Service Professional Series Archives

ASE Educational Foundation [RR 630]

Many of us support education at the high school and college level giving of our time, guidance, and advice to advisory boards. If you are not I highly recommend getting involved. There are not enough independent voices on advisory boards. This is an important show where you will learn the role of the ASE Education Foundation in our schools and who is the biggest poachers of technician talent.

Find the key talking points for this episode at remarkableresults.biz/e630

Managing Family Business Dynamics [THA 218]

Too often we are subject to the stereotypes associated with family working in business together…favoritism, entitlement, a cloudy culture. But with a clearly defined role, you can actually celebrate having family involved and enjoy watching your business flourish. My panel shares their wisdom on walking the fine line integrating family into your business.

The panel: Judy Walter, Zimmerman’s Automotive, Mechanicsburg, PA
John Klarkowski, AutoPro Auto Service, Brooklyn Park, MN
Joe Hanson, Gordies Garage, Roseville, MI.

Find the key talking points at remarkableresults.biz/a218

From Hobby to Drift Racing Career with Matthew Haugen [RR 628]

Has your love of cars turned from hobby to career? Was it on the backburner as you pursue other ventures but somehow you always circled back to it? In this episode with 28 year old Matthew Haugen we learn his journey from being a baby in diapers trying to take off the wheels of his dad’s corvette, to becoming a professional drifter and successful YouTube influencer, with a special trip to Japan in between. Find out how he did it!

Find the key talking points for this episode at remarkableresults.biz/e628

Auto Repair in the Decade of the Nineties [THA 217]

It’s quite fitting this episode is being released on a Thursday…because it is the quintessential #throwbackthursday. My panel is taking a trip down memory lane in the 1990’s…the era of OBD2 and the huge shift in technology. Change is never easy but it is always a necessity, hear how my guests handled the changes and adapted in order to move forward. You can watch the video of this episode and find the key talking points at remarkableresults.biz/a217

How to Have a Four Day Work Week with Eric Henley [RR 627]

As a shop owner, how does a 4 day a week schedule sound to you? Would you like some extra time with family and friends? In this episode find out how Eric Henley
from H-Teck Auto Care does it! Be careful, you might free up some quality time!

The key talking points for this episode that make for a great meeting agenda reside at remarkablersults.biz/e627

Chris Cotton and Shop Tour at Midwest Performance – Andy Bizub [AW 046]

Guest Host Chris Cotton from AutoFix SOS discusses hiring. Shop owner Andy Bizub provides a virtual shop tour from one of his Midwest Performance shops in Chicago, IL Trivia Challenge: The Most Expensive Car in 2021. Listen for the fortune cookie wisdom of the week

A Very Personal Story with Kevin Eckler [RR626]

A Very Personal Story with Kevin Eckler [RR 626]

Do you see good in people when they don’t? Do you have a heart for people that struggle? Do you try to pull out qualities from good people?” If you answered yes to these questions then you know what it’s like to invest emotionally into friends, family and employees.

In this transparent episode, Kevin Eckler, from Foreign Car Specialists in Poughkeepsie, NY explains a situation in his business that pulled at his heartstrings but also hurt his business culture. Kevin takes you on a journey that changed him and his business. A very personal story.

Find the key talking points for this episode at remarkableresults.biz/e626

Employee Review Process with Bryan Kelley [RR 625]

Employee Review …two dreaded words for both the owner and the employee. But, with my guest Bryan Kelley’s unique approach it might be something everyone looks forward to. Bryan owns Valley Automotive Electric, Covington, WA, and is the ASA Northwest President. Brian and I did an episode on Hiring practices in Feb 2021 episode 611 and is the perfect pairing to this episode.

In this episode, we dive into a role reversal with employee reviews. Should it always be the owner that does the reviews? Are they the ones observing the day-to-day pulse of the business? Some are … some not. What if the employee reviews were done with everyone in the business as a collective group once a week? The culture of your business is dependent on the attitudes of your employees. It’s time to sit back and listen to what your people have to say.

