Town Hall Academy - Archive

By Carm Capriotto, AAPBusiness

Town Hall Academy - Archive episodes

November 21, 2018THA 094: ASE – The Industry Credential and YOU!

Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good
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.
Mike Coley is the Senior Vice President at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence(ASE). Mike’s responsibilities include oversight of ASE’s Operations and Test Development workgroups, along with coordination of day-to-day operations with ASE’s testing contractor, Prometric.

Mike joined ASE in 1994 as the Executive Director of Technical Services. In that role, Mike led the development of the L1 Advanced Level Test and Composite Vehicle types 1 and 2, refined ASE test-construction methods using item response theory, and coordinated the launch of ASE’s computer-based testing program. He was promoted to Vice President in 2004, and subsequently directed ASE’s IT workgroup and led the development of ASE’s customer relationship management (CRM) system. He was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2013.

Prior to joining the ASE staff, Coley managed his family’s automotive repair business in SanAntonio, Texas, and served on the ASE Board of Directors, including a term as Chairman in 1991. Coley has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from SMU in Dallas, Texas, an MBA from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and previously taught Automotive Emissions classes at Northern Virginia CommunityCollege.
Jeff Walker is the President of Walker’s Automotive Service of Pleasantville, New Jersey. Jeff is alson on the ASE Board of Directors and is a Past Chairman of ASE. He as been ASE certified since 1977

Key Talking Points:
ASE needs to be in front of your customer, be part of your culture and ingrained in the training/certification culture in your business.
ASE is your ‘Dr.’ credentials. Use them to promote the value of your technicians.
Our techs need to be proud to wear their patches and be introduced as ASE certified technicians.
ASE certification can build the team and you can engage incentives and wages based on certification progress and re-certifications.
Promoting ASE and ASE Blue Seal to the public.
We must not count on ASE to do it. They provide the certifications and we need to embrace these certifications and promote on our own.
ASE website for the consumer: ase.com/drivers
We need to show the customer that our technician team meets certification standards through ASE testing.
ASE does not promote to the public. They are a certification entity, non-profit and the industry needs to get behind them.
Your ASE credentials must be marketed to your community and customer base. The way you bring value to ASE inside your business is to promote it as a required standard inside your business that can be a differentiator.
Techs say, “What does it do for me?’
If owners don’t believe it does make a difference and is a requirement then the tech will see no value.
When the test is passed and the competency is set, that makes a huge difference.
Consider there is a fear of failure in not passing a test.
We learn from failure.

Some techs are great at what they do but are bad test takers.
Get them help and work with them to full certification.

Amy suggests that the first test any tech should talk is the brake test.
ASE is working on a beta test recertification process through an app that becomes a continual program vs. every five years.
They will deliver a certain set of questions to work toward their certification. They will know immediately if you got it right and if not which question was right and why.
Tools in the app for training.

ASE is also working on providing the questions missed and which was the correct answer. This will help the test taker to know where they failed and why.
Rote memory is not the goal of ASE. Knowing how to diagnose is the goal.
Student Certification now called Entry Level Certification for high school to show post-secondary or shop owners.
Amy has a high-school coop student working at the shop with her ASE entry-level certification.
If we are going to grow our own and get involved with high-school and post-secondary, ASE must be the part of a technicians career pathway.
Our partners (suppliers) that advertise must include ASE in their ads. If they show a technician, they need to have a patch on their uniform. We are not embracing the value of ASE in every public facing to the consumer.
We are terrible assessors of our own skill set. We need help to assess if we have the skills to do our job. ASE is a natural entity that evaluates competencies.
They do not tell you what kind of training you know
They take industry standards and test toward them.

Amy Mattinat’s ASE ideas on how to brand your shop with your ASE Certifications:

1. Pay for your staff’s training & certification testing “All road leads to ASE Certified Master Technician”.
2. Celebrate when staff passes each certification.
3. Send out a press release when a staff member becomes an ASE Certified Master Tech / or if your shop achieves the ‘Blue Seal of Excellence’.
4. Increase pay when staff passes a certification.
5. Create a Wall of Fame: [frame and hang up certifications & training]
6. Put ASE cling-on in windows.
7. Put ASE small cling-on / put on the counter where customer pay for their invoice.
8. Purchase ASE patches & pay to have them sewn on staff’s uniforms.
9. Purchase ASE t-shirts & jackets for your staff: https://www.costore.com/asestore/welcome.asp
10. Make blog posts when technician achieves new certifications & training.
11. Whenever you take pictures of your technicians, make sure you can see the ASE Certification patch on their uniform.
12. When you introduce your technicians, always use their title: “This is Ken, he is an ASE Certified Master Technician & will be taking care of your [Honda] today” if they are master techs.
Of “This is Ken, he is a Brake Expert and even has his ASE Certification in Brakes & will explain to you what brake repairs your [Honda] needs today to keep you safe when driving”
13. Facebook posts when technicians achieve new certifications & training
14. Facebook posts with a link to ASE Drivers website: http://www.ase.com/drivers/
15. Facebook Banner of your shop with ASE logo: EXAMPLE: https://www.facebook.com/AutoCraftsmen/
16. Company Website: pictures of staff with ASE patch showing: EXAMPLE: https://www.autocraftsmen.com/
17. Company Website: Embed ASE White Board video in your shop’s website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZGl7LkmHmk
18. Re-post ASE Blog posts regarding ASE Certification & Car Care Articles: http://asetechs.blogspot.com/
19. Purchase an ASE sign & hang it outside on visible part of your building.
20. Take pictures of your building highlighting your ASE sign & post it on FB & Instagram .
21. If possible, add ASE logo to your Invoices.
22. phone [on hold message] with information about your shop having ASE Certified Technicians.
23. Radio ad. Look for special downloads.
24. Make your own videos about ASE and your own shops status & credentials.
25. Utilize your Blue Seal Recognition in your email signature: EXAMPLE:

Name
First & Last Name
President: Name of your business
www.nameofyourwebsite.com
ASE Blue Seal Shop & {any other industry highlights:
The mechanic or auto technician who is working on your car is essentially a car doctor. You wouldn’t go to a doctor who wasn’t a licensed M.D. So, how can you be sure the car-doctor / auto technician working on your car has the experience, expertise and skill to be repairing and servicing your vehicle?

