Editor’s Notes: First-Quarter Tool Shows Start Year Off Strong
The 2012 automotive tool shows have already taken the TechShop team from our offices in Akron, OH, to Nashville to Las Vegas, home and then back to Vegas. Whew! And it doesn’t stop there. Next we’re heading to St. Louis, Palm Springs, Baltimore and Orlando — all to bring you the latest and greatest in
Viewpoint: The Good Times Are Back!
Looking at the recent economic news, we can officially say we have made it through the toughest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Consumer confidence is up, unemployment rate is going down and markets are returning to pre-2008 levels.
Directions: Issues on 1234yf Still Up in the Air
There has been a lot of talk about the new HFO-1234yf A/C refrigerant making its way into new vehicles. Some of the misconceptions and rumors about the refrigerant were addressed at the Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide (MACS) convention and trade show in January. One of the biggest concerns techs and shop owners have is which vehicles will have the new system.
Editor’s Notebook: First Impressions Really Do Count
Continuing recent discussions with ImportCar shop owner readers extolling the benefits of shop image as it relates to attracting new customers and retaining existing ones, Frank Scandura, owner of Frank’s Mercedes Service, with locations in Henderson and Las Vegas, NV, says that his customers are catered to even before any work is done on their vehicle.
Editor’s Notes: Leveraging the Web to Generate New Business for Your Shop
A shop’s website is an important tool you really should not be without. It could very well be the first impression a new/potential customer has of your shop.
Announcing the Winning Companies of TechShop’s Top 5 Tools Award
TechShop once again brings you the winners of our Top 5 Tools award. This award is voted on by the people who use the tools and equipment every day – you, our readers. Throughout the year, you submit to us what tools and pieces of equipment help you do your job more efficiently and productively. At the end of the year, we tally these submissions and award the companies that are mentioned most with our Top 5 Tool award. This is truly an award judged by our readers.
VIEWPOINT: GM Creates New Recipe for Brake Rotors
Over the past three months, there has been a buzz about a new type of rotor from GM. GM’s team of brake experts and suppliers put a batch of rotors on a lot of Buick and Cadillac models in 2008 to test out if they had truly changed how rotors perform. They succeeded.
Directions: Service and
It will be interesting to see if drivers of older cars continue to put off maintenance and service to a point where a vehicle repair becomes so expensive that the owner opts for a new vehicle. If so, it could be bad news for independent repair shops that are already seeing a slow down in scheduled service and maintenance.
Editor’s Notebook: Cash-Strapped Consumers Fuel Unperformed Vehicle Maintenance Trend
For those who fix cars daily and are responsible for keeping America rolling, it’s disheartening to learn that not everyone has such an allegiance. A recent Consumer Reports poll may have you shaking your head, or, better yet, nodding in agreement on the amount of unperformed maintenance that’s there for the taking.
Editor’s Notebook: Customer Retention Greatly Hinges on First Impressions, Shop Image
Continuing last month’s discussion with ImportCar shop owner readers offering advice on shop visibility and customer retention, John Volz, co-owner, Volz Bros., Grass Valley, CA, says he focuses on shop upgrades, image, marketing efforts and community outreach because he knows well that first impressions run deep in attracting and keeping customers.
Viewpoint: Sex, Politics & Religion
I worked for a shop owner who once told me there are three things I could not discuss at work with co-workers or customers. The three topics were sex, religion and politics. It was a simple rule some people find hard to follow this time of year. All around us the airwaves are filled with political ads that will not end until this time next year. On the roads, political candidate signs seem to be breeding at an alarming rate. Your shop must be a politic-free zone for customers and employees.
Editor’s Notes: T&E Market Optimism Reflected at AAPEX
There are many reasons to be optimistic about the aftermarket, and especially the Tool & Equipment segment. Our $9.6 billion industry is growing at a rate of 4.3%, with the number of vehicles in operation — 240 million — creating a steady demand for service work. According to Babcox Media and AAIA research, 97% of