Mitch Schneider and Shop Tour at Mark’s Independent with Colleen Yarger [AW 045]

Guest Host Mitch Schneider from Mitch’s World and Misfire the Book. Virtual Shop Tour by Colleen Yarger, owner of Mark’s Independent in Chatsworth, CA. Trivia Challenge: What did Ford Motor Company introduce as an audio option in 1965? Listen for the fortune cookie wisdom of the week

Lessons on 3rd Generation Family, Networking and the Front Counter- Steve Mancinelli [RR 623]

Lessons on 3rd Generation Family, Networking and the Front Counter [RR 623]

I caught up with Steve Mancinelli, AMAM, who proudly wears the scars of battle as a 3rd generation shop owner. Family business, networking, and learning how to run a great business are challenges we all face and Steve shares his many moves through the labyrinth of barriers that got him to where he is today. In his section of Denver, there have been 6 shops and 23 service bays have closed since the pandemic hit. Either they liquidated, retired, or moved due to high rent in the downtown area during the pandemic. Besides many wise thoughts, Steve talks about women at the front counter.

The key talking points reside at remarkablersults.biz/e623.

Chris Cloutier – 20 Questions in 30 Minutes [RR 622]

Here is another 20 Questions in 30-minute episode with Chris Cloutier of AutoText.me and Golden Rule Auto Care.

This unique format puts Chris in the driver’s seat as he answers some tough questions about his passions, business, and life in general. This is one of those interviews that I enjoy doing, and you’ll hear that Chris and get lost in his answers.

The key talking points for this episode with Chris Cloutier resides at remarkablersults.biz/e622.

The Virtual Service Advisor [RR 621]

The Virtual Service Advisor [RR 621]
Amidst the pandemic scare, shops have taken advantage of VoIP, cloud services and new technologies to serve their customers. Some have had to put their service advisor working from home for various reasons. Imagine having support for your counter in the virtual world. Is there is a future for a Virtual Service Advisor?

Our guest today, Robbie Bunch became a virtual service advisor because of the pandemic and has excelled at it. His previous experience helped make this a reality for a shop he supports. Not only is Robbie Bunch doing Virtual Service Advisor work for a shop he continues to work for his other business “Platform Digital Marketing.”

Robbie and I toss out the idea of creating an entire industry of Virtual Service Advisors to support shops when your business is growing but not in need of a full-timer or when you lose a Service Advisor and while you are looking to hire a new person to rely on a Virtual Service Advisor to take up the slack. This episode will get you thinking.

The key talking points reside at remarkablersults.biz/e621.

Service Advisor Role Play #5 [THA 213]

Our role play subjects cover closing the expectation gap on the appointment setting call and understanding the importance of building anticipation in making the sale after the results of the DVI. We also covered how to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Service Advisor in calming the customer while building value in their services and retaining the sale. Lastly, we talked about the effective way in deferring services at the cash-out. All important and vital in building you or service advisor team.

The panel includes Clint White from Shop Vision, Dan McWilliams from Quality Service Center and Ben Lesueur from Oxford Automotive. They put their service advisor strategies for you to follow.

Find ways to compare and improve your confidence and comfort in the face of your customer. Together we have something here. This episode’s key talking points are already done for you. Find them at remarkableresults.biz/a213

Never the Cheapest but the Best Value Shop – Travis Guy [RR 618]

Welcome to the 618th episode of Remarkable Results Radio.

In keeping with my goal to showcase our young owners and their rise to ownership, you’ll love this story as my Guest Travis Guy came into the family business via the hospitality industry. Specifically Disney. Do you think he may have learned a lot about how to embrace a customer? A fun and transparent interview with Travis, He says he sees the flaws we have as an industry and tells it straight about being paid for our worth and value.

Travis Guy hails from Yourba Linda Auto Service, Placentia, CA along with his brother Tim, and Dad Danny makes up the family business. He gives you a refreshing take on the state of our industry from a young owner’s perspective. We can learn a few things from Travis.

The key talking points for this episode with Travis resides at remarkablersults.biz/e618.
Thanks for being here in the front row of life in the automotive service business.

Charging What We are Worth [THA 212]

THA 212 Charging What We Are Worth

We are talking about charging what we truly are worth. Yes this topic dives into your reluctance to charge enough so you can sustain a real profitable business. Breaking even is just a hobby. Many don’t feel that they can actually make a real living serving their customer … repairing cars.

This episode exposes the elephant in the room. Emotion is a big driver in your worth and what you charge. Do you truly know the value of your business and your overall cost of doing business? If you did, you would not be working for Free.

Our panel nails this episode in all the proper places. With me is Carlo Sabucco, 2nd generation owner of Sil’s Complete Auto Care Centre, Maylan Newton, business coach from ESI – Educational Seminars Institute, and Glenn Larson, from Foothill Autoservice, Lake Forest, CA

This episode’s key talking points are already done for you. Find them at remarkableresults.biz/a212

A Shop Fire. What Happened? Resolution. Aftermath. Prevention. Matt Fanslow [RR 617]

A Shop Fire. What Happened? Prevention? Resolution! Aftermath [RR 617]

We don’t know what the future holds especially when it comes to our businesses. We work hard every day and never expect something would happen to disrupt our world. An important question …. how prepared are we? We all feel horrible when certain tragedies, disasters, or near disasters impact our fellow colleagues.

