Best Practices Archives

Building Customer Trust [THA 225]

We all know building customer trust takes time and doesn’t happen overnight. So when does it happen? It starts with every single touchpoint you make with your customer.

From marketing to the way your storefront looks, and that first phone call, every interaction inches you further in developing trust. Find out how to polish your business in this must-listen episode.

Technician Outlook with Jake Sorensen- Part 1 [RR 643]

Technician Outlook with Jake Sorensen [RR 643]

Are you having trouble finding qualified technicians? Have you ever thought about starting an apprentice program but you don’t know where to begin?

In this episode, Jake Sorensen breaks down all the classic questions and concerns that arise with apprentice programs. It’s time to stop complaining about a technician shortage, and start becoming the solution. Are you willing to invest in your employees and your business? If so, keep listening. This episode can change your trajectory for the future of your business.

You can find the key talking points for this episode and every episode released on my website remarkableresults.biz

Partnership Agreements with Charlene Parlett [RR 642]

Partnership Agreements with Charlene Parlett [RR 642]
Do you remember when you started your business with your wife or friend as your partner? The upside was blue skies and the horizon was never-ending.
No one plans for partnerships to crumble or marriages ending or an unforeseen death to occur. But what happens when it does? Do you have legal documents in place? No matter what stage you are in owning a business, it is a necessity to plan for the unexpected now, rather than later when emotions and tensions are high. In this episode, Charlene Parlett shares her personal experience with business and marriage so others can avoid the same path.
Find the key talking points for this episode at remarkableresults.biz/e642

Comebacks: Prevention, Reputation and Cost [THA 224]

How closely do you track comebacks in your shop? Do you look for trends? Is it human error or communication gaps between customer and service advisor, and service advisor and technician? Sometimes the most loyal customers arise from correcting a mistake, but often times we are unaware a mistake even happened. In this episode, my panel dives into the different scenarios that occur during vehicle comebacks and how to correct them.

You can listen and/or watch the video of this episode and find the key talking points at remarkableresults.biz/a224

Drop the Keys and Fix It [RR 641]

Think about the latest procedure or surgery you had. You put all your trust in your doctor and the medical staff as you were getting put under anesthesia. Can we translate that trust into auto repair customers? How do we gain “Here are my keys, I trust you, fix it and let me know when it’s done” type of customers? In this episode, Andy Bizub and Charlie Marcotte break down the fundamentals of connecting with customers and what that means to your business.

The key talking points for this episode reside at remarkableresults.biz/e641

Improve Your Capabilities and Processes – Get LEAN [CC 090]

I recommend you watch the video so you can see the incredible organizational strategies Craig Caudill has implemented at Fine Tuned Auto in Erie CO. Use it as a template for your shop. Head to the CarmCast Page or remarkableresults.biz/cc090 to watch the video and find the key talking points for this episode.

My Biggest Mistakes [THA 223]

In this episode, my panel discusses some of their biggest mistakes they’ve overcome as shop owners. We all wish we could go back in time and fix mistakes from ever happening, but unfortunately, there is no crystal ball for life. Instead, it’s important to reflect and turn it into a learning curve for ourselves and others. Take this opportunity to listen to this giving and transparent episode to perhaps avoid making the same mistakes in your business. Learn from these moments of truth.

The key talking points for this episode reside at remarkableresults.biz/a223

10 Things That Require Zero Talent [THA 222]

What makes a person successful? Is it luck? Is it because they are born to be leaders? Can success be taught or learned? Too often we get caught up in the day-to-day grind, we lose focus on the big picture called life. In this episode, we go back to basics and discuss 10 things that require zero talent that EVERYONE can accomplish. Practice each one and you’ll be amazed at the changes that follow.

You can listen and/or watch the video of this episode and find the key talking points at remarkableresults.biz/a222. They make a great meeting agenda.

Why Invest In Digital Signage & Great Branding [CC 089]

Welcome to CarmCast Episode 089 with a message on the power of digital signs and branding. This is another Why and How CarmCast and is repurposed from our LIVE broadcast.

I recommend you watch the video because we have a lot of pictures that bring the visual to the message. Sure the podcast will give you great tips but the pictures that my guests brought with them help show the power of their branding/signage strategy.

https://remarkableresults.biz/cc089

Yellow and Red Envelopes with Seth Thorson [RR 635]

In this episode multishop owner Seth Thorson, Eurotech Auto Repair, explains two important envelopes he has in his office. One is yellow and one is red and they contain key information if he unexpectedly was away from his business.

As shop owners you are constantly working on your business, but did you ever think about what would happen to it if you weren’t around? Where would someone find important passwords or contact information for sustaining your business? No one plans for accidents to happen but it’s important to prepare for the unexpected for your business’s survival, and for your family and employees.

