This Academy Panel says Social Media is the Most Important Marketing Tools at your Disposal.

Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg, Greg Buckley and Ron Haugen discuss their views on the power of social media. They talk about the value of posting, how they do it, the frequency, and where they get content. The panel discusses the long term viability of websites and the growth and power of Facebook and Google into the future.

Greg Buckley shares his five “E’s”: Educate, Engage, Entertain, Entice and Elevate as it relates to Social Media. Ron Haugen shares his inspirations for posts and a sure method to grow your likes.

A commitment to Lean Process Improvement will yield a better customer experience.

Lean processes minimize technician activity outside of their work bay, creates uniformity in all communication pieces between service writers and technicians, can benefit the shop by hiring alternative staff for cleaning needs throughout the shop.

Lean also help you realize the value in the placement of equipment throughout the shop space and why it makes for a more efficient operation. Be sure to match the correct technician to every job when possible, play to their strengths … and so much more.

How to Improve Employee Loyalty and create engaged team members.

Listen to Ryan Clo, Dwayne Myers and Jude Larson talk about the power of gratitude, the importance of sharing your vision, creating a powerful work environment, the value of training for personal improvement, pay and bonus programs, mentoring and why you need to share your numbers.

Do you have a customer avatar, a profile of your ideal customer?

Listen to this great lesson on customer retention and marketing from Gene Morrill, Ron Haugen and Maylan Newton as they bring to the forefront, customer marketing budgets and a yearlong plan, social media, special events, car care clinics and digital service reminder.

Many great ideas to jump start or re-invent your customer retention strategy.

Expense Control and Other Money Saving Ideas. This Town Hall Academy hits on budgets, expense control being a team effort, expense leakage, delegating certain tasks, When an expense is not an expense and developing relationships in the community among other key cost reduction ideas.

What Keeps You Up At Night? Is a metaphor on what we are concerned with as the world changes at unprecedented speeds.

You need to get out ahead of change and set the vision for your company. Paying attention to every business opportunity and challenge along with technology, business culture and finding and keeping good people helps you sleep well. The occasional 2 AM get up ‘thought’ just may signal an important strategy to pay attention to.

Your Website – Tactics to improve Traffic and other Tech Talk as discussed by two industry experts, Danny Sanchez from Auto Shop Solutions and Todd Westerlund, CEO of Kukui. Along with shop owners Ryan Clo from Dubwerx in Cincinnati, OH and Doug Grills from Autostream in the Greater Baltimore/Washington, DC area.

Great talk on being mobile, Google Analytics, SEO, review marketing being sure your site converts customers, website design, analytics and call tracking, and working with Google Premier Partners.

Car Care Clinics for Women: Why do them and What is the Benefit to the Shop?

Learn from aftermarket professionals that understand the women customer and have held successful women events.
Get the Why, Who, What, When and How to run a successful Women’s event at your professional shop.

Do the consumers, technicians and shop owners appreciate the value ASE brings to the aftermarket? This Academy forum takes on this question.

Join ASE’s Trish Serratore and shop owners Amy Mattinat and Eric Carlson in an important discussion on the value proposition of ASE. We talk consumer education, the importance of messaging from the top down has a big factor if the technicians will keep up their certifications and become a Master Technician. The discussion flows to consumer awareness and the new ASE site geared to consumer knowledge and awareness of ASE.

ASE has been around since 1972. They are the only industry driven credentials in the industry. Getting behind ASE certifications will be a strong differentiator as technology and the skilled workforce

Is Your Customer Service Exceptional? Need to Lead in Your Market?

The Academy panel discusses a commitment to customer service that must start from a quality business culture or code of conduct. Learn about certain tactics that will make your shop stand at the top of the list as you show your customer uncompromising differentiation.

These industry colleagues agree to never ignore and learn from a bad review.

Bad reviews do happen and these are great learning moments for the entire company. Every segment of the company is under scrutiny with a bad review. From business culture, your customer service commitment, your processes, procedures and systems.

It is also important to be sure you are doing business with your ideal customer. Not every customer was meant to do business with you. Create your ‘avatar’ customer and stick to it.

Having a strong training culture is an important discussion point in this Town Hall Academy.

There are many choices for aftermarket technical training. Technicians need to schedule a minimum one major event a year. Our panel of experts touch on the need for training policies, budgets and supporting the vendors that make these events affordable. Also discussion points on Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo and Automechanika.

Preparing Your Business For Sale brings real world experience from a shop owner that just sold his business, one that is starting his succession plan and a business coach and consultant to bring the objective and metrics to this discussion.

Join Gary Plimmer, Ron Haugen and Bob Greenwood for this very frank and game changing Academy forum.

The service adviser has an important role in the automotive service industry.

Listen to a discussion with Ron Haugen from Westside Auto Pros in Des Moines Iowa and John Epstein from John’s Automotive Care in San Diego, CA.

Why should advisers understand and monitor their benchmarks, establish goals, and have access to them? They need to be able to connect with a broad range of people and personalities to include the customers, fellow coworkers and vendors. Service advisers also need to be able to stay calm under pressure and handle all the minor details. Many more learning moments presented by your industry colleagues.

Resolutions are set at the beginning of the year and broken within weeks. This discussion from your industry peers shows how to create and hold on to your resolutions/goals and make things happen.

Join Barry Barrett Director of Training at RLO, Bill Nalu owner of Interstate Auto care in Madison Heights, MI and Jerry Kubitsky from Summit Transmission of La Mesa, CA

All business strives to build customer Loyalty.

In this episode we talk with Jody DeVere, CEO of Ask Patty, shop owner Greg Skolnik from Motor Works in Rockville, MD and John Eppstein owner of John’s Automotive Care in San Diego, CA.

Jody, Greg and John shared their tactics and strategies to build a loyal customer following.