Informative and fun 25 minutes to improve your business and career. Shop tour at Swanson’s Auto Care and special guest Tony Tatich from TMT Complete Auto Service. Streaming on Facebook LinkedIn and YouTube #aftermarketweekly #aftermarketsrtong

• Guest- Tony Tatich -Power of Shop Visitation
• Development Tactics for Your Team
• Becoming More Productive – Self Development
• Shop Tour: Swanson’s Auto Service with Randy Swanson, Grandville, MI
• Trivia- Who Makes the Most Tires!

Link to APP Tony mentioned: Productiveapp.io:  https://productiveapp.io/
for Apple only

Andy Bizub from Midwest Performance Cars in Chicago is also a native of Chicago. His first career was 25 years as a commodity trader. He entered the professional auto industry in 2014 by acquiring a failing shop in downtown Chicago that he was a customer of and started a turnaround. Andy now has two locations. He bought his first car at age 19, a 1972 Triumph Spitfire, which was the start of his gas, oil, and automobile obsession. Listen to Andy’s previous episodes HERE.

Maryann Croce was a banker turned business owner. Tony was a technician turned shop owner. Her biggest mistake as a new business owner was thinking she had to do it all. This is one of the reasons why her signature talk “Gain Control by Letting Go” was created. Maryann is also a member of Women in Auto Care and owns smallbizvantage.com. Hear Maryann in her previous episodes HERE.

Tony Tatich is the General Manager of TMT Automotive, Bremen, IN. He works on solidifying his current shop while building human capital. He is, currently, exploring a second location with the second shop already located. One of his present challenges is finding the right person for the second location. He thinks about his continued growth personally, business, and into multiple facilities. he is working through challenges of growth & being a Yes shop in massive growth periods.

He is looking for harmony and to build a shop that runs 100% without his involvement. He leads a staff of technicians that are 21, 28, & 33 with a senior technician @ 54, Growing out next people homegrown! He is very excited about –  2nd child on the way, 19.8% growth in the first 6 months! Find out more about Tony’s episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• Where are you getting your new customers?Old fashion mailers
• Facebook groups
• Small fleets (other business owners)
• Building relationships from all sectors, building trust
• Google ad words
• Community
• Social media. Paid and organic
• Mailers
• Show you are different in your value proposition
• Google My BusinessAndy was able to cut his cost of clicks down substantially
• Growth strategy from TMT (Tony) took them some time to find their first. They have a goal of 5 storesMany have goals to grow and sell to a regional consolidator
• Time hack:Get off of Facebook
• Manage your time by theme days or activities
• Manage your tasksSend a text on your tasks to yourself and not open it until morning
• Plan your day the night before
• Find a brick of time (blocks)
• Cross of a list and get the closure of completion
• Average Repair Order GrowthLook for the ‘Smalls’Lightbulbs, air filters, cabin filters
• 400% Rule100% Inspected
• 100% Quoted
• 100% Talked to Client
• 100% of Follow Up
• Balancing with Rotation
• Be responsible for your customer vehicle
• Tony wants to find a shop with a low car count and low AROHe will increase that immediately, overnight with procedures and customer service commitment
• Understand what the client’s goals for their vehicle is. This will help you decide maintenance for the long term
• ‘Call Us For Anything’ A sign in your shop that professes your support to their vehicle safety and reliability. Texting, calls
• A forever discussion with every client
• Tony offers a loaner car on the weekends when they are closedWe are in a need it now world
• Customers want help and assistance NOW
• Create a lockbox with a code with keys for a loaner car
• Maryann has any message answered when they are closed
• Andy did an employee engagement surveyDiscovered internal communications was a weakness and easy to address
• Trends.Andy says the industry is splitting into three segmentsVery High Service, High Touch, Specialists, BoutiqueInvestment needed in technology tools/solutions
• ADAS example. Future self-calibration
• Dealership
• Chains
• A one shop company may not be able to afford the equipment, tools, and training to keep up
• Andy Bizub’s business coach was quoted as saying, “The dealers around you want to raise their labor rates but they can’t until you do”.A vicious spiral
• When you lead with your heart you many not be sustaining the business. You’ve got to thrive if you are going to stay in business. Charging for services rendered is tough but must be done. Charging commodity pricing will not sustain your business

Resources:

• A special thanks to Andy Bizub, Maryann Croce, and Tony Tatich for their 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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Mike Tatich and his wife Serena started TMT Complete Auto Service Center in March of 1984 in Bremen, IN. Bremen is a small town of 4,600 people with 2 stoplights. The shop has undergone many evolutions since its tiny beginning as a tire store and body shop. Mike has become a John Maxwell Leadership Certified business coach. He has a story of letting go, a perfectionist control freak, a helicopter dad, and he needs to get busier doing other stuff. 

Key Talking Points:

• John Maxwell certified business coach
  • Started reading John Maxwell books 10 years ago
  • Went through certification program in Florida- not one person in the program was from automotive industry
  • Leadership makes a difference
    • 9 out of 10 shop owners don’t believe they can take shop forward
    • Self-limiting belief, fearful   
• Art of letting go
  • Father/son relationship at the shop
  • Cannot have two different management styles within the company
• The average shop owner is 63
  • Opportunity for younger talent
• Advice to millennials
  • Be consistent, build the foundation first
  • Invest in yourself and be open – training, being in association/group, reach out to other shop owners and network
  • Focus on being better than the previous day and step out of your comfort zone
  • Weekly meetings with team

Resources Mentioned:

• Mike’s son Tony Tatich episode’s here HERE.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS’ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library and many from John Maxwell HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Mike Tatich email HERE.

