Key Talking Points

• ASCCA- Celebrating 80 years
• Joining associations- getting involved to make changes, unite shop owners and give them a voice. Elevate the industry together.  
• Growing membership and advocacy- every business owner needs to be a participant. Simplify and clarify the message- sign up and be a part of the group. Attend 1 meeting and understand why virtual interaction will never replace the importance of live human interaction. 
• Be cooperative instead of competitive with local businesses 
• Retention of members- Future Freemium Membership to lower the barriers for people to participate for first-time members and retired members, value proposition, what do you do for the association, create more opportunity for yourself and others. 
• Broaden your mind to career paths
• Revamp the meetings- dinner at different shops. App for the future with news, chapter meeting information/address. 
• Don’t ask for too much right away- there are different levels of participation in association

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Important Books

Check out today’s partner:

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The Panel

Carolyn Coquillette of Luscious Garage, San Francisco, CA is the new ASCCA President. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Shop-Ware. Look for Carolyn’s other episodes HERE.

Rocky Khamenian is the owner/operator of Bimmer & Benz Specialists in Costa Mesa, located in south Orange County, CA. He is an active member of Chapters 48 and 50 of the Automotive Service Councils of California. He has served on the Board of Directors for those chapters. He’s achieved the status of Master Technician through ASE and he has completed a wide variety of technical classes on the repair and maintenance of BMW and Mercedes Benz vehicles through WTI. He is becoming certified as a Bosch Master Technician. Look for Rocky’s other Episodes HERE.

Rory Balmer of Twin Peaks Auto Service in Twin Peaks is the outgoing ASCCA President. ASCCA Past President Mary Kemnitz says Rory is “One of the most effective committee members I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He has won the “One Member Can Campaign” twice. He has had a significant impact on the growth and energy within Chapter 14. Look for Rorry’s other episodes HERE.

Rocky Khamenian is the owner/operator of Bimmer & Benz Specialists in Costa Mesa, located in south Orange County, CA. He is an active member of Chapters 48 and 50 of the Automotive Service Councils of California. He has served on the Board of Directors for those chapters.

Throughout his 32-year career, Rocky has continually increased his education to maintain the highest possible level of professionalism. He’s achieved the status of Master Technician through ASE and he has completed a wide variety of technical classes on the repair and maintenance of BMW and Mercedes Benz vehicles through WTI. He is becoming certified as a Bosch Master Technician.

Rocky is the outgoing president of ASCCA Automotive Service Councils of California. He gives some life lessons for every shop owners, shares the importance of association membership and gives us a glimpse of the new ASCCA Degree program at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, California. Look for Rocky’s other Episodes HERE.

Rory Balmer of Twin Peaks Auto Service in Twin Peaks is a past ASCCA Chapter 14 President and a past ASCCA Membership Committee Chair. He is the incoming ASCCA Vice-President. Rory is working full-time at his business.  He attends De Vry University, where he is completing a BA degree in technical management. He will be attending Washington State University, entering into the Executive MBA program. ASCCA Past President Mary Kemnitz says Rory is “One of the most effective committee members I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He has won the “One Member Can Campaign” twice. He has had a significant impact on the growth and energy within Chapter 14.

John Eppstein is the owner of John’s Automotive Care in San Diego, CA. He is the incoming ASCCA President. One thing he credits for his success is making his customer his main focus. John was honored as the 2016 NAPA ASE Technician of the year.  Hear John in our one on one interview in episode 119, 200 and Academy 003 on the Top Qualities of a Service Advisor. Look for John’s other episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• ASCCA Presidency- engage and unite  automotive shop owners
  • Follow guidelines
  • Do the guidelines with your own personality
  • On 8 committees, visit chapters, and constant communication with the administration
  • Brought vendors to the association- make industry and association stronger, will only help their business in the end  
  • VP Rory- ETI committee (Education Training and Information)
  • Getting new members- need to continue to connect with shops (what’s working and not working), every shop has different problems, “what can we do to help?”
  • Enroll and inspire other chapter leaders/members to connect with people
  • Legislative day- April, make an impact on shop and industry
• Biggest challenges for automotive shops
  • Finding quality employees
  • Lack of training
  • HR issues as your business grow larger
• Connected cars
  • Informing members about the future and beyond
  • Team weekend trainings- 4 times per year
  • NASTAF securities

Resources:

• Thanks to Rocky Khamenian, John Eppstein, and Rory Balmer for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Twin Peaks Auto Service Website HERE.
• John’s Automotive Car Website HERE.
• Bimmer & Benz Specialist 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.

