Posts by Carm Capriotto, AAP
RR 293: Brin Kline, AAM form Assured Auto Works
Shop Owner Stays on the Cutting Edge of Automotive Technology
Brin Kline owns Assured Auto Works in Melbourne, FL but never misses a technical training class presented by a top industry trainer. He can’t take the technician out of his business owners mindset.
Brin has set his goals to be a technical instructor at Vision KC some day. He works very hard on learning the technical side of the automotive. A proponent of day-time training and a member of many industry advisory councils like iATN and CTI.
Brin believes that every technician should take a business course to understand how business operates.
RR 292: Technician Round Table – Part 4 – Heipp – Landry – Fanslow – Meyers
Wide Open Discussion from Three Aftermarket Technicians and One Who Left the Industry.
As usual, these guys brought their opinionated selves to the interview, yet spoke from the heart about topics they are passionate about. Some no holds barred discussion points. There are times where there is no sugar coating and that is good to embrace all sides of an issue.
Matt Fanslow, Bob Heipp, Peter Landry and Tom Myers openly discuss some very hot and touchy subjects that affect all aftermarketer’s.
Just a few of the topics we discussed, shops charging for diagnostic time, opinions on social media, a discussion on augmented reality. They discuss that techs need to help the business owner make money, and therefore owners should share in the wealth. We talk about shop owners training their top and best-vested technicians and talk pay and benefits.
THA 049: How to Sell Diagnostics
How To Sell Diagnostics at a Profit?
This is not an easy question to answer. Service professionals must be paid for their expertise because the cost of doing diagnostics is the most expensive service you have in your building.
It is time to move from diagnostics to testing and analyzing. Every shop needs to build a premium product around testing and analyzing. You need to be known as the ‘we can fix anything right the first time shop’. Your motto: “We have the best technicians.” Your shops testing and analyzing skills is the premium product you sell and are known for in your marketplace. No need to go anywhere else. We do the research, test, analyze and discover what is wrong. We present the solution then you decide.
Marketing this premium product requires a strong testing/analyzing process that both the service advisor and technician are totally in agreement with. The benefits allow the SA to confidently sell testing and analyzing.
The diagnostician knows that the SA will sell the value and benefits to the customer because the process dictates the work to be done. A very strong discussion and powerful take-a-ways that will arrest the black hole in your business of profitable diagnostic time.
RR 291: Bambi Crozier from Car Clinic and ASOG
Changing the Image of the Industry; One Customer at a Time.
Bambi Crozier and her husband Neil own Car Clinic in Lowell, AR. They are dedicated to lifelong customer relationships and are working to change their customer’s image of the industry to that of a profession and not just a trade.
With her background in customer service, she and Neil set out on a mission of change. She started by asking her customer’s a lot of questions about their vehicle. She discovered that her customers wanted the down and dirty truth about their vehicle needs.
Listen to her story of startup and transformation. She knows that the rapid change in technology and the way tech is affecting how business is done today will require a smarter, wiser business owner. She believes in the power of the statement: ‘You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.’
RR 290: Al Haberstroh and Robert Cannon
Marketing To the Ultimate Customer. The Power of Video and the Zero Moment of Truth.
Al Haberstroh, a partner and Chief Strategy Officer at MontAd Media, a data marketing company serving the auto aftermarket and Robert Cannon, Chairman and CEO of AutoNetTV. Discuss building confidence and awareness in your consumer’s relationship.
These two companies have formed a strategic partnership to provide innovative content and marketing services to the aftermarket. They believe, “Macro trends like price transparency and more educated consumers are compelling smart manufacturers to connect with repair shops and consumers in creative ways.”
This conversation is going to light you up if you are into branding, marketing and the buying moment of truth. Al and Robert have a handle on the ‘e’ buying experience and look to work with the aftermarket to nurture a knowledgeable and brand conscious customer for the service professional.
THA 048: Grow Your Fleet Business | AMi Credit
Growth Strategy: Fleets
Fleet business can sustain your revenue during the up and down times of the year. Get started and be willing to change and adjust as you move along. These three experts agree that it may be time for you to ‘Get out of your comfort zone’ and jump into the fleet business.
Learn from Tom Palermo from Preferred Automotive Specialists in Jenkintown, PA, John Constantin from Bison Fleet Service in Buffalo, NY and Bill Nalu from Interstate Auto Care in Madison Heights, MI.
We talk how to recruit fleet customer, obvious reasons to get into fleet business, the how and the challenges of implementing and growing fleet revenue.
RR 289: Tony Adams from Weavers Auto Center
The Leadership Challenge
Tony Adams, Vice President of Operations at Weavers Auto Center in Shawnee, KS, has an inspiring story about change and leadership. Listening to stories like Tony’s, who have achieved success while toughing through challenges and learning from mistakes, can build strength in all who listen.
