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

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

Charlie Marcotte is the owner of American Pride Automotive and Founder of Transportation Matters. After serving in the U.S. Army, Charlie and his wife Diane moved to Virginia in 1988 and started their family in 1992. Putting food on the table was the primary goal that started Charlie working on cars (illegally) from a 10′ by 20′ storage unit. A strong work ethic and love of cars allowed those humble beginnings to flourish into American Pride Automotive, with 4 locations serving the Virginia Peninsula. The family unit has always been Charlie’s driving force, with three successful children and a bouncing baby Grandson: Life is Good. Building a solid business is a point of pride for Charlie, but his true passion is Transportation Matters. The transportation Matters mission drives positive social change while delivering a competitive advantage to the independent automotive repair industry—the same industry which has provided Charlie with so much opportunity.

Listen to Charlie’s other episodes HERE

Dustin Brown, Brown Auto Experts, 3 Locations in New Mexico, Albuquerque, Village of Los Ranchos and Rio Rancho. Dustin and Nolan Brown are brothers that are third-generation mechanics. Their father Donald started Browns Automotive in 1982.

Key Talking Points

• Connect your brand to your community
• What has your contribution been during your entire career?
• Owning a business and supporting your community go hand in hand- hiring, retention, comebacks, customer relationships, word of mouth growth
• Transform your reputation in the  industry- break the negative stereotype
• Charlie Marcotte is 7 years into a 10-year goal of donating $320,000 to local non-profits, he is proud to say that we are ahead of schedule. Success came from the process.
• Charlie developed a program called State Inspections for our Community. In VA, they have an annual safety inspection, the cost to the customer is only $20. For each State Inspection they perform, they set aside $5 to be given to a local NPO, they call it “making the mundane, meaningful”.  
• American Pride is Facilitating the gift of a 2015 Ford Escape to the Williamsburg House of Mercy. One of their great fleet customers, Signature Stone, needed a transmission for their ’15 Escape. It’s an expensive transmission and in the end, it didn’t make sense to repair it but the rest of the car was in great shape. Charlie reached out to WHOM and asked if they had a family who could use reliable transportation, with the ability to maintain it – they did. Charlie reached out to a friend, Matt Lacy who owns Lacy Auto Parts, and suggested he donate a transmission, he did. He had their crew install the transmission at no charge. To make this donation a wise business strategy, Charlie will have a film crew coming to the shop to interview all 4 parties. 
• Video content- keep it simple with a cell phone, quick and natural. It is real and intimate content. Don’t overthink it. 
• Dustin’s primary charity is the Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home. In the past, they were involved with many organizations such as Road Runner food bank, Coats for Kids, Toys for Tots, and Breast Cancer awareness foundation. 3 years ago they decided to stay focused on one local charity and provide support to them throughout the year. This has ensured the collections stay in the community. Consumable drive with customers started this month and will go to the end of the year (Paper/Plasticware, toilet paper, dishwashing, and laundry detergent, and so on, Things the home goes through all year long). Don’t just give back during the holidays, it needs to be done throughout the whole year.
• Dustin recently completed a training room: The goal is to get involved with local car clinics for new drivers and basic vehicle education such as tire pressure, changing a spare, and checking fluids. With a new training area, they hosted their first tech training event with the help of NAPA. It is also for technicians in the community to do more hands-on training. New driver clinic- changing tire, oil etc.
• Inspiration is followed by perspiration 
• Family Service Day- free automotive care and repair paired with the local church, helped over 1,000 families

Connect with the show:

Aftermarket Radio Network

Subscribe on YouTube

Visit us on the Web

Follow on Facebook

Become an Insider

Buy me a coffee

Important Books

Check out today’s partners:

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

Are you seeing auto shops in your area get hundreds of 5-star Google reviews and are you feeling left behind because your shop only has a few?

Hey look, Broadly is your answer to getting more online reviews. With more reviews, your business will rank higher in search results — and that means more customers coming into your shop every day.
Broadly helps you automatically request reviews so that your customers can promote your business with just one click. When you immediately ask for a review after service, when the experience is still fresh in their mind, you’re more likely to get a 5-star positive review. Plus, asking for feedback makes your customer feel valued and more connected to your business. Isn’t that what you want a connected customer? See how Broadly can help grow your auto shop.  Visit www.getbroadly.com/chat to learn more.

• Guest host Rob Merwin from Aftermarket Matters will share news on the number of shops that closed as a result of Covid-19 and the advance of mobile repair.
• Charlie Marcotte from American Pride in Virginia gives you a tour of his four shops. He stresses processes, systems, and sameness between all facilities.

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

• Guest host, Charlie Marcotte, American Pride Automotive, 4 Locations serving the Virginia Peninsula. Spoke about Profit First.
• Virtual shop tour with Brenda O’Neal from Repair One Automotive, The Woodlands, TX
• Trivia Challenge: In What Year Did the US have 1,000,000 registered cars?

