You searched for Jay Goninen - Remarkable Results Radio https://remarkableresults.biz/ Automotive Repair Business Success Stories Tue, 24 Mar 2026 04:15:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://remarkableresults.biz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-site_icon-32x32.jpg You searched for Jay Goninen - Remarkable Results Radio https://remarkableresults.biz/ 32 32 Is Your Shop the Problem? Hard Truths from the Voice of the Technician Survey Results [RR 1084] https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/e1084/ Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:15:00 +0000 https://remarkableresults.biz/captivate-podcast/e1082/

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS

Watch Full Video Episode

Host Carm Capriotto speaks with Jay Goninen, co-founder and president of WrenchWay, about insights from the 2026 Voice of the Technician Survey and what it reveals about the state of the automotive workforce.

Jay encourages shop owners to download the free report to uncover blind spots and start meaningful conversations with their teams. The data show that technicians strongly prefer a four-day, 10-hour workweek with no weekends, along with proper equipment, paid vacation, retirement benefits, and paid training.

While dealership technicians made up a larger share of respondents, independents stood out in workplace culture. 63% of independent technicians would recommend their shop to a friend, compared to 36% at dealerships, though dealerships scored higher in providing paid training. Across both groups, technicians favor an hourly wage plus bonus structure, which many feel better supports diagnosticians than traditional flat-rate systems.

The discussion also highlights a troubling trend: the industry’s Net Promoter Score dropped to -60 in 2026, signaling that many technicians would not recommend the profession to others.

To strengthen the talent pipeline, Jay discusses ASE Connects, a new initiative aimed at connecting shops with high school and technical school automotive programs to support them through mentorship, advisory roles, and community engagement.

Carm also advocates elevating the profession by shifting the language from “mechanic” or “technician” to “specialist,” emphasizing the expertise required to work on today’s vehicles.

Overall, the episode serves as a wake-up call for shop owners to use the survey insights to evaluate their culture, communication, and work environments, and to become employers technicians are proud to recommend.

https://wrenchway.com/resources/2026-voice-of-technician-survey-report/

Jay Goninen, Co-Founder and President, WrenchWay

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS

Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care

NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/

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– Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

– Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

– Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

– The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

– The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix – Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

– Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O’Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]> 2025 Voice of the Technician Survey: Addressing Industry Pain Points [RR 1058] https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/e1058/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 05:15:00 +0000 https://remarkableresults.biz/captivate-podcast/e1057/

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS

Watch Full Video Episode

What does the future of the automotive repair profession look like through the eyes of technicians themselves? Jay Goninan unpacks Wrenchway’s annual Voice of Technician survey with 4,700+ responses, revealing a concerning drop in satisfaction, but also a roadmap for improvement.

Key Insights:

  • Technician Sentiment: 50% wouldn’t recommend their shop, with negativity dominating social media.
  • Career Development: Technicians want visible growth paths, certifications, and new specialized roles like ADAS or EV diagnostics.
  • Compensation: Pay remains the top frustration. Shops need profitability strategies and flexible pay plans (61% prefer hourly/salary with bonus).
  • Culture & Tools: Proper equipment, work-life balance, and intentional team-building are critical to retention.
  • Professionalism: Shifting language from “mechanic” to “specialist/technologist” elevates the industry’s perception.
  • Leadership & Communication: Shop owners must ask “why,” listen to technicians, and implement meaningful change.
  • Download: https://wrenchway.com/resources/2025-voice-of-technician/#download-report

This isn’t just about attracting new talent; it’s about creating workplaces where technicians feel valued, respected, and see a future in the industry.

Jay Goninen, WrenchWay

Thanks to our Partners, NAPA Auto Care and NAPA TRACS

Learn more about NAPA Auto Care and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting https://www.napaonline.com/en/auto-care

NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/

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]]> FTR 052: Build Your Bench – Kyle Holt and Jay Goninen https://remarkableresults.biz/ftr/f052/ Mon, 01 Jul 2019 09:20:31 +0000 https://remarkableresults.biz/?p=26086

Kyle Holt President of SP/2 and Jay Goninen from ‘Find a Wrench’ speak to their expertise as supporters and recruiters of technician talent. They have the depth of experience and are speaking to you from their heart about your need to recruit talent when you don’t need the help. They will tell you why.

