Dominate Your Market – Own the Two Mile Zone [THA 151]

The Panel” Bryan Gossel, BG Automotive, Fort Collins, CO Sue Morsching, Elysian Auto Service, Elysian, MN Heather DePriest, American Garage Chinook, Montana Talking Points  The CEO’s responsibility is to make the phone ring. You must create a year-long marketing calendar to help prepare (anticipate) for special events, seasons, holidays, etc Compare your numbers from each…

Matt Fanslow – Kobayashi Maru – Lessons From Star Trek [FTR 77]

Matt Fanslow is the diagnostic tech/shop manager at Riverside Automotive in Red Wing, MN. His primary responsibilities are to diagnose driveability and electrical/electronic issues, and perform most all programming, coding, initializing, adoptions, etc. Basically, if it needs to be figured out or has wires, it goes to Matt. He’s been a tech since 1996. Matt is also…

RR 494: Women In Auto Care 2019 Honorees

 The winners of the 2019 Women of the Year Awards are: Auto Care Woman of the Year: Jennifer Maher, Chief Executive Officer, TechForce Foundation and America’s Automotive Trust Auto Care Woman of Excellence: Cindy Frasca, Chief Operating Officer, Kukui Female Shop Owner of the Year: Jamie Carlson, Owner, Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid…

THA 150: Three Financial Challenges – Coaches Perspective

David Justice has been an auto care professional for over 30 years. He grew up in the family business working for his father. At, a young age David purchased his father’s business and went on his own. Over the years David had multiple Shell Gas stations. Find David’s other episodes HERE. Cecil Bullard is President of the Institute for…

RR 493: Do More of 2020 – Goals – Standards

RR 493 Do More in 2020

Since 2020 is on our doorstep you may just write down a few thoughts that get sparked by this discussion. The whole idea here is to share this with you so you can work toward greatness. If you are successful, I know you work at it and strive to get better each day. I also know your fuel comes from learning new things and inspiration from others.

This discussion originated as a CarmCast broadcast live on my Facebook Page. I thought it so good I wanted to share on Remarkable Results Radio My panel is Tom Palermo from Preferred Automotive Specialists and Danny Sanchez from AutoShop Solutions. I asked ‘What are you going to more of in 2020?’ The result was so good that I wanted to share their insights with a much larger audience, hence releasing it here as an RRR podcast.

RR 492: YouTube – Benefit or Burden Part 2

RR 492: Youtube – Benefit or Burden Part 2

Welcome to the second installment of Youtube: Benefit or Burden Part 2. As you go through this episode you’ll discover the stimulus for this discussion. There are many passionate people on both sides of the value of YouTube as it relates to auto repair.

The episode’s expert guests include: Paul Danner, ‘Scanner Danner’ fame, Brin Kline, shop owner and member of Trained By Techs, Shop owner and Technician Michael Broccolo, from Rochester, NY Sara Fraser from Hass Performance Consulting and Matt Fanslow shop manager and lead diagnostician Riverside Automotive.

You’ll hear some sparks fly as the passion for training and quality diagnosis was front and center. The debate over the words diagnostic vs testing was prominent and the real facts that many shops are not really diagnosing they are retrieving a fault code and using statistical diagnostics therefore shooting the parts cannon and in many cases not doing right by the customer.

THA 149: Top Financial Challenges to Overcome – Shop Owner Perspective

THA 149Top Financial Challenges to Overcome- An Owners Perspective

We’re serving up a strong discussion on Financial Challenges with me are shop owners John Long, Schertz Automotive, Schertz, TX, Tom Ham, Auto Centric, Grand Rapids, MI and Andy Massoll, Detroit Garage, Farmington, MI

You may not be surprised as to the big take-a-way from this episode. It is only logical and will have a huge impact on your business immediately. The panel agrees that your family needs to be on board with any financial decision you make in the business. You’ll get advice on what to do if you get into financial trouble, also the power of sharing your financial status with your team and if you are in financial trouble, you are not alone.

RR 491: Warren Parr – Diagnostic & Intensive Labor Rates – Why and How I Did It

RR 491: Warren Parr – Diagnostic & Intensive Labor Rates – Why and How I Did It

Warren is bringing a practical view of calculating your diagnostic labor rate. He is completely changing his earnings/profit structure by having a diag labor rate that is based on his real need to make the correct gross margin because diag time rarely sells parts.

He also explains his ‘intensive labor’ rate as it relates to big-ticket items. Warren Parr was on a while back talking to you about his PICO Scope Club that was RR episode 485.

