[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

https://www.sidsavage.com/product/night-drop-box-wall-mount/service-all

 

Works well at all our locations

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

When necessary I like to reference diagnosis and testing of our automotive world to the medical world. Automotive service and repairs are like “medical procedures / operations”, Diagnosis and testing is like having Blood work done, Cat Scan, MRI, X-Rays.

You would not want to have surgery without knowing what it is that you are going to be “operating” on and going to do right? Leg not functioning properly you wouldn’t want to go to the operating room and just have them cut you open and start to replacing things… Same thing with your car, we need to know what is the Concern, the Cause of the concern as well as the Correction needed. After “surgery”/repairs are complete we can now verify that the Concern is gone as well.

When it comes to Intermittent Conditions it again can be related to the consumer in medical comparisons. Like if you had a tooth ache and by the time you get to the dentist it has dissipated, you can point the dentist in the general direction of your mouth that the ache was occurring, they will inspect visually, perform X-Rays (Diagnostics) and they may find the area of concern and recommend a “Repair”. Just as if we (Auto Professionals) were to not able to find the “Correction” needed the Dentist as well would not just perform a surgery, as we may not perform the repair.

Sometimes we are faced with reality and the consumer has the option to return for further testing and diagnosis if the “Condition” becomes more consistent we can re look at and likely find the “Correction” needed.

One thing is for certain, If we do Nothing it is certain that the Condition is not going to get any better. Sometimes it makes more sense to make a recommendation in attempt to remedy the “Concern” by doing something we have a chance of making the “Correction”. After all the most finite resource we all have is time.

Communication and Understanding is key. Hope that helps.

-Andy

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

From my previous measurements it was about $70 per new customer if I took all Marketing and Advertising expense and divided by all new customers. Obviously this is a rough measurement, but I have stuck with that number for budgeting purposes and have great new customer counts in our shops.

-Andy

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

This is a perfect example of why performance based compensation plans are best and most effective. Reward and compensate the employees for the value and $$ they bring to the organization. If more money is desired bring more value (rate of pay/$ per hr / skills / certs) or generate more work (turn/bill more hours / quantity).

I would recruit for a new technician, if better ability, attitude and work ethics than tech B I would replace.

I would put all technicians back to a performance based compensation structure.

Flat Rate is not perfect, recommend hybrid plan that is majority individual compensation, small amount (~10%) a team compensation, and reward above and beyond standard pay for productivity (hours worked v.s. hours billed / paid)

Educate and train your staff on their performance based plan, explain to them using your recent case study as to why you have chosen this type of pay structure, or you can, or you can hire someone to micromanage the shop and pay everyone hourly or salary.

-A 🙂

 

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

I also come up with shop labor rate as Tom described.

Though I am interested in “nctransmission” results of his complicated way in comparison to what seems like the more typical way if you are willing to comment.

Thanks,

-A

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

People have been over complicating this issue for years. Just ask yourself and your customers a few simple questions.

1. What are you trying to accomplish with your vehicle? Do you want to keep it long term (>100k), short term (<100k)? How can I help you to achieve what it is that you are looking to do?

2. Why do you have different recommendations the the manufacture, aren’t they the experts? What do they want? Lowest cost of ownership while the vehicle is under factory warranty and to sell you a new car every 2-3 years / 100k miles. Is this your customers goal as well, if not, that is why our recommendations may be different. Trying to accomplish two totally different things.

3. We recommend services for two reasons. First is based on condition, this usually indicates that the maintenance / usable life of such fluid has deteriorated. Second is to change it preventatively by time and or mileage, this is to keep the fluid / lubricant functioning at it’s peak and service it before reason #1. Consumers and professionals do this more than they realize with engine oil, why would you not with other fluids of your vehicle? What if we only changed engine oil when it visually deteriorated so badly that it changed color, smell, texture, acidity etc.. We don’t, we change it proactively, this leads into the last point.

4. As expensive as some of today’s synthetic fluids are, they are all cheaper than the metal moving parts they protect. It is more cost effective to change your engine oil, and any other fluid than it is to change your engine. This goes with every other fluid that is in your vehicle.

We recommend all drive-line fluids to be changed every 30-50k 3/5yrs, coolant first service 50k 5yrs afterwards 30k/3yrs, Brake Fluid every 2-3yrs, Alignment check annually, High speed balance every 3rd rotation / 15k. Fuel injection / De-Carbon service every 30k.

To sum up my professional opinion, be clear to know what it is that your customer is trying to accomplish and help them achieve that. There is nothing wrong with preventative maintenance. Can it be taken too far? Sure it can, just like getting a monthly colonoscopy. Though it should not be to their detriment of your customers vehicles. Sell your customers preventative maintenance early, often and with confidence every time, if they want to defer or extend the recommended service intervals and deal with the potential side effects and costly repairs, let that be on their terms, not due to your shops lack of giving them the option.

Cordially,

-Andy

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

YELP, like google and all of the others I think that it is important to have a good presence and favorable reviews, though have not seen good results of any additional customers with their paid advertising. I think that this varies considerably on your area demographic and participation by existing or potential customer base. Highly populated urban areas may have better results.

-Andy

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

I agree with Dick. If you set your initial diagnosis too high you are going to scare people off. If you have a good closing ratio it does not matter. You need to just have quick and effective communication, make sure that the amount of time that the technician initially spends does not exceed what is allocated. You don’t need to have a complete diagnosis within the initial time allotted, just a direction of which way it is going.

You may have more success in giving away your preliminary diagnosis (to the customer, would still compensate tech, 0.5) to obtain more work than fighting for a customer to see value in paying for something they do not understand or want early on.

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

Richard,

I have seen and participated in training from several of the companies that you listed. All of them have some good, but also very broad content coverage. If you can describe what it is that you are particularly looking for as “MylesJ” stated, I would be happy to give you a reference.

-Andy

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

Please indicate for each feature listed

1 Very important
2 Somewhat important
3 Not important

__2___ Caller ID for customers in database

__1___ Email customer from the RO

__2___ Integrated paperless inspections

__1___ Instant view of all maintenance service history and services due 

___1__ Job pricing (invoices display total prices only for individual jobs)

__1___ License plate to VIN decoding

__1___ Labor matrix

__1___ Oil sticker printing

__1___ Service advisor event reminders (call customer, check parts arrival, etc.)

__1___ Signature capture

__1*___ Technician time clocking

__1___ Text customer from the RO

_____ Works on tablet and smart phones

_____ Other : ___________________________________________

[Curtis Andrew Massoll]

I think that your best angle would be to make the rest of the staff that updating the shop is needed by necessity, not by your individual choice. Their employer is the individual that has put you in the position of making this happen. It is in the entire staff’s best interest for this to happen. Even though we are fortunate to be in a service business that can not be taken completely away from customer interaction and will never solely become a commodity; none the less we are still competing in a World Market. Literacy and understanding technology is a necessity moving forward, the other option is to perish.

Here is a link to a short video celebrating Bosch’s Car Service program’s 90 year anniversary. It gives an example of the level of professionalism in our industry on a “World” scale. Maybe this will help them realize that it is not just you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIoeSPQ0JqE

Good luck!

-A