[Alan Ollie]

Big problem .The shop stays clean everyone cleans their work area .It still requires a car wash guy to keep the property add floors in the service bays spotless. Every Friday night cleaning service  is the best $50 a week i ever spent. Bathroom in waiting room gets touched up by the service advisers and myself all day . It is spotless people always say we have the cleanest bathroom of any business they have ever been to. People really remember it. Still a fight to get the crew to pick up loose papers wrappers as they walk back from parking cars. 

[Alan Ollie]

We spend apx 3% of our gross on marketing. I send usps service reminders mailers to customers who have not been in the last 6 months apx 1200 mailers per month . Cost apx $750 we also email all customers every 3 weeks . Then in between Customer Link sends factory scheduled maintenance reminders usps and if no email addy they send postcards. It seems to work. If we send more or less our # s show it. Too much people unsubscribe i try to keep under 1% unsubscribe rate so it is a balancing act. The cost is evenly split new customer ( internet PPC, Remarketing ads, new site articles and link building) every month vs Existing customer retention . We have about a 21% new customers per month and retain about 65% of existing customers per year. I think everyone is different we are located off the beat and path.

[Alan Ollie]

David T :  We would love a way to block dates and certain times in Demandforce. Another  cool feature would be to offer a incentive for drop off on certain time or days. 

[Alan Ollie]

Mitchell since 1998 .To lazy to try any other program. Mitchell needs better access to reminders export data and  time clock to track techs .

I am sure it needs more than that but mixing it with demandforce i would say it works ok for me.

( as far as crm’s that interrate i have tried customer link ,Mitchell MPG ,EautoClub, and Demandforce. No company i have seen has been able to post reviews directly to google places like Demandforce. 

[Alan Ollie]

We are a Bosch shop i haven’t had a customer who wanted the card yet. We push it to lots of customers . As soon as they see it is a credit card the answer is no thanks .

[Alan Ollie]

I think i have tried almost everything . Would love to here about shops that can hire quality techs.

Teaching a younger person with ability to learn is hard but seems to work.

I would love to find a master tech who will work for $30 a hr . 

PS: I just love wearing flip flops in the winter.

[Alan Ollie]

I see more and more mechanics listing profiles on linked in . Would love to split premium membership so we could view their whole contact information.
An old guy with a very successful shop once told me if you can’t find a mechanic steal one.

Don’t really like that but with Linked in ???

[Alan Ollie]

PS check it on mobile that’s where the beauty lies

[Alan Ollie]

More comments please test.germancardepot.com
No Graphics are the real ones yet.
Waiting for Graphics guy to finish. 

[Alan Ollie]

Update so far so good definitely increased car count and we have been able to keep a reasonably high average ticket.

Best of all I’ve got tons of reminders to send out over the next couple months

[Alan Ollie]

By far the hardest thing about owning the business. Finding techs who are not knuckleheads

[Alan Ollie]

30-40 bolt on makes the next apt when it prints the oil service sticker.
Then it reminds them by text a few days before . Biggest improvement in getting advance apts. We also use demand force and email reminders for the apt.
So far very happy. My service advisers call a day or two to confirm if they don’t do it . Ollie

[Alan Ollie]

You all are killing me lets get some new comments . test.germancardepot.com

[Alan Ollie]

#1: Decent employees significantly harder to find.

#2: Competition stiffer.

for sure.

[Alan Ollie]

We have a hard time finding new technicians. I need techs for the late model vehicles 2007 and up.

I do all the basics but the engine and get totally unqualified technicians.

One shop owner who I know is successful has someone go around to other shops and do oil changes with the truck and talk to the technicians doing the oil change. Maybe I might have to try that.

Late models 2007 and Up German Car Only. 40 work week and the techs can make 25-33 dollars per hr. 8:30 to 5:30. 1 hr lunch. Beautiful south fl 1.5  mi from beach. 

I read Wrench magazine and all of the shops seem to easily find techs and open many locations .

Your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

[Alan Ollie]

We just started will let you know in a few months.Ollie

[Alan Ollie]

One of my favorite shows. if I could only follow what is taught. Ollie

[Alan Ollie]

Both sites are lacking unique content related to your services you

preform.I Guess i am lucky all i have to do is target VW and Audi’s.

Try to add keywords with references to local landmarks.

just my 2 cents OLlie

[Alan Ollie]

Does anyone get labor time back using a part from Advanced Auto parts.

The rep said they will pay us labor for a bad alternator or starter.

I dont like chain store rebuilds or china new parts but we have had big

complaints selling a alternators for 800 installed on older cars.

[Alan Ollie]

VAG VVDI Interface Vag Commander 8.6

Reading security access code of the IMMOBILIZER

Read/Write immobilizer related data

To try a new ecm before buying one .

You turn off the immobilizer then test then turn it back on.

A little hard to learn. But is a must have tool.

[Alan Ollie]

Do you think customers would be more loyal with the stickers ?

I have seen many shops using similar stickers under the hood.

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[Alan Ollie]

We need the same send resume to Jobs@GermanCarDepot.com

Sunny South Florida

http://germancardepot.com/career-opportunities.html

[Alan Ollie]

No But we always have Nice Palm Trees and fresh cut flowers

[Alan Ollie]

More difficult dealers paying 30-35 hr.How can i compete with that??

The applicants with issues apply weekly.

[Alan Ollie]

Almost every VW Audi dealer is open on Saturdays. 4 dealers are open

sundays. One even has service till 9pm weekdays.

VW and audi dealers are very aggressive letting people know about the

extra hours.

My techs work every Saturday till 5:30 .They turn lots of hours.

We do 2 times the business on a sat then a weekday.

I make sure i go to the shop every sat.

I Live to work Ollie

[Alan Ollie]

Spend about 600-700 a month. i get about 27-30 new customers per month .About $20 per new customer. We ask for a email address when they call so it also builds up your email list even if they don’t come in .

It takes about 3-4 hours a month to manage.

I have phone tracking .I think adwords is great for many reasons.They give you a downloadable spreadsheet on what the actual quarry’s are . Then you can change content so your natural search comes up high on the first page.

My shop is VW Audi only so it makes it easier to target campaigns.

I had Kim Click set up phone tracking it works great. http://www.clinkswebservice.com/

[Alan Ollie]

The email worked pretty good avg ticket $572 @ 59% and we sold both cars in a few days .If anyone has a copy of their email please send it to Ollie@GermanCArDepot.com Thanks

[Alan Ollie]

100-140 a car per month.Welcome to south Fl.Zurich Insurance

[Alan Ollie]

I bought a 8 hp Quincy compresser and it seems like my bill is $50 to

$75 less per month. We do not have any leaks i know that leaks can use

up lots of air.

[Alan Ollie]

I saw this sticker on a car .I liked it at first but i was told it was

to negative.

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