Management Articles

Readers frequently come to the Automotive Management network because they have a specific question in mind: What is the best automotive management software? There is no simple answer to that question, of course. It depends on what a specific auto shop needs. Because we want to help our members answer that question for themselves, we’ve created a number of valuable … Read More

The Automotive Management Network currently has a poll about finding and hiring technicians. If you have not yet taken it, please go here and share your experience. We would appreciate learning what you can tell us about how your shop finds techs, so please check all answers that apply.  Where to Go for Finding and Hiring Technicians Here is a … Read More

It’s a tough time to own a business – any business. In the auto industry COVID-19 has kept people indoors and off the roads. Fewer miles driven means that there is less of a need for auto repair. Most auto shops are highly interested in discovering how they can make up for the lack of door traffic. One way to … Read More

The economic news is bad. There’s no sugarcoating that the United States is in a severe recession as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program has protected some jobs and helped many businesses, but millions of people are out of work and looking. Like all businesses, auto shops are hurting too; however, a down economy can be … Read More

As everyone in the automotive industry knows, there is currently a desperate shortage of auto techs. Currently the outflow of techs from the industry is very high for a number of reasons. Only one new tech enters for every three who leave. This is a real problem for auto shops that want to keep their doors open and their customers … Read More

One large stressor for many auto shop customers is how they will get where they need to be while their cars are being fixed. In much of America, it’s not possible to rely on public transportation to get back and forth to work or school. People don’t want to be stranded in the middle of the day without a way … Read More

Earlier this year auto industry experts warned that replacement parts were going to be harder to come by due to the coronavirus outbreak. They wanted dealerships and auto shops to be aware and prepare to explain service disruptions to customers. Coronavirus has interrupted both production of parts worldwide and shipping as well. This will throw another challenge at auto shops … Read More

In our last blog we talked about the effects of the Paycheck Protection Program and how it has allowed many auto shops to remain open and to continue to employ their staff. While this has been a lifesaver program for businesses, many shops are still struggling to pay their bills because their customer traffic has been drastically reduced due to … Read More

In our last blog we discussed how auto repair shops are coping with the new cleaning challenges resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic. Adding new responsibilities and expenses is never going to be a good thing for a business, especially a small one. As the lockdown wears on, though, it’s clear that some auto shops are struggling to remain open or … Read More

During the initial panic over the dangers the coronavirus posed, most people focused on basic survival issues. They worried about getting sick, raced to stock up on food, and dealt with the changes lockdowns and quarantines forced on their families and workplaces. Now that the first phase of the epidemic is over, we are all dealing with its secondary effects, … Read More

As people all over the world are trapped in their houses due to the spread of the coronavirus, our focus has primarily been on surviving today. We want to avoid getting sick, we’re concerned about how the shutdown will affect the economy and our personal finances, and we’re living with unique daily challenges. However, as the days pass, some are … Read More

There is a shortage of techs in the auto repair industry. This is undeniable. America needs good skilled workers to repair cars, and there aren’t enough of them. Previously we’ve discussed many reasons for why there is a shortage. This includes pay, benefits, tool expectations, and a host of other factors including training. One aspect of training that we haven’t … Read More

In a previous blog we discussed how auto techs’ purchasing of tools leads to increased stress levels within the industry. Many techs will go heavily into debt to purchase more tools in order to be able to be competitive and efficient in their jobs. How many tools they need to have is subject to debate, however, even among the techs … Read More

In discussing some of the stresses that auto techs must live with working in the auto repair industry, one topic that regularly comes up is tools. The issue of auto repair tools is complicated. While all auto techs must have tools in order to do their jobs, shops differ in what they require and what they provide in terms of … Read More

Does offering loaner cars to customers add value to an auto shop? This is a question that shop owners must decide for themselves, but we would love to have your input on our most recent poll: How many loaner (rental, courtesy) cars do you have per $100,000 in annual sales? Loaner Cars Relative to Sales There’s a little math involved … Read More

In our last blog, we discussed the problems shops that allow customers to supply their own parts have. There are always two sides to every story, however. Here we will talk about why some shops choose to do repairs using customer supplied auto parts and one possibility for making this practice work financially for the shop and the customer. The … Read More

Does your auto shop use customer supplied parts to complete their repairs? This topic can raise some eyebrows and tempers between customers and shop owners or techs, but there are good reasons for shops refusing to use aftermarket parts customers purchase elsewhere. Here we will go through those reasons and how to explain your shop’s policy to your customers. The … Read More