Have you identified and named your ideal customer avatar? Do you talk about it with your team? I’m with Daniel Griffith at the 2022 elite invitational. Listen as he breaks down finding the ideal customers and the importance of team culture. He even uses his employee testimonials in job postings (there’s an idea).

Daniel Griffith, Wally’s Precision Auto Care, Las Vegas, NV

Key Talking Points

• Finding, identifying, and connecting with the ideal customer and naming them (Jennifer and Clara)- what books are they reading? Who are they following on social media? What are their expectations? 
• Build out each phase of the customer experience process, and look at the highs and lows
• What parts of the process are easy and what parts are hard? Simplify that down as much as possible
• If something’s not working, change it. It’s that simple
• Hiring new employees- asked his current employees what they like about their job, then used their words on the job descriptions
• “Culture eats strategies for breakfast.”
• The average tenure of his current team is over 12 years

Connect with the Podcast:

Aftermarket Radio Network

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Buy me a coffee

Important Books

Check out today’s partners:

Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2022. Mark your calendar now … November 1-3, 2022, AAPEX – Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR.

More Time. More Profit. Transform your shop at getshopware.com/carm

Guest host and shop tour with Jae Malinowski, Faithfull Tirecraft, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Jae’s shop has 5 shipping containers of customer tires. Find out why tires are an important part of his business.

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Jae Malinowski, Faithfull Tirecraft, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Listen to Jae’s previous episodes HERE

Key Talking Points

• Rebranding business, knowing who your customer is, and having a customer avatar
• Moving during COVID-19, leasing the current building
• Book recommendation Stolen Focus by Johann Hari- learn how to listen better, focus on the task at hand
• Tire storage- appointments twice a year
• 8k for a shipping container, Jae will cap at 6 containers on location. 

Connect with the Podcast:

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 partner:

Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour

Greg Bunch is the owner of Aspen Auto Clinic, a five-location automotive and service business in Colorado. Greg started his passion for cars at 15 when he began rebuilding a 1966 Volkswagen Bug. Greg has moved from a Volkswagen mechanic to ASE Master Technician, to Management, to starting his shop 18 years ago in his garage, to an award-winning multi-location business.

Greg is currently a board member for the STEM-based charter school call “Automotive Institute of Science & Technology” and on the Advisory board of Ratchet and Wrench Magazine. Greg is also a board member of the Autocare organization and a certified instructor for the Worldpac Training Institute and Carquest Technical Institute. Greg’s unwavering passion for the industry has also led him to form a company called Transformers Institute, a coaching and training company dedicated to transforming the automotive industry.

Listen to Greg’s previous episodes HERE. Transformers Institute HERE.

Austin Miller. Tire Star opened the doors in 2011 in the back part of a grain elevator warehouse. Austin Miller started the business with the goal of providing trustworthy automotive repair at a fair price and timely manner. Since then Tire Star has grown to 3 locations and 40+ employees. This growth was made possible by employees willing to go the extra mile to provide a great customer experience. Austin is an ASE L1 Master Certified Technician and has received an ASE technician of the year award. Although he is not turning a wrench most days Austin is still very involved in learning about new technology and ensuring his staff gets the training they need to be successful. Listen to Austin’s previous episodes HERE.

John Manelas and wife, Karen Manelas,purchased their first location in April 2004. They expanded into their 2nd location in 2011. They bought out a former 20 group member in Maine in 2013 as their 3rd location. They purchased a former Chevy/Chrysler 14 bay dealership in 2014. In 2016, they purchased an import auto service business and converted it to an Auto Care Plus (store #5). In 2017, they purchased a Volvo Specialty Repair Shop which they decided to then re-brand and create a new brand for us calling it Euro Care Plus. In 2019, we did our first non-acquisition “build to suit” venture erecting an 8 bay facility with upstairs offices for their Corporate headquarters. They also decided to lease the rest of that building where we are preparing to open a Hybrid/EV specialty division to be named Electrified Auto Care. They now have 7 locations (5 of which they own the dirt). 6 Locations in NH and one in ME. Listen to John’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• I think I’m successful, I think I wanna grow, but am I ready for this?Not for money, not for ego, but for a challenge
• Personal reasons for why
• Some peoples why is to build wealthThe challenge of it
• People are only happy when they are growing
• Private equity
• Add another location to justify the management teamGoing from 2 to 3 locations made you focus in on your process
• Day you realized to lock your processes downEstablish SOPs
• Use other people’s money to expandBuild to suit
• Pay it back in a lease arrangement
• Lean towards acquisitions
• Newer growing areas are better for build to suit
• Own the dirt whenever possible
• The creativity of doing a dealYou do need capital not just the paper
• Leverage other people’s money to make it happen
• What Covid has done to our industryAbsorption is an option
• If you’re gonna grow and acquire, you have to have the right peopleNot everyone fits your model
• Not every size fits your model
• Anticipate losing 10% of customer base
• Anticipate losing 90% of your employees
• During an acquisitionBuild an avatar of what the perfect customer looks like
• Build an avatar of what the perfect shop looks likeLean and mean 3 – 4 bay shops
• Garage-Mahal
• 7 – 8 bay shop
• Main street
• Backstreet
• Euroshop
• General repair
• Asian specialty
• Austin explains his why I enjoy the challenge
• The problem child car that no one could figure out at other shops
• Bored with only one shop
• The challenge of taking something that is not operating very well and making it profitable
• Single shop owner with an itch to grow… what do you tell me?I would ask you why?
• Passion has to be in there
• It can’t be all about money
• It’s a long road
• Are there gonna be huge opportunities on the horizon?The potential this industry has in the future is tremendous
• Also gonna be filled with challenges
• Technology is changing
• The industry is going to change
•  Recession proof business
• The word is “Cautious”91% of shops were affected by Covid
• Shop owners looking to expand, take advantage of opportunities
• Baby boomers are gonna get out early to retire (bcs of Covid)
• Take advantage but don’t be a predator
• Be prepared to lose 90% of your employeesLoyalty
• Fixer Upper Shops
• You don’t have a broken shop, you have a broken manager
• Assessment of BusinessNumbers don’t lie, people lie
• Look at car counts they are running
• Number of rooftops for competitors
• Location
• Never advise someone to buy their second store that isn’t going to be better than their first shop
• I wanna grow as a shop owner, I’ve done a self assessment and I’m ready…If you’re not profitable at your first business, you’re not ready
• Profitability is important
• How much involvement is the owner in the current operations
• You can’t have a investor hat on and a technician hat on at the same time
• Some people want a fixer upper, others want an established operation
• How many shops is too many shops, is there a sweet spot?Depends on the business model you are running
• Investing back into the business
• We can’t run a business if we can’t fix the cars
• Covid was a perfect opportunity to educate parents into the ‘college scam’
• There is alot to prepare for going into multiple locations
• Final WordsAustin MillerThe 20 Group
• Ratchet and Wrench
• Attend conferences, sit at the lunch table and talk to people
• Greg BunchThe longer you wait to get help, the more expensive it will be
• Don’t jump into the deep end alone
• Need to have a passion for the industry
• Information is not transformation
• John ManelasMentors is #1
• Get out and fight people that have been there done that
• Wife and or significant other, you need to have their support
• Attend seminars together
• Henry Ford attributes 2 things to his successHis mastermind group
• His wife

