Archive for October 2017
RR 271: Jim Morton – Aftermarket Trainer and ATC Educator
Shop Owner Turned Mobile Diagnostician and Post-Secondary Instructor Loves To Teach Our Future Technicians.
Jim Morton from Morton’s Automotive Technical Services (MATS), and educator at the Automotive Training Center (ATC) in Warminster, PA has a BIG passion for training.
Jim is a sought-after national aftermarket trainer at expos around the country including NACAT, CARS, TST Big Event, VISION KC, Automechanika, and ASA. In October 2017, he taught a diagnostics class at the ASA-PA Super Saturday event and we were able to sit for this interview.
Jim is so genuine and thankful for the opportunity to be an educator in the aftermarket and for ATC. He has impacted many students and helped professionals over the years. He is proud to have the students tell him years later that he really knows what he was talking about! Strange how that happens and better to hear it firsthand from a former student.
Listen and view episode notesRR 270: Leon Anderson from Integrity Auto Care
Shop Owner Finds The Holy Grail of Shop Success: Training.
Leon Anderson from Integrity Auto in South Beloit, IL credits training and more training for his success. It wasn’t always like that. He now provides hundreds of hours a year in training for his technicians and service writer.
Catering to women and baby boomers this WIX Filters’ Driving Performance Award Winner in 2016 says he hires people for their head, heart and hands. Integrity is not just the shop’s name but it is what they practice every day.
He credits his business coach and management seminars in improving his business success. He says the DVI system helps the sales process and that written goal posters are important to Leon and his whole team.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 038: Is the Goal to Bring Cars Into the Bay or Clients Into the Business?
Are you viewing your client and their car as one?
There are too many disruptions in the industry that drives big reasons to hold strong relations with your customer. Understanding your customer and their vehicle as ‘one life condition’ is the foundation of this Academy discussion.
Jeremy O’Neal, Greg Buckley and Jason Malo discuss the power of moving from transactional to ‘relationship holding values’.
They say future technology will minimize the number of calls that come in the shop, therefore, you cannot see the vehicle without seeing the customer. It must be personal.
There are plenty of cars to repair, and you must maximize your staff’s training and extract their intelligence to move your business to new heights and even into other markets. They conclude that the culture of the shop creates the clients.
Listen and view episode notesRR 269: ASA-Pennsylvania ‘Super Saturday’ – Training Event
Business Management and Technical Training Converge at ASA-PA Super Saturday Event.
This single day event in Warminster, PA featured a technician and business owner training track for east coast aftermarket professionals. Modeled after the TST Big Event and Vision Kansas City, you’ll get a behind the scenes feel with the Chairman and co-chairmen as they talk about the need and value of continuous training.
On top of this formative interview catch, all the names that are dropped and see the show notes to find interviews from the trainers, vendors and shop owners that have their own interview on the podcast.
Listen and view episode notesRR 268: Scott Wheeler from Automotive Consultants Group
Let’s Do Some Math on the Foundations of a Million Dollar a Year Shop.
As a 36 years industry veteran and he’s been a business coach for the last 17 Scott Wheeler holds numerous ASE credentials and we jump into some extremely important topics of discussion that will have you engaged and shaking your head slowly up and down as you will relate to many of our key talking points.
Don’t shy away from the financial discussion. These are some of the most critical topics for a successful business. Life is a big math problem and we do some of it here.
From the tech shortage to learning leadership qualities and the extreme importance of good financial statements Scott Wheeler covers a broad range of important aftermarket subjects.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 037: Multiple Labor Rates & Matrix Parts Margins in your SMS
Multiple Labor Rates Can Make A Shop Competitive Depending On Jobs. It Is Easy To Set Up Parts Matrixes On Your SMS.
A big fear in our industry is we fear someone questioning our price. We need to be proud of why and what we do. We must understand the value we do for our customer.
Understanding how parts matrix’s work in your SMS and understanding the strategy behind it will improve your parts margins overnight. Also, parts pricing transparency in the industry may change parts margins in the future.
Become the CEO of your company and you’ll start to see the differences in your sales, costs and profits when you pay attention to what the CEO must do for the company.
Listen and view episode notesRR 267: Brian Bates from Eagle Automotive
Your Business Model Needs to Be Fluid and Flexible as Tech and Business Transformations Abound.