 

Kyle Holt is the President of S/P2 (sp2.org). S/P2 serves businesses and career tech schools in the automotive service, collision repair, heavy-duty/diesel, welding, construction, cosmetology, and culinary industries. S/P2 is used by over 175,000 students and employees every year across North America.

S/P2 provides industry-specific, online training in safety, environmental, ethics, human resources, and soft skills. S/P2 also works to help entry-level technicians enter and stay in the industry with S/P2 Careers – the largest resume database of entry-level technicians – and S/P2 Workplace Mentoring – a systematized mentoring system to train and track the progress of entry-level techs.

An entrepreneur with a strong background in e-learning and web-based systems, Kyle is passionate about providing businesses and career technical schools the ability to utilize technology to improve the lives of students and employees everywhere. Listen to Kyle’s previous episodes HERE.

Jay Goninen is president of Find A Wrench, which is a recruiting service used by shops around the country to assist them in finding Technicians. Jay’s company purchased a popular niche job board called FindAMechanic.com.  Jay has a passion for promoting the industry and the many talented people we work with, and to be a voice for ‘those who don’t like to promote themselves.  Listen to Jay’s previous episodes HERE.

 

Key Talking Points:

  • Recruiting while your shop is at full employment
  • Don’t wait to recruit for a new technician
  • 74% of shops are looking for technicians and are open to entry-level technicians
  • Creating a solid technician requires an investment of time. Start today.
  • It is not if you are going to lose a technician but when 
  • Proactive looking helps build a pipeline of candidates
  • You must be intentional on finding or going after high-quality team members

 

  • A special thanks to Kyle Holt and Jay Goninen for sharing their 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.

 

 

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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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]]> RR 437: Recruiters Round Table with Kyle Holt & Jay Goninen https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/e437/ Tue, 04 Jun 2019 09:12:00 +0000 https://remarkableresults.biz/?p=25847

Kyle Holt is the President of S/P2 (sp2.org). S/P2 serves businesses and career tech schools in the automotive service, collision repair, heavy-duty/diesel, welding, construction, cosmetology, and culinary industries. S/P2 is used by over 175,000 students and employees every year across North America.

S/P2 provides industry-specific, online training in safety, environmental, ethics, human resources, and soft skills. S/P2 also works to help entry-level technicians enter and stay in the industry with S/P2 Careers – the largest resume database of entry-level technicians – and S/P2 Workplace Mentoring – a systematized mentoring system to train and track the progress of entry-level techs.

An entrepreneur with a strong background in e-learning and web-based systems, Kyle is passionate about providing businesses and career technical schools the ability to utilize technology to improve the lives of students and employees everywhere. Listen to Kyle’s previous episodes HERE.

Jay Goninen is president of Find A Wrench, which is a recruiting service used by shops around the country to assist them in finding Technicians. Jay’s company purchased a popular niche job board called FindAMechanic.com.  Jay has a passion for promoting the industry and the many talented people we work with, and to be a voice for ‘those who don’t like to promote themselves.  Listen to Jay’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

  • Recruitment
    • Daily recruitment
    • If you’re only recruiting when you need a technician you are too late- lead to bad hires and unrealistic expectations
    • Investment not expense
  • Growing your own technician- finding entry-level technicians, mentor them, have a career plan
    • Poaching technicians from other companies is not adding new technician into industry
    • S/P2 Careers Online- 45,000 entry-level technician database, pilot mentor program free access   
    • A diverse plan tailored to your own shop- defining and having a plan
    • Involved with local schools and colleges
    • Financial plan for entry-level- career path
    • Be patient- takes 10,000 hours of experience to reach mastery level, entry-level technicians need to be mentored
  • Biggest competition are companies that are the best at recruiting
    • Offer better pay and incentives.
  • Retention
    • New hires and existing employees
    • Pay and business culture key components- if tech is leaving for $1/hour more then it’s not just about the money  
      • A warning sign that there may be a problem in the company

Resources:

  • Thanks to Kyle Holt and Jay Goninen 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.
  • Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

 

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Since 1989 TRACS has been the industry’s leading shop management system. And in the last 30 years it’s gotten better and better. Today TRACS Enterprise offers even more of the features AutoCare Center owners want—things like a powerful interactive scheduling calendar, faster and streamlined work flow, plus streamlined parts ordering and purchasing options. And there’s more—Punch-out to Mitchell ProDemand, mobile VIN capture, and multi-shop capabilities. That means you can count on TRACS Enterprise to help drive your success today and well into the future.