One of the best-kept secrets of the auto repair industry is The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence Certification Program and elite ASE Blue Seal Recognition.
For more information about the ASE Certification Program: http://www.ase.com/DRIVERS/

Resources:
Commercial Idea from Amy: Shop Radio Ad – Download HERE.
Commercial Idea from Amy: Master Technician Radio Ad – Download HERE.
ASE Consumer page. ase.com/drivers HERE.
A special thanks to Mike Coley, Amy Mattinat, and Jeff Walter, for their contribution to the aftermarket.
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

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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...
58 min
November 14, 2018THA 093: How Not To Be a Micro Manager

Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good
Dennis McCarron, formerly Bridgestone’s National Management Instructor, joined Dealer Strategic Planning, Inc. (DSP) as a group facilitator and is now Executive Director. This is Dennis’s second appearance on the podcast.
He passionately studies behavior analysis and teaches sales. His experience includes 8 years managing retail stores for Bridgestone and 10 years designing, instructing and facilitating Bridgestone’s management courses. This development training covered the company’s 2,200 retail locations.
I asked Dennis to come back in part two to share his sales philosophy. The talking points below will outline all the great wisdom that Dennis shared. He stresses technique over style.
At DSP, Dennis and his team help independent aftermarket dealers manage the financial, branding, and human resource aspects of running a business. Listen to Dennis’s previous episodes HERE.
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.
Tom Lambert, Automotive Manager at Shadetree Automotive. Tom Lambert got his start right at home. His dad and uncles always had projects going on in the home garage. During the summer vacation, his dad would have Tom remove engines from the vehicles that were being sent to the local machine shop for rebuilding.
He signed up for business management at a local community college and attended night classes and sometimes would have to go back to the shop and finish up jobs.
The business continued to grow. By 2007, the operation was doing over 1 million in sales. By 2013, they were doing over 2 million in sales. This was such fast growth but they never seemed to get ahead financially. Even the financial management classes helped a bit, but they never truly got a great grasp of their finances. They were too busy working countless hours in the business to keep up with demand instead of taking a step back to figure the business out.
In the past three and a half years, Tom and his dad have made strategic adjustments in the business. They are now a $2.5 million dollar a year shop with 10% annual growth and profitability. They continue to improve every day. Tom says he has the best team and a strong culture. In January 2017 Tom bought his dad completely out of the business.
Tom struggled for many years because he had lost the passion for the auto industry. After receiving all the guidance and coaching over the past few years, he is rejuvenated and has more passion than ever and is currently doing everything he can to pay it forward to other local shop owners. Tom’s previous episodes HERE.
Key Talking Points:
Maryann Croce
Mindset – Micro Managing is the enemy of leadership. It’s that simple. Leadership is about empowering others and micromanaging discourages them.
Why we micromanage – It’s Fear-based.
Fear of not being viewed as an expert. There is a disconnect from the work. You’re in new territory with new responsibilities. Many are not sure of their role and goal.
Fear of losing control- You now depend on others to complete tasks that you use to do. Others may be keeping up and you no longer are.
Fear believing no one will care as much as you or your brand is on the line. – This comes from not setting clear expectations and goals.

What micromanaging looks like. (People don’t intend to micromanage. It sneaks up slowly.)
Continued questioning of people and making suggestions after you gave them a task or assignment.
Blaming others when things go wrong. Accountability starts with leaders
Throwing people under the bus in front of others. Setting people up for failure.

How do we stop – Build new skill sets. Focus on the items that will next level the business. Messaging, Relationships, and Financials.
Learn your role and goal as a leader owner/manager and focus on those areas. Mission Vision and Purpose. MVP Strategy is your new focus.
Set clear expectations and communicate with your team. Get their input and value it. Trust your team.
Support your team’s decisions. Give them the resources and training needed to succeed.

Dennis McCarron
Learn that clones of you don’t work for you. As long as the end result is attained ethically, there are many ways to reach the finish line. Different people look at the world in different ways and see different paths.
Be unrelenting on results and high standards. But the employees solve the problems, not the manager. This is often overlooked or ignored due to it’s perceived “takes too long” aspect of discussing/testing/solving nature – but the catch is if there is a manager who has all the solutions and employees are never involved, the buy-in is zero, which means effort is zero, and EVERYTHING takes too long.
Failure is ok. If it doesn’t burn the shop down or cost a million dollars, making mistakes is ok. The key is to analyze, learn, and not repeat. This is not contradictory to #2.
Mission and Vision Statement. In emergencies/firefighting, where people have to act quickly and decisively, if there isn’t a compelling M/V statement, employees will rely on gut instinct. With a compelling M/V employees use that to shape decisions. In the aftermath, micromanagers will grill and interrogate employees and tell them everything they did wrong, and usually, it’s the managers/owners fault for not having a great M/V. If there was a great one, the post-incident conversation is easy. “Did you honor the M/V?” If you did, let’s discuss how it could be better next time. If you didn’t, ok, now we have a disciplinary conversation.
The woodpecker story. Remove them from your world, your business. They are saboteurs. Owners always regret they didn’t make the decision against a woodpecker in their business.

Tom Lambert
Set clear goals and expectations.
Have clear systems and processes. Clearly documented and discussed
Manage the results. (numbers)
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Doesn’t matter if someone does something different than you as long as they get the result.

Bonus form Maryann Croce
Top reasons why people leave a job are at the hand of the owner/leader.
Relationship with the Boss. Their boss doesn’t listen to their ideas.
Bored and Unchallenged by the Work Itself. No trust to take on new challenges/responsibilities or training.
Relationships with Coworkers. The lack of a good company culture and they don’t believe the company is stable or secure.

Let go of the ego and put what is best for the company first. – Team and customers.
Resources:
A special thanks to Dennis McCarron, Maryann Croce, and Tom Lambert, for their contribution to the aftermarket.
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

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

RepairPal. Many of our industry’s high-quality shops have gone through an evaluation with an independent automotive team to ensure their techs are trained, they use the right tools, and their customers are happy. In fact, over 2,200 repair shops have met these requirements, have become RepairPal Certified and are getting new customers every month.
Why has the number of RepairPal Certified shops grown so much? These shops are proud to have passed the certification and value the new customers they’re getting, both from the 5 million monthly visitors to RepairPal.com and their partnerships with CarMax and USAA. Certified shops can cancel at any time, so RepairPal works hard to produce value for them. Learn more at repairpal.com/shops to learn more.
50 min
November 07, 2018THA 092: The Extreme Value of Shop Tours
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good

The Extreme Value of Shop Tours Panel:
Frank Scandura from Franks European in Las Vegas, NV started working on cars as a teenager in upstate New York and moved to Las Vegas in 1988. After years writing service for Mercedes, he opened Frank’s European service in 2001 and grew to a 12,000-square foot, 10 bay shop in the northwest part of Las Vegas, not far from the famous Strip!
Photo courtesy of Shari Pheasant
He has 15 team members and is partnered with his wife Deborah. From his first immersion, in the business, pumping gas at 15 years old in Orange County New York, to writing service at a Mercedes dealer in Las Vegas Frank Scandura shares his business acumen and offers insights and trends on leadership as a business coach. Frank’s previous episodes HERE.

