary and I shared an interview on the podcast #135.
Gary looks forward to sharing with you his and Jerilyn’s trip to financial freedom!
Talking points:
Best candidate may just be an internal candidate to sell your business to.
Greenwood: “90% of sales he’s been involved with have been internal candidates.”
According to SBA they will need 20% down and the owner need to help make that happen.
Would you buy your own business? If you say no, then you’ll never sell it.
A succession plan gives you time to put a sale together.
The person who is buying your business needs to have the money, experience and training to sustain the business.
Succession plans may take up to four to seven years to complete.
If you had $400,000 to put down on a business, would you buy an auto repair business?
You must make yourself replaceable and not irreplaceable.
How to transfer ownership to an internal candidate.
You may not get one big fat check.
Must have operating procedures and systems.
You must have a learning culture top to bottom in your business.
Build your succession team. Accountant, Banker, Lawyer and possibly a business broker to help with an evaluation.
Find a local bank who is an SBA preferred lender.
SBA does care about relevant experience as one criteria to lend to a potential buyer.
Lenders don’t look at assets they look at cash flow.
Garry shares his bonus program that brought his candidate up to a down payment number. He also asked his candidates to save up the same amount personally so that at the time of transaction there was a 20% down payment.
Ron Haugen, ‘SBA will consider a percent of ownership as a down payment.”
Discussion on multiples.
Family succession discussion.
Greenwood, “If you are ready; start now and update your will.”

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53 min

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