Thanks to our Partners Shop-Ware and Delphi Technologies

Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management https://getshopware.com/

Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. http://DelphiAftermarket.com

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Recorded Live at Vision 2023, this episode features Carolyn Coquillette, CEO of Shop-Ware, discussing the release of their new mobile application, TechApp, designed to help technicians manage their work more efficiently. The app allows technicians to view a list of current jobs, track their time on individual services, and easily document findings and results, including inspections. The episode also touches on the challenges of building software for the automotive industry and the importance of customer feedback in the development process.

Carolyn Coquillette, Earthling Automotive, San Francisco, CA. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Listen to Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Show Notes

• Watch Full Video Episode HERE
• (00:00:25) Carolyn Coquillette discusses the features and benefits of Shop-Ware’s new mobile application called TechApp, designed specifically for technicians to manage their work more efficiently.
• (00:02:10) Carolyn Coquillette explains the features of TechApp, including reviewing assigned jobs, tracking time, clocking in and out, and documenting findings and results of work through a mobile interface.
• (00:13:02) Carolyn Coquillette discusses the process of building a mobile app, including the importance of prioritization and the challenges of handling thousands of requests simultaneously.
• (00:14:36) The power of engineering in software development and how it is often taken for granted by users.
• (00:16:09) Shop-Ware prioritizes feedback from users and it influences their product roadmap, including the development of their new mobile application called TechApp.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA AUTO CARE

Learn more about NAPA AUTO CARE and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com

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Recorded Live at Vision 2023, Carolyn Coquillette, founder of Luscious Garage and CEO of Shop-Ware, discusses rebranding her business from Luscious Garage to Earthling Automotive. She talks about the challenges of choosing a new name and logo and moving to a new location. Earthling Automotive will also be a training center for EVs and hybrids.

Carolyn Coquillette, Earthling Automotive, San Francisco, CA. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Listen to Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Show Notes

• Rebranding from Luscious Garage to Earthling Automotive- the process of rebranding her business, including choosing a new name and logo.
• Moving to a New Location- Carolyn talks about moving her business to a new location that is outside of the congested area of San Francisco, making it easier for customers to access.
• Earthling Automotive Training Center Carolyn discusses using the old location for EV and hybrid training
• Electric and Hybrid Cars- the increasing popularity of electric and hybrid cars, the commitments of automakers, and the impact on the automotive industry.
• Carolyn’s Year as the ASCCA President- challenges your leadership skills to activate and inspire people that are volunteers, collaboration, what is motivating? Support from shop owners and corporate partners
• Carolyn’s time management- Carolyn talks about the importance of time management and how she balances her time between her repair shop and Shop-Ware.
• Shop-Ware- Carolyn talks about her role as CEO of Shop-Ware and how the team she has built allows her to continue innovating in her own repair shop.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA AUTO CARE

Learn more about NAPA AUTO CARE and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com

Connect with the Podcast:

-Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider
-All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books
-Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom
-Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm
-The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com
-Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections

Recorded Live at the 2022 Transformers Summit with Carolyn Coquillette, founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Carolyn discusses a spotlight of Shop-Ware called ‘Duration of Service.’ This feature tracks how long a customer’s car is in your shop. The customer experience and your profits depend on the number of hours each car is in which stage of production.

Carolyn Coquillette, Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA is the new ASCCA President. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Listen to Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Show Notes:

• Duration of service- what does the customer experience? How long were they aware from their car? You want a low duration of service. 
• How much money did you make for the number of hours that car was in the shop?
• Speed is not enough- it’s how much profit you are getting for the amount of time that the car is in the shop
• Saves all the data from last month to compare month by month
• When the car is not getting fixed you’re not generating gross profit
• Signup for a Shop-Ware demo- getshopware.com

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Important Books

Check out today’s partners:

Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2023. Mark your calendar now … October 31 – Nov 2, 2023, AAPEX – Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at AAPEXSHOW.COM

Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com

Key Talking Points

• ASCCA- Celebrating 80 years
• Joining associations- getting involved to make changes, unite shop owners and give them a voice. Elevate the industry together.  
• Growing membership and advocacy- every business owner needs to be a participant. Simplify and clarify the message- sign up and be a part of the group. Attend 1 meeting and understand why virtual interaction will never replace the importance of live human interaction. 
• Be cooperative instead of competitive with local businesses 
• Retention of members- Future Freemium Membership to lower the barriers for people to participate for first-time members and retired members, value proposition, what do you do for the association, create more opportunity for yourself and others. 
• Broaden your mind to career paths
• Revamp the meetings- dinner at different shops. App for the future with news, chapter meeting information/address. 
• Don’t ask for too much right away- there are different levels of participation in association