Matt Fanslow, a strong contributor to the podcast shares his story, of a fire at Riverside Automotive in Redwing, MN that happened in January 2021, It’s a story that you need to hear and let touch you, and then push you toward a total safety, systems, and insurance review. There is a lot to learn in this episode, so bury yourself in the audio and give this episode as homework for your team and then follow it up with a discussion.

Matt Fanslow, is the lead diagnostician and /shop manager and talks about being proactive and learn the things you can do ahead of time to minimize catastrophic failure. The key talking points reside at remarkablersults.biz/e617.

Retirement Plans and Profit Sharing Insights [THA 211]

Retirement Plans and Profit Sharing Insights

We are talking about retirement plans. If you asked your people if they had a retirement account or even a decent nest egg you will most likely get a blank stare or a no answer.

You just discovered an important benefit you can provide your people. Sure you’ve got to have the profits in the company to start up a program like this, but there are many creative ways to start a 401K and/or profit-sharing program.

First off we are not giving any advice or are even qualified to give advice. This is an open discussion among your peers to get your thoughts started, or even to educate you on this potential employee benefit. You need to contact a certified financial planner, your accountant, and possibly an attorney if you get serious about creating another benefit that keeps your team working for you.

Invest in this episode even if you don’t have a glimmer about providing a retirement saving discipline for your people. You may not be ready today, but the information in this episode will give you ideas and insights if ever you consider doing this.

My guests today are Greg Skolnik from Motor Works in Rockville, MD, and Sabrina Gatewood from King Amaco. As shop owners, they both have a perspective and opinion on retirement plans for your people.

This episode’s key talking points are already done for you. Find them at remarkableresults.biz/a211. Let’s talk about it.

What it Takes to Be the Leader of a Family Business [RR 614]

We welcome Esteban Gonzales, owner of Proshop Automotive to the podcast. Here is a great story about change. Esteban needed to face reality and change his mindset and adapt to what it actually took to run a proper auto repair business.

So many can relate to Esteban and many have yet to face the hard fact that it is not easy to run a profitable service business. Esteban laments that knowing the business numbers and assembling a great team with the same passion is a different story.

This is a true family business. His older brother is a master tech, his younger brother and sister work on the front counter. His parents even live next to the shop and they eat home-cooked meals every day. That tight family bond is what makes their team a success. Check out Esteban’s advice to shop owners and understand why networking is very important in the long run. This keeps with my goal of providing you inspiring stories from the young shop owners who will be leading our industry into the future.

The key talking points reside at remarkablersults.biz/e614.

Where the Money Goes – The $100 Lesson [THA 210]

THA 210 Where the Money Goes – The $100 Lesson

How many times do you get a great idea on an exercise you can share with your team …. one that helps your people respect and understand the costs of running a business? My guest Patrick McHugh and I will show you a fun and profound exercise on what happens to a $100 transaction … exactly where the money goes. Welcome to the 210th episode of the Town Hall Academy.

It is important that your people get a chance to see your Profit and Loss Statement, but for many, it will be a very difficult learning curve. We have a very simple way to do it that will make respecting margin, costs, and net profits in a whole new way.

This exercise will change the way you and your people look at the numbers and what it takes to grow a strong and profitable business.

My guest today is Patrick McHugh from Bimmer Rescue in Richmond, VA. and we have a story for you! This episode’s key talking points are already done for you at remarkableresults.biz/a210.

Discover the Hard Truths. Fix Your Attitude. [RR 613]

Another deep storyline. A story of attitude change and personal growth. Carl Hutchinson from Complete Automotive in Springfield, MO helps you by sharing how he overcame negative emotions and negative energy to forge a new and positive attitude. He says that he was not always the nice guy that he is today. Carl explains his re-invention and being grateful to the people in his life as a turning point in his career.

Carl Hutchinson is a founding member of the Midwest Autocare Alliance. His story of attitude adjustment will help many who listen to his story. If you know someone who can benefit from Carl’s story so please share this episode. This is why I podcast. It is stories like this that keeps you in the front row of life in the auto service business.

You can find Carl Hutchinson’s other episodes, and this episode’s key talking points, they reside at remarkablersults.biz/e613. This is why I podcast.