Resources:

• A special thanks to Greg Bunch, Austin Miller, and John Manelas 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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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

Rick Schwartz is co-founder and CEO of Schwartz Advisors LLC, a mergers and acquisition advisor and management consulting firm to the automotive and heavy-duty transportation industry. Prior to forming Schwartz Advisors, Rick’s career included senior executive leadership positions in sales, marketing, and finance.

At Schwartz Advisors, Rick has advised private equity firms, aftermarket management teams and boards of directors on growth strategy, M&A strategy and due diligence projects. Rick oversees operations of Schwartz Advisors buy-side, sell-side and strategic planning consulting practices.

Rick is a former member of the Auto Care Association Board of Directors, and he received the prestigious Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award. Prior to starting Schwartz Advisors, Rick held various senior-level positions at Nestle, Macy’s and The Upper Deck Company. Rick received an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and a BA in International Relations from USC. Listen to Rick’s previous episodes HERE.

Jason Rainey is the Vice President of NAPA AutoCare; a program of more than 17,000 independently owned automotive repair facilities that have chosen to partner with NAPA. He currently sits on the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Board as well as the Automotive Maintenance & Repair Association Board where he works to keep the best interest of independent repair facilities in mind.

Before taking the reins of the industry’s leading banner program, Jason spent 13 years in the NAPA Product Department. He worked with vendors on managing, sourcing and marketing in the Tool & Equipment, Batteries/Electrical, Brakes and Under Car categories on behalf of NAPA AUTO PARTS. Jason came to NAPA Headquarters after a successful career in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he worked in several NAPA Store and Distribution Center roles as well as working as a Territory Sales Manager and a Tool & Equipment District Manager. Prior to Jason joining NAPA he served in the United States Marine Corps. Listen to Jason’s previous episodes HERE.

Greg Bunch is the owner of Aspen Auto Clinic, a five-location automotive and service business in Colorado. Greg started his passion for cars at 15 when he began rebuilding a 1966 Volkswagen Bug.  Greg has moved from a Volkswagen mechanic to ASE Master Technician, to Management, to starting his shop 18 years ago in his garage, to an award-winning multi-location business.

Greg is currently a board member for the STEM-based charter school call “Automotive Institute of Science & Technology” and on the Advisory board of Ratchet and Wrench Magazine. Greg is also a board member of the Autocare organization and a certified instructor for the  Worldpac Training Institute and Carquest Technical Institute.  Greg’s unwavering passion for the industry has also led him to form a company called Transformers Institute, a coaching and training company dedicated to transforming the automotive industry.