Connect with the show:

Aftermarket Radio Network

Subscribe on YouTube

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Buy me a coffee

Important Books

Check out today’s partner:

NAPA Autotech Training helps your technicians keep their skills sharp and their NAPA Know How up to date. It’s the highest quality technical training that covers almost every vehicle system and every make and model. NAPA Autotech is presented by experienced instructors who are ASE master certified technicians. Even after a class is over, techs can access course information online with ClassPass. So when questions come up later they can get the answers. AutoCare Center owners who have taken advantage of Autotech Training say that well-trained technicians are helping to increase their shop’s repair capability and raise bay productivity. That results in fewer comebacks, more satisfied shop customers, and reduced technician turnover.

Learn more about NAPA AutoCare and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

The Panel

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA is the new ASCCA President. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Rocky Khamenian is the owner/operator of Bimmer & Benz Specialists in Costa Mesa, located in south Orange County, CA. He is an active member of Chapters 48 and 50 of the Automotive Service Councils of California. He has served on the Board of Directors for those chapters. He’s achieved the status of Master Technician through ASE and he has completed a wide variety of technical classes on the repair and maintenance of BMW and Mercedes Benz vehicles through WTI. He is becoming certified as a Bosch Master Technician. Look for Rocky’s other Episodes HERE.

Rory Balmer of Twin Peaks Auto Service in Twin Peaks is the outgoing ASCCA President. ASCCA Past President Mary Kemnitz says Rory is “One of the most effective committee members I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He has won the “One Member Can Campaign” twice. He has had a significant impact on the growth and energy within Chapter 14. Look for Rorry’s other episodes HERE.

Your weekly broadcast production with wisdom shared by our guest host and a virtual shop tour. There is a trivia challenge and a special fortune cookie wisdom shared.

• Guest Host Carolyn Coquillette from Luscious Garage in San Francisco and CEO of Shop-Ware interviews Carm. Carolyn’s previous episodes HERE.
• Virtual Shop Tour by Maxmilluan Macdonald from Maximilian MotorSports in Chehalis, WA. Max’s previous episodes HERE.
• Trivia Challenge: What was the classic three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz meant to initially symbolize?
• Listen for the fortune cookie wisdom of the week

Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. By always innovating, Dorman has led the way in growing the aftermarket. Here you will see a few examples of a Dorman OE Fix. An OE FIX is a Dorman repair solution you can’t get from the original equipment manufacturer. It means they found a situation where they believe the OEM wasn’t giving repair professionals what they wanted, so we fixed it. Everything Dorman does is centered around providing customer value, both in the quality of products, and the creativity of solutions. Our engineers and designers go out of their way to save repair technicians time and save vehicle owners money. Want to really go under the hood? Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour

• Colleen Yarger
  • New Shop Owner January 2021
  • Owns Marks Independent Service, Chatsworth, CA
  • The youngest member of this panel
• Carolyn Coquillette
  • Luscious Garage, San Fransico
  • CEO Shop-Ware
• Esteban Gonzales
  • Proshop Automotive, Colton, CA
• Matthew Lachowitzer
  • Matt’s Automotive Service Center, North Dakota, Minnesota
  • Multi-Shop Operator, 5 Locations includes Collision Shop
• Greg Buckley
  • Buckley’s Auto Care
  • Grooming the third generation of family
• Scott Brown
  • Shop Owner, Connie and Dicks, Claremont, CA
  • CEO Diagnostic Network
• Frank Leutz
  • Desert Car Care, Chandler, AZ
  • Wrench Nation Radio show and podcast
• Seth Thorson
  • Euro-Tech Auto Service, New Brighton, MN, Multi-Shop Owner
  • LMV Bavarian, BMW Tech Support Company

Thanks to ASCCA – Automotive Service Councils of California
Link to Youtube:

Talking Points:

Greg Buckley

• Are we as a profession proactive or reactive to change? Some are miles ahead while others won’t get out of the gate. Why? Is it a mindset? Opportunity? or do some think it’s time for a sunset. 
• It’s not so much what we do has changed, but how we do it certainly has. 
• Are there collaborations or partnerships that will be needed for our success that we don’t even know yet? 
• Less shops / more cars / lower ARO?
• And again – Miles Driven Per Capita vs Volume Of Miles Driven. Miles driven won’t necessarily decrease in the future, in fact, they’ll probably increase. But who will be driving them? Individuals, fleets, autonomous?   