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. Listen to Vinnie’s previous episodes HERE.
Deb Van Batenburg is the vice president of Automotive Career Development Center [ACDC] and a former repair shop owner with his husband Craig. She and her husband engaged full time in the understanding of the technology used in hybrid and electric cars. Students worldwide attend their comprehensive six-day trading class called ‘Up Your Voltage’. Deb also writes human interest ideas, business trends and critical thinking for Auto Inc and AASP magazines. Listen to Deb’s previous episodes HERE.
Andy Bizub is a native of Chicago. His first career was 25 years as a commodity trader. He entered the professional auto industry in 2014 by acquiring a failing shop in downtown Chicago that he was a customer of and start a turnaround. At bought his first car at age 19, a 1972 Triumph Spitfire, which was the start of his gas, oil, and automobile obsession. Listen to Andy’s previous episodes HERE.
Greg Bunch is the owner of Aspen Auto Clinic, a five-location automotive and service business in Colorado. Greg started his passion for cars at 15 when he began rebuilding a 1966 Volkswagen Bug. Greg has moved from a Volkswagen mechanic to ASE Master Technician, to Management, to starting his shop 18 years ago in his garage, to an award-winning multi-location business.
Greg is currently a board member for the STEM-based charter school call “Automotive Institute of Science & Technology” and on the Advisory board of Ratchet and Wrench Magazine. Greg is also a board member of the Autocare organization and a certified instructor for the Worldpac Training Institute and Carquest Technical Institute. Greg’s unwavering passion for the industry has also led him to form a company called Transformers Institute, a coaching and training company dedicated to transforming the automotive industry. Listen to Greg’s previous episodes HERE. Transformers Institute HERE.
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 industries and educational advisory councils including AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper, Dorman Industries, and Cardone. Listen to Bill’s previous episodes HERE.
Shari Pheasant, the Queen of Horsepower, believes in building people first and uses her own brand of horsepower to drive people from the inside out. She is a dynamic speaker, multi-award-winning business innovator and president of the Reno-Sparks NAPA Elite Business Development Group. Shari owns A Master Mechanic, with her husband Jeff, and transitioned to an “out of the shop owner” in 2014.
Shari has over thirty-five years of business management, team building, project management, operational development, marketing/branding and sales experience building scalable, sustainable models. Her strategies strengthen the value of your company brand, improve relations and motivate your team to bring in greater profits naturally, confidently and with ease. She has worked successfully with small businesses and companies to create thriving, sustainable cultures that build profit and wealth through accountable, responsible actions. Find other episodes that feature Shari HERE.
Vic Tarasik is the Founder and Managing Partner at Shop Owner Coach. A business management consultant to shops across North America that assists shop owners in achieving their dreams through the intentional application of best practices and personal development.
Shop ownership, public speaking, business management, finance, and leadership skills are some talents he acquired as a service professional that made this position perfect for him.
A recipient of Montgomery County TX business of the Year and a congressional commendation are a couple of achievements Vic is proud of.
Vic took an interest in all things mechanical at a young age. He worked on a variety of vehicles for friends and family. His interests grew into racing at local drag strips driving his 55 Chevy, which he still owns.
In 1986, he returned to his roots and launched Vic’s Precision Automotive from his two-car garage. The heart of Vic’s Precision Automotive was galvanized for Vic as a boy; he watched his single mom struggle with service providers over the years. When he opened his shop, he was determined to make it a place where female customers felt comfortable. Listen to Vic’s previous episodes HERE.
Jimmy Lea is the Regional Sales Director at Kukui Corporation. Kukui enables success. The Kukui All in One Success Platform® empowers Independent automotive shops with quantitative data showing their return on investment, the number of new clients based on their POS system, statistics revealing their customer retention rate, and areas to improve their business through the tracking of phone calls, appointment forms, digital inspection results, and feedback from customer reviews.

Key Talking Points:
Understanding the client experience. This allows you to walk into a new shop and have a clean slate & an unbiased perspective of what the client is experiencing. Its too hard to analyze your own tornado, as your in it. It’s much easier to see issues with other shops from an outsiders perspective.

Gaining a new perspective into your own shop by visualizing & feeling what other shops are doing then noticing where you can Improve your space. The end result may be taking some of those good ideas and implementing them in your own shop. I do not consider this stealing as if we better our services then our industry as a whole will be lifted.

Establishing relationships with other shop owners. No one understands a shop owner like another shop owner. Visiting other shops allows you to converse with the owners and staff about what’s working and what’s not working. In the Independent automotive industry its all to common to keep things to ourselves and not share with other shop owners. Sharing our struggles and triumphs can be very helpful and positive to our fellow shop owners and our industry as a whole.
Learned not to work on pre-1995 and older vehicles
Reach out when you visit a city and tour a great shop.
You will find ideas to compare what you are doing.
Willing to share your ideas and success will help elevate the entire industry.
Share facility ideas. Both can learn.
Ask questions to find out why ‘things’ are what they are.
Work hard to build the comfort level of your clients. Vinnie Lucido.
R & D: Rip off and Duplicate and make ideas your own.
When you are in your tornado you cannot see what is wrong or analyze an issue because you are in it too deep. It may take a visit from another shop owner to ask a question to get you to re-think what you are doing.
Start locally. Call up a friend across town.
When you travel to look up a top shop and call to get an appointment to visit.
Use social media to search for or request a shop tour in a city you are going to be in.
Shop tours help build your network.
Twenty groups by rule do shop tours and benefit their business through this learning mode.
Be honored if you get asked to offer your shop for a tour.
On shop tours:Andy learned a lot about intercommunication among your team.
Vinnie looks for what makes shops unique.
Frank says: Don’t be afraid to make a decision and don’t let analysis paralysis cloud action.
Greg Bunch: Visited a shop in Ireland. Challenges on tariffs to buy equipment. They use forklift type lifts. No waiting room. They have a four-year program for technicians with six months doing apprenticing. The real diag guys run around in their vans. There is a higher respect for technicians and the industry in Europe better than the US.
Shari hears the excuse, ‘It’s different here’ (overused)
Deb says that if your webpage and physical presence do not match you will get a big disconnect with your brand.
Jimmie Lea says that ‘curb’ appeal is critical.There is no tech shortage at shops that are involved in education either high school or post-secondary.
Vic recommends that you listen to everyone while you are in the shop. Listen to the Advisors, Technicians, and all the staff. They see a lot more than we think and might have valuable ideas we might not have considered.
When on a shop tour ask a lot of questions to the entire team and share with the owner.