Listen to Greg’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• Investors are looking for a good investment return
• Looking for efficiencies in buying multiple shops
• There is big M & A (Mergers and Acquisitions)in the entire industry and continue to look at repair and service
• There is capital available
• 280M VIO (Vehicles In Operation) is attractive to investors
• There is a lot of M & A in collision
• Repair and Service shop is touching the consumer and is attractive  
• A study by 2020 56% of mom and pop shop owners wanted to be out of their businessMaking less money each year
• Keeping employees
• They are tired
• Too much change needs to happen
• Locations can be a challenge
• They never built a brand
• If you are looking to get out and sell to a consolidator:Location is key
• The owner cannot be the centerpiece of the business
• Will your customer accept a new owner
• Run your business well so you have options
• Quality of staff
• If you own the real estate that can be attractive to both parties
• Distribution has been consolidating and they see shop consolidation as opportunities for the top shop operatorsThere will be dedicated bays for specific repairs  
• Jason Rainey sees an opportunity for NAPA as their CarCare’s are growing and becoming stronger operators
• Don’t be worried that you will have to look for or find a venture capital investor. Many local shop owners are looking to expandBring your systems and procedures to another market
• Share costs
• The opportunities to grow and add branches are going to be enormous going forward
• Niche specialty shops are owned by master technicians from that brand (think Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Euro)If the owner keeps up his aftermarket business acumen he/she can see a multi-store future as a specialist
• Threats when a service professional is looking to sellThemselves, the owner is doing it all. They are the hub of the wheel and they have not delegated responsibilities
• If the buyer does not know what they want in a transaction. Why are you buying, how will this business/location help your business? Can you fix everything that is wrong? Integration costs and time must be considered
• Always talk about why you would not do the deal first.Some fixer-uppers may not be your best deal
• Some businesses look to buy businesses that need fixing. That is their specialty.
• Jason sees distributions role is to help their customers who want to grow stronger and ready
• Attend training on how to grow stores. You may discover you are not ready. Having one successful shop does not mean you can duplicate itGreg has a class he teaches
• How do buyers value the business?Financial performance first.
• Offering a multiple of EBITDA or Cash Flow
• Some businesses are sold on asset value from the balance sheet
• What is the strategic value of the business to the buyer? Is the buyer getting something that he/she doesn’t have
• Selling?How will your business succeed after you?
• The owner needs to be out of the day to day operation
• Will your team stay
• Reputations
• Reviews
• Profitability
• Multiples can be 3 times EBITDA
• Start to fix your business
• It is going to be a buyers market
• Once the business gets fixed the owner may not want to sell because they are making more money than ever
• You may have an internal candidate
• Build your relationship with your parts supplier. Stop splitting your business to too many suppliers  Find a parts partner that can help in branding, systems, marketing, even financing, training etc
• Strengths in partnerships with suppliers along with stronger service professionals
• Single store operatorsMust get bigger. Greg calls them Garage-Marshals
• May run out of bandwidth
• The big consolidators are looking for independents to grow to five or six shops. They would rather buy more than one shop at a time
• Consider expanding your learning outside the industry93% of shops are owned by technicians that started their business. They need to expand their horizons in the business
• Investment needed to run a top shopSoftware to improve efficiency, equipment, subscriptions
• Recruiting and retention of your people
• The experience of your client needs to be exceptional It starts at the curb
• Wifi, Keurig, Water, Clean, Comfortable, Amenities and environment and a look for your avatar
• You website that reflects your place, your commitment, your reviews, your value proposition
• ConsiderationsADAS
• Hybrids
• EVs

Watch the video of this panel discussion: http://bit.ly/2XmWRxF

Resources:

• Thanks to Rick Swhwartz, Jason Rainey, and Greg Bunch 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.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:

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Listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Podchaser and many more. 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 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

A Remarkable Results Radio episode highlighting when is it wrong or right in Firing Customers. It takes more to attract and retain a new customer. Understand the importance of every decision. 



Joe Hanson owns Gordie’s Garage. Joe has attended Management Success, NAPA training, Lawrence Tech University and most recently he is a member of the RLO 20 Group 13. He has earned his ASE C1: Automobile Service Consultant Certification.  Under his father’s leadership, he has seen what it really takes to make a business like this work. Listen to Joe’s Episodes HERE.

Jerry Kezhaya from The Auto Shop in Plano Texas has been in business since 1981. Plano is a northern suburb of Dallas with a population on 280,000. According to Jerry, it is the top growing county in the US.  His 35,000 sq ft shop has 21 lifts with two flats per lift.

Jerry is a business coach and prides himself for getting out of the shop between 80 and 120 days a year to work with clients, attends seminars and enjoys wine. Listen to Jerry previous episodes HERE.

Doug Callaghan, CEO Vic’s Service Centre in Wainright, Alberta Canada is the winner of the 2016 Auto Care Association ACE (Automotive Career and Education) award.  Doug shares his story of transformation, recognized by Auto Care, that earned him this recognition.

He made a significant decision in early 2015 when he took how his business was operating and threw it all in the garbage. He started from scratch. Everything. He says, “a lot of owners that ask for the help and invest in the outside training yet fail to provide the leadership to make those ideas and plans become reality, I was not going to let that happen. I wanted to see an increase in our net profit and a better life for myself and my team”. He continues that commitment today. Doug has experience working with disaster plans with the Credit Union Board that he chairs. Find other episodes that feature Doug HERE.

LINK: Chick-Fil-A — Every Life Has a Story

Key Talking Points:

Joe Hanson

• Non-Payment
  • If the customer stops communicating that is a warning sign
• Disrespectful or mean to staff

  Other than that…you have control…

Are you bringing the best out in people? Maybe YOU should be fired!

• I can be a good customer or bad customer just like anyone else
• If I am having a bad day and I get bad service I could see myself becoming a customer that “they don’t want”

People skills can avoid firing customers. It can turn a “should be fired customer” into a great customer

• Empathy
• Caring
• Patience
• Listening
• Taking the time

 It is our responsibility to build a culture of “I don’t want to fire them” customers

• Are you the cheapest in town?
• Do you have a “crappy” looking facility?
• Do your team members portray professionalism…
  • In how they act
  • In the way they dress
  • How they answer the phone
  • The way they sell
• You will attract customers who can relate to how you present yourself

Doug Callaghan

1. Customers that are mean or abusive to the staff and become high maintenance
2. Believe it is ok to price shop and demand that you meet a cheaper price, they do not value the relationship we are trying to build
3. Engage in or suggest that we help them complete unethical activities.
4. They no longer fall into our avatar client and become problem prone and complain. 
5. You know when a customer that knows everything and is going to tell you how to run your business is not a good fit.
6. The owner sets the tone on the standards of customer service.  

Jerry Kezhaya

1. When they cost you more then they pay.
2. Soliciting you to do something illegal.
3. Forcing you to do something that is immoral.
4. If the client is not respectful to you or your employees.
5. The customer is not always right, even though we’ve been taught the customer is right.
6. Jerry had a bad lesson with a picket for a few weeks.
7. We are in the service business not in the abuse business. Be respectful of each other and work to see both sides show people we care

General thoughts:

• It takes more to attract and retain a new customer and we tend to hold on to every customer
• The fear factor of losing a customer can prevent us from letting a ‘user’ go or in this sense, Firing Customers.
• Some customers are not fixable and will not mesh with your culture. In retrospect, Firing Customers is the logical way to go.
• If our car count dips we tend to think that the customer we let go two weeks ago is now hurting your customer.
• It is rare that Firing Customers, however, it happens and should be for the right reasons

Resources:

• A special thanks to Joe Hanson, Jerry Kezhaya, and Doug Callaghan for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Brian Walker  was a Mercedes Benz Master dealer technician and was ASE certified with L1. He owned Peak Automotive in Apex, NC and was recognized by Motor Age Magazine as a Top Ten Shops twice. 