Colleen Yarger

• Technician training internal and external for ADAS and Electric Cars. 
  • I’m working on hosting ADAS classes at the shop along with purchasing a connecting shop to support the parameters for calibrating these cars.
• Creating a more ‘on-demand’ guest experience. 
  • Text message capability with after-hour support. A web portal that will allow people to speak directly to me. And of course, using Shopware!
• Setting clear defined goals for my team and hiring like-minded individuals. 
  • We all want multiple shop locations 🙂 

Matt Lachowitzer

• Small shops will have the biggest challenge to keep up. Most of these won’t be able to afford to and as you stated, there will ultimately be way fewer shops in the future.
• The technician shortage continues to grow, how are we going to be able to staff our stores with the top talent?
• More and more people are leasing than ever before, how do we adapt?
• How do we continue to move away from just fixing cars and making ourselves stand out and be an experience and a destination for our guests so we aren’t a commodity?
• How do we as an industry continue to grow and keep up with the constant change?
• How do we continue to provide the best training available to our teams?

Scott Brown

• Technical challenges – If you’re a multi-carline shop I can only see it becoming extremely difficult to maintain the technical competencies required to deliver professional-grade service.
• One of the drivers of the 1st bullet is the lack of highly qualified technicians. Some OEM’s provide the framework for growth, on the independent side not so much. NASTF’s vision for Road to Great Technicians is a great starting point.
• Consumers – The automobile is one of the most complex devices most humans interact with daily and most don’t understand the technical competencies a service provider must possess in order to properly service their vehicle. 

 Frank Leutz

The Future Concept. Every Service Experience Point We Thought we Knew Changes Completely

• The future will entail a much more consumer based experience with themes leading away from the actual service work and more towards “Charge & Chill” “Vibe & Drive” , “Pit & Lit” , “Volt & Jolt”,   –I
  • Investment and Training in Hospitality Critical (aside from the normal TECH Training)
  • Partnerships with Restaurants Concepts 
•  Increasing Value in The Marketplace 
  • Replacing the Oil Service With Family Fun Based Experiences
  • Battery Disposal Services 
  • Vehicle-Based Subscription Partnerships 

Carolyn Coquillette

• The pace of technical innovation is not going to slow.  We must adapt or die.
• Good news is that we are the technologists.  That’s good job security.  
• As we figure out how to adapt, health care is a good potential reference point: how it is facing this challenge in a similar way, enabling humans to make sound decisions based on their own priorities.
• Additionally, jumping onto what Greg and Matt mentioned, participation in networks is going to be essential, both for car count (future fleets) and technical support (avoiding isolation, esp. for smaller shops).  Enter cloud-based shop management, technician forums, industry advocacy, and associations, all of which are represented here on this panel.

The Panel:

John Eppstein is the owner of John’s Automotive Care in San Diego, CA. He is the incoming ASCCA President. One thing he credits for his success is making his customer his main focus. John was honored as the 2016 NAPA ASE Technician of the year. Hear John in our one on one interview in episode 119, 200 and Academy 003 on the Top Qualities of a Service Advisor. Look for John’s other episodes HERE.

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA chairs the ASCCA Connected Cars Committee, serves on the ASCCA Board of Directors and is active in her local San Francisco chapter. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Dave Kusa is the owner of AutoTrend Diagnostics in Campbell, CA. Dave is very active in Chapter 42 and currently serves as a board member and chapter representative. He has also helped several new shops become ASCCA members. Dave advocates with local legislators on behalf of small businesses and their employees. He contributes to TeamTalk and is a huge resource for members. He was ASCCA’s past president. Look for Dave’s other episodes HERE.