I did an episode with Vin Waterhouse on this very subject. It was episode 471. It is one thing to have a lesson from a coach, but another to hear from a shop owner who has put this teaching into practical use.

Technician Round Table – Part 8 – Loyalty – Heipp – Landry – Fanslow [RR 490]

RR 490: Technician Talk – Part 8 – Loyalty

This outspoken trio ponders on how loyalty is defined, how it can be earned and how it can be supported. M guests for Tech Talk 8 are Bob Heipp, Peter Landry and Matt Fanslow.

Loyalty is not limited to the team, they say, it goes way beyond to the customers, stakeholders, suppliers, and even the community. They give their thoughts on creating loyal customers. They even talk about getting a label of being dis-loyal.

This is a long one but well worth the listen even if it takes you a couple of sessions.

THA 148: Generating Repeat Business

THA 148 Generating Repeat Business

We are talking marketing, mining and relationships with Kelli Weatherby, Accurate Automotive Mesa, AZ with husband Lee and David Roman from Done With Care – Auto Repair, Merriam, KS

Kelli and David shook the trees as it relates to the all-important follow-up visits, referrals, texting, emails, customer shop tours, mystery shoppers, the importance of using your own organic content for your emails and social posts.

RR 489: Louis Altazan – Total Quality Management Comes From Great Processes-Systems

RR 489: Louis Altazan – Total Quality Management Comes From Great Processes-Systems

Louis Altazan, President of AGCO Automotive Repair Service – Baton Rouge, LA. Louis has also studied under Dr. W. Edwards Demming the father of Quality Management. He has a lot of expertise and experience to show us regarding the processes that we need to run a successful quality shop.

This episode shows you the importance of a quality system in place. It is also useful to use Demming’s quality revolution as pointed out by Louis who served as a student of Dr. W. Edwards Demming, a renowned father of Quality Management. Louis also shares with us the 14 principles of Total Quality Management.

RR 488: Bill Hanvey and Paul McCarthy AAPEX 2019

RR 488: Bill Hanvey and Paul McCarthy Builds A Strong Commitment to the Service Professional

My guests today are the aftermarkets leading advocates and voices; Bill Hanvey, President, and CEO of the AutoCare Association and Paul McCarthy, President of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). Both are leading the industry towards a brighter tomorrow!

As AAPEX 2019 began we were told of a renewed commitment to the service professional. It is evident with the announcement that Repair Shop HQ will be a stand-alone venue at AAPEX 2020. It will be a homecoming event for all in the industry. My guest’s organizations jointly lead point on AAPEX as one of the world’s largest aftermarket events.

In this episode, you also hear Bill and Paul share some cool behind the scenes stuff from AAPEX and hear about the keynote speaker President Bush, and you’ll get a sense of the size and scope of the industry you earn your living in.

Both AutoCare and AASA are running hard on Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice. Initiative. You must, I repeat MUST get involved. While you are listening, if you aren’t in your vehicle, get to the internet key in yourcaryourdata.org and complete the petition. Also, get your customers involved. Get this story told; this will affect your business and your customer’s ownership of their data. We need millions of signatures. If you ‘ve ever thought of helping your industry, completing this petition is one of the most important things you can do. Yourcaryourdata.org

RR 487: Joe Register – Will You Be at the Forefront of Technology?

RR 487: Joe Register – Will You Be at the Forefront of Technology?

Joe Register, Vice-President Emerging Technologies at Auto Care. Joe has over 40 years of experience delivering progressive system solutions to companies in every channel of the Automotive Aftermarket. You owe it to yourself to listen to Joe’s previous two episodes 381 and 442.

This episode shows you that there is no hiding from technology. Adapt or Fade. Joe reiterates standardization, immersive perception tech, ADAS, Dedicated Short Range, Security, Safety, Communication, 5G, Re-Calibration, OE operating specs, and so many more.

Joe says that Technicians must continue to train because of the new tech coming. They will have great job security. Shops will need to charge enough to pay for access, systems, and their communication diagnostician specialist to get the vehicle back into OE operating specs.

RR 486: Dan Taylor – Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Leads to High Performing Companies – Part 3

RR 486: Dan Taylor – Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Leads to High Performing Companies – Part 3

There are 4 pillars that make our discussion stand today. These pillars are the ones that solidify the company’s cultural EQ. These are personal behavior, empathy, accountability, and training.

I’m once again with Dan Taylor on our 3rd episode on the power of emotional intelligence or most commonly called EQ. This is a big topic. Welcome to the third part of our emotional intelligence series.