Brian is co-owner of Shop Marketing Pros. He does “Done for you” marketing services for auto repair shops. Brian believes that most people overcomplicate their marketing in an effort to make it easier

There is a 17,000+ word article on the Shop Marketing Pros website: “The Ultimate Guide to Auto Repair Shop Marketing shopmarketingpros.com/guide

 

Key Talking Points:

• Stop looking for silver bullets
• You need foundational marketing technics
  • Know who you are marketing to. Your avatar. Name them.
  • Have a good website that displays on phone, tablet and desktop
  • Make your website stand out to the search engines by consistently adding good quality content
  • Collect email addresses from your customer
  • Be active on social media
  • Pull out your phone and shoot pictures and videos
  • Once per week boost a facebook post
  • Give some money to Google to set placed at the top (pay per click)
  • Ask for reviews
  • Join your Chamber of Commerce. Show up and do the work.
  • Join a BNI group (Business Network International)
  • Sponsor a local little league team
  • Fix cars and be nice to people
• Be consistent in your marketing
• When business is good or bad keep marketing
• Be patient. It takes times to build momentum

• A special thanks to Brian Walker for sharing his passion – For The Record.
• Books mentioned in the content library HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
• Email Carm HERE.

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

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

Savvy shop owners use vehicle inspections to find additional work on a vehicle that the vehicle owner may not know is needed. The most successful shop owners fully inspect every car, every time. It benefits the vehicle owner more than the shop because most vehicle owners want their autos to be reliable.

FlexCheck Auto takes the power of a shop’s inspection process and puts it in the palm of your technician’s hand so that pictures, video and vehicle specific notes about a vehicle’s condition can be shared quickly with vehicle owners. This simple, fully customizable system is designed to operate on any Android device. It improves technician efficiency in the bays, service writer efficiency at the counter, increases average repair order and builds trust with vehicle owners.

Today’s vehicle owners want to receive their vehicles health status electronically, this makes FlexCheck Auto the most transparent way to do sell auto repair. Try it for free for 30 days! Go to FlexCheckAuto.com to learn more.

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Kelly’s Dad is Steve Miller. He is a Marketing Gunslinger and the author of “UNCOPYABLE: How to Create an Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition.”

In the business world, He guides organizations to higher long-term success through smart, inexpensive marketing and response-driven branding (no, that’s not an oxymoron).

He is also a TEDster, a damn good speaker (over 1500 paid national and international presentations), a pretty good writer (six books and top business magazines), and a crappy golfer. He also has an edge. You have crossed into a No Spin Zone.

He works in several niches, most notably with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and trade associations.   

Key Talking Points:

• Author of “Uncopyable. How To Create an Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition”.
  • Be willing to create rules of competition for yourself and difficult for competition to copy.
  • It is ot enough to be better than the competition, you need to be unique and different.
  • Study and learn from companies outside your industry instead of focusing on competition.
  • You are not in the business of repairing cars. You are in business for marketing to repair cars.
    • Customers need to know you exist.
• The title is Marketing Gunslinger.
  • It’s about who you are rather than what you do.
• Ideal customer avatar.
  • Have a definitive description of avatar then start thinking like your ideal customer.
• Cool kids club.
  • Purpose of marketing- to be on the mind of the prospect when a prospect is ready to buy.
  • Purpose of business- create and keep a customer.
  • Create a club in shop everyone wants to be a member of and will tell others about.
• Shock and awe packages- not expected by your customer. So do them.
  • New customer gets mailer or package.
  • Improves customer retention.

Resources Mentioned:

• Thanks to Steve Miller for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Uncopyable: The Book Website HERE.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• 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 Panel:

Doug Callaghan, CEO Vic’s Service Centre in Wainright, Alberta Canada is the winner of the 2016 Auto Care Association ACE (Automotive Career and Education) award.  Doug shares his story of transformation, recognized by Auto Care, that earned him this recognition.

Doug made a significant decision in early 2015 when he took how his business was operating and threw it all in the garbage. He started from scratch. Everything. He says, “a lot of owners that ask for the help and invest in the outside training yet fail to provide the leadership to make those ideas and plans become reality, I was not going to let that happen. I wanted to see an increase in our net profit and a better life for myself and my team”. He continues that commitment today. Doug has experience working with disaster plans with the Credit Union Board that he chairs. Find other episodes that feature Doug HERE.

David Roman began his automotive career in 1999, attending an automotive technical school at a local community college. While attending college, he took a part-time job at a large parts retailer, hoping to gain some experience in the field. This part-time job turned into full-time employment, as he was promoted to management, culminating in placement as a store manager in East Central Illinois.

David discovered a passion for helping people and sharing his automotive knowledge. This passion for serving others allowed him the opportunity to successfully manage multi-million dollar operations in Illinois, the St. Louis area, and eventually Kansas City. His approach to customer service garnered him several accolades and awards, something he eventually wanted to bring to automotive repair and service.

In 2012, he opened Done With Care Auto Repair with the goal of bringing exceptional customer service, transparency, and honest work to his clients. The business was started with only some savings, no prior clients, and no history. Over the last six years, David has been able to bring a servant’s mentality to helping his clients with their automotive needs resulting in loyal customers, excellent reviews, and a solid reputation.  Find other episodes that feature David HERE.

