Management: Selling Specialty Chemicals
Chemicals are hot commodities because they are profitable to sell and help customers with a variety of needs. So let’s take a look at some of these products to see what kinds of needs they meet and benefits they provide.
Tech Tip: Oxygen Sensors – Monitoring Converter Efficiency
In 1996, automakers did the aftermarket a huge favor. They added "downstream" oxygen (O2) sensors to their vehicles. The downstream O2 sensors are located just behind the catalytic converter, or on some Fords, in the converter itself.
ASE CBT Testing Registration Opens July 10th
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) opens registration for the Summer ASE computer-based tests (CBT) on July 10th. Certification (and recertification) tests available include the Automobile Series, Medium/Heavy Truck Series, Collision Repair/Refinish Series, Service Consultant and Automobile Parts Specialist (P2) tests. The two Advanced Level tests (L1 and L2) are also available.
Management: Selling a Complete Brake Job
Brake parts are often sold on a piecemeal basis because customers only want the minimum number of parts needed to fix their brakes. It might be a set of pads for the front brakes, a single rotor or drum, a caliper or wheel cylinder, a brake hose or a master cylinder. The mentality is to fix what’s broken and nothing more.
Men Not Necessarily More Car-Care Savvy Than Women; Jiffy Lube Survey Shows Both Sexes Fall Short in Preventive Maintenance Knowledge
Women who turn to men for car-care advice may not be getting good counsel as often as they think. A national survey sponsored by Jiffy Lube International found that while 69 percent of men and 64 percent of women think men know more than women on the subject, their responses to basic car-care questions tell a somewhat different story.
Management: Getting a Charge Out of New Engine Technology
One of the great things about the automotive industry is the hundreds of technological improvements we have seen since the birth of the automobile – from safety, to design, to engine efficiency to entertainment modules and even racing.
Autocarepronews Technician Survey: Tell Us What You Enjoy
Autocarepronews wants to learn more about what types of activities professional technicians enjoy participating in during their free time. This is a short, one-question survey. Click here to take it.
Management: The Chinese are Coming
Chinese auto makers, Chery and Geely, will likely have a presence in the U.S., but the question is when? News reports in February indicated that both companies hit snags – Chery due to a lack of money and Geely because of the inability to pass trial runs of U.S. emissions and side-crash tests.
Perspectives: Earning the Title of ‘My Mechanic’
Our industry suffers from an overall lack of trust because the customer doesn’t have enough information and knowledge to feel confident about many of the repairs that are being recommended. One of your many jobs is to educate your customers and try your best to clearly explain why the work is needed.
Shop Management: Taking Time Out to Train
Good technicians – the ones who you want working at your shop – understand that they must continuously learn new skills to diagnose and repair today’s advanced automotive systems. Your mantra of "Fix it right the first time" requires your techs to get up-to-date technical training and knowledge.
Industry Q&A: How has the Internet Changed the Way You do Business?
Five years ago, many in the industry thought the Internet would revolutionize distribution and fundamentally change the way consumers and repair shops sourced auto parts. From a business perspective, what is your perception of the Internet today versus five years ago? How has it changed the way you do business?
Management: Shop Appearance – A Few Cost-Effective Updates Will Make a Big Difference to Your Technicians and Customers
First impressions are everything, especially when it comes to new customers. The appearance of your shop is not only important to your customers, but it’s where your techs spend most of their time. If you want to make those two groups of people happy, read on.