Editor’s Notebook: What Keeps You Up At Night? Overcoming Next Year’s Biggest Business Challenges
As the year winds down, it’s not uncommon to think about challenges in the year ahead and how you will be addressing them. We often hear that the things that keep shop owners awake at night include those issues that relate to profitability, productivity and shop operations/expenses.
Gonzo’s ToolBox: Second-Hand Information
Do you remember when you played the game of “telephone” as a child, and the original information being conveyed was oftentimes totally different by the time the last kid commented? The same thing can happen with a vehicle problem when more than one person is involved in getting the information to the person at the end of the line. And who’s usually at the end of the line? The tech.
Editor’s Notes: There’s An App For That
Are you using your smartphone as a tool at the shop? The applications that have been developed specifically for the automotive repair industry are incredible. Not only can you take photos of repairs to help explain a diagnosis to a customer, you can also view live engine data, retrieve fault codes and clear check engine lights.
VIEWPOINT: Stop Feeling Bad About Selling What a Driver Needs
Her car was a 1986 Ford Taurus Wagon with about 52,000 miles. It was one of those vehicles a person buys right after they retire, hoping it would be the last car they ever have to buy.
Editor’s Notebook: Maintenance Matters! Vehicle Checks and Customer Education Yield Unperformed Maintenance Dollars
What’s the value of the un-educated consumer mindset toward preventive maintenance and its link to better-performing, safer, longer-lasting, more fuel-efficient vehicles? It’s a whopping $60 billion-plus. One of the main contributors of unperformed maintenance is consumer neglect due to the lack of knowledge about vehicle system operation, and the need for system checks at
Gonzo’s ToolBox: Brain Damage
Throughout the evolution of the modern vehicle, there have been an increasing number of duties taken over by computers. These computers have not only made the engine more fuel efficient, but also more environmentally friendly. Nowadays, these systems are starting to “think” for themselves and make decisions for the driver. Things like park assist, keeping a safe distance between cars on the road and collision avoidance are just a few examples of the capabilities of the modern computer-driven automobile.
Publisher’s Perspective: We Know You’re Busy…
“Something has changed,” was a comment made by a colleague when stopping by my office. It took her a few minutes to realize I had rearranged my office furniture. My hope is that you have already noticed a few changes with your October issues of ImportCar, Underhood Service and Brake & Front End, beginning with
Editor’s Notebook: We’re Kicking Things Up A Notch and Remaining Steadfast in Our Mission
In today’s competitive service environment, you need to work both harder and smarter to stay ahead of the competition. Beyond delivering highest-quality repairs and offering top-notch customer service, you wrestle with tough shop management issues on a daily basis. You also work hard on improving important business-building elements, like shop image and reputation, and making
Menu-Based Pricing Must Go!
There is no doubt that menu pricing can simplify the selling of maintenance, but when it comes to solving brake, suspension and wheel assembly problems, it can create more problems than it can solve.
Directions: Autonomous Autos Take to the Streets
There is a lot of speculation on how driverless vehicles – which are already on the roads as test cars – will impact the service industry.
Editor’s Notebook: Fall Car Care is in the Air and Central to the Northwood International Auto Show
If you’ve ever been involved in or hosted a Be Car Care Aware event, you know the power it can have in educating customers about how much money they can save with proper vehicle maintenance. You also know the value-added benefits of heightening your shop’s image in the community, earning existing customers’ lasting loyalty and prompting new referrals along the way.
Gonzo’s ToolBox: Customers Say The Darndest Things
Did you ever notice some people have an excuse for just about anything? Did you also notice how some people have a quirky explanation for the problems with their cars? I sometimes wonder what some of these folks would think if they actually heard themselves from my side of the counter.