William J. DeBoer (Bill Jr.) is Co-owner and Vice President of DeBoer’s Auto Sales & Service. Bill has been responsible for bringing innovations in daily operations to the full-service, high-tech auto repair facility for 20+ years. Bill was able to fuse his passions for technology and cars with a Certificate in Automotive Technology, followed by a B.S. in Business Management from Penn State.

He joined his family business, founded by his father three decades ago, shortly after. Today, Bill runs business development, sales, customer services, process improvement, human resources, and technician education programs.

Bill is an Accredited Automotive Manager from the Automotive Management Institute as well as a CERTIFIED MASTER DEALER® from the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association. His National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) credentials includes: Master Technician, L1 Advanced Engine Performance, P2 Parts Specialist, and X1 Undercar Specialist. Listen to Bill’s podcast episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points

• Car count- gaining new customers
• Lead Generation
  • Advertising with marketing value for customer- free report, booklet etc   
  • Target specific audience- establish yourself as the  expert and trusted source, build value
  • Can’t just rely on great service- get in front of customers on a consistent basis with pain points.
  • Your website needs content that relates to common problems for car repairs- organic marketing without paying for keyword
  • Delaying the sale and establish trust.
  • Designed to target higher conversions than social and mail.
• Video content is strong and important as content today.
  • Video within blog post.
  • Two to three minutes long videos.
• Bill tracks anyone who visits his site.
• Doug is opening a brand new shop
  • Going from two locations to one Nine bay
  • Will need to track new people who are coming to see the shop
• Organic SEO. Google puts maps way ahead or other content.
• Social media- customers want to know about your employees and be engaged with them.
  • They want to see you and know you before they do business with you.
• David Roman – Return customers spend 6 times more than first time customer
  • The more they spend on the first visit the higher probability they will come back.
• Joey Coleman “Never Lose a Customer Again”  Enrolled in a workflow process: (marketing automation)
  • A welcome video, walk the customer through the process during their first appointment, follow up phone call/email/thank you card,
  • 2 weeks send a gift, 30-60 days after custom facebook audience
  • 90 days after reminder alert for next appointment. Using an automated marketing program (Hubspot).
• Build your ideal customer avatar. See podcast episodes on ideal customer HERE.
• Create fresh organic content:
  • David posted a family vacation picture got more engagement than one on parts or service.
  • You need a unique message

Resources Mentioned:

• Link to the ‘BOOKS’ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Thanks to David Roman, Bill DeBoer and Dough Callaghan for their 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 Panel:

Ron Ipach, co-founder or Repair Shop Coach, has helped over 5536 auto repair shop owners to get and keep all the top-quality customers they can handle.

Marketing auto repair services are all he does. He lives, eats, and breathes it every day. He has seen, heard, and tested practically every kind of marketing there is out there today. He’s examined the results. He’s tweaked and tested dozens of strategies over and over in order to maximize their results.

Because Ron has personally worked with so many shop owners over the years, he has the distinction of being the only person in the world that knows exactly what marketing works, and what doesn’t work for auto repair shops in today’s economy. He finds passion in amplifying time & freedom for his clients while helping them take back control of their businesses. Find other episodes that feature Ron HERE.

Shari Pheasant, the Queen of Horsepower, believes in building people first and uses her own brand of horsepower to drive people from the inside out.  She is a dynamic speaker, multi-award-winning business innovator and president of the Reno-Sparks NAPA Elite Business Development Group. Shari owns A Master Mechanic, with her husband Jeff, and transitioned to an “out of the shop owner” in 2014.

As a successful business coach, Shari’s uses a scientific approach to transform the connections between executives and teams. Shari shares her ideas; “Employee happiness is the strongest profit driver in every business. Today’s Workforce’s demands cultural change. There is a war on talent.  We have to level up our ability to connect with and understand the people around us in order to stay in business.”

Shari’s passion as a 5 Sciences of Self Professional Certified Behavior Analyst and accredited Growth Strategist assist her with globally proven tools that get to the root of people and business quickly and accurately. Her approach allows clients to predict rather than resolve problems, improving performance.

Shari has over thirty-five years of business management, team building, project management, operational development, marketing/branding and sales experience building scalable, sustainable models. Her strategies strengthen the value of your company brand, improve relations and motivate your team to bring in greater profits naturally, confidently and with ease. She has worked successfully with small businesses and companies to create thriving, sustainable cultures that build profit and wealth through accountable, responsible actions. Find other episodes that feature Shari HERE.

David Roman began his automotive career in 1999, attending an automotive technical school at a local community college. While attending college, he took a part-time job at a large parts retailer, hoping to gain some experience in the field. This part-time job turned into full-time employment, as he was promoted to management, culminating in placement as a store manager in East Central Illinois.

David discovered a passion for helping people and sharing his automotive knowledge. This passion for serving others allowed him the opportunity to successfully manage multi-million dollar operations in Illinois, the St. Louis area, and eventually Kansas City. His approach to customer service garnered him several accolades and awards, something he eventually wanted to bring to automotive repair and service.