Rory Balmer of Twin Peaks Auto Service in Twin Peaks is a past ASCCA Chapter 14 President and a past ASCCA Membership Committee Chair. He is the incoming ASCCA Vice-President. Rory is working full-time at his business. He attends De Vry University, where he is completing a BA degree in technical management. He will be attending Washington State University, entering into the Executive MBA program. ASCCA Past President Mary Kemnitz says Rory is “One of the most effective committee members I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He has won the “One Member Can Campaign” twice. He has had a significant impact on the growth and energy within Chapter 14. Look for Rorry’s other episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• California Mandate to sell only new cars being Electric Vehicles in 2035
• We have plenty of time to be trained, learn the technology and change your business plan.
• Electric Vehicles (EV’s) take longer to break.
• EV Repair Orders ( R/O’s) will be higher.
• The industry will transition as EVs become a larger part of the car parc.
• Electric fleets will be able to let vehicles rest and recharge.
• ADAS and Autonomous Vehicles along with EVs are important trends that every shop owner and future shop owners need to pay attention to you
• EV repair could be more modular.
• Hybrids are a great place to start to embrace the future EVs
• A recommendation is to buy a used Gen 2 Prius (2004 – 2009 ). Add it to your loaner fleet, learn all about it, get to training and put up your shingle that you repair the Toyota Prius. You should learn about battery, the inverter and motor. Get inside of it with your scan tool. Let it be your trainer vehicle. You’ll need service information and OE scan tools.
• Keeping the channels open for parts and tooling. ASCCA is fighting for that
• Education for our entire staff with a continual education commitment on all new technology.We need to work with our colleges and high schools to move way from carburetors and into electric drive trains and ADAS
• We will lose the smart bright young people to other industries if we don’t start to introduce all-new technology into our educational system. 
• Every manufacturer is pushing Electric Vehicles.
• Volkswagen is pushing toward an all model Electric Vehicle commitment. VW is the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world.
• In repairing an EV, there is a layer of systems that don’t exist on an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. 
• There is worry that EV cars and the new EV manufacturers will stay at the dealership. It is very expensive to create a dealership network.It is not in the best interest for new manufacturers to set up a dealer network and the independents can be an important part of maintenance and repair for these manufacturers.
• It may be too early to consider working on each manufacturer’s EV models. Tooling up will be very expensive, and access to parts and training will make it too early to rush into this.
• Fuel cell vehicles are also going to grow. More to repair on them.There will be segments of the country that will not see these cars for some time.
• As the future unfolds, embrace the new technology. Learn all about it
• Consumers want you to work on their cars. Embrace every opportunity
• The California mandate for 2035 has manufacturer support and it must open the aftermarkets eyes to embrace EVs The success formula or business model is not there and is a moving target. Keep an open mind.
• Adapt or become obsolete
• Globally manufacturers are committed to EVs. You will not fight it, yet it will have time to prepare. Pay attention to the evolution of the marketplace, new technology and trends.

Resources:

• A special thanks to John Eppstein, Carolyn Coquillette, Dave Kusa, and Rorry Balmer for his contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Listen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.

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Join the Ecosystem – Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE.

Buy Carm a Cup of Coffee 

This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at getshopware.com

This episode is brought to you buy Shop Marketing Pros. Your guides are Kim and Brian Walker with a rich history as shop owners and industry veterans. When someone searches for a shop, who are they finding? Your competitors? It should be you! The good people over at Shop Marketing Pros know how to drive website traffic and make Google work for you! www.shopmarketingpros.com

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA chairs the ASCCA Connected Cars Committee, serves on the ASCCA Board of Directors and is active in her local San Francisco chapter. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Scott Brown is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three and a half decades of professional service industry experience. He and his wife own Connie & Dick’s Service Center Inc., a 57-year-old independent shop in Southern California.

With a strong focus on engine performance and electronics, Scott began collaborating with other industry professionals, online, beginning in the early 90’s. Since 1995, he has been an instrumental resource in the development of the largest online community of automotive service professionals, the International Automotive Technicians Network — iATN where he once served as company president. Additionally, he serves on the NASTF Board of Directors and is a member of the following associations: ASCCA, CAT, ETI, I-CAR, & SAE.