Resources:
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Facebook Twitter Linked In Email
The Town Hall Academy is supported 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

RepairPal. Many of our industry’s high-quality shops have gone through an evaluation with an independent automotive team to ensure their techs are trained, they use the right tools, and their customers are happy. In fact, over 2,200 repair shops have met these requirements, have become RepairPal Certified and are getting new customers every month.
Why has the number of RepairPal Certified shops grown so much? These shops are proud to have passed the certification and value the new customers they’re getting, both from the 5 million monthly visitors to RepairPal.com and their partnerships with CarMax and USAA. Certified shops can cancel at any time, so RepairPal works hard to produce value for them. Learn more at repairpal.com/shops to learn more.
52 min
October 31, 2018THA 091: Workshop – Service Adviser Roleplay – Part 2
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good
The Panel:
Clint White holds the ASE Master Tech, Under Car Specialist, & Service Writer Certifications. He started wrenching in 1995 and landed his first job via BBB chat room connection. Clint moved on to manage & tech at Midas and then at an independent shop. He moved to Idaho to get away from the overcrowded West Coast and worked as a Chevrolet/Cadillac tech.
Next, he managed another independent in Meridian Idaho. While there, the owner of the business sent me to shop owners training through RLO and ATI 2-3 times a year and he also took it upon himself, at the same time, to attend Bible College full time for 2 years and become a licensed Pastor (talk about being stretched!!!). His fire was lit !!
Clint found out quickly he has a passion to OWN his own shop and a passion to TRAIN/TEACH people. His world was rocked when his father (also a Pastor) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Prostate Cancer, had neck surgery and a knee replacement all within a short span of time. Clint moved home to spend time with his Dad. It was a tough choice to leave what he had in Idaho but for him, family must come first.
Clint now manages one of two shops owned by a shop owner he teched with way back in the day.  Coopers Auto Repair Specialists in Tacoma, WA. Listen to Clint’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 salesperson, 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.

John Vasquez is the Shop Manager and Service Advisor at Los Gatos Auto Service since 2006. As a child, John was always into cars. That love never went away and he thought that the automotive industry would be a good place to start his career. He first worked in a parts department for a local distributor, then moved on to detailing vehicles at a Volkswagen dealership. After about a year and a half, he worked his way up to valet, then greeter and finally, service advisor which he really enjoyed and just confirmed for him that he had picked the right career path. He enjoys spending important time with his wife and daughter. If he is not watching the Niners, Warriors or Giants, you’ll find John enjoying some delicious food and/or taking in a movie.

Role Plays:

#1. A very common call ……How much is a tune up?  On this one the year make and model doesn’t matter…..
Customer: John   Service Advisor: Clint    Observer/Coach: Barry
We think customers ask for a price way more than they do.
About 25% of prospects ask for a price.
Great service advisors will get about 10% of price requests because they are using the Socratic Question method.
Clint showed his pace so he slowed John down.
This is a very common call, almost 50% of the calls that come in.

#2. The service writer is calling back a customer with a 2008 Toyota Highlander with over 200k miles.
Customer: Clint   Service Advisor: Barry   Observer/Coach: John
When they brought the vehicle in, it was running poorly and they were very open about the fact they had done little to no maintenance to the vehicle Upon inspection it was found it needed over $4000 worth of repairs just to make it safe and reliable, not to mention a few other maintenance issues that could be deferred for a few months. The tension in this scenario is very much a daily one in real life…..How do you sell a large repair on a vehicle that “blue book’s” for less than the needed repairs?
Barry does the ‘set-up’ for this role play.
This is an example of spending $4,000 on safety and reliability vs $30,000 for new, plus depreciation, higher insurance and registration fees.
The vehicle has not had maintenance in 10 years and it now needs $4,000 or on average $400 a year for the last 10 years. A very low number to have maintained that car each year vs buying new.
Prepare for this call by doing the math on different scenarios.
Some service advisers sometimes sell with their own wallet. If they personally can’t afford the repair, they have a tough time selling it.
If you can’t afford $4,000 how can you afford $30,000, even long-term, plus, plus.
If they are thinking of a new car used or new, have a referral ready.

#3. Customer calls in stating their vehicle won’t go faster than 30 miles an hour and has a driveway diagnostics remedy.
Customer:  Barry    Service Advisor: John       Observer/Coach: Clint
The customer states they went to an auto parts store where the employee there plugged in a scanner. The customer then provides codes indicating transmission troubles and says the auto parts store employee said they need a new transmission (driveway diagnosis).
Careful on the detail you provide. Don’t build the watch, just tell the time. (Don’t overcomplicate)
Magic box at the parts store is very different than what you have.
Transmission may not even need replacement.
Use high caliber words.
Barry was ready to set the appointment way before he asked.
Great language. “I would like to invite you in.”
Always think Unique Selling Point.
Building trust is not installing a transmission if one is not necessary and didn’t solve the problem.
Learn to be confident in your presentation by practicing. Confidence comes from mastery.Practice makes permanent.
Practice with a purpose.

#4. Selling a larger part/repair that involves a “dealer only” part.
Customer:   John Service Advisor: Clint      Observer/Coach: Barry
The savvy customer has already viewed his DVI and has already called the dealer parts dept to get a “list price” on the needed Powertrain Control Module (PCM) for his 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan. The rub on this one is the need to sell parts with the appropriate markup/margin to be able to stand behind the warranty on the repair….
Never use ‘about’ to convey price of job. Always be exact when giving the price. Leave no room for negotiation.
Always say ‘investment’
Be careful when using the steak in restaurant analogy.
Is peace of mind warranty important to you. Dealership warranty vs aftermarket.

Resources:
A link to Part 1 – Service Adviser Role Play HERE.
A special thanks to Barry Barrett, Clint White and John Vasquez for their contribution to the aftermarket.
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

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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
October 24, 2018THA 090: Business Coaches Lab: Five Dysfunctions of a CEO
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good
The Panel:
Bob Greenwood, AMAM (Accredited Master Automotive Manager) is President and C.E.O. of Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre Ltd. (AAEC). AAEC is a company focused on providing Business Management Resources and Development for the Independent Sector of the aftermarket industry. AAEC content and technology is recognized as part of the curriculum of the Fixed Operations Diploma and the Aftermarket Degree courses taken at the Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College located in Barrie Ontario Canada. This school is the leader and only college in Canada that offers an automotive business education. AAEC is also recognized by the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), located in North Richland Hills, Texas USA, allowing 80 credits for successful completion of the AAEC E-Learning portion of the site towards the 120 credits required to obtain the reputable Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.
Bob has over 40 years of Business Management experience within the Independent sector of the automotive aftermarket industry in North America, consulting Independent retail shops on all facets of their business operations. His 18 years of running his own local consulting and accounting firm in Ottawa, Ontario Canada created some of the most productive and financially successful entrepreneurs within the Independent sector today.
Bob is one of 150 wworldwideAMI approved instructors. He has created Business Management development courses for aftermarket shop employers/managers, Jobbers and Jobber Sales representatives which are recognized as being the most comprehensive, industry-specific courses of their kind in North America. His courses address the creation of measurable bottom-line profitability and not just developing activity to keep busy, by covering the very detailed nuts and bolts issues that are required to be clearly understood by every level of the industry if an independent shop is going to financially prosper and enjoy a professional future. Bob’s previous episodes are HERE. Link to Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre Ltd. (AAEC) HERE.

