How often do you have an outside perspective on your business to offer improvement ideas? What about 35 outside perspectives? Last month Brian Weeks hosted a team of shop owners from his peer group, from around the country, to dig deep into his business. Keep listening to find out what helpful tips and insights they offered and what they learned from each other.

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Brian Weeks, ATC Auto Center, Augusta, GA. Listen to Brian’s previous episodes HERE

Craig Noel, Sun Automotive, Springfield, OR. Listen to Craig’s previous episodes HERE

Gary Pontious Jr, Toledo Auto Care, Toledo, OH. Listen to Gary’s previous episodes HERE

Brett Beachler, Beachler’s Vehicle Care & Repair, Peoria, IL. Listen to Brett’s previous episodes HERE

Key Talking Points

• A few months prior to the meeting Brian opened his books to a small “Advanced Team” (marketing, processes, culture, ROs)
• “Advanced Team” observed for a full day. The second day is implementation and meetings with everyone involved. People are assigned ‘tasks’ (facility, management system etc). 
• Accountability groups for areas that need to be focused on- continual process based on needs
• Coming to help, not to make you feel bad
• Shows the opportunity
• Don’t think you are on an island and doing a good job- build the bridges and have your iron sharpened with the help of others
• Your competitor is the person that is better than you
• Family culture is a testament to Brian’s leadership
• The networking during the dinners, lunches, breaks is just as important as the meetings
• The exposure of your weaknesses/opportunities of your leadership/procedures. Then your ability to grow from it.
• Always walk away learning something

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Important Books

Check out today’s partners:

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

See how Broadly can help YOU grow your auto shop. getbroadly.com/chat



Your Learning Curve Never Sounded So Good

The Panel:

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.

Bill Greeno owner of Quality Automotive and Smog in Truckee, CA and is also a business consultant with a focus on leadership and management and is big on communication. He and his team work hard on building strong internal communication, that he says makes a huge difference in his unyielding customer service.

He also believes that having a satisfied staff is pivotal to customer service success. Having a shared vision is at the core of this. Their Vision Statement is “Your Trusted Local Auto Care.” Their service-related conversations revolve around their Vision Statement and it is the launch pad for discussions regarding new ideas and/or changing a policy or procedure.  Bill teaches on building a strong business culture. Listen to Bill’s episodes HERE.

Gary Pontious Jr., AAM, is the Vice President and General Manager of Toledo Auto Care. Gary’s Dad, Gary Sr. bought the business in 1985. The business is Toledo’s oldest independent auto repair shop and is celebrating, in 2017, a special milestone; their 100th anniversary.

Gary started working at Toledo Auto Care in the summer of 1990 as a fuel tank repair/restoration technician and pick-up/delivery driver. As with most family business, Gary worked in many positions within the company and in April 1994 he became a full-time Service Advisor. “Since the beginning,” Gary says, “our business has been focused on building strong customer relationships and providing the highest quality of workmanship on each and every automotive repair.”

Gary is a member of Elite Pro service with Jim Murphy and is also an ASE Blue Seal Shop. Listen to Gary’s episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

5 Step Program

1. Two negatives don’t make a positive
   1. Breath and DO NOT respond
   2. Don’t Get mad. Once you hit enter everyone sees it.
   3. Take ownership. Acknowledge the review. Take the higher ground.
   4. Be clear and offer advice on how to continue the relationship
2. Find out what the heck really happened
   1. Learn to be neutral in your thinking.
   2. Rally to troops. Read the negative review together.
   3. You may find that communication is a problem.
3. Take advantage of the learning opportunity
   1. Where did we go wrong and right?
   2. Processes and procedures may have broken.
      1. Be collaborative, with your team, in solving your problems.
   3. Learn and grow from this.
   4. Take ownership of every review.
      1. Book: Extreme Ownership (find on books page HERE)
4. Finalize a resolution, respond and over deliver
   1. The team should have bought into the problem and solution.
   2. Finalize a resolution and response and execute
   3. Start with ‘Thank You’ not I’m Sorry.  (Bill Greeno)
   4. You must respond. A no response can be hurtful when the public is searching your reviews.
   5. A phone call can be a powerful tool.  
   6. In your response consider writing an advertisement on the quality of the business, talk about your core values, not defensive or demeaning.
5. Review with staff and MOVE ON!
   1. Simply praise/forgive and MOVE ON!
   2. Celebrate the WINS. The 5 Star reviews.
      1. Builds confidence and the positivity grows
   3. Empower your people to fix any wrong before they walk out the door knowing you may get a one start review.