The key talking points for this episode reside at remarkableresults.biz/e635

Keeping Your Shop Floors Clean – Why and How [CC 088]

Stephane‌ ‌Grabina,‌ ‌BMW‌ ‌Excluservice,‌ ‌Rockville,‌ ‌MD,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Scott‌ ‌Pelava,‌ ‌Lonsdale‌ ‌Auto‌ ‌
Works,‌ ‌Lonsdale,‌ ‌MN‌ ‌share‌ ‌the‌ ‌reasons‌ ‌they‌ ‌keep‌ ‌their‌ ‌floors‌ ‌clean.‌ ‌They‌ ‌use‌ ‌a‌ ‌commercial‌ ‌
floor‌ ‌scrubber.‌ ‌Learn‌ ‌how‌ ‌and‌ ‌why‌ ‌these‌ ‌two‌ ‌successful‌ ‌shop‌ ‌owners‌ ‌have‌ ‌invested‌ ‌in‌ ‌
keeping‌ ‌their‌ ‌shop‌ ‌floors‌ ‌clean.‌ ‌

Tires as a Profit Center [THA 219]

Tires as a Profit Center [THA219]

Did you know that roughly 33% of tires that come through your shop on customer’s vehicles need to be replaced? Are you willing to see that money go to someone else? It’s time to turn your business into a one-stop shop for your customers! Find out how in this episode with shop owners who love tires!

You can also watch the show’s video and get the key talking points at remarkableresults.biz/a219

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

Women Shop Owners Round Table [CC 087]

In honor of March’s Women History Month, I assembled a panel of lady shop owners to discuss the women’s role in the aftermarket. The ladies brought some wide-ranging perspectives and I loved the trajectory of this discussion. No matter your position or gender in our beloved aftermarket give this episode your due. The ladies were on fire.

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.

EOS Part 1: How EOS helps Owners Get More Out of Their Business – Barry Barrett [RR 616]

Here is a first in a series with Barry Barrett, a Certified EOS Implementer. Barry talks about how the Entrepreneur Operating System helps entrepreneurs get what they want from their business and to Understand how to make your leaders get on the same page with you and have Traction by helping them become more disciplined and accountable.

This episode is an overview of EOS. Barry and I will bring you seven episodes, released over time to help you better understand the disciplines and power of the Entrepreneurial Operating System or EOS. There are shop owners engaged in EOS and it is having a huge impact on their business.

The key talking points for this episode with Barry reside at remarkablersults.biz/e616.
Thanks for being here in the front row of life in the automotive service business.

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.

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.

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

Pre Scheduling Appointments – The Time Has Come [THA 207]

THA 207 Pre Scheduling Appointments – The Time Has Come

Welcome to the 207th episode of the Town Hall Academy. Right up front l want to warn you. This discussion may just change the way you do business. I want you to give it your all and when done implement the tactics you discover. I know your business will blossom.

Scheduling future appointments is not a new concept. You know about it but have never decided it was good for your business or your customer. We have solid statistics that demonstrate that 59% of your customers are willing and ready to accept a future appointment for maintenance service. Ever walk out of the dentist’s office without your next hygiene appointment. How about a hair salon?

I’m with Bill Thompson, Craig Noel, and Greg Skolnik. Bill Thompson brings his critical data to support this strategy, Greg has been doing this for years and has the data to prove the strength of the strategy and Craig is starting to pre-book now.

There was a ton of passion flowing throughout this episode. I believe you’ll be moved to start in your business. So …. Let’s talk about it.

This episode’s key talking points are already done for you. They reside on the show notes page at remarkableresults.biz/a207. Enjoy.

Proof of Concept [THA 206]

THA 206 Proof of Concept

The pandemic was the test of preparedness, fortitude, leadership, nerves, among others. Our topic “Proof of Concept” is the story behind the strong getting stronger.

The leaders who listened and implemented the strategies being served up by the industry pundits especially coaches over the last 3 to 4 years found themselves in a good place. You’ve heard them enforce on the podcast, … essential tactics like strong business culture, a commitment to training your team, firing non-productive or toxic employees, DVI, Cloud-based software, text to pay and the list goes on like strong leadership. Smart Marketing. Managing KPIs, Good financial statements, building processes, and systems, Etc, etc. In essence, the strong found their pandemic recovery easier than others. That is what we are talking about today: ‘Proof of Concept’

Joining me is Chris Cotton, AJ Nealey, and Michael Gallini. They all agree that they are in a better spot because they implemented and worked the strategies and tactics that the industry is known to create success and sustainable profits. Glad you are here, Let’s Talk About It.

The key talking points from this episode are already done for you on the show notes page at remarkableresults.biz/a206.

Requirement for Growing a Branch Store [THA 205]

THA 205 Requirements for Adding a Branch Store

Welcome to the 205th episode of the Town Hall Academy. New Year, New Challenges. Many in the industry are contemplating growth and many are thinking of selling or succession. Keep close to the insights and wisdom from your aftermarket peers, right here, who share their growth story with you.

I’m with Greg Bunch, Austin Miller, and John Manelas. Greg is the owner of Aspen Auto Clinic, Colorado. Austin Miller opened Tire Star in2011, and John owns Auto Care Plus and Euro Care Plus. Together this team has 15 branches and growing.

How many shops are enough? Is there a sweet spot? What qualities must a shop owner possess in order to successfully add a shop? What are the challenges? No doubt this group tells their tale of their initial branch store and the huge learning curve that happened with it and subsequent stores.

The key talking points from this episode are already done for you on the show notes page at remarkableresults.biz/a205.