Fixing Fuel Pump Comebacks – Malcolm Sissmore [RR 796]
Live at AAPEX 2022, we are in the studio with Malcolm Sissmore, VP of Sales and Marketing for Delphi Technologies. Malcolm discusses aftermarket solutions for the 65 million work trucks on the road in the United States. He also has a simple solution for contaminated fuel tanks. Delphi Technologies has designed a tool to remove metal particles in a fuel tank. Guess what, it is free to the aftermarket!
remarkableresults.biz/e796
The Extreme Value of a ‘SWOT’ for your Business [THA 283]
How often are you checking on the overall health of your business with your team members involved? Are you identifying and working on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, known as SWOT? How do you start a SWOT analysis? What are the benefits? How do you find your blindspots? Does knowing your SWOT give you a competitive advantage? My panel takes a deep dive into the value of SWOT and shares their own experiences.
remarkableresults.biz/a283
Listen and view episode notesMake Price Irrelevant [THA 228]
Make Price Irrelevant [THA 228]
Everyone strives to implement good customer service. But what about creating an exceptional customer experience?
Being friendly and helpful to customers while repairing their vehicles correctly is plain old expected. In a restaurant or hotel or anyplace for that matter, what is going to push you to remember the experience? Have you asked your customers if you are meeting their expectations? In this episode find out how to elevate your business and culture.
Listen and view episode notesAvoiding Comebacks with Dave Hobbs [RR 592]
Avoiding Comebacks and More with Dave Hobbs [RR 592]
I’m with the lead technical trainer and course developer for Delphi Product and Service Solutions, Dave Hobbs. Dave has graced the podcast in the past and we are going to do a series of thought-provoking shows just for you.
Dave is tackling comebacks — a real part of doing business. Prevention or minimizing them comes from quality control, high standards and training. He also talks about the Right To Repair, Access to Data.
You can find Dave’s other episodes and the key talking points for this episode at remarkablersults.biz/e592
Listen and view episode notesFinal Inspection – Quality Controls & Covid-19 [Bonus 07]
THA 164 Final Inspection – Quality Controls
We are tackling Quality Controls and the Final Inspection. This episode aired live during the Covid-19 Pandemic and will become an important listen not only for the power of a good Quality Control process but how the Coronavirus weaved into this conversation.
In this episode, I’m joined by Chris Cloutier, Golden Rule Auto Care and CEO of Autotext.me and Tom Ham, Auto Centric, Grand Rapids, MI and Automotive Management Network and
Frank Scandura, Frank’s European, Las Vegas.
This team does have strong Final Inspection QC – Quality Control practices. They share why they do it, what they’ve learned, that we are human and make mistakes which is the strongest reason for a good Final QC process and we also spice this conversation with their practices in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is no need to take notes. If you want them go to remarkableresults.biz/a164 /// on my website! On the show notes page find my guests bio’s and links to their previous episodes. Also the lists Chris Cloutier offered are also linked there.
Listen and view episode notesFinal Inspection – Quality Controls & Covid-19 [THA 164]
THA 164 Final Inspection – Quality Controls
We are tackling Quality Controls and the Final Inspection. This episode aired live during the Covid-19 Pandemic and will become an important listen not only for the power of a good Quality Control process but how the Coronavirus weaved into this conversation.
In this episode I’m joined by Chris Cloutier, Golden Rule Auto Care and CEO of Autotext.me and Tom Ham, Auto Centric, Grand Rapids, MI and Automotive Management Network and
Frank Scandura, Frank’s European, Las Vegas.
This team does have strong Final Inspection QC – Quality Control practices. They share why they do it, what they’ve learned, that we are human and make mistakes which is the strongest reason for a good Final QC process and we also spice this conversation with their practices in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is no need to take notes. If you want them go to remarkableresults.biz/a164 /// on my website! On the show notes page find my guests bio’s and links to their previous episodes. Also the lists Chris Cloutier offered are also linked there.
Listen and view episode notesRR 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.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 131: Preparing Your Shop For the Next Five and Ten Years
THA 131 The Future – Preparing Your Shop For the Next Five to Ten Years
What is your future? Have you planned it? What are you doing to ensure your success in the next 5, 10 or 15 years? If you do nothing you get what you currently have and that may not sustain you to far into the future.
Your panel: Kelli Weatherby, co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ., Bill Nalu, owner of Interstate Auto Care, Madison Heights, MI and AJ Nealey, Nealey Auto Service, Edgewater MD. This diverse group has some similar yet some different strategies for their future. It is so refreshing to hear the dialogue and then compare their tactics to your current or long term plans.
