RR 270: Leon Anderson from Integrity Auto Care

Shop Owner Finds The Holy Grail of Shop Success: Training.

Leon Anderson from Integrity Auto in South Beloit, IL credits training and more training for his success. It wasn’t always like that. He now provides hundreds of hours a year in training for his technicians and service writer.

Catering to women and baby boomers this WIX Filters’ Driving Performance Award Winner in 2016 says he hires people for their head, heart and hands. Integrity is not just the shop’s name but it is what they practice every day.

He credits his business coach and management seminars in improving his business success. He says the DVI system helps the sales process and that written goal posters are important to Leon and his whole team.

RR 269: ASA-Pennsylvania ‘Super Saturday’ – Training Event

Business Management and Technical Training Converge at ASA-PA Super Saturday Event.

This single day event in Warminster, PA featured a technician and business owner training track for east coast aftermarket professionals. Modeled after the TST Big Event and Vision Kansas City, you’ll get a behind the scenes feel with the Chairman and co-chairmen as they talk about the need and value of continuous training.

On top of this formative interview catch, all the names that are dropped and see the show notes to find interviews from the trainers, vendors and shop owners that have their own interview on the podcast.

RR 263: Jason Servidio – VP Transformers Institute

Do You Have a Sales Culture or an Automotive Culture At Your Service Counter?

Jason Servidio, Vice-President of Transformers Institute found his calling as a service advisor. He then realized his passion for teaching sales training. Today he teaches service advisors how to be at the top of their craft.

Learn about sales technics that advisors need to master, what qualities to look for when hiring a service advisor and how to measure ROI on service advisor training. Jason shares what to do when the customer says no and why marketing money is wasted if the sales counter is not great at making long-term customers out of marketing campaigns.

Jason also shares his simple yet important retention tactic. He also shares his view of the number of service advisors to technicians need to run a successful relationship building shop.

RR 257: Tom Marx, MAAP – Marx Group & Hart Marx Advisors

Shops That Have Created a Brand Where People Trust You Find Their Business Booming.

Tom Marx, MAAP, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer from The Marx Group, a full-service marketing communications agency, says the service segment of our industry is in the Golden Age. He is also very outspoken on industry consolidation as a partner in Hart Marx Advisors a mergers and acquisition consultancy.

Tom knows the aftermarket and the service professional. He’ll be speaking at AAPEX 2017 on ‘Amplifying Your Brand’. In the interview, Tom talks about industry consolidation from both the service and distribution side. He also shares his perspectives on training, marketing and the need for quality financial statements, if you are interested in selling your business.

RR 250: Dave Hobbs – Lead Technical Trainer- Delphi

Renowned Industry Trainer Says Our Technology is The Carrot at The End of The Stick To Entice Recruitment Into the Industry and to Keep Our A Techs.

Dave Hobbs, Lead Technical Trainer and Program Developer at Delphi Product & Service Solutions, has been in the aftermarket for over 30 years living his passion teaching technicians about repairing new technology.

He is on the cutting edge with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and discussed the challenges with calibrating repaired systems. This interview covers his start in the industry, what it takes to create a training seminar and that he sees great opportunities for A techs even if they want to move to a new city, to find the right situation, and work for a top shop.

THA 019: Where Will We Find Our Future Automotive Instructors?

Where Will We Find Our Future Automotive Instructors?

This all-star panel tackled this problem head on. Where will the experience at the educator level come from when you need certain certifications. Will working technicians consider this as a career move and invest in the time and money to meet the teaching certification standards.

We may drive experienced and knowledgeable people away because of the needed certifications, pay and admin requirements. This topic is as important to discuss as the technician shortage.

Please have this discussion, with administrators, at the local college and high school level.

RR 241: Jorge Menchu – AES Wave and Instructor

Are You Learning Up To Your Maximum Potential?

Industry trainer and entrepreneur Jorge Menchu, President of AES Wave is enthusiastic about teaching our industries technicians. He is more passionate on how technicians learn. He says that the basic problem of learning is to understand the mechanics of learning.

Jorge shares his Four Levels of Learning and says if you are in control of your learning process you will learn more. He says everyone knows how to learn. If you are not struggling to learn; then you are in control of the process of learning.

THA 017: What Happens When The Phone Rings

What Happens When The Phone Rings?

Are you prepared with a clear mind and a clear and confident message? A big moment of truth with your customers is that interaction with the phone call.

Set yourself up to make a strong impact with every phone call. Focus, don’t multi-task, and practice your script and prepare to solve your customers’ problem.