Scott is the founder of diag.net. Find other episodes that have featured Scott HERE. Diag.Net HERE

Chris Cloutier is co-owner of Golden Rule Auto Care in Dallas Texas and CEO of Auto Tex Me. He spent many years in the software industry developing solutions for companies like Southwest Airlines, and Wyndham Intl. He’s worked for companies that understood the marriage of service and software, and have applied it in an effective way. Chris has his ASE C1: Automobile Service Consultant Certification Test (C1). He brings the business side to the business and his brother Pat brings the Braun. Chris is also a musician. Hear Chris’s previous episodes HERE.    Autotex.me website HERE.

Sheri Hamilton is the Midwest Auto Care Alliance (MWACA) Executive Director. She does not only lead the shop owners in six Midwestern states, she is also the Conference Manager of VISION Hi-Tech Training and Expo. Hear Sheri’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

•  Serving your customers will need innovation based on each customers way of being served
• Innovation and evolution on looking outside the industry to find new and different ways to serve, survive and compete
• We meed to present the details and complexity of the car to our customers in a clear way so they understand
• Embrace change. Become a change agent.If you choose to change you decide not to change
• Be careful not to say ‘Never’. You will adapt. Don’t fight it.
• The 5% of people that separate the good leaders from the great leaders. We’ve been forced in the last few months to make those tough decisions.
• We should be in a continuous loop upgrade to your systems and processes. The slowdown should have prompted you to spend time looking at this critical area of your business
• People have different learning styles and on-line webinars are for them. Some cannot pay attention with digital training. LMS (Learning Management Systems) will be involved to test if knowledge transfer happened.
• We are a resilient industry when confronted to do somethingYou must move and act to keep ahead of the pack
• Many shops have not missed a beat and their numbers Shops must become more efficient
• Look at their marketing skills
• They are reminded that everything matters
• They are missing communityOnline networking has helped  
• “A person who thinks they are leading and no one if following is just taking a walk.” John MaxwellAs an essential company, how did you lead your people through the crisis?
• No one told us to disinfect cars, protect our customers and people, what our customers wanted in a touchless, sanitized transaction. We had to figure it out on our own
• There are so many government agencies that put pressure on businesses to shut you down, don’t let your leadership skills hurt your business
• Scott Brown is extending his branding on loaner cars by putting a sign inside the car that says it is a Covid19 support vehicle
• Change does not come all at once like a waterfall. It is iterative. Incremental. Agile. Put into practice and see if it works.
• Being an essential business was good for our mental state. Even is no cars to fix we had a place to go every day.
• Sheri Hamilton. There will be changes in the meeting industry. It will be dependent on the facility. Theatre vs classroom seating
• Check-in methods will be different
• Possibly health screening
• Meeting face to face will continue to be important
• If you have DVI and do texting, don’t stop there.Will 3D printing be in our future?
• Voice technologies will grow. Will touching become taboo?
• Alexis skills.
• Keyboards and mouse is old tech. Will voice take its place
• On-line meetings. Will they become the standard?
• New car sales slump will help our industryWe can help our customers keep their vehicles for 200K+ miles to improve their ROI
• We need to tell our customer that we are going to keep your vehicle safe and relatable and have a sanitized experience.Tell them how we are going to handle the transaction. 
• Reassure them that you are doing everything to keep them safe
• Book: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership John MaxwellLink to Books Page.
• Use your credit facilities to help customers do the right repairs. Look at the ads on TV for Car brands. They have 0% and 84 month terms. They are creating a ‘credit’ buzz around buying a new car.
• If your organization has a negative ‘state of mind’, you need to lead it up and out.Build the team by asking them to help solve your problems
• Ask them for solutions to their problems
• Be empathetic if you lay someone off
• Explain that you did not save enough money for a rainy day
• Be truthful and learn to lead. Be transparent
• Associations are an important resource and to build community so you know you are not going through any challenge alone
• Don’t be an islandNot one person has all the answers
• Networking
• Continue to adapt. Every day learn something new. Ask your team.     
• Marginal gains. Google it.The compounding effect of making one small change every day
• Give yourself credit for what you are doing great
• Don’t beat yourself up if you stumble
• Eat an elephant one bite at a timeWill you change or will someone make the decision for you?
• Chris hates the name aftermarket and it should be promarket
• Go to a conference when things open upConnect with shop owners. We don’t know everything
• Our industry has achieved a lot. We should be proudWe’ve been through a lot and reflect on what you did. Learn from it.