• Thanks to Mike Tatich for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email    Events    Speaking

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

The Roundtable:

Tony Tatich is the General Manager of TMT Automotive, Bremen, IN. He works on solidifying his current shop while building human capital. He is, currently, exploring a second location with the second shop already located. One of his present challenges is finding the right person for the second location. He thinks about his continued growth personally, business, and into multiple facilities.  he is working through challenges of growth & being a Yes shop in massive growth periods.

He is looking for harmony and to build a shop that runs 100% without his involvement. He leads a staff of technicians that are 21, 28, & 33 with a senior technician @ 54, Growing out next people homegrown! He is very excited about –   2nd child on the way, 19.8% growth in the first 6 months! Find out more about Tony’s episodes HERE.

Justin Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Automotive, Cornelia, GA. He is excited about the future of this industry with autonomous vehicles and the role the independent repair shop will play in that arena, and with the changing landscape how we are going to have to be nimble and adapt to stay relevant.

Leadership is something that is extremely challenging to him but rewarding when done right. He had some leadership failures and wins which are adding to his growth in that area. His biggest challenge right now is the same thing that he is working on and that is building a great team. In the last 18 months, he had gone from leading himself and one other to leading 6 and still adding to keep up with growth. Find out more about Justin’s episodes HERE.

Brett Bohlmann, along with his wife, is the owner of HWY 7 Service Center, Newell, IA. He began his career in the automotive industry as an automotive technician. Over the years, Brett began to acquire top notch experience and a love of automobiles but more of a passion for learning in the entire automotive industry.

In 2010, Brett had an urge to start and open Hwy 7 Service Center with the goal of always exceeding the customer’s expectations. Oil definitely pumps in his veins as automotive knowledge, skill, and work ethic radiate from his actions and words. However, the fuel for the fire comes from his family at home and the community that has become a large family too. Find out more about Brett’s episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• Team building- taking a leadership role instead of tech
  • Leaders are readers- gain knowledge to take action
  • “5 Levels of Leadership” by John Maxwell
  • Work on business instead of in it
• Maintain culture while hiring new people
  • Relationship with external customers and employees
• Working on it vs. Working in it.
  • Keeping the same feel for customers with different people instead of the owner
  • Market business with a face of the owner
• Taking over the business after father steps out
  • Building trust with customers, credibility   
• Rapid growth
  • Employee turnover
  • Book “Traction” Gino Wickman   
• Sales to customers
  • Rehearsed, deeper in the presentation
  • Recording phone calls and listening for areas of improvement
• Be unique
  • Serve and love on customer
  • Make the customer feel great about auto repair  

Other Resources:

HWY7 Service Center Website

Barrett Automotive Website

TMT Complete Auto Service Center Website

Book: 5 Levels of Leadership by John Maxwell

Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

A special thanks to Justin Barrett, Brett Bohlmann and Tony Tatich for sharing their stories.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email    Events    Speaking

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

TMT Complete Auto Service Center was started in March of 1984 by Mike and Serena Tatich in Bremen, IN. Bremen is a small town of 4,600 people with 2 stoplights. The shop has undergone many evolutions since its tiny beginning as a tire store and body shop.

Tony Tatich, general manager, has been involved in the shop since a young boy (age of 9 to be exact). Tony’s growth into the family business started by sweeping shop floors and washing cars, to performing light mechanical duties, service advising, and now into general management. He is second generation family.

The shop has evolved into a state of the art facility that has recently under gone a major renovation project in 2016 including total shop and front office renovations.

They have a very strong business culture focused on the strength of their people. TMT invests heavily in training for its people because without great trained people there is no TMT Family.  Tony shares TMT’s passion that Customer Experience is #1. They are always willing to help people whether it be clients, co-workers, or fellow industry professionals.

An untypical millennial Tony brings a youthful exuberance to TMT Automotive. Tony has spent many years being groomed by his dad Mike to become the General Manager and an exceptional Service Adviser.

Neither Tony or his dad were technicians to start and yet they have a great business. They are working on a succession plan as Tony’s dad is now working four days and is not involved in the day to day.

Talking points:

• Tony’s biggest strength is communication.
• Weekly meeting with his dad where they talk about wins and loses along with plans of the week.
• He works to surround himself with smarter people than himself.
• If you do not implement you just wasted money on training and twenty group ideas.
  • 400-600 percent Rule: Make a list of 4-6 items that you will implement 100% within 30 days.
• Business can become stale and the young generation can re-invigorate.
• If there were no millennials would we have Digital Vehicle Inspections?
• They wash customer cars. No one ever says, ‘What a great brake job’, but they do say ‘Thanks for washing my car.’
• One mistake . He tried to go paperless at the same time DVI. He paused and then re-started and has been there for over a year.
• You must reply to every customer review personally.
• He does not like replying to a Facebook review because you can get drawn into a conversation you don’t want to have on-line.
• TMT has six loaner cars because of his rural setting.
• He has leased a hybrid vehicle for a loaner and will be involved with Hybrid repair. Those customers are maintenance and green conscious.
  • He sent out a marketing piece on Hybrids and got paid back in spades.
• He credits his team for the success of the business.
• Their business culture is strong and it was recently challenged with having to accept the resignation from a top producer. He recognized an improvement in culture with the new replacement. It was long overdue.

TMT Website

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email

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