FTR 072: Bill Haas – Are You Aware What the Dealerships are Doing to Compete with the Independent

Bill Haas, AAM, is the owner of Haas performance consulting LLC, with 40 years of experience in the automotive service and repair industry. Clients have access to Bill’s solution-based focus, expertise, unique perspectives and in-depth knowledge of the industry.

Bill began his career working part-time at a full-service gasoline station in Appleton, Wisconsin. His career includes time as a technician, shop owner, technical trainer and on the staff of the automotive industry’s oldest and largest association representing automotive service and collision repair businesses. While at the association Bill had the opportunity to work with all segments of the industry.

His knowledge of the industry has been shared on many occasions as he has been invited to speak at numerous industry events as well as providing testimony at hearings of the US Congress and several state legislatures on important legislation and regulation affecting the automotive industry.

Bill received the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) credential from the automotive management institute in 1996 and has been a member of the automotive management institute’s faculty since 2002.

Bill is also the business manager for NACAT, the North American Council of Automotive Teachers. His services include business management seminar development and delivery, keynote presentations, business consulting, performance coaching, and strategic planning facilitation. Listen to Bill’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points

• We have to know what they are doing
• As independents, we do not have the kind of money for marketing
• They can attract technician talent
• An organization polled 16,000 people that had recently visited the service department at a new car dealership. The survey was skewed because they were all dealership people
• Two of every three visits service visits are to independent shops. (Source October 2019 Fixed Ops Journal)
• Bill doesn’t want our aftermarket customer to have a service experience form a dealership. He recommends:
  • Let your customer know that you’ll support a recall notice. Keep them away from the dealership, do the legwork for them.
  • Don’t let them feel the poor service of dealerships
  • Don’t let them get talked out of their vehicle to buy a new one
  • Don’t let an aggressive service advisor sell them a ton of work, then you lose
• Become the place you’ll ever need to go for service, and warranty on your vehicle.

• A special thanks to Bill Haas for his contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books mentioned in the content library HERE
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• Email Carm HERE.

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This episode is brought to you by FlexCheck Auto Digital Vehicle Inspection Software.

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