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

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. Look for Andy’s previous episodes HERE.

Charlie Marcotte is the owner of American Pride Automotive and Founder of Transportation Matters. After serving in the U.S. Army, Charlie and his wife Diane moved to Virginia in 1988 and started their family in 1992. Putting food on the table was the primary goal that started Charlie working on cars (illegally) from a 10′ by 20′ storage unit. A strong work ethic and love of cars allowed those humble beginnings to flourish into American Pride Automotive, with 4 locations serving the Virginia Peninsula. The family unit has always been Charlie’s driving force, with three successful children and a bouncing baby Grandson: Life is Good. Building a solid business is a point of pride for Charlie, but his true passion is Transportation Matters. The transportation Matters mission drives positive social change while delivering a competitive advantage to the independent automotive repair industry—the same industry which has provided Charlie with so much opportunity.

Key Talking Points

• Early bird drop offs- loyal customer, comes in for routine services 
• Key dropper- hold out keys and wants to be called when done
• Trust- yours to lose in everything you do. 
• Relationships- discuss things besides the customer’s car to establish a connection
• COVID 19- has started training customers to not wait in the waiting room. Customers have changed their behavior and it stressed the value of their time.   
• Communicating with customers- text, calls, email. Make it convenient and streamline
• Be neutral and objective instead of being black or white without seeing gray. Most production takes place in the middle when you can pivot, listen and adjust to your customer’s needs. 
• Independent shop owners are not the competition- the competition is new car dealer/franchise. The independent shops are grassroots, boots on the ground, and have community ties.  
• “Who not how” Dan Kennedy- how do you get your customer to look at you as their “who” for auto repair? 
• Phone calls- the best insights into customer’s expectations and if they’re being met.
• Market to existing customer base instead of all going to new customer acquisition- producing word of mouth referrals  
• Subscription service for VIP customers- guaranteed 24 hour appointments? Is being too busy hindering your clients? Dentists prioritize broken teeth for emergency appointments, what about broken cars?

• Thanks to Andy Bizub and Charlie Marcotte 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.
• Listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Podchaser, and many more. Mobile Listening APP’s HERE
• Find every podcast episode HERE.
• Every episode is segmented by Series HERE.
• Key Word Search HERE.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:

Facebook   Twitter  LinkedIn   Instagram  Youtube   Email  

Join the Ecosystem – Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE.

Buy me a coffee

As a member of the NAPA family, AutoCare Center owners can take advantage of the NAPA National Health Program from the NAPA Insurance Center. This “NAPA only” program gives you and your employees access to national “large group” rates on medical insurance with premiums discounted up to 30 percent. These rates are based on the collective purchasing potential of 22,500 NAPA locations including both NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and NAPA AutoCare Centers.

The NAPA Insurance Center can help you with a variety of other insurance benefits too. For more information about The NAPA National Health Benefits program as well as all of the insurance benefits available to your AutoCare Center and your employees, visit the NAPA Benefits Center, at www.napabenefitscenter.com or call the NAPA Benefits Center at 844-627-2123.

Suzanne Hawley is the Executive Director of Family Service Day, an award-winning ’cause marketing’ initiative for the automotive industry called Keeping Cars Kickin’. Their mission is to help businesses do well by doing good.

Support for the community
Family Service Day helps local shop owners and their employees get involved in supporting their community by sharing their talents and services with families in need of a ‘hand up’. Their unique, step-by-step Keeping Cars Kickin’ Blueprint© makes it easy for independent shops large and small to host successful local events, even with no prior marketing or event management experience. Through the company’s flagship initiative, Keeping Cars Kickin’, participating repair shops offer no-charge vehicle maintenance, service and car-care education to families that need help caring for their automobiles. What began as a community project in 2009 has grown to include national events with service providers available in all 50 states.

Grow your reputation
Family Service Day helps independent repair shops profile their community support while increasing the safety and reliability of transportation for families in need of much needed vehicle maintenance.

Started from the heart
Suzanne talks about how she and her brother, Charlie Marcotte, who is Family Service Day founder and a shop owner, grew up in a single parent household. They needed  support just like Family Service Day is providing throughout the country with aftermarket service professionals.

A plan for the entire community
Guided by the belief that businesses have a responsibility to give back to their communities, Family Service Day provides companies with an action plan that seeks to access the talents and resources of companies to share with people—especially those with the fewest resources—in order to strengthen businesses, families and communities across the nation.

Why Listen:

Learn about the value of having an event blue print that outlines all steps to create a rewarding event

Find out how Family Service Day connects you with local non-profits to find the best candidates for you to help

How the aftermarket is getting behind this effort to help support the service professional in many different ways

Help from industry partners
Family Service day has Involvement from industry partners that provide support for the program which supports the success of this out-reach program. Learn all about the partner program on their website.

Family Service Day Website here.

Below is a short video on Family Service Day.

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