Learn more about TRACS Enterprise and the hundreds of other benefits the NAPA family has to offer. Talk with your servicing NAPA store or visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

]]> RR 297: Jay Goninen from Find A Wrench & Find A Mechanic.com https://remarkableresults.biz/remarkable-results-radio-podcast/e297/ Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:55:29 +0000 https://remarkableresults.biz/?p=12664

Jay Goninen was exposed to the automotive industry at a very young age. His family took over the independent repair shop that his Dad had worked in when Jay was about 9 years old. Due to limited resources, Jay had to pull his weight around the shop by answering phones, scheduling work and even filling out deposit slips during the summer months and after school.

After graduating High School, Jay went to Tech School to study Automotive Technology and ultimately ended up back at the shop he grew up in. An unexpected twist happened about a year into his return to the shop when he started to figure out that he wasn’t as passionate, experienced or qualified to work in the shop as he thought he was and a knee surgery ultimately finished his short run as a Tech.

This ultimately was the best thing that could have happened in his career as it led him to figure out what he was good at while never losing perspective on how difficult it is to work in a shop. Jay went on to be a District Service Manager for a Construction Equipment Manufacturer and then led the Parts and Service Departments as the Corporate Aftermarket Manager of a 7 store Ag & Construction Equipment Dealership.

Over time, the appreciation and respect gained by failing as a Tech but succeeding in other aspects of the business led him to want to connect people. Because of this, Jay started a company called Find A Wrench, which is a recruiting service used by shops around the country to assist them in finding Technicians. On top of that, Jay’s company purchased a popular niche job board called FindAMechanic.com. Jay has a passion for promoting the industry and the many talented people we work with, and to be a voice for those who don’t like to promote themselves (Techs).

Talking points:

  • There is not enough supply to meet the demand for the service repair industry.
  • You are competing against all trades that want skilled people.
  • Building your culture starts with the interview and the job description.
    • Need job descriptions for every position in the company.
      • Very important and undersold in its value.
      • These are important legal documents.
      • Job descriptions are there for accountability to the job and performance reviews.
  • People leave people not companies.
    • People leave because money piece is important. It can be their boss or money
  • Is your place a good place to work?
  • Do you have a path to growth?
    • More responsibility, more money.
    • Can your technician use his diag skills for a different type of job vs. the mechanical side and punishment on the body?
    • Pathway could be diagnostician and mentor roles within your company or the industry.
  • It is slowly becoming attractive to move to a new city if the money/ offer is right and family is ready.
  • Inducements to hire top technicians can be:
    • Health Care.
    • Retirement.
    • Good pay program with performance bonuses.
    • Paid training.
    • Airconditioned and radiant heat in the proper environment.
    • Boot and uniform allowance.
    • Lockers and lunch room.
  • What is your unique differentiator as an employer
    • Would you work for you?
  • A technician may need to market themselves to the industry to find great opportunities.
    • Technicians traditionally don’t feel the need for networking or to have an online resume.
    • Technicians don’t favor writing resumes.
      • Jay’s company can help with that.
  • Don’t wait for an urgent moment to replace a tech. Always be interviewing.
    • Find the right attitude, with a good mentoring program and grow your own top technician.
    • Talent management program outlines a training pathway.
  • The public title of mechanic may not change no matter how we look at our people in our shop or whatever title or job description we have.
  • Set a goal to interview one technician a month. Build your Rolodex bench. Always be recruiting.
  • Interview every person who sends you a resume. You may have to weed out a few, but for future opportunities, find the right attitude for your future no matter how good the resume may look.
  • Consider every resume candidate like a 5 Star Football Recruit for Your College Sports Program. Interview them all.
  • Tip: Post your job on your website.
    • Create a form to submit your name/resume.
  • Find a Wrench.com for Shop Owners looking for technicians.
  • Find a Mechanic. com is a job board for techs and shop owners to recruit from.

Find A Wrench Website   (Recruiting Service)

Find A Mechanic Website  (Job Board)

 

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

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