A Shop Owner’s Checklist For Creating Team Spirit
Regardless of whether you have one or 20 employees, your productivity and profits will both go up if all your employees work together as a team.
BRAKELIGHT: Charlotte Southern, Woman Driver (1940)
For more than 20 years, readers were treated to the adventures of “Charlotte Southern (Woman Driver).” While not politically correct today, the cartoons did draw a lot of attention.
Customer Satisfaction: You Can’t Win Them All
When you start your own business, your initial goal is to make every customer happy. But as the years go on, you realize some people aren’t going to be happy no matter how good of a job you do.
Artificial Intelligence And Communication At CES 2017
The single biggest disruptor in our world right now is the evolution of cars. Specifically, technological advancements in the areas of communication and computing offer some of the biggest opportunities our industry has ever seen.
Automotive Electrical Diagnostics
Electricity can be measured and observed at the source, but the technician has to be able to visualize electricity and how resistance, amperage and voltage change its flow. This can require some imagination, or in some cases, faith. Regardless, the math has to add up.
Modern Vehicle Diagnosis And Repair
Even with all these modern tools, techniques and scanners, there are still problems that occur because of previous work performed incorrectly. The difference is how the computers in modern cars interpret incorrect parts or faulty workmanship.
Is The Aftermarket Or Auto Care Industry The Underdogs Of The American Economy? Or, Are We The Foundation?
The aftermarket is changing and is being forced to keep pace with evolving technology and consumer tastes. It is a fearless industry that is not afraid to service vehicles that are two or 20 years old, and it is one that is not afraid to find new ways to retain old customers and attract new ones. In all, the auto care industry adapts more efficiently and faster than any other.
VIEWPOINT: Common Sense and Curiosity
I recently received an email from a field representative from the American Automobile Association (AAA) about the use of heat on suspension components. He was looking for TSBs and service information concerning whether or not some OEMs had banned the use of torches or set any blanket service rules. The one thing that popped up
Keep Politics Out Of Your Shop
I worked for a shop owner who once told me that there were three things I could not discuss at work with co-workers or customers: sex, religion and politics. It was a simple rule to preserve civility, and one that I wish more people would observe this time of year. All around us, the airwaves are
Keys: What Are They Good For?
I’m all for technology, especially any technology that makes life easier — like keyless entry and push button starting systems, to name a few. As time marches on, certain things of a mechanical nature will be lost to electronics. Fewer cars are being manufactured that still have keys. Some only have a key fob and
Record Numbers of Software Complaints and Recalls Threaten Trust In Automotive Technology
Consumer complaints about vehicle software have been growing steadily over the past several years, and 2016 is already on pace with the record-setting level of 2015, according to data collected by J.D. Power through its SafetyIQ program and released today.
Lifetime Warranties: The Woes Of Discount Parts
There are warranties, and then there are lifetime warranties. Some people won’t buy anything unless it has a substantial warranty attached to it. My dad was one of those guys. It didn’t matter what it was as long as he could get a warranty with it, and he would be as proud as a peacock whenever he got the chance to take advantage of it.