Resources:

• A special thanks to Carolyn Coquillette, Sheri Hamilton, Chris Cloutier and Scott Brown for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Listen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.

Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email

Mobile Listening APP’s HERE

Join the Ecosystem – Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE.

Buy Carm a Cup of Coffee 

This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at shop-ware.com

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA chairs the ASCCA Connected Cars Committee, serves on the ASCCA Board of Directors and is active in her local San Francisco chapter. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Scott Brown is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three and a half decades of professional service industry experience. He and his wife own Connie & Dick’s Service Center Inc., a 57-year-old independent shop in Southern California.

With a strong focus on engine performance and electronics, Scott began collaborating with other industry professionals, online, beginning in the early 90’s. Since 1995, he has been an instrumental resource in the development of the largest online community of automotive service professionals, the International Automotive Technicians Network — iATN where he once served as company president. Additionally, he serves on the NASTF Board of Directors and is a member of the following associations: ASCCA, CAT, ETI, I-CAR, & SAE.

Scott is the founder of diag.net. Find other episodes that have featured Scott HERE. Diag.Net HERE

Key Talking Points:

• Carolyn did a presentation at Vision 2019 “Don’t trust me, how to empower customers to value your service.” Better communicate with customer
• There is no such thing as perfect communication
• Scott has a presentation on how to best present knowledge and information to the customer (media, photos) 
• Communicating complex problems on vehicles to customers (what are you doing, why you are doing it and what are results). Documentation of process. Communication can’t be perfect, always a work in progress  
• Customers need to understand the quality of the facility and services and why the pricing is set in place. Peace of mind. 
• Ultimately the car is the customer’s problem. The car is passing through the shop and the shop becomes the middle man. Easy for customers to be upset instead of appreciating the help to get the car back on road. 
• People read approximately 300 yards of social media a day- always consuming information, customers need to be educated. I can’t assume customers don’t want to know information or details about their vehicles.  
• The fine line between communication and overwhelm- the goal is comprehension with the customer. Data should speak for itself and tell a story. Customers often prioritize issues with vehicles and leave other issues pending. 
• Training is maintenance, people don’t know how we make our sausage
• Technology is moving at a rapid rate in vehicles, shops need to continue to train or be left behind
• Shops are willing to share more than ever and help other shops- changing industry

Resources:

• Thanks to Scott Brown and Carolyn Coquillette for their contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Love what we do, buy a cup of coffee HERE.

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This episode is brought to you by AAPEX, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo. AAPEX represents the $740 billion global automotive aftermarket industry and has everything you need to stay ahead of the curve. With 2,500 exhibiting companies, you’ll see the latest products, parts, and technologies for your business. As a result, the event also offers advanced training for shop owners, technicians, warehouse distributors (WDs) and auto parts retailers, as well as networking opportunities to grow your business. AAPEX 2020 will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3 through Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Therefore, more than 48,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend, and approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals. They will be from 135 countries which are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX 2020. For information, visit aapexshow.com

The Panel:

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA chairs the ASCCA Connected Cars Committee, serves on the ASCCA Board of Directors and is active in her local San Francisco chapter. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware.  Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Dave Kusa is the owner of AutoTrend Diagnostics in Campbell, CA. Dave is very active in Chapter 42 and currently serves as a board member and chapter representative. He has also helped several new shops become ASCCA members. Dave advocates with local legislators on behalf of small businesses and their employees. He contributes to TeamTalk and is a huge resource for members. He was ASCCA’s past president. Look for Dave’s other episodes HERE.

Niko Sougias and his sister Julia work side by side with Charlie and Shelly to carry on the family tradition of Charlie’s Foreign Car Service, one of Downtown Encinitas’s most successful and enduring local businesses. Niko purchased the shop from his father 3 years ago. Charlie’s Foreign Car is a BOSCH service center. Niko is a member of ASCCA and sits on the connected car committee. Niko is a newly appointed BOSCH Car Council member. Also an Encinitas Rotarian. He is Married with 2 kids. Niko now operates the shop with 7 technicians, 3 service advisors, and a parts manager. Look for Niko’s other episodes HERE.

About ASCCA’s Connected Cars Committee

ASCCA’s Connected Cars Committee was established August 1st, 2017 with the mission to “protect the ability of ASCCA membership to do business in California, including safe, secure, and uninterrupted access to vehicle onboard systems and the required tools to fix them.”

