Safe Shop: Employee Uniforms Increase Consumer Confidence
First impressions matter in every industry, and the automotive service aftermarket has its own set of challenges and needs. Extreme temperatures; compact spaces under hoods, under cars; and oily, heavy equipment and dirty parts can quickly and easily make for a grimy technician and messy shop appearance. Your employees define who you are and what
Point Of View: What’s Your Motto?
Motto: n. 1. A sentence, phrase or word inscribed on something, as a coat of arms, to express its purpose or character. 2. A brief expression of a guiding principle. When I think of mottos, the first one that comes to mind is the Girl Scout motto: On my honor, I will try: To serve
Carley’s Corner: A Love/Hate Relationship With Computers
Anybody who uses a personal computer can probably relate to what I am about to say: I love my computer because of all the cool things it can do for me, and I hate my computer because it drives me nuts. Like many Americans, I own more than one computer. I have my office computer
Business Tools: Computers… Why You Can’t Do Business Today Without Them
It’s hard to imagine any automotive repair shop doing business today without the benefit of multiple computers. Yet some shops continue to do business and fix cars the “old fashioned way” with no computers whatsoever. I can’t help but wonder how much longer some of these shops will stay in business. The computer has become
Technicians’ Top 5 Favorite Tools & Equipment
Adnan “Ed” Anwar, president/master technician Checkered Flag Automotive Lacey, WA I own Checkered Flag Automotive with my wife Mary. I’ve been fixing vehicles since 1982. I’m a certified master technician, CM HDT, Auto L1, PSI and CNG. We have owned the business since 1998 and purchased the shop and land in 2005. Checkered Flag has
A/C Service: The Heart of the Matter
The heart of the business, feel the heart beat, he has a good heart. These familiar thoughts and sayings all refer to the same thing. Whether it is a figurative or literal reference, the message is the same. There is always a central and irreplaceable part or component or, sometimes, person to all things. This
Safe Shop: Be Prepared
Recovery Plan Will Help You Respond Quickly and Effectively to a Disaster Hurricanes, fire, flood, earthquakes, even computer viruses are disasters that can threaten a business, and they can happen anywhere at any time. They’re never planned, but they can be prepared for with recovery plans that could help you save your business in case
Point Of View: You Can Guide Your Shop from Good to Great!
Not counting shops like a Midas, Tuffy or Quick Lube, there are approximately 134,000 independent automotive repair shops currently in operation in the U.S. market today. Most of them are probably pretty good to very good. A small minority would be considered great. Can you say your shop is Good? Can you say your shop
Carley’s Corner: Biodiesel Boom or Bust?
I grew up in the farm state of Iowa. Though I lived in the city, a short drive in any direction would put me in the midst of sprawling corn and soybean fields. At the time, nobody thought food crops might have potential for being an alternative fuel source. But when the Organization of Petroleum
Diesel Engine Service, Tools & Equipment
Diesel engines are a popular alternative to gasoline engines because of their good fuel economy and torque. More than 55% of heavy-duty pickup trucks are now powered by diesel engines, as are 85% of Class 5 to 7 medium-duty trucks. The GM Duramax, Ford Powerstroke and Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesel engines represent the bulk of
Lifts: Laws of the Universe
have in common? Each of these items is subject to the law of gravity. The law states all items are attracted to the earth with a force that is exactly equal to their specific weight. Why, you ask, do I care about this? Well, let me give you another little statement that will start to
Safe Shop: Real-World Lift Safety
The repair order read “vehicle pulls to the left.” The owner of a Ford Excursion wanted an alignment. The job started out like any other — a preliminary test drive to confirm the symptoms and then it was run up onto the alignment lift. The front tires were carefully steered onto the turn plates. The