So glad to bring you episodes that make you think and self evaluate. If you have any type of leadership role these EQ episodes are for you. Also, see Part 2 in Episode 474 and Part 1 in Episode 461.

THA 146: The Value of Twenty Groups

THA 146 – The Value of Twenty Groups

If you are a struggling shop, I’d like to introduce you to three shop owners who were in your position once. They climbed out to find great success. One of the tactics was to join a twenty group.

Keep in mind that so many struggling shops discovered the way out of their situation just in time before they closed the doors. Two of my guests are not bashful to say they were on the brink of failure.
With me on the Academy is: Judi Haglin, Haglin Automotive, Boulder, CO, Lisa Eckler, Foreign Car Specialists, Poughkeepsie, NY, John Eppstein, John’s Automotive Care, San Diego, CA and Keith Williamson, Williamson’s Repair and Tire, Bondurant, IA

Listen to this team as they point out that they didn’t know what they didn’t know and their discovery came by being with their industry colleagues in a twenty group. Many in the group have special strengths, will hold you accountable and can provide you a different view of your pathway to remarkable results than you ever thought of yourself.

RR 485: Warren Parr – Learning and Innovating with the PicoScope Club

RR 485 – Warren Parr – Learning and Innovating With a PicoScope Club

My guest today is Warren Parr, owner of Complete Car Care in Fresno, CA. He is an advisor at a Junior College Automotive Program and is involved in 6 different high schools. In this episode, Warren talks about the Pico Club. It is a monthly club of shop owners and technicians that share PicoScope case studies.

Find the show notes and Warren Parr’s email at remarkableresults.biz/e485. He says that the Pico Clubs has allowed their members to be more accurate and faster with their diagnostics

Warren and the team are discovering infinite ways to use the Pico Scope in smart and genius ways through the Pico Club. Imagine everyone united for the same purpose to learn from each other. I challenge you to create this club in your area and reach out to technicians and educators in your marketplace. The limit is your imagination.

RR 484: Jim Silverman – Attracting, Leading, and Growing Our Young Talent

RR 484 – Jim Silverman – Attracting, Leading, and Growing Our Young Talent

There are a lot of ways to engage our young generation in our beloved aftermarket and keep them. We can create a more team-oriented environment and have creative pay bonuses and rewards to match their desire and work ethic.

My Guest, Jim Silverman, the Director of National Accounts for ATI Automotive Training Institute, brings his years of ‘been there and done that’ wisdom and delivers an enlightening discussion that includes building a reverse pyramid in your org chart, and challenges you to think about replacing yourself. Are you interviewing for your replacement? Think about it, It may take years to do this, but you need to start now. Jim Silverman explains.

We discussed the innovative things to entice our younger generation to work with us. Designing creative pay and bonuses, bolstering teamwork, supporting employees, and devising an awesome succession plan! It’s time to reverse the cycle and adapt to the new age as we embrace our younger generation to take the mantle from us!

THA 145: The Extreme Value of Shop Tours Part 2

THA 145 Shop Tour Part 2

This is our second year in a row to visit a shop in Las Vegas at the end of Industry Week. We were welcomed with open arms at Ted Wien’s Tire and Auto. Our gracious host Jennifer Wiens not only shared her thoughts on the episode but presented a great tour of her facility.

Remember shop tours go both ways. It is good to take them, but also important to host them. You can learn from both. Be open, honest and constructive and benefit from the investment of your time to learn from your peers.

You’ll learn the value of shop tours from these guests,

Our host, Jennifer Wien, Ted Wiens Tire and Auto, Host, Las Vegas, NV
John Long, Shertz Automotive, Shertz, TX
David and Jeanie Light
Eric and Jammie Carlson, Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid
Frank Scandura, Franks European, Las Vegas
Vic Tarasik, Shop Owner Coach

RR 483 – Managing On-Line Reviews – Kim Walker and Mitch Meier

RR 483 – Kim Walker and Mitch Meier – The Importance of Managing On-Line Reviews

Everyone hates to get a negative review. But the worst thing you do is to ignore them or lash back at them.

My panel does an excellent job of putting reviews into perspective and how to deal with them. With me is Kim Walker from Shop Marketing Pros and Mitch Meier from Broadly bring an impressive dialogue on the importance of how we handle reviews.

As aftermarket pros, we always want five-star reviews, but life happens and we get the occasional 1, 2, 3, or 4-star review. What do we do, how do we follow up and what does the consumer think when they see anything less than a five. We look deep into review management.