In 2012, he opened Done With Care Auto Repair with the goal of bringing exceptional customer service, transparency, and honest work to his clients. The business was started with only some savings, no prior clients, and no history. Over the last six years, David has been able to bring a servant’s mentality to helping his clients with their automotive needs resulting in loyal customers, excellent reviews, and a solid reputation.  Find other episodes that feature David HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• The Customer Retention Myth. You just cannot just fix the car right to keep customers coming back. Average is like everyone else; it is not enough.
• Average return rate from customers is 1.3 times per year. Based on the average age of the vehicle, (11.6 years old) visits should be higher. There are 2.3 vehicles per household.
• You need to be exceptional and unforgettable.
• Reactivating a lost customer:
  • Anything over 8 months is a lost customer.
  • Others are bombarding your customer.
  • You must stay top of mind with your customers.
• Keeping a customer starts at the service counter.
  • You must build report during the transaction.
  • Build the relationship.
  • Explain in detail the value they’ve received.
  • They feel indifferent. Nothing special.
• Invest in your customer in an ongoing way through e-media, texts, direct mail. Jerry Frank says, “Be an invited guest not an annoying pest.”
• You will need to have a crucial conversation with a lost customer.
  • What can we do better?
• David realized he needed to have loaners to provide loaners to increase convenience for his customer.
• If you have your ideal customer, your avatar, created and in mind, what you do and say to provide an exceptional experience starts to build a customer who will stay and be an ambassador of your brand.
• A great google review is all about the experience they had.
• Your culture of caring for your customer needs to be a behavior that extends to all areas of the business.
• Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘It is not who you are when people are watching, It is who you are when no one is paying attention.”
• Get them back in by reaching out and getting in front of them on a consistent basis. Make the phone call
  • They know that there is a shared interest
    • Could be sports, kids, animals
  • You must share space. Mailers, mugs, etc.
  • You share their concern for their safety and vehicle reliability
• 5 Steps to Winning Back Your Customers (Shari Pheasant)
  • Extending the Olive Branch
  • Call Them
  • Create a “We fixed it campaign”
  • Give them an incentive to come back
  • Get personal – they want connection
    • Identify your customer’s communication style and build your relationship by knowing what style (DISC)  See Academy less on DISC HERE.
• The follow-up call is an amazing tool (Ron Ipach)
• Auto repair to the general public is perceived as a commodity. Our job needs to change this perception. Create an exceptional experience.
• In any relationship, you need three positives to get a win.
• Your culture should be to reach out to find problems or complaints.
  • If you don’t get complaints, that is a warning. Remember 64% of people leave from indifference.
• ‘Customer Forever’ campaign
• Never a lost customer ‘Swing Thought’
• Many people build their business on a one time visit. That is a customer and you are off chasing the next one.
• You need to be looking for clients. We have a relationship. They like us and tell people about us. A percent of them can become an advocate. A client is worth $22,500 in a lifetime. An advocate is worth $100,000 lifetime.
• Mistakes are the path to success. (Shari Pheasant)
• The best customer you have is the one in front of you. They know a ton of people.
• Be vulnerable, raw, real, honest.
• Your culture needs to be on your website and open for the world to see.
• You have to take extreme ownership:
  • Build the right team
  • Make sure the repair gets done right.
  • Ensure a customer’s experience was better than average.   

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This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers, and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com



Talking Points:

• See Part #1. Academy episode # 56 HERE.
• Your team is a customer service workforce that just happens to fix cars.
• The Avatar concept can be tough understand and be accepted.  It will take time to get this concept across to your team. Do not wavier.
• Your team can be a large part of creating your ideal customer. They like working on certain types of customers cars. Their insights can be a big part of your Avatar design.
• Brian Weeks did a rebranding of his business and made their Avatar the centerpiece of their new strategy and created a Customer Trust-Building Journey. (See below outline)
• Think about the customer, not the car. Too many think about the car and not the customer.
• Listen to the customer. Ask the right questions to determine an Avatar match.
• The intrinsic trust in a mechanic has been lost over the years. We are not teaching trust to the customer anymore.
• Customer asks questions about price and we clam up. But the customer is not asking questions about price. Top service advisors are diverting these questions and move to trust.
• A great question to ask a customer: ‘What is really happening here.’
• Every team member must fit into your culture. You must have core values that they all can align with including knowing your ideal customer, your avatar. Your customer can sense your culture like they can the wind.
• Tell people that you are different. Tell them how awesome you are and the special things you do for them.
• You may need to emulate your Avatar in order to really discover more about them.
• Live your own life with value and not always about price. Walk the walk and talk the talk. This can show you how your Avatar will buy.
• Friendships are built over time and it takes trust to get there.
• Avatars can be great advocates of the company and will do your own advertising.
• Don’t get discouraged on the engagement with your team. It takes time. You can measure the success via specific KPIs.
• The little things matter to your Avatar. Even if the repair was extensive they accept the seat to be in the same position, the radio not changed, the clock set right and no smudges. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes because their life was interrupted because of car maintenance or repair.
• Your only as good as the last time the customer walks in the door.
• The customer may not appreciate the depth of the repair and you need to explain to the customer exactly what was done to keep their car in safe running condition.
• You may have the right avatar with the wrong car or wrong timeline. The car may be at the end of their lifecycle. Advise the customer to start over and purchase another 3-year-old car and keep them coming to your shop. Reasons to move forward with a newer vehicle is safety. Side curtains and other safety features in a newer car.
• Get your team to help you create your Avatar instead of pushing it down to them. Pull it up instead of pushing it down.
• The Avatar or cardboard cut out works. When you know your customer and your customer knows you, your business will strive. The challenge is it to get your team to embrace and buy in. You’ll need to train your team to total commitment to your defined ideal customer.