Building Deep Ties to the Community [THA 209]

THA 209 Building Deep Ties to the Community

Do you agree that paying it forward and creating a lasting rapport with your own community goes a long way?

Being involved in your community is more important than you know. When you support from the heart never expect to get something back. Our episode today tackles and explains exactly why connections and network within your community is essential as well as it is necessary.

Part of branding your business includes your support of the community. I’m with Jennifer Filzen from Rock Star Marketing and Author of the new book “The Give To Get Principle: How Relationships & Reciprocity Build Raving Fans”, Carl Hutchinson from Complete Automotive, Springfield, MO, Patrick Dolder of PALS Ocala Auto Repair, Ocala, FL, and Sue Morsching, Elysian Auto Service, Elysian, MN. You can learn a lot from this community-engaged panel.

This episode’s key talking points are already done for you. They reside on the show notes page at remarkableresults.biz/a209.

Hiring Practices with Bryan Kelley [RR 611]

When we talk about hiring, there are a lot of questions that come to mind. You may have already in your business life hired and fired a hundred people. Hiring can be an art, especially if you are looking for just that right team member. Bryan Kelley realized that he needed to get a process down to help improve the quality of the individual he added to his team and business culture.

Bryan Kelley, the shop owner of Valley Automotive, Covington, WA and president of ASA Northwest, has been a great contributor to the podcast. He will share his hiring practices and the reason why he does them.

This is one of those gems of a podcast that keeps you in the front row of life in the auto service business.

We get into the critical importance to hire a cultural fit, interviews, processes and offers. Bryan also gets into job posting, job description and specific indicators you need to find in a good hire.

You can find Bryan Kelley’s other episodes, and this episode’s key talking points, they reside at remarkablersults.biz/e611 This is why I podcast.

Stop Selling From Your Wallet [THA 208]

THA 208 Stop Selling From Your Wallet

Too many times we think about our own money tolerance instead of the customer needs. We think what others believe is a lot of money to us is not. We also can’t fathom people paying what they do for services because we would not. We have different lines in the sand when it comes to price perception and if you sell from your own wallet you’ll limit yourself, do what is not necessarily right for your customer and limit your potential, not only for yourself but for the business.

In other words, don’t make the decision for your customer. Let them decide. We play a really insightful game that you need to do with your team.

I’m with Brian Gillis of You Net Results, who brought this excellent topic and the neat game we play, also Andy Arndt of Arndt Automotive in Malta, IL. And Keith Knowlton of LKS Auto Repair, Bremerton, Wa. They bring sound, practical, and professional advice for all of us to stop selling from our own wallets. Too many times we think about our own money tolerance instead of the customer’s needs.

This episode’s key talking points are already done for you. They reside on the show notes page at remarkableresults.biz/a208.

MSO: 18 Team Members Tested Positive for Covid. How We Survived [RR 609]

What can we learn from this unprecedented year? A lot!

Our story today is of a hard hit multi-store operation (MSO) and how it survived 18 team members who contracted Covid-19. The preparation years before Covid-19 was to become a pandemic is the anchor in this story. It is proof of concept. Build a strong culture, put your people first, love your customers, engage all the latest technology and systems, and have strong processes and procedures. With all that in place, you can navigate just about anything.

Dwayne Myers from Dynamic Automotive from Frederick, MD, and his partners, Jose Buesso and Lee Foreman put their company in the position to fight through their Covid-19 barrage and come out the other side in decent shape. Surviving the ordeal was gut-wrenching and thought reflecting. Yet they did. This is homework for you to Listen to Learn Just One Thing!

You can find Dwayne Myers’s other episodes, and the key talking points, they reside at remarkablersults.biz/e609

Career Upgrade: Service Manager to Shop Owner at 29 Years Old [RR 608]

In keeping with my goal to interview new shop owners and the upcoming youth of our industry. Here is an incredible story.

Our episode today a succession story from a non-family internal candidate. A trusted service manager who hasn’t even purchased her first home.

Welcome, Colleen Yarger. She trained in the hotel industry for more than 10 years and has risen through the ranks as a service manager. Amazing that this 29-year-old has taken steps to become a shop owner. Despite her young age, she doesn’t lack the talent and has been guided by former owner Mark Goldsmith who has been a great supporter of the RR podcast.

This episode shows what is possible and how Colleen seized many opportunities she had presented to her starting with my friend Maylon Newton, then with Ryan Tunison. Lots of great inspiration to see what can be possible when you capitalize on every situation presented.

The key talking points reside at remarkablersults.biz/e608