Committee members are also active in:

• National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF)
• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
• California Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA)
• Auto Care Association (ACA)
• Auto Service Association (ASA)
• ASCCA Government Affairs Committee

Connected Cars Committee Objectives

Membership Support: The Connected Car Committee supports ASCCA membership, providing:

• news and analysis of the trends in “connected” cars (telematics and autonomy e.g.)
• resources for information and training
• guidance on best practices

Partner Collaboration: The Connected Car Committee will work with ASCCA partners, providing:

• feedback to partners on “connected” issues as they pertain to California
• representation in partner advocacy nationwide
• participation in “connected” related events across the Aftermarket

Government Support: The Connected Car Committee will support the ASCCA Government Affairs

The committee, providing:

• coordination on “connected” issues; at least one current member on both committees
• a dedicated mouthpiece (for members and partners) regarding “connected” issues
• immediate updates on “connected” issues that may be relevant to legislation.

Key Talking Points:

• ASCCA Team Weekend -Reassurance and clarity after learning more about the changing cars in the industry
  • Keynote speaker Fred Gruner- Principal Engineer at NVIDIA
    • Any decision a person makes in less than a second a machine and robot can do it. But human brain compared to supercomputer can still out compute it
    • Autonomous cars can learn
    • How do you operate autonomous vehicles safely? Functional safety- A situation with the absence of unacceptable risk.
    • Can you repair autonomous cars? Yes
    • Security of autonomous cars will be elevated- Need to be prepared with credentials in order to access cars  
  • What’s next?
    • Stay ahead of curve- continual learning and being ready for autonomous cars
    • “Adapt or become obsolete”
    • Get involved with organizations and associations

Resources Mentioned:

• ASCCA Connected Cars Webpage HERE
• Luscious Garage Webpage HERE
• Autotrend Diagnostics Webpage HERE.
• Charlie’s Foreign Car Webpage HERE.

Thanks to Carolyn Carolyn Coquillette, Dave Kusa and Niko Sougias for their contribution to this podcast.

Leaders are Readers. Go the BOOKS page on the website.

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-MogulMotorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

In the picture above is Carolyn Coquillette, Tammy Tecklenburg, Laura Soave and Jill Trotta.

I believe you know of my affection for the Women In Auto Care organization. Ever since I attended my first conference I’ve come to value the work they do to connect, empower and mentor women in our auto care industry. And something you may not know their incredible work with educational scholarships … this year to the tune of $65,000. More on that inside the episode.

2017 Honorees:

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate three accomplished women who share a passion for the automotive industry, a drive for excellence and a mission to mentor the next generation,” said Tammy Tecklenburg, president, Women in Auto Care.

Woman of the Year — Laura Soave, senior vice president, chief marketing and communications officer at Federal-Mogul Motorparts, who was chosen for her significant leadership and contributions to the auto care community throughout her career.

Woman of Excellence — Jill Trotta, director of the automotive group at RepairPal Inc., for providing outstanding contributions to the auto care industry.

Female Shop Owner of the Year — Carolyn Coquillette, owner and master technician of Luscious Garage in San Francisco, who was chosen for having a proven record of excellence in the automotive service industry.

In this interview is Laura Soave, Jill Trotta and Women In Auto Care President Tammy Tecklenburg, the Vice-President of Global Sales and Marketing Operations for Spectrum Brands

Women In Auto Care Website

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-MogulMotorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

I attended the ASA Automotive Service Association, Connected CARS  (Congress of Automotive Repair & Service) event in Detroit on May 18th & 19th, 2017.  It was a very informative event organized by former ASA Chairman and shop owner Donny Seyfer, who brought industry trainers, automotive engineers and service professionals from all parts of North-America to learn about rapidly advancing vehicle technology.

All attendees got an important glimpse into the world of the connected car with in-depth and detailed looks at ADAS, Next Gen Vehicle Networks, V2V and the future of diagnostics.

Safety is one of the driving forces behind ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). The two-day seminar brought some of the top tech trainers to bring a deeper understanding of how these systems function and what it takes to diagnose, repair and calibrate them today and in the not too distant future.

Listen to an in-studio round table debate along with a ‘man in the street’ interview segment that was recorded at the first night reception. In all, you’ll hear contributions from seventeen of your industry peers in this episode.