Brian Bates from Eagle Automotive in Littleton, CO is a multi-store operation where the strength of his business culture and leadership is based on firm values and integrity.
Brian points out that leaders are not born and being a great leader can be learned. Studying leadership is your most important role as a business owner. You must learn how to be a great leader. He’s built his business based the relationship he has with his team and how they function as an organization. He says, “Customers can feel that.”
An early adopter of Digital Vehicle Inspections a member of the NAPA advisory team and his local Business Development Group has helped influence his business success.
Listen and view episode notesRR 266: Patrick McHugh from Bimmer Rescue, Richmond, VA
Customer Avatar, Art Shows, Student Automotive STEM Classes are just a small part of this Unique Specialty Shop.
Patrick McHugh from Bimmer Rescue in Richmond, VA took a few twists and turns in his career before starting Bimmer Rescue. Patrick shares the unlikely evolution from jet pilot to shop owner.
He is a strong marketer and big thinker. From the days of working on the neighbor’s toasters to tinkering with a 1985 BMW Patrick’s path to service professional was paved with his love of how things worked.
Listen and view episode notesRR 265: Kevin Hurley from Mission Viejo Transmissions & Auto Repair & Girls In The Garage
Women Power. The Story behind “Girls In The Garage”
Kevin Hurley had no automotive background when he was recruited to work at an AMMCO transmission store. He grew it to be number one out of 900 in the country. He had a knack for success.
After building a partnership network of transmission stores Kevin settled on one eleven bay shop and that is his showcase for Girls In The Garage; one of the most unique women’s car care clinics in the country.
Kevin tells you his startup story with Girls In The Garage and the evolution to what it is today. If you just pick up one smart or cool idea and you start your women’s clinics, you will have made a great move to help lift the image of our beloved aftermarket.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 036: Ten Reasons For Buying Technician Tools
Is Tradition Preventing Shop Owners From Buying Technician Tools? FACT: Shop Owners Are Already Paying For Their Employee Tools, And At A Super Inflated Premium With A Ton Of Interest To Boot.
This Academy panel feels that making employees supply tools is an outdated tradition, based on poor understanding of economics and is commonplace for all the wrong reasons.
We cover a lot of ground including the debt load carried by technicians, tool truck time, improved retention and loyalty. We talk side work, and how to approach starting this new strategy. The panel agrees it takes more than just money to retain top talent.
When the shop provides all the specialty tools you need to have them cataloged so everyone knows where they are located to prevent wasted time finding them. In the end, what is in the best interest for your shop will guide how you tackle this.
Listen and view episode notesRR 264: Steve Ciabattoni – Credit Card Compliance
Are You In Compliance with Credit Card Regulations As It Relates to Chip Cards?
Steve Ciabattoni from 360 Payments explains the regulations for EMV, the chip cards. We also discuss contracts, processing fees and who makes the real money in credit card processing.
An important episode to help evaluate your relationship and what to look for in a processor. Steve gives a tip on the best fee structure, equipment leasing and the future of credit card processing. He also is outspoken on the link between the chip reader and your SMS.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 035: Supplier Loyalty- The Service Professional Perspective
The Strength of Supplier Loyalty is Based in Relationships and Providing the Needs of the Service Professional.
This team of service professionals shared their views on supplier loyalty and how their first call supplier has earned that position. Bill Nalu, John Bridgwater and John Eppstein bring their insights as shop owners to the discussion.
Having a strong first call relationship is earned by the supplier. The panel discusses trust, part quality, service, warranty, and training as all incumbent reasons they support their supplier.
Listen and view episode notesRR 263: Jason Servidio – VP Transformers Institute
Do You Have a Sales Culture or an Automotive Culture At Your Service Counter?
Jason Servidio, Vice-President of Transformers Institute found his calling as a service advisor. He then realized his passion for teaching sales training. Today he teaches service advisors how to be at the top of their craft.
Learn about sales technics that advisors need to master, what qualities to look for when hiring a service advisor and how to measure ROI on service advisor training. Jason shares what to do when the customer says no and why marketing money is wasted if the sales counter is not great at making long-term customers out of marketing campaigns.
Jason also shares his simple yet important retention tactic. He also shares his view of the number of service advisors to technicians need to run a successful relationship building shop.
Listen and view episode notes