Ever since the 1930s, there has been a war on the price of brake jobs. Eighty years ago, shops were advertising low-priced brake relines on sandwich boards for $19.99, but they complained about "gyps" selling brake jobs for $9.99 on the side of the road. We see almost the same...
Time could be your biggest ally at the onset of the new year as you think about ways to increase your shop's profitability and productivity. But how many times have you said, "If I only had more time?" While you have good intentions of making the best use of your...
Have you noticed how many automotive reality programs there are on TV these days? I take the time to sit down and take in a few of them here and there. But from my side of the wrench, I have a completely different perspective when watching them.
Monday mornings are typically not very productive for me. I typically will hide in my office with the light off to avoid people asking about their latest weekend-induced car problems.
In case you haven't noticed, female buying power is on the rise. Women account for about 85% of all automotive sales in U.S. households, and 50-65% of customers at automotive service centers are women. And you know what that spells? Opportunity.
On one of many slow days at the shop, I had a small job come in from one of the local tire shops. This rather young girl brought the car to me from the tire shop that's just a few blocks away. She told me she was the owner and...
One day, one of my customers called and said he just purchased a car from the police auction, but it had some sort of strange noise coming from the driver's-side electric seat. It seems that every time he moved it, there was a strange electrical sound. He thought there was...
I’m also pleased to announce and introduce Andrew Markel who has been named editor of Underhood Service. Some of you may already recognize Andrew, who currently serves and will continue to serve as the editor of Brake & Front End and has contributed numerous technical features within past issues of...
Motivational speaker Chip Eichelberger's enthusiastic presentation had the whole company motivated to look at the direction our lives are going, and figure out how to make ourselves more valuable -- to our families, our careers, our customers and ourselves.
As a service provider to this evolving vehicle fleet, a better understanding of market conditions will help you identify growth opportunities and target business plans for the future.