Seven Step Customer Trust Building Journey. (Courtesy of Brian Weeks)

Pre-Purchase

• Step 1 – Connect. Online presence (Social Media/website), involvement in the community, reputation management, testimonials, meet the team
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling
• Step 2 – Call. How easy is it to contact us, phone call process (phone script that everyone knows), on hold messaging, FAQ online
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling

Purchase

• Step 3 – Arrive. How appealing is our physical presence (building/parking/accessibility), Google maps,
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling
• Step 4 – Waiting. Refreshments, comfort, transparency (glass doors and walls)
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling
• Step 5 – Deliver. Vehicle delivery process
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling

Post purchase

• Step 6 – Follow-up. Next appointment, follow up phone call, Thank You card
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling
• Step 7 – Follow-through. Referral Program, Special Events, CRM email
  • Doing
  • Thinking
  • Feeling

We hire people based on their ability to fit into our culture…cater to our Avatar

This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com

Talking Points:

• Your Avatar or your cardboard cut-out is your ideal customer. It is you defining the very best customers and then focusing on them.
  • They trust you and are advocates for you.
  • Least likely to stray.
  • Most likely to recommend.
• It takes time to cement the logic of your Ideal Customer.
• Ron Inchausti makes a connection to his Avatar with food.
  • When he genuinely has a conversation with this Avatar he loves to talk food.
  • When you have a conversation that is not about the vehicle your relationship goes beyond repair/maintenance.
• To start to find your ideal customer you may have to discover who you do not want to serve.
  • When you are creating a brand and a brand story not everyone will connect.
• Patrick McHugh discovered his Avatar by starting to plot his customers on the map. It allowed him to find a pocket of customer that was 20 miles from his location. He discovered they worked in a business park next to his shop. That was an important profile. It is not where they lived but where they worked.
• Process to find your ideal customer.
  • Look over your records discover the who, what, why and how.
  • You will not alienate your customer. You are looking for the most market share you can get. You are looking for the peak of the bell curve and people who are suited for your business.
  • You need to eliminate your non-customers like; the ones who are dealer only, the techies who are DIYers and know every P-code.
  • When you involve your team, it improves your morale and company culture.
  • Who are you passionate about serving?
• Everything you do from branding, marketing, culture is designed around targeting your ideal customer.
• Looking for your ideal customer opens your eyes in ways you never thought possible.
• Multi-shop owner: you may have slightly different ideal customers by location depending on the affluence in the market. At their core, they are the same people, but their affluence may change.
• Patrick McHugh realized that there are different Avatars with a BMW owner vs a Mini Cooper client.
• Don’t design your Avatar around you. It is about your customer. You will attract who you are if you do not have an ideal customer defined.
• Your best customer will think of you as their ‘mechanic’, their ‘trusted guy’.
• Brian Weeks calls is ideal customer profile P4
  • Profitable – This relationship affords you to be profitable.
  • Point others to us – Word of Mouth.
  • Praise us – Reviews
  • Passion – someone we are passionate to help…it’s what motivates us.
• You are only as good as the last time the customer was in your shop. You must back up your brand promise by what you do.
• Advocate vs Avatar
  • Distinct differences. You can have a customer be an advocate and not be your avatar.
  • Advocates can influence their family and friends to your business but not necessarily be an ideal customer.
• Your Avatar drives your marketing.
  • Distill your ideal customer down to the ‘Nth’ detail.
• Give a name to your Avatar so they become a real person.
  • Listen to your Avatar. Interview them. Understand them.
  • If they have complaints about you or the industry fix them.
    • Customer lounge, bathroom, coffee. Fix it. Make it right. Make it better than right.
  • Some women come in for the first time with their customer. If the husband approves of the environment, he may never come in again. He wants her to be comfortable.
  • Ask and offer them creature comforts, even if they don’t partake, the gesture is what matters. It feels like you are inviting them into your home.
  • What do they value? If they feel valued from your shop, they’ll become a client.
  • You must hold up your end of the deal.
• Don’t let the business determine your Avatar. Let your customer determine your Avatar. Ask them why they come here.
  • Update it every year.
  • Train your people on the value of your Avatar.

This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com

This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A remanufactured drivetrain product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com

Patrick McHugh always tinkered with ‘stuff’. His dad bought an ’85 BMW. They learned all about that car together. A friend, Eric, had a lift and was a BMW person who helped Patrick and his dad learn everything about the CAR.

At 15 years old he started working in an airport, doing odd jobs, to earn credits to learn to be a pilot. He soloed at 16 years old. The day before college he got his pilot’s license

Patrick attended Purdue University where he studied aeronautical technology. He kept flying and earned his instrument license and became an instructor. He loves to teach.

As fate would have it, he became a pilot upon college graduation from Trans State Airlines a regional carrier for United. He was based in Richmond Virginia. With normal pilot downtime, he continued to tinker with BMW’s.

He discovered that being a pilot was not for him, so he went into avionics and shade tree work at home. There were too many cars in the driveway, so he had to decide to stop or go into business.

Bimmer Rescue was created in 2008 in Richmond Virginia and generates a big portion of its business through referrals. They earn their business through their professional service and attention given to each customer.

Patrick’s goal is to develop a relationship with BMW, Mini, Audi, and Volkswagen owners that allows them to get the maximum amount of value from their vehicle rather than buying a new one.

Talking Points:

• Patrick realized that he had no business training, he winged it all the way through. Via the World Pack Training Institute Expo in 2016 he discovered business coach, Cecil Bullard.
• He created an AVATAR to best know and understand his IDEAL customer.
  • Know them when they walk in.
  • Helps to target the demographic for marketing.
    • Income, neighborhood, home value among others.
  • He had to fire some customers.
  • His people and culture mesh with what his AVATAR wants in a quality repair shop.
• He learned a lot about the dealer when his own car had an air bag recall. He had never been to a dealership before.
• His shop is calming.
  • Art on the wall, jazz playing, a candle burning.
  • A feeling that everything is going to be OK.
  • He holds Art shows and learned it from Bogi Lateiner. (Listen to Bogi HERE)
    • He displays art all the time in his lobby, but goes all out for an art show for artists that still have a day job. This is an example of community outreach.
    • His goal is to get 50 – 60 people that have never been to the shop before.
• Many kids do want to work with their hands. So he created an in-shop program for students.
  • He is doing STEM classes at his shop as it relates to the automotive.
    (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
  • He holds classes on automotive training in the vain of STEM.
  • His target age group is 12 years to 16 years old.
  • He finds a customer who helps him recruit the students and run point on the class.
• Women’s car care clinic is also a community outreach program.
• He is a barcode nerd.
  • He uses barcodes for all nuts, bolts and parts to be sure nothing is missed on a work order. Expensive parts become a stronger profit center. The bolt bin has a terminal with the SMS system and a barcode scanner.
    • It is easy for the techs to do it.
• He uses a drop card in his marketing program as a part of his marketing efforts.
  • He only targets vehicles that they work on.