THA 012: What Keeps You Up at Night?

What Keeps You Up At Night? Is a metaphor on what we are concerned with as the world changes at unprecedented speeds.

You need to get out ahead of change and set the vision for your company. Paying attention to every business opportunity and challenge along with technology, business culture and finding and keeping good people helps you sleep well. The occasional 2 AM get up ‘thought’ just may signal an important strategy to pay attention to.

RR 235: Tom Piippo from Tri-County Motors

Where does a three time ASE Technician of the Year and shop owner find a new technician?

Tom Piippo a three-time recognized ASE Technician of the Year needed to find a new technician. He decided to grow his own and found a candidate in a most interesting place. Also listen to Tom share his story of remarkable results over the last 39 years operating in a small town of 491 households in northern Michigan.

Tom was recently honored by ASA as their 2017 Alpha award winner for his generous and far-reaching contributions to the automotive service industry.

THA 005: Must Attend Training Conferences

Having a strong training culture is an important discussion point in this Town Hall Academy.

There are many choices for aftermarket technical training. Technicians need to schedule a minimum one major event a year. Our panel of experts touch on the need for training policies, budgets and supporting the vendors that make these events affordable. Also discussion points on Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo and Automechanika.

RR 230: Technician Round Table Part 2 -Heipp – Landry -Fanslow

What do Three Diagnosticians think about Silver Bullets, Critical Thinking and the Future of Diagnostics.

Bob Heipp, Peter Landry and Matt Fanslow, bring a big dose of their passion to the second technician round-table. This discussion generated talk on important and trending topics, that for these working techs, are important.

In this episode Bob, Peter and Matt expressed their feeling on technician pay, computer skills, augmented reality, and flat rate among others. There are over 20 key talking points. Invest in understanding how these three professional technicians and trainers look at the industry, especially the commitment to perpetual training and for creating a better and sustaining aftermarket.

RR 226: Connected CARS Detroit May 2017 – An Overview

The Future is Now. Are You Preparing for the Future of Automotive Repair?

Held in Detroit on May 18th & 19th, 2017 and presented by ASA, Automotive Service Association, Connected CARS (Congress of Automotive Repair & Service) and organized by Donny Seyfer. This training conference brought industry trainers, automotive engineers and service professionals from all parts of North America to learn about rapidly advancing vehicle technology. Participants got an important glimpse into the world of the connected car with in-depth and detailed looks at ADAS, Next Gen Vehicle Networks and the future of diagnostics.

Listen to a compilation of seventeen of your industry peers as they discuss their reaction to this top industry event. There is no time like now to best understand the speed and gravity of technology. This conference helped serve up the enormous opportunities that lie ahead for the ‘connected’ service professional.

RR 225: Jose Gonzalez – Educator

When you have big goals, and are determined to make a difference you can do just about anything!

Jose Gonzales was a working technician for 16 years for a dealership and an independent. He always admired automotive trainers and that motivated him to become an instructor in post-secondary. While he was was teaching, Jose completed his AAS degree in automotive technology then switched to become an instructor in secondary education (high school).

As if that wasn’t enough, Jose then completed his bachelors in business administration. When you hear Jose tell the story, you’ll realize he has a master plan and his moves were calculated and resolute. He loves teaching and is preparing for even more opportunities in the future.

Jose Gonzales is an educator who is shaping our future technicians, yet he says there are challenges to get some students to move to post-secondary or college level; he explains in the interview. Jose counts Jim Morton as an important mentor to him.

RR 222: Dwayne Myers from Dynamic Automotive

Vice Chair of CCPN is Honored as a 2017 ASE/Autocare World Class Technician

Dwayne Myers tells his story that starts in the Army and ends with the 2017 ASE/Auto Care World Class Technician Honor. It seems that everything Dwayne Myers did in his career helped pave the way to this recognition.
 
A partner in the four-shop operation Dynamic Automotive in Frederick County, MD, listen to Dwayne’s message that anyone can have success. He says, “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go after the great.”
 
Dwayne shares some great wisdom on Dynamics commitment to training and building a team. He sees a bright future for all shop owners and provides a great piece of management wisdom: ‘Never Talk Mad’.

RR 213: Wayne Colonna from ATSG

Did your first car hold the fate of your future career?

Wayne Colonna, President of ATSG tells an outstanding story of his first Ford 269 with a C4 Transmission. It was fate that this car and his determination to fix it would lead him to become a highly sought after trainer in the aftermarket.