Tony admits to what all good leaders know; admit your mistakes, learn from them and move forward. It builds strong leadership. He shares his very transparent story. You’ll either relate to it or learn from it.
We all will experience a story like Tony’s at least once in our lives. Never stop learning and build a fire under your team to serve the customer.
RR 288: Jorge Antico from eAutoClub.com
Customer Transaction Data is a Powerful Resource for Organic Growth
With a business and computer science education, Jorge Antico identified the aftermarkets need for transactional service-data aggregation. In essence, a family-owned vehicle fleet service management system.
The data that sits on your server contains a treasure of information that can be served up in just the right way. With the right AI software for natural language predictive CRM, you can do a lot with your information. Antico shares the power of growing your business using the data you already own.
This episode will provide much insight, from a tech perspective. There are many strong thinking moments here that will energize your systems and marketing talents and inspire you to grow your business.
THA 047: Twenty-One TIPS to Get an Edge on the Competition – Part 2
Do you need a quick new idea to implement that will give you an edge?
In this Academy lesson get 21 TIPS (Part 2) to help give you an edge over the competition. These are some very simple ideas that have been collected from successful service professionals in the industry.
Implementation will be the big payoff. If you listen to learn just one thing and do not implement you will not benefit from this listen.
RR 287: Bill Haas – Millennials – How to Lead and Engage This Generation
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Hiring and Leading Millennials
Every twenty years or so a new generation of workers arrives. For many of us, we raised today’s Millennials or Generation Y. They are made up of the 22-40-year-old’s who number 79 million in the workforce; the largest segment.
If we are to seed our industry with youth and grow our own, we must look at the Millennial Generation. We must understand how to integrate them and nurture them into our workforce.
Each generation has its quirks. Gen Y is no different. Once you learn what moves and motivates them you’ll find it so much easier to accept and keep millennials motivated in your business culture. The lessons here works for all team members, but you’ll learn what really makes the Millennial tick and why they behave like they do.
RR 286: Robert ‘Dutch’ Silverstein from A & M Auto Service
A Formula for Improving Reputation and Customer Trust
Robert ‘Dutch’ Silverstein has owned A & M for 19 years and is passionate about building customers for life. This episode has a strong continuing message of trust and integrity. If you have customers for life, Dutch’s story will solidify your strategy, if you don’t have customers for life, Dutch’s passion will help you understand how you can build a consumer into a customer and then into a client.
This episode showcases many powerful strategies, like customer education, the elimination of technician commissions, the important need to lift our industries image and reputation and that integrity and honesty is the only rule, if not he says, ‘Don’t Operate At All’.
THA 046: Revving Up Your Business Culture | AMi Credit
Building a strong business culture can be one of the hardest things a business owner can do yet the most rewarding.
It is one of the key principles in the business that you cannot touch. It’s the soft stuff. For many, it is tough to get your hands around it. This academy panel does a great job explaining culture and shows you many ways to implement and lead it.
The power of a strong business culture can be one of your biggest differentiators as a business and a strong reason you attract top talent.
RR 285: Ryan Blair – Blair Automotive
Super Growth rate of 40% Has Its Challenges to Expense Control and Cash Flow.
Ryan Blair of Blair Automotive is a highly honored Audi technician and worked at an Audi dealership for eight years before deciding to start his own Audi/VW specialty shop.
As an independent, he has brought a high level of differentiation and a better than dealer experience to his customer. His new location was a perfect ground zero for his increased sales.
We find Ryan with big growing pains and a huge scale up when he moved into his new 12 bay facility. He has no regrets to get the shop where it is and admits he stretched and has personally guaranteed his expansion. Ryan has the perfect outlook and is building a strong business long into the future.
RR 284: Women In Auto Care Honorees
Women In Auto Care Honor Their Own.
The 2017 Honors for Auto Care Woman of the Year Laura Soave, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Federal-Mogul Motorparts, Female Shop Owner of the Year, Carolyn Coquillette, owner of Luscious Garage in downtown San Francisco and Auto Care Woman of Excellence, Jill Trotta, the Director of Automotive Group at Repair Pal.
The WIAC connect, empower and mentor women in our auto care industry. In 2017 they provided educational scholarships worth $65,000. More on that inside this fun and inspiring episode.
THA 045: Installing Customers Parts – A Discussion | AMi Credit
This panel’s perspective is meant to excite a dialogue, to present ideas and concepts to support your decision or to inspire you to take a stand; one way or the other.