You will hear discussions on the course content, personal thoughts on this new technology, new business models and the opportunities that modern technology creates for progressive operators among many more hot and trending talking points.

I’m happy to bring you the pulse of this event. Training events like this must be part of your future. Keep an eye out for the exciting ASA programs being presented for you at AAPEX 2017. ASA-CARS.com

Presentations from:

• Dave Hobbs, Delphi, Radar, Lidar, Sonar and camera-based sensors
• Greg Potter, ETI, and Bob Gruszczynski, VW, scan-tool protocols
• Debra Bezinna, Ann Arbor Connected Vehicle Test Environment, University of Michigan . Debra was interviewed by ASA’s Washingon, DC rep Robert L. Redding Jr. She spoke on V2V Communication
• Jason Ross, Volkswagen, driver-assist systems
• Scott Bolt, Mahle, new vehicle network architecture
• Tarek Taleb, GM, CAN network diagnosis software
• Mohan Sethi, Mahle Aftermarket, secure diagnostics
• Jim Luyckx from Snap-on presented diagnostics by thermal imaging
• Steve Zach, Bosch, ADAS calibration and alignment

Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director, said about the inaugural event, “ASA is committed to providing industry-leading technology and telematics programs to our members and the industry. This program is a first of its kind. Attendees left armed with more knowledge and information on the most current and future ADAS technology than the 90 percent of those repairing vehicles in automotive industry today!”

“Comments and enthusiasm from Connected CARS attendees and presenters exceeded my expectations,” said event organizer Donny Seyfer. “The presentations were spot-on. I’m not sure who was more impressive – our presenters or their audience. But I do know this was an amazing technical networking opportunity.”

List of who was in this episode:

Round Table Studio Interview:
Dan Risley
Frank Leutz
Greg Buckley
Bill Nalu
Joe Hanson
Jeff Buckley
Joe Register
Ray Fisher

Reception ‘Man In Street Interviews’
Donny Seyfer
Pete Rudloff
Dave Kusa
Greg Potter
Tom Piippo
Bob Wills
Greg Buckley
Carolyn Coquillette
Eric Carlson
Frank Leutz
Ray Fisher
Bill Nalu
Craig O’Neill

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

Carolyn Coquillette discovered wrenching in 2000, shortly after graduating from college. A rare female mechanic, her nickname at the service station and in professional circles became “Luscious Garage.”

Carolyn owns Luscious Garage, a hybrid specialty shop in San Francisco and probably the best known hybrid shop in the country. She also owns Shop-Ware, a software company that allows repair shops to run online and paper-free.

Start-Up.
She opened Luscious Garage in September 2007, became certified as a Benefit Corporation August 2012 with nine full time and two-part time employees. Luscious Garage is currently open 80 hours per week, spanning day and night shifts. The shop averages over 700 jobs per month.

Hybrid Focus.
Interest in hybrids and advanced diagnostics took Carolyn from Ann Arbor, MI to the San Francisco Bay Area. Extended study in those fields (and the pitfalls of the industry) convinced her it was time to open her own shop inspired by the hybrid: to be green, high tech, and cutting-edge.

Luscious Garage was the first shop in the country dedicated exclusively to hybrids. It was named Small Green Business of the Year within its first year of business by the SF Bay Guardian. Its innovative philosophy has garnered local, national, and international press. Luscious Garage believes in hybrid automotive technology and applies this new paradigm to everything they do.

Shop-Ware.
Carolyn Coquillette also owns Shop-Ware, a comprehensive shop management system. She discusses how that came about and why she is currently working full time on this company.

The discussion includes:

Labor Rates. The need to raise them and her prediction for the next five years.

How to bring the customer into the repair experience.

Luscious Garage is more responsive, and fun to deal with, over the dealer

Carolyn shares her inspiration on how to improve what we do and how to make it better.

Plugging into community college and looking for star technicians.

The car is a rolling iPhone. Consumer has no concept of the complexity or how it works so having a collaborative conversation with the customer is critical.

Carolyn would argue that the reason we don’t have great resources and technology is because the industry benefits if the shops are disorganized. If we were more organized, we could charge more money.

Luscious Garage website here.

Shop-Ware website here.

About Luscious Garage

Feedback, socially involved and in touch with the show:
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This episode is brought to you by Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com