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. Previous episodes featuring or mentioning Cecil, click HERE. Institute for Automotive Business Excellence 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. 180Biz Website HERE

Jude Larson is the Director of New Business Development for the ACT Group. He is a frequent speaker and trainer at industry events. Jude has vast business experience including being a highly successful service advisor, the owner and operator of a hybrid online and print marketing company, a top performer in the financial industry, and had a record-setting career in retail management.
Jude is also a shop owner, Valley Repair in Tenino, WA. Listen to Jude’s Episodes HERE. Jude uses his rich experience and business success as he consults, trains and coaches results-focused solutions with clients. ACT Group website HERE.

During high school and college Murray Voth, owner of RPM Training learned to service and repair both motorcycles and airplanes while he finished his commercial pilot’s license. After college, Murray’s research skills were honed while doing a community research project; as a result, he was hired by a firm doing research and development in the service station industry. That led him to own and operate service stations for the next 20 years.
After receiving extensive training from a major oil company in Canada, Murray worked in service station dealer development. His experience in training and development led to an interest in how people function. He began to think about what holds them back from learning and implementing new practices in their businesses. What causes people to change?
Murray has done extensive research into human potential and has the ability to synthesize this material and make it practical to apply. His favorite moment is when a client says, “I get it!” or “I did it!” He is known as an implementation coach. For the last 10 years, he has been the senior trainer, coach, and facilitator for a major automotive training company in Canada, and worked part-time in the USA as his schedule allows. Murray has worked with hundreds of shops and shop owners helping them to be more profitable and reduce their stress levels. Listen to Murray’s episodes HERE. RPM Training website HERE.

Key Talking Points
1: Trust One Another
Members of great teams trust one another on a fundamental, emotional level, and they are comfortable being vulnerable with each other about their weaknesses, mistakes, fears, and behaviors. They get to a point at which they can be completely open with one another, without filters. This is essential because…
2: Engage in Conflict Around Ideas
Members of teams who trust one another are not afraid to engage in conflict around ideas that are key to the organization’s success. They do not hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question each other, all in the spirit of finding the best answers, discovering the truth, and making great decisions. This is important because…
3: Commit to Decisions
Teams that engage in conflict around ideas are able to gain commitment to decisions, even when various members of the team initially disagree. That is because they ensure that all opinions and ideas are put on the table and considered, giving confidence to team members that no stone has been left unturned. This is critical because…
4: Hold One Another Accountable
Teams that gain commitment to decisions and standards of performance do not hesitate to hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions and standards. What’s more, they don’t rely on the team leader as the primary source of accountability. This matters because…
5: Focus on Achieving Collective Results
Team members who trust one another, engage in conflict around ideas, gain commitment to decisions, and hold one another accountable are more likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus on achieving collective results. They do not give in to the temptations to place their departments, career aspirations, or ego-driven status ahead of the collective results that define team success.

BONUS TALKING POINTS
Bob Greenwood
Working in the business and not on it
Failing to train and delegate duties to free up valuable time for the CEO
No defined and written vision with a detailed roadmap on how to get there and ensuring all team members “believe” in it and want to be part of it to bring it to fruition
Not analyzing the business properly – only watching average sales per RO and car count. That measures activity, not productivity. Productivity builds net profit
Not understanding how to measure shop efficiency which is the key to market competitiveness being able to pay top wages and building NET profit
Doesn’t understand the 5 building blocks for bringing in change that is required to move the business forward.

Cecil Bullard
It is important to know what the role of a CEO is:
   Future Vision
   Fiduciary
   Managing Management
   Structure? Making sure the company has a successful structure.

Does a small shop need a CEO? Really?
My take is yes, as someone has to create the vision and culture. Someone has to make sure that the company is financially stable. And, someone has to manage the business from the top.

Ultimately the CEO is responsible for all aspects of the business.
I would probably say that having a good CEO is what makes a company great. They have a vision that they can share and get others involved in. They can keep the team motivated. Make sure that the right things are happening in their company. Even decide which work to focus on and what not to do.
Lack of clear vision – which leads to a lack of clear goals for the company
Lack of clear goals –
Able to get their people on board and create a healthy culture
Unclear or lack of communication –
Not creating the structure for the company to be successful

Jude Larson
Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust
The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team.
Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict
The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive ideological conflict.
Dysfunction #3: Lack of Commitment
The lack of clarity or buy-in prevents team members from making decisions they will stick to.
Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability
The need to avoid interpersonal discomfort prevents team members from holding one another accountable.
Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results

The pursuit of individual goals and personal status erodes the focus on collective success.
Rick White
The danger of working in your business today
The things that are going to attract the top talent today require there to be a full-time leader in the business
Business is changing so fast that you can’t run it the way it used to be run, you’ve got to be more responsive than the other guy
The worst thing you can be in your business is the best tech or best advisor – you want to hire people better than you and let them loose
You’re missing out on making the money you could and should be making – every wildly successful shop owner has figured this out and transitioned to the CEO position

The lack of direction
With a lack of direction or a destination, you become task-oriented meaning you are going to work to do today what you did yesterday
At some point (not a matter of if but when) your goal will be to get to the end of the day without killing someone – that’s surviving, not thriving
With no direction, you’re missing out on the excitement of growth and achievement
You’re not there to fix cars – you’re there to build relationships and generate a profit

The lack of expectation
With you stuck in the bay or at the counter, and a lack of direction, there’s no expectations
You know what you’re not happy with but don’t know what it is you do want
With a lack of expectation, frustration fills the void

The lack of communication
There’s no real communication in the business
Everyone is doing their thing and creating friction banging into each other
Slowing the business down

The lack of accountability
With the other four issues, a lack of accountability has to follow
With little to no accountability, you tolerate more and your stress goes up
You end up losing customers and great people without accountability

Muarry Voth
“Great leaders create hope by providing a sense of direction and a sense of competence”
As a follower who has committed to a cause or job I don’t want to have my time or my efforts wasted.

Resources:
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
A special thanks to Bob Greenwood, Cecil Bullard, Jude Larson, Murray Voth, and Rick White.