This topic is a worthy discussion because of the growth rate of e-commerce part availability, transparency in pricing, and ease of self-diagnosis on the internet.
At risk can be your reputation based on the quality of part being installed. You own the cause of their concern. This panel has not gotten one new great customer from ever installing parts for walk-in customers.
RR 283: Bob Rodriguez – Legacy Industry Trainer
Bob Rodriguez is a legacy aftermarket professional who spent 18 years as a technical training instructor and the training manager at Robert Bosch in Broadview IL. Bob was instrumental in finding better ways to provide training that went beyond the ‘beer and pretzels’ evening offerings by some vendors at the time’.
Bob drops a lot of names and organization he’s worked with and for. He’s worked for a number of well-known Tier 1 and aftermarket companies (including Bosch, Lincoln Technical Institute, ASE, Mopar CAP and others) and has chaired training committees for a wide-ranging group of aftermarket associations.
RR 282: Jennifer Maher from TechForce – Technician Shortage – Solution Update
Moving Forward With a Solution to the Technician Shortage
Jennifer Maher, CEO and Executive Director of Techforce Foundation in her second interview on the podcast brings you the important updates to the Future Tech Success Campaign.
She outlines how you can help and explains the value of the iHUB repository of information, data and resources you will need to help at the grassroots level.
Discover the outcome of the case study done in the Phoenix school system. Learn how due diligence on our education system will make waves for the future technicians that are in the education system now.
All of us who earn our living in the aftermarket must get involved. Find important links to ‘raise your hand’ to help on the show notes page.
THA 044: The Importance of Back Office Operations – Part 1
The Power Center of your Business is in the Back Office.
In this Part One Amy Mattinat, Jacquie Walter Hower, Maryann Croce and Kim Auernheimer discuss controls, operations and accounting/finance.
Highlights: Cash accountability, bank statements, trust and verify. The three stages of a business and the power of communication. With good systems, you can find where any breakdown occurred. Also discussed is team buy-in, QuickBooks, keeping good records, budgeting and cash flow.
RR 281: Auto Care Impact Award- Four For The Future 2017
Impact Award Honoree’s In 2017 Share Their Aftermarket Story.
The Auto Care Association annually honors four aftermarket professionals, age 40 or younger, who have made remarkable contributions to the auto care industry. The Impact Award: Four for the Future, was created in 2010 and is administered by the Auto Care Association Marketing and Communications Committee.
The 2017 award winners are Sarah Shelstrom from Integrated Supply Network, Katina Wall from STP at Spectrum Brands, Kyle Byrne from the Merrill Company and Chris Pacey from National Performance Warehouse.
We talk about the impact of technology, the elephant in the room, insights, recruiting talent into the industry and the trends they see affecting the aftermarket.
RR 280: Eric Svedberg and Rex Cate from Automotive Specialists
Shop Owner Shares His ‘Grow Your Own’ Technician Training Program
Eric Svedberg from Automotive Specialists in Virginia Beach, VA is in the AAPEX 17 studio with his millennial technician Rex Cate. The conversation gets deep into the recruitment of Rex (he worked at Panara), his training program, his annual review, and how Eric is integrating Rex into his business.
Now four years into the training program there are no regrets on either side. Rex says that there are many millennials like him out there looking for a chance.
THA 043: Book Club – Favorite Books That Have Made Me A Better Leader/CEO
Books That Have Made Me a Better Leader and CEO
Harry Truman said, “Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers.” Our Academy panel will share with you the books that have impacted them. They’ll explain their big take-a-ways that have impacted their lives both personal and business.
Many service professionals, that have shared their story on the podcast, credit books as an important resource for building their knowledge on leadership, business culture and personal growth.
RR 279: Wheat Ridge High School STEM Program – Auto Shop on Steroids
Where did high school auto shop class go? Into the STEM program at Wheat Ridge High School.
A college-level program at the high school level is challenging 80 students to learn design, manufacturing, marketing, media, electrical, welding, fabrication with a competitive will to win as a collective team.
An exciting a refreshing look at how just one high school STEM program is making a difference that could one day engage students to join the automotive industry. This group has won the challenge twice in the last three years.
They are also working on a two-person NASA Mars vehicle that must fold up into a 5x5x5 foot space.
I Just Want a Simple Cup of Black Coffee!
RR 278: Emerging Technology – How Will the Aftermarket Prepare – Service EDU @ AAPEX17
Trends, Current Issues and Outlooks On the Future of the Service Sector
Shop owner Ryan Clo, Trainer Dave Hobbs and Diagnostician Matt Fanslow share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges that make up the dynamic and changing aftermarket.
Don’t miss the discussion on training, business models, technician pay, business culture, specialization, and the changing role of the shop owner.