He put his time in the industry and found himself working for the Automatic Transmission Service Group in 1991. By 1992 he began conducting seminars across the United States and Canada.

Wayne has published many articles and manuals, and has traveled to over 10 different countries to conduct specialized seminars in addition to a heavy travel schedule in the US. He talks about the biggest problems in the transmission industry and the trend to do more automotive repair. Wayne also has a theology degree and is a minister.

RR 212: Chuck Abbott from CPS Automotive

VP Sales for CPS Automotive shares his views on the needs of the service professional.

Chuck has a challenge in finding good automotive sales people and relates that to the challenge in finding good technicians and shop owners. He also believes that top shop operators will pick up the slack as service centers close or continue to be challenged in today’s business climate. He talks Turbo Chargers, maintenance vs. repair and the boomer retirement providing opportunity for young entrepreneurs.

Chuck Abbott also serves on the board of directors for the Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (AMRA). He is also a newly elected board member of Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) and is a member of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).

RR 206: Technician Round Table Part 1 -Heipp – Landry -Fanslow

Illuminating Discussion with Technician Round-Table

Join this recorded session from Vision 2017 with Bob Heipp, Peter Landry and Matt Fanslow, (above) as we tackle the value of training and why networking is so critical at these events. These guys were straight up and expressed their feeling on engaging with your peers and instructors, developing relationships from around the country, and the sheer admiration that they have for technicians that continue to learn and grow within the industry.

Invest in understanding how these three professional technicians look at the industry, especially the commitment to perpetual training and for creating a better and sustaining aftermarket.

RR 192: Eric Ziegler – E-Z Diagnostic Solutions and Trainer

Mobile Diagnostic Entrepreneur and Industry Trainer Shares the Power of Networking.

Eric Ziegler owner of E-Z Diagnostic Solutions a Mobile Diagnostics and Programing company specializing in collision centers and auto repair facilities. Eric is also an instructor for Automotive Seminars and The Driveability Guys.

Eric shares sage advice on diagnostic challenges, training, networking, labor rates. He also imparts his passion on the need for bigger labor rates, specialization, silver bullets, and his role in the industry as a trainer.

RR 184: Tim Dwyer Automotive Education Specialist at Consulab

Tim Dwyer was a shop owner for 25 years and was an instructor at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, for 12 years, where he helped start and instructed the Pro-Tech Automotive Internship program. He has found a perfect evolution of his storied carrer as an automotive education specialist at ConsuLab Educatech.

Tim is pays it forward with a very in-depth interview that covers many bases from his own shop, to being an educator and discovering a powerful way to educate his students with a Team Based Learning approach to his work in helping instructors utilize the power of their teaching aids.

RR 182: Bobby Bassett on Cooling System Comebacks

Simple Solution to Minimize Cooling System Comebacks

Bobby Bassett, the Manager of Training North America for Gates Corporation shares important facts about cooling system repairs.

Bobby explains the do-right-rule when it comes to cooling system repairs. He says 40% of radiator failure and 95% of water pump failure is due to coolant contamination. Listen to Bobby Bassett’s frank discussion on minimizing customer comebacks. It’s very simple.

RR 180: Jorge Menchu from AES Wave and Industry Instructor

How Do We Make Ourselves SMARTER?

Jorge Menchu was hooked at an early age. He grew up in Kansas City, MO. It was his go-cart that brought upon his passion for loving cars and mechanics. This developed into a passion about learning.
His goal is to help young folks to realize their own success and failure by engaging his students to be better learners.

The episode highlights Jorge’s three pathways to learning. These fundamentals can change your ability to learn and understand. They are Self-Awareness, Learning Awareness and Building a Structure of Knowledge.

RR 170: Jude Larson, JML Real Solutions

How to become a sought-after business, that everyone wants to work for.

Jude Larson the president, owner and lead consultant for JML Real Solutions uses his rich experience and business success as he works with service professionals to re-engineer their businesses.

Jude shares ideas on how to become a legendary or sought-after business where top performers want to work and why company culture is precious and you need to build it and protect it. Jude also asks every client to review their business from a 30,000-foot view to gain a perspective and build the right priorities for their business.

RR 148: Bobby Bassett From Gates Corporation

Bobby Bassett, the Manager of Training North America for Gates Corporation, started with Gates in sales in 1999 and transitioned into training. There he found his calling. Powerful Quote and Reason to Listen: “Bottom line for technician, service writer and shop owner are missing tremendous profits. They are not fixing their customers cars; the guy…