Bimmer Rescue 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

Rick White has been working in the automotive, software & coaching industries for greater than thirty years and is currently an AMI-approved training instructor.  He brings to the table a career’s worth of technical experience, twenty plus years of management experience and four years of fleet management experience.  He owned and managed several successful automotive repair shops.

Currently, Rick is President and Lead Coach for 180BIZ, an auto repair shop training and business coaching company proudly serving the independent auto and truck repair shop owner since 2006. Rick owned and managed several successful automotive repair shops.

Rick has been acknowledged as an industry expert and has been featured in many automotive trade publications such as AutoInc, MotorAge, Parts & People, Auto Report, Automotivation and Ratchet & Wrench. His blog was voted one of the top 10 in the country and was featured in Success Magazine.

In addition, while a shop owner, he has served as

• President of the Massachusetts & Rhode Island chapter of the Automotive Service Association,
• Mechanical Director of the Massachusetts & Rhode Island Chapter of the Automotive Service Association and
• A member of the ASA National Mechanical Operations Committee.

Rick has been training and speaking at industry events across the country including AAPEX for the Auto Care Association, VISION for ASA Midwest, EXCEL for AASP MO, Shop Survival Summit for AASP PA, ATE for ASA NW and ASTE for IGO NC.

Talking Points:

• Mindset is 80% of success. You cannot create a business thinking you are a failure.
• Communications start on the inside. You need to get clear what you want, what you need and what you can do.
• “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it is taking place.” George Bernard Shaw
• Distortion fields in communication prevent the message from getting through.
• Agreement is not the goal of communication; it is the beginning of communication.
• Owners cannot manage or lead above what they know.
• We hire hands, head, and heart from our people. They only become team members when you grow and engage them to commit their hands, head, and heart.
• We are an industry that hires for aptitude and fires for attitude.
• You can’t train soft skills. We need to hire the person for who they are.
• Culture is how you run your business. It is the values you bring to your business.
• Your mission is a strong element of your culture.
• Four responsibilities of a shop owner
  • Create and Protect Your Brand.
  • Generate Awareness of Your Business.
  • Grow Your People.
  • Set the PACE.
    • P = Purpose/Passion
    • A = Activity/Attitude
    • C = Commitment/Caring
    • E = Energy/Expectation
• Best time to review your company procedures is with a new hire and look for ways to do things better.
• You need ‘Face Time’ with people, not just an ‘E’ relationship. Invest in community, organizations, schools, networks.
• When you have a customer avatar, your marketing becomes more like a sniper rifle than a shotgun.
• Hire people for tomorrow not today.
• “We can get anything we want if we are willing to give.” Napoleon Hill
• Three dynamics to a Sales Process:
  • Our sales process
  • Customer buying process
  • Customer decision-making process
• Because of the amount of information on the internet we do not see the customer at the beginning of their problem recognition.
  • They go on-line to do their own research.
    • Rick is not sure they research their problem only about saving money but because they are afraid to be taken advantage of and don’t trust.
  • Customers are drowning with information but starving for insights. Insights are applied information. You can give insight over the phone or at your counter.
• The industry may be changing its pricing model in the next few years. Change the margin on parts (become transparent to the intent) put the margin in the labor rate.

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

• You need to know your customer profile. Have an avatar of your ‘perfect’ customer.
  • When they walk in the door you’ll know ‘this person needs to be my customer’.
  • If you have the perfect customer you will do everything to keep them.
• Social media is important to talk to your customer.
  • Become top of mind awareness in the palm of their hand.
  • Social is social not sales media
  • Create organic content
• You go to Disney for the experience not for the price
  • Make your customer feel special
  • Focus on the people not the cars
• Is Loyalty a factor?
  • Not as it used to be
  • You can build loyalty one transaction at a time.
  • Older generations are more loyal than younger.
    • Younger generations are not build that way.
    • They will go to another shop and they do not see it as not being loyal. It may be convenience.
  • We need to treat millennials differently (special)
    • They have money to spend
    • Loyalty is different
      • Communicating differently (texting)
  • Explain what your benefits are and be sure the customer understands the value they have received.
  • Adapt to current communication styles of your customers
  • Walk them out to the car, be sure it is clean and give a comprehensive explanation of what you did and what is next and what may happen next.
  • What we want is not what they want. Keep an open mind.
  • Gene Morrill uses a mailed newsletter to his customers.
    • Includes call to actions with puzzles.
  • Keep important notes on every customer so you can keep a fluent dialogue and maintain a close connection to them.
  • Keep your name out there.
    • Chinese auction donations. Banner for the little league park. Make it local.
  • People need you less often because cars are built better so you need to find ways to reach out to them through other means.
  • Go to the little league games of teams you sponsored.
  • Have a marketing plan, calendar and budget as a percent of your sales.
    • List everything you do for marketing. Be specific. Put a dollar amount next to the initiative.
    • Tough to determine the actual ROI
    • Your plan needs to be a year long
  • Your customers personal experience goes a long way for retention.
  • Retention starts when the phone rings.
  • Be what you want your customers want you to be.
  • 20% of your data base generates 80% of your capital
    • Identify them and reach out
  • Never blame the customer for anything that goes wrong. Take care of them. Empower your people to take care of

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