• Your first negative review can be devastating.
• Sometimes a negative review can be an advertisement for your shop based on how you handle it.
• You may have to fire a customer when all things fail.
• Print the reviews especially the 5 Stars and post them and discuss them.
• You must solicit reviews from your customers.
  • Use special APPS that can make it very easy for your customer to leave a review.
  • Solicit them quickly.
    • Use a Google Review Card.
    • Send a text within a few hours asking for a review with a link.
• Four types of reviews
  • Anonymous Public
  • Known Public
  • Anonymous Private
  • Known Private
• Some people lie especially anonymous
  • Many exaggerated stores need to be met with what you want to talk about. Don’t tell them that they are wrong. Create a positive story.
• The general public can see a phony one-star review among 50 five star reviews.
  • Yet you must reply to it.
• Brick and motor businesses, small businesses, are reviewed more often than big business.
• Be proactive, with guidelines, to solve a problem that happened before customer leaves.
  • Give a gift that is not automotive related to fix a wrong.
  • Like a Starbucks card or certificate to a restaurant.
• Bill Greeno suggests not apologizing. If you do you are validating the problem.
  • You can add fuel to the fire.
  • We say I’m Sorry right away. We are designed to do that.
  • When we respond to a positive review we say ‘Thank You’.
  • In a negative review start with ‘Thank You’.
  • Saying you are sorry puts you deeper in the mud pit.
• Don’t Take Negative Reviews Personal
  • Don’t dwell on it. Fix it, learn from it and move on.
• 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
  • Respond to positive and negative reviews.
• Timing: Respond right away.

Resources:

• A special thanks to  Joe Hanson, Bill Greeno, and Gary Pontious Jr. for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Link to a previous episode on Managing a Negative Online Review HERE.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Subscribe to a mobile listening app HERE.

My three guests are Terry Beachler, Gary Pontious, Sr. and Tom Palermo, the Dads of my guests from episode 223. This is a first for the Remarkable Results Radio Podcast and the industry. Their sons were all featured on  episode 223  where they discussed their family business dynamics and their relationship with their Dads.

The dads interview was so important to do to bring the right perspective and to close the loop on the family dynamic . I thank the sons for getting their dads to participate and the dads for agreeing to share their wisdom.

The aftermarket is made up of many family businesses. They have their challenges and rewards. I felt it was important to get these stories told

It started when I contacted Gary Pontious Jr. (Episode 197), Tom Palermo (Episode 87) and Brett Beachler, (Episode 199) and asked if they could be part of a round table about their relationship with their Dad’s and the family business dynamic.

To make if much more interesting, I asked Gary, Tom and Brett if they could also get their dads to participate in their own round-table interview.

You now get the benefit of the planning and an incredibly transparent interview from the Dad’s perspective here in the dads interview, episode 224.

Talking Points:

• Traits that you share with your son.
• What the dads current role is in the business.
• Family trust and communication, ethics are key components.
• Strong family culture knits together the entire non-family team.
• Organizational structure and chain of command.
• Their wife’s role in the business.
• “P & L and Balance sheet (the numbers) are results of your behavior.” Joe Palermo.
• Risk Taking
• How will the future technology change or effect their business?
• We are not a trade but a practice, like a legal, medical and accounting practice.
  • If you are going to be a practice emulate them. Learn from the doctor’s office.
• “Years ago knowing what was wrong with the car was important. Today knowing how to find out what is wrong, how to find the answers, knowing where to look is most important. People who are out of business today have not grasped that.” Joe Palermo
• “Use the word evaluate instead of diagnose.” Terry Beachler.
• “Succession planning. Start Early.” Joe Palermo
• “Have a great accountant, a great banker, great insurance person, a great attorney, twenty group, consultant. All important to the lifelong sustainability of the business. ” Terry Beachler
• “Twenty groups are an important part of  a succession plan. Start early. Be thorough in your thoughts and communication. Let each other know where you are at.” Gary Pontious, Sr.