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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s
1 hr 2 min
October 17, 2018THA 089: Open Four, Five or Six Days a Week. You Decide.
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good

The Panel:
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 industries and educational advisory councils including AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper, Dorman Industries, and Cardone. Listen to Bill’s previous episodes HERE.
Tom Piippo a three-time recognized ASE Technician of the Year and owner of Tri-County Motors, Rudyard, Michigan. Tom was honored by ASA as their 2017 Alpha award winner for his generous and far-reaching contributions to the automotive service industry.
Tri-County Motors is equipped to handle most anything that rolls in the door, from Alpha’s to Windrowers. Tom and Kris instill a caring, learning culture within the business. Employee’s know that training is mandatory when they are hired. Attending all local training events is required along with most major state and national training events. Listen to Tom’s previous episodes HERE.
Alan “Ollie” Gelfand is the founder and driving force behind German Car Depot, and a former professional skateboarder and developer of the “Ollie” skateboarding trick.
A few years after injuries ended his professional skateboarding career, Alan begins competing in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) road racing events.
Building and driving his own VW race cars, Alan went on to win several national competitions including four 24-hour endurance races. Alan discontinued racing in 2002, this allowed him more time to focus his efforts on building German Car Depot into what it is today, South Florida’s dealer alternative for expert German car auto repair.
From Skateboarding legend to autocross state champion to repair shop owner Alan ‘Ollie’ Gelfand has a great story and he is not bashful to tell it. Listen to Ollie’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:
A four day work week always gives you a 3 day weekend and it takes a bit to fire up the Monday coming off a long weekend.
Will your customer respond to a change to fewer days.
Challenge to find a tech to work six days.
Workaround your techs schedules to give them some time.
Customers and techs have a seven day a week life.
Bill would like to go to a 5 day a week but bring up a great argument to stay at 6.
He provides flexibility in his schedule to help his people accommodate their life.
Scheduling creativity, if you have enough techs could work 4 ten hour days.
Alan is using Craigslist for hiring with rewards.
Alan is a 6 day a week shop doing 20-25% of his weekly volume on Saturday. His guys can turn a lot of hours on a Saturday.
In his ads to find techs he always talks about a four day work week.
He has different pay plans for techs depending on what works best for them.
He needs 160 hours per week to earn a great living.
Alan does not work on Saturday.
Saturdays are a lot of oil changes and maintenance.
They have six loaner cars. Never have enough.
He would go to 5 if he could find the techs to knock out the work.
Has 50% – 70% appointments
German dealers are open on Saturday and one if open on Sunday.
Parts is not an issue on Saturday.
Earns 21% new customers each month.
New customers come in on Saturday. They drive by the shop before deciding.
Curb appeal and a nice waiting room is a must.
If you stay good on Yelp you are great in South Florida.

Bill is looking to convert his 6-day shop into different workpieces to create a four day work week for techs.
You have to outrun your expenses so you need to have production in the shop.
Your overhead is eating up 75% of your gross margin.
Bill is an installer for Cosco whose busiest day is Saturday/Weekend.
His new customers come from these relationships.
He doesn’t advertise because his new clients come from these club alignments.
His Saturday is feeding Monday and Tuesday.
Bill can work a four day a week if he hired his replacement.

Saturday’s for Bill is a staging time for Monday and Tuesday.
Tom’s 4-day shop:
He’s hicking on Saturday and camping and doing other family things.
He is in a small town with competition only 20 miles away.
100% appointments
His shop culture evolves around him. People want to talk to or see Tom.

Metro areas need a careful review to see which competitors are open on what days.

Resources:
Books Page HERE
Tri-County Motors Rudyard, Michigan link HERE.
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
A special thanks to Bill Nalu, Tom Piippo, and Ollie Gelfand.

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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
51 min
October 10, 2018THA 088: Everything I Did Wrong and What I Learned
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good

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. Bambi’s previous episodes HERE.
Tom Lambert, Automotive Manager at Shadetree Automotive. Tom Lambert got his start right at home. His dad and uncles always had projects going on in the home garage. During the summer vacation, his dad would have Tom remove engines from the vehicles that were being sent to the local machine shop for rebuilding.
He signed up for business management at a local community college and attended night classes and sometimes would have to go back to the shop and finish up jobs.
The business continued to grow. By 2007, the operation was doing over 1 million in sales. By 2013, they were doing over 2 million in sales. This was such fast growth but they never seemed to get ahead financially. Even the financial management classes helped a bit, but they never truly got a great grasp of their finances. They were too busy working countless hours in the business to keep up with demand instead of taking a step back to figure the business out.
In the past three and a half years, Tom and his dad have made strategic adjustments in the business. They are now a $2.5 million dollar a year shop with 10% annual growth and profitability. They continue to improve every day. Tom says he has the best team and a strong culture. In January 2017 Tom bought his dad completely out of the business.
Tom struggled for many years because he had lost the passion for the auto industry. After receiving all the guidance and coaching over the past few years, he is rejuvenated and has more passion than ever and is currently doing everything he can to pay it forward to other local shop owners. Tom’s previous episodes HERE.
Frank Scandura from Franks European in Las Vegas, NV started working on cars as a teenager in upstate New York and moved to Las Vegas in 1988. After years writing service for Mercedes, he opened Frank’s European service in 2001 and grew to a 12,000-square foot, 10 bay shop in the northwest part of Las Vegas, not far from the famous Strip! He has 15 team members and is partnered with his wife Deborah. From his first immersion, in the business, pumping gas at 15 years old in Orange County New York, to writing service at a Mercedes dealer in Las Vegas Frank Scandura shares his business acumen and offers insights and trends on leadership as a business coach. Frank’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:
Thinking you can do everything yourself.
Get out of your own way in thinking you built your entire business.
Frank realized that he needed to give his team the tools and get out of their way
Stop being a Micromanager. Help your people understand your systems and processes and get out of their way then guide them.

You need to accept their way to do the job. Your systems, processes and policies will guide.
Allow mistakes from your people because you made many. They will cost you money as they did you, however, be sure there is a teaching moment after the mistake was made.
It is not what you don’t know it is also about what your people don’t know. You need to pay attention to that and find ways to get them this education and/or training.
Bambi shares a very intimate story of near failure in turning around her company.
Frank started to read to get better.
Problem with a business owner is that you are the problem.
You must hold yourself accountable if you expect your people to be.
It is all about your reaction to what happens to us.
We can hire smarter than us. And let them do what you hired them to do. Basically, fire yourself.
Hiring and firing can bring you anxiety. Too many take the person’s word. You want the person across from you in an interview to be the one, so you work to prove that they are the one. (A Mistake)
Tom Lambert now hires off the culture in his company.
It is OK to fire customers.
Coupons and discounts for Tom Lambert is a learning curve for him. He stopped doing any type of marketing to drive car count.
If he has a customer that needs a discount he knows where to send them.
If he has a customer that need work immediately he knows who to send them to.
He provides 25% more value to his customer which justifies his narrow target customer.

There are two different business models or mindsets. The discount world or the value world. Bambi Crozier. She has chosen the value way because it is less stress on here people and her customers.
Model of value a model of value came to Frank when his customers said to him they didn’t come to him because he wasn’t the cheapest.
Financial learning curve must be discovered. You must learn all about the numbers. Do not pretend that you know the numbers and how they are calculated and which numbers are critical to your success.
Key numbers:
Average Repair Orders (ARO)
Tom used to run a lot of cars with a low ARO
He is running 13.5 car count with an $800 ARO from a $400.
Year over year growth.
Break Even.
Know your monthly number.
Gross profit percent was key for Frank. You pay bills with Gross profit dollars.
Effective Labor Rate is more important than your door labor rate.

Training is Tom Lamberts biggest life changer to him.
Get a good CPA and an HR company on board.
Depend heavily on your people.
Laugh at your mistakes.
Failure is OK as long as you learn from it.