We are in a dynamic industry that is in a heightened change curve. Keeping up at all levels will bring you spoils. And keeping your eye on your business with the future in sight is an important responsibility you have to your employees and your family.
We talk BHAG’s, Debt, Branches, Succession, Training, refinancing, and SWOT among others.
Listen and view episode notesFTR 035: Aaron Shaffer – Sell Premium Products For All the Right Reasons
Aaron Shaffer Wants The Service Professional to Consider Selling Premium Products For All the Right Reasons. Pick Replacement Parts That Best Serves the Intended OE Performance of the Entire System
Listen and view episode notesTHA 081: Niche. Should We Find Specialties and Create a New Business Model or Services?
Niche. Finding Specialties to Create New Business Services.
A very interesting summit, a lesson for the forever student of the aftermarket. We’re talking Niche or Finding Specialties to Create New Business Services. A vibrant discussion to challenge the use of your talent and facility and to listen to your customers and find out exactly what they want and need from you.
The panel warns you to keep your eyes open. The shift is coming. Toss out those unprofitable jobs. Clean out your closet. Review your current business model. We will not survive doing what we always have done.
The panel will help you understand How to consider a specialty, product based niche vs. service based niche; but an overlying theme is to be sure the basics are being done right. You cannot add a new service if you don’t aren’t fixing your customers’ problem right the first time. Get your house in order before adding.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 064: Workplace Organization the 5S Method
Workplace Organization: Waste. Clutter. Standardize. Improved Efficiency.
5S came from the Japanese and the concept of Kaizen, continuous improvement. 5S is a method to improve workplace organization. The 5S’s are Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. The benefits of 5S helps you eliminate waste, and in many cases reduces your steps, minimizes injuries, and removes clutter.
Start by finding the simplest task. Perfect it and move on to the more complicated.
This panel has the expertise and experience to help you on the process of improving your workplace organization. Pat Brown retired from Cooper Tire and learned lean and took the manufacture training to translate 5S into shop management working with Twenty Groups for DSP (Dealer Strategic Planning) Twenty Group, Keith Tucker form Triple ‘T’ Tire in Dyersburg, TN and Brad & Ryan Goff from Rogers Tire in Caldwell and Meridian, ID.
Learn about 5S and how these shop owners translated the method into improve processes where they saw a measurable difference in their operation including the generation of more revenue.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 062: Come Backs – Prevention, Reputation and the Cost
The Dreaded Come Back: The Keys To Prevention.
Comeback prevention starts at the front door. It is all about communication. Writing enough information to the technician the better he/she can handle the diagnosis.
To improve the end product and to reduce comebacks, you must build quality into the repair process. Quality control checklists at the end of the repair can only do so much. Quality, not quota, is the strategy you need to adopt to reduce comebacks. You should always be looking to improve. Your processes will drive a well-managed quality program.
The quality of parts today is in question and you need to pay attention to comebacks so your costs and reputation are managed. Tracking every comeback is a necessity if you are going to reduce your comebacks.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 040: The Extreme Value in Doing a SWOT On Your Business
The Power of Performing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, Threats) Review of Your Business.
Join Maryann Croce, Greg Bunch and Murray Voth for a wide-open discussion on the power and value doing a SWOT on your business. These three aftermarket professionals know the worth and outcome of a well-done SWOT.
Involve your team, assign priorities to the outcome and create a timeline to do the things discovered in this exercise. You are creating a strategic plan to best prepare your company for doing business in today’s market and into the future.
Go to the show notes page for this Academy episode #40 to download support tools.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 024: Quality Controls – Why it Matters for Retention & Reputation
Why Great Quality Controls Matters for Customer Retention and Shop Reputation.
A top lesson from three aftermarket colleagues who understand the value and need for a great quality control process. They leave no doubt why you need to adopt and improve your quality controls.
Tough love discussion that covers the importance of measuring your QC to help reduce mistakes (we are human we all make them) and how QC brings accountability to your overall processes. Investing in your QC program is as good as getting a five start on-line review. If you don’t you may be wiping up a two-star review.
Most shops do a great job fixing cars. That is not good enough anymore. Many more great take-a-ways that will fill up a yellow pad.
Listen and view episode notesTHA 008: Concierge Service – The Next Frontier
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.
Listen and view episode notes