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

My three guests have all been on the podcast before, see the chart below. These successful service professionals are all about family and working with their dads. The aftermarket is made up of many successful family businesses. They have their challenges and rewards.

I contacted Gary Pontious Jr. (Episode 197), Tom Palermo (Episode 87) and Brett Beachler, (Episode 199) and asked if they would be part of a round table about their family business dynamic, especially their role with their dad’s.

To build on the family dynamic, I asked Gary, Tom and Brett if they could get their dads to participate in their own round-table interview.

You now get the benefit of two incredibly sincere interviews from the three sons in this episode and look for episode 224 for the Dads’ interview.

Talking Points:

• Gary, Brett and Tom developed their work ethic from their dads.
• The sons were held to a higher standard by their fathers.
• If you want to succeed you can’t have it handed to you.
• No job is below you and it helps gain the trust of the rest of the team.
• You must lead from the front.
• Build a team that is like minded and there is nothing you can’t do.
• Brett and his Dad have many of the same qualities, and that can create certain challenges.
• Brett is teaching ‘Why’ they do the things they do. It was a direct outcome after he read Simon Sinek’s book “Start With Why”.
• Tom is the operations guy and his dad takes care of back office and the sales team when they look for new fleet business.
• The dads are currently working in their ‘wheel house’? (their favorite job)
• Good family culture embraces the extended family, the team that works for you.
• You have the responsibility to work hard to keep your team gainfully employed and fund their paychecks.
• Brett, Gary and Tom’s dad have always been progressive and forward thinking.
• They would not be where they are today if it wasn’t for their dads.
• Mom has influence. Can be your biggest cheerleader but can also be a grounding force.
• Best advice from Joe Palermo to Tom Palermo: ‘Never Give Up’
• Best advice from Terry Beachler to Brett Beachler is business ethics.
• Advice from Brett Beachler to new generations: Humility. Be a sponge and learn.
• Advice from Tom Palermo to new generations: You need patience. As you learn it will not all come immediately. Be willing to learn.
• Advice from Gary Pontious, Jr.: Agrees with Tom and Brett.

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

Gary Pontious Jr. is the Vice President and General Manager of Toledo Auto Care. Gary’s Dad, Gary Sr. bought the business in 1985. The business is Toledo’s oldest independent auto repair shop and is celebrating, in 2017, a special milestone; their 100th anniversary.

Second Location.
This past December 2016 they added their first branch operation.

Culture Drives the Family Business.
Gary started working at Toledo Auto Care in the summer of 1990 as a fuel tank repair/restoration technician and pick-up/delivery driver. As with most family business, Gary worked in many positions within the company and in April 1994 he became a full time Service Advisor. “Since the beginning,” Gary says, “our business has been focused on building strong customer relationships and providing the highest quality of workmanship on each and every automotive repair.”

Gary is a member of Elite Proservice with Jim Murphy and has his AAM Certification from Ami. Toledo Auto Care is also an ASE Blue Seal Shop.

Major episode talking points:

• The search for a second location was started by writing letters to 12 targeted shop owners telling them of their intention to buy a business.
• Believed in the E-Myth principles and worked hard in last 5 years creating strong processes and proceedures.
• Gary credits their strong business culture as a big part of their remarkable results and
  

  Gary’s Dad, Gary Pontious, Sr.

  shares his companies purpose and core values.

• Holds an annual meeting where there is a special yearly theme introduced. This year is ‘Be Your Best Self’. It not only reflects individually but the company’s Best Self.
• He listens to podcasts as a way to stay up on leadership.
• Gary has created his own service manager training and the team meets monthly.
• Meets weekly with someone from the company for lunch to stay in touch with them and find out more about their families.
• The strong emphasis on Culture has helped create the duplicity or his ability to scale his business.
• Explains his interview process to help insure a good cultural fit.
• Training goal for all team members is 40 hours per year structured in quarters for both online and a live event.
• Advice for belonging to a twenty or mastermind group.
• Positioning the company as a Hybrid Specialist.

Toledo Auto Care 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