Resources:
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
A special thanks to Bambi Crozier, Tom Lambert, and Frank Scandura.

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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
55 min
October 03, 2018THA 087: Automotive Career’s Starts in High School and in the Home!
Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good

James Pressly, Trade and Industrial Specialist, Career and Technical Education, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Raleigh, NC

Jim Halderman brings a world of experience, knowledge, and talent to his work. His automotive service experience includes working as a flat-rate technician, a business owner, and a professor of Automotive Technology. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Ohio Northern University and a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Jim also holds a U.S. Patent for an electronic transmission control device. He is an ASE certified Master Automotive Technician (A1-A9) plus G1, L1 and L3.
Jim is the author of 18 Automotive textbooks all published by Pearson. Jim has presented numerous technical seminars to national audiences including the California Automotive Teachers (CAT) and the Illinois College Automotive Instructor Association (ICAIA). He is also a member and presenter at the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT).
Jim was also named Regional Teacher of the Year by General Motors Corporation and a member of the advisory board for Technological Studies department at Ohio Northern University. Jim and his wife, Michelle, live in Dayton, Ohio.

Shane Hawkins is the Automotive Technology instructor at East Gaston High School and adjunct instructor for Gaston College.
Prior to teaching, he worked as an automotive technician at the local Chevrolet dealership for nine years before opening an independent shop. The desire to help others learn about a career in the automotive field and recognizing the difficulty in finding qualified technicians is what inspired him to become an automotive teacher.
Qualifications include an Associate degree in Automotive Technologies, ASE G1 certification, ASE Master Certified Technician, ASE L1 certified, Bachelor degree in Occupational Education, and NC professional teaching license.

Impromptu guest Kyle Holt from S/P2. Listen to Kyle’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:
Please stop talking about the need for quality automotive training and get involved. It will be our fault for the lack of young people joining our industry.
The schools are there for industry. Superintendents and presidents need to hear from industry.
You must get involved with the advisory committee.
A good advisory board will make a huge difference in the quality of instruction, investment from the school and placement of students.
We have so many jobs in the industry so automotive curriculum course can take the student anywhere.
Speak at high school career days and help encourage high school students to enter automotive technology in post-secondary (college)
Interest in the automotive starts in the home.
We, the industry, must support the counselors. Invite them to your shop. Explain that the technician of the very near future is all about having quality computer skills.
If you like cars and computers a career in the automotive is for you.
We must develop relationships with education so we can win the share of mind war with education and get the students that have this attitude and like working with their hands and minds
Text or write to the instructors and your department chair.
Get a group of independent shop owners together and sit with a department chair, school principal or superintendent.
Field trips to independent shops.
Bring a student to your shop to job shadow.
Get involved with the instructors in high school and college.
Build a mentoring program in your shop. Not easy to do. Many good programs exist to copy from.
Education continues it doesn’t stop in school.

Resources:
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
A special thanks to James Halderman, James Pressly, and Shane Hawkins and impromptu guest Kyle Holt.

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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
49 min
September 26, 2018THA 086: Stop Being Busy and Improve Your Productivity!

Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good
The Panel:
Dennis McCarron, formerly Bridgestone’s National Management Instructor, joined Dealer Strategic Planning, Inc. (DSP) as a group facilitator and is now Executive Director. This is Dennis’s second appearance on the podcast.
He passionately studies behavior analysis and teaches sales. His experience includes 8 years managing retail stores for Bridgestone and 10 years designing, instructing and facilitating Bridgestone’s management courses. This development training covered the company’s 2,200 retail locations.
I asked Dennis to come back in part two to share his sales philosophy. The talking points below will outline all the great wisdom that Dennis shared. He stresses technique over style.
At DSP, Dennis and his team help independent aftermarket dealers manage the financial, branding, and human resource aspects of running a business. Listen to Dennis’s previous episodes HERE.

Justin Glasgow from Performance Tire & Wheel in Topeka, KD, earned a full scholarship to play football for the University of Kansas in 1995.
During his time at KU, he was selected Captain of the team in his senior year. In 1999, Justin earned a degree in Sports Administration and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Football ended for Justin a few months after I graduated from KU. Growing up, he had always worked on and off for his father at Performance Tire & Wheel. His first professional job was with the Boston Beer Company. Most people know the Boston Beer Company as the purveyors of Samuel Adams and Twisted Tea. The Boston Beer Company allowed me my first chance to cut my teeth in sales and good service.
In 2003, Justin re-joined his father at Performance Tire & Wheel. The company evolved from gas stations that were opened in 1946. His father bought Performance Tire & Wheel in 1990 after the gas stations were consolidated down to two tire stores. In 2013, Justin bought Performance Tire & Wheel from my father and am now the third owner of the corporation. Justin is also the current president of the Mid-America Tire Dealers Association as well.

Darren McLea of McLea’s Tire and Automotive in Santa Rosa, CA, grew up in the tire and automotive industry working for his dad, Les, and uncle, Rick. Starting as a “clean up kid” at age 13 working summer breaks and after school. Darren has worked every position within the family business including and is currently running the day to day business as Vice President and Director of Operations.
Darren graduated from SDSU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and a minor in Political Science. While his schooling and degree would suggest him taking a different career path, the urge and desire to work with his dad and uncle was too strong.
While away at college, he also realized a new passion…sales and customer service. He worked at Circuit City selling TV’s and components. He was really good at it and his sales were at the top for part-time employees. He realized that he had a way of connecting with the customers. His true enjoyment came from customers coming back and asking for Darren by name. He took that as the highest compliment. He was hooked on customer service.
All these experiences led to Darren saying that he can’t imagine doing anything else with his professional life. He really has the opportunity to do it all in this industry and he can’t imagine doing anything else. Darren is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have two sons and a daughter, Darren II, Nicholas, and Marie. Listen to Darren’s previous episodes HERE.
Key Talking Points:
You must prioritize your life, your responsibilities and your tasks.
We do busy things just to be busy.
Mindless things like being the IT guy when you have an IT person.
Paint the wall because you feel like you get it done.

Owners and managers have no finish line.
The gratification of finishing disappears.
It is easy to put off tough management and leadership stuff and go back to what is easy and mundane.

Darren has a low tech way to prioritize. A paper to-do list.
The phone is always ringing or texting or buzzing.
You get dragged into the smartphone like a squirrel looking for his next nut.

The daily list will carry over to next day on tasks that were not done.

You have no personal firewall.
We are easily reachable.
However, we need to delegate some of the tasks and people who are wanting to get some of your bandwidth.

Get into work early and review your day and prioritize the critical task.
Time management quadrant from Steven Covey.
We are still learning how the medium of email works.
It was never intended to be an immediate way to get in touch with people.
We are info junkies because we’ll spend 1-hour reading mindless emails.
We want to know the best new ‘game changer’.