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Bio:

Rocky Khamenian is the owner/operator of Bimmer & Benz Specialists in Costa Mesa, located in south Orange County. He is an active member of both Chapters 48 and 50 of the Automotive Service Councils of California and has served on the Board of Directors for both.

Throughout his 32-year career, Rocky has continually increased his education to maintain the highest possible level of professionalism. In 1982, Rocky received his diploma in Automobile Engineering in the United Kingdom. He later achieved the status of Master Technician through ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) and he has completed a wide variety of technical classes on the repair and maintenance of BMW and Mercedes Benz vehicles through WTI. He has also taken classes in Autologic and Eurodiagnostics to elevate his technical knowledge, and he’s undergone various managerial courses through ESI and WTI. At the present time, he is in the process of being certified as a Bosch Master Technician.

Although he now specializes in BMW and Mercedes Benz cars, Rocky began his career at an auto repair shop in London where he worked on all makes and models doing general repairs, eventually specializing in Mercedes Benz and BMW vehicles. After coming to the U.S. in October 1987, Rocky settled in San Diego where he was hired as the manager at a service and repair shop for import cars. Rocky first established his own business in May 1989 on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa. He was not only the owner of this business but also its sole employee, performing all repairs himself. He eventually moved to another location nearby, and then in January 2011, he purchased a larger and better-equipped property where, in his 23rd year as a business owner, he now employs four people and has to obtain corporate status.

The secret to Rocky’s success is his commitment to customer service. His professional goal is to always exceed his customers’ expectations in caring for “the most important tool in their lives.” By continuing his education in both the technical and managerial fields, Rocky provides his customers with the best experience possible. He feels that it is imperative for shop owners to be up-to-date on the latest developments in repair, billing, customer notification, and record-keeping. He credits the many new software products with maintaining convenience and economy for his customers and for his business. In 2000, Rocky first joined ASCCA Chapter 50 and he immediately realized the benefits provided by the organization. ASCCA provided him with tools for interacting with other shop owners, exposure to new laws that apply to the repair industry and finding ways to reduce expenses while expanding customer service.

He has become active on various ASCCA committees and eventually joined Chapter 48 as well as 50 in order to broaden his interactions with other shop owners. Looking to the future, Rocky will remain active with ASCCA as one of his main professional resources. He has seen colleagues come and go, but as the economy weakened he observed that the stronger shops are always those whose owners continually develop their skills. For this reason, Rocky refers to ASSCA as “the best education I’ve ever received.

Key Talking Points

• He offers concierge service to his customers. Not much he won’t do for them.
• He is a frugal operator. Owns his own property. Carries no balances on his credit card.
• An owners obligation is to plan for the future. For the business, family, college, retirement.
• Rocky talks to a lot of people to get advice and information. He seeks help and ideas. He is an open book.
• This allows him who he chooses to work for.
• Started with 2 bays and would work non stop
  • 10 years later invited to ASCCA meeting
  • The network grew, gained a mentor, learned from everyone involved    
• High-end car service
  • 45 cars per month
  • Quality of work that excites owner and customer
  • Not all about gross profit- what is left? Plans for future and retirement?  
  • His customers are clients. They are his guests.   
  • Be an open book
  • Ask questions, open up to people and receive feedback  
  • Don’t let your ego get in the way because you are worried someone will know your ‘secrets’ or struggles instead of uniting as an industry. Need to inspire and lift each other.
  • Ego or secret sauce is what is dividing us.
  • We must unite and share.
• What does it take to own a business?
  • Technical skills, business knowledge, marketing knowledge, psychology knowledge
• ASCCA Degree San Diego Chapter
  • One solution for tech shortage for independent shops
  • Provide scholarship, state-approved credit course
  • Paid internships form ASCCA shops
  • A post-secondary program like the OE programs but for independents.

ASCCA Website HERE

ASCCA Board of Directors HERE

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