Jacks: The Ups and Downs of Jacks
The famous actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield was well known for his routine about respect. You couldn’t watch him for more than a few minutes before you heard his signature line: “I can’t get NO respect!” If we were to start assigning personalities to tools in the shop, jacks would definitely be the Rodney Dangerfield of the
News Update: Automotive Distribution Network Announces ‘Repair America’ Sweepstakes Winners
Parts Plus has announced the major prize winners of the “Repair America” sweepstakes promotion for professional service dealers. Throughout June and July, when service dealers were given the opportunity to win prizes in this special promotion, more than 62,000 entries were returned to headquarters, with an additional 7,500 entered online through www.partsplus.com. The winner of
Building Hot Rod and Muscle Car Engines
Sometimes the best opportunities are cleverly hidden in plain view. As one example, when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Engine Creations was asked why he opted to expand beyond race engines into the hot rod and muscle car arenas, he said, "Just look outside." His North Carolina facility sits squarely in the middle of both NASCAR and cruisin’ country.
Diagnostic Dilemmas: Getting In-Sync with a Couple Wranglers
It’s axiomatic in the diagnostic trade that, as soon as one thinks he has command of a particular system, the gods of technology pitch a curve ball that unerringly slips under the swing of the diagnostic bat. Not that I’ve never seen a 4.0L Jeep engine before; I’ve serviced dozens, perhaps hundreds of them. The
Management: Loss Leader, Lost Cause?
It seems like there are always certain services that are routinely performed by repair facilities at a loss. Sure, they might generate enough revenue to pay for the direct expenses of doing the job, such as parts and technician labor, however, they often fail to make their needed contribution to the overhead expenses of owning the shop to begin with. It’s that failure to contribute to the bottom line profits that make the service a "loss" to the company.
Loss Leader: Lost Cause?
It seems like there are always certain services that are routinely performed by repair facilities at a loss. Sure, they might generate enough revenue to pay for the direct expenses of doing the job, such as parts and technician labor, however, they often fail to make their needed contribution to the overhead expenses of owning