When clients reach out they are looking to make a decision on repairs/purchase within 72 hours. You’ve got to respond in a timely manner.
Customer emails must have priority.

Carve your time out to manage personal priorities.
You need to focus on what is important.
You may have to forgive social media time.

You must know your key priorities as a CEO
You need to make yourself unavailable to your people. Close your door. When it is closed it send a message to solve your own problems.
Create a culture of solving problems.
What would Darren (insert your name) do?

You should have four questions to ask your people to solve their own problems.
They will go through the critical thinking process. They will solve their own problems.
Justin Glasgow holy trinity. His three questions:
Is it good for the customer?
Is it good for the company?
Is it good for the car?
Bonus idea from Robert Henderson:
Does it match our core values?

Cell phone policy can improve productivity in the shop.
Learn to say no can improve your productivity.
There is a right way to say no.
If you say yes to something you are never going to do you are prolonging the inevitable.

You must define your mission, vision, and values.
You’ll be able to apply your values to every decision you make. Decisions get easier to make.

Working on continual improvements in processes and procedures will improve overall company productivity. You must consider the disciplines of lean. Go HERE for podcasts on lean.
Never create processes or procedures on your own. Involve your people and your buying will improve because your team was involved.

Digital tools will improve efficiency
Texting can create almost instant communication with your customer.
DVI, Pictures
Ideas for DVI pictures put a new part next to a worn part like an air filter or disc brake pad.

Dennis talks about slowing down the customer inbound process to not create a land mind. If the customer cannot communicate with you-you’ll need to come up with a plan or stop and do it right now.
Consider batching your projects. Seeing reps; consider Tuesdays are the day for reps. This tightens up your planning efforts.
Finishing projects that matter gives you a great feeling of accomplishment.
Frank Sinatra said if you eat a frog first thing in the morning the rest of the day is great.
Steven Covey talks about Rocks. See Books Page for 7 Habits.

Resources:
Dennis McCarron Dealer Strategic Planning Website
Performance Tire & Wheel Website
McClea’s Tire and Automotive Website
Episodes with Time Management discussion points HERE.
Episodes with Lean discussion points HERE.
Books Page HERE
Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
A special thanks to Dennis McCarron, Darren McLea and Justin Glasgow.

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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
September 19, 2018THA 085: 21 Tips to Gain an Edge over the Competition – Part 3!
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: A Summit For the Forever Student!
Also, Click the links for PART ONE and PART TWO!
The Academy Panel:
Todd Westerlund, CEO of Kukui has been in the automotive industry for 28 years. Todd spent 15 years as an ASE Certified California Smog Technician and 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. 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.
Jeremy O’Neal President and lead sales trainer for Advisorfix, began his career as a Service Advisor and moved into Service Management at the dealership level for VW, Audi, and Porsche. He consistently placed in the top 3% of Service Advisors across the nation.
With a passion for helping others, Jeremy started coaching Service Advisors in 2007. Jeremy also owns an independent auto repair shop. Previous episodes HERE.
Key Talking Points:
Make techs a real referral source. – Technicians can really bring in a lot of referrals but they aren’t motivated enough. Do a friendly competition with an extra week off, a fully paid Cancun trip right now is $589.00 (TW)
Walk around marketing. Have your business cards with you (JO)

The fortune is in the follow-up! (JO)
If you promise, you must call.

Paperless invoices and estimates. (MG)
Consumers are driving this. They are demanding a different sales process.`

Develop the best auto repair technical team you can….in the shortest amount of time. As a shop owner, the largest ROI you can gain right now is developing your technical team. Be the shop that can diagnose and fix the car right the first time. (JO)
Comeback rate cannot exceed X%. A threshold

Increase your labor rate – Set the stage for everyone that you are the best and should be compensated accordingly. (JO)
Know that your labor rate is covering your costs and allowing you to earn the correct dollars to cover all costs associated or margins you need to make.

Holiday referrals programs are great – give away Turkeys and Christmas Trees.(TW)
A gift drawing basket for the holidays. We did one for Easter where guests picked Easter eggs that had candy and A prize inside like a free oil service, wiper blades, tire rotations, and air filters. (MG)
Utilize the words “Hassle-Free” in your warranty (JO)
Use trigger words, but be sure you back it up. Put the customer first and the dollars will follow.

Mark uses what he calls an ‘Accountability Cards’ they’re similar to the courtesy door hangers you see in hotels when you first get into your room to tell you that everything has been checked for quality. (MG) DOWNLOAD Picture of the Card
Fire the person you know should be fired. (JO)
Don’t hold on to someone you know is not right for your team.
Open a spot to find the next perfect team member.

Watch the local pet shelter and randomly post a pet that needs a home. This will keep folks engaged on facebook (TW)
Run a competition on facebook and have your customers post their pets. (TW)
Fresh flowers weekly on the front counter. (MG)
Women are making up the majority of Marks customers.

Selfie, Selfie, Selfie – Get involved in your social posts and include all staff members with customers and focus on the market you want to dominate. (JO)
Get rid of your canned post and find all the real world situations that is going on around you.

Meet & Greets. Invite potential guests to the shop (no appointment needed) to meet the guys, see the shop (tour), before they book an appointment for their car. (MG)
Give the customer what they want without having to pick up the phone. (book now appointment, Chat with us, Text us, and pricing info online) (JO)
Interactive countertop displays that show how timing belts, transmissions, and brakes work. (MG)
Post one type of sports scores on facebook. baseball, Hockey, football. Keep it simple. Just the final score. Make yourself a resource. (TW)
Partnerships will be the key to future business. Strategic partnerships that will drive large volumes of business ie: RepairPal Certified Connecting with CarMax, Other strategic partnerships through your vendors. (JO)
Partner with 4 shops that are 9 miles to 15 miles apart. Pull your marketing dollars, do large events together. (TW)
Join a networking group like BNI and post on facebook about networking like Dave Toole. (TW) (BNI is the world’s largest referral network)

BONUS
Host ‘How to’ classes or car care clinics at your shop on Saturdays. (MG) Women’s Clinics and Middle School Automotive STEM Classes (CC)
Nice employee jackets with your company logos on them. Not the cheap ones either (MG)
Rewatch all 3 parts of this show. That’s 63 tips. Make 2019 your best year ever. (TW)

Todd Westerlund’s Challenge:
The first entry into Carm with 60 of the 68 tips discussed in the three parts, documented and authorized by Todd will win the $1,000 challenge. You will need to document via pictures or screenshots 60 of the tips. List the tip and show it implemented. Send an email of your completed challenge to Carm, HERE. You may have many of the tips already completed and you’ll just need to document them.
Resources:
Mark Goldsmith Accountability Card/Mirror Tag HERE.
Email Carm Capriotto with your challenge results HERE.
Books Page. Leaders Are Readers
Link to 21 Tips Part One HERE.
Link to 21 Tips Part Two HERE.

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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

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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