Shop Regulation: Operation Torque Wrench
This month, the state of Michigan cracked down on nine unlicensed shops. The PR stunt was called “Operation Torque Wrench” by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson. This is kind of ironic, because most unlicensed shops and mechanics do not use torque wrenches.
Marketing: The Most Costly Mistakes Shop Owners Make
If there is one thing most shop owners have in common, it’s that they have big hearts. They typically start their careers as technicians, and, as soon as they have their own shops, they want to help as many people as they can. To achieve this goal, they network through their family and friends and do everything in their power to get the word out into their communities about their shop. And then the inevitable happens: they wake up one morning and decide it’s finally time to advertise.
Gonzo: Communication Is Key To Knowledge
Are there things mechanics keep to themselves and not tell other mechanics? I hope not, but I’m sure that even doctors and lawyers have a few secrets they’re not sharing with each other. The big secret is that there really are no secrets. What it really comes down to is knowledge.
Car Diagnostics And Testing: Proper Shop Procedures
Close isn’t good enough if you want to establish credibility in your local market. Today’s professional technician can’t just grab a component hanging from a branch of the proverbial parts tree and see if that will fix the problem. It requires a diligent effort of testing and diagnostic time to analyze the maze of electronic data.
Price Shopping Auto Parts
There is no question; if you plan on being successful in the auto repair business, you have to buy high-quality parts. Substandard parts will drive up your repair time, they’ll drive up your warranty claims and they’ll erode your customer base.
Dealing With A Difficult Employee?
When you start to see a pattern in behavioral issues; such as a tech, manager or service advisor coming in late, here are three things you need to consider.
Marketing: Millennials, Women and Seniors
I am sick and tired of seeing articles about marketing to millennials, women and other groups. Every day, a new article crosses my desk talking about how a shop could be missing out on a critical demographic.
Gonzo’s Toolbox: ‘Wanna Be’ Technicians
There’s one situation every professional automotive technician has had to deal with from time to time, and it involves the home-grown garage guy who just so happens to own a couple of ratchets, a repair manual and a broken-down car. In a recent case, the car in question wouldn’t start, and a neighborhood mechanic did his best to read and understand what was on the diagnostic pages of the manual, but he couldn’t make any sense of the wiring diagram for the fuel pump circuit. His final verdict, “It’s not getting any voltage to the fuel pump.”
Viewpoint: New Year’s Brings New Changes At Brake & Front End
In December 1997, BrakeandFrontEnd.com was launched. Since then, our website has been constantly built upon, and has grown to more than 11,000 pages to date. Last year was our best year in company history, as our growth in traffic spiked to its highest level since the website’s inception. But we’re not stopping there. New eNewsletter In
Viewpoint: Excuses and Tomorrows
There is an empty lot on West Market Street in Fairlawn, OH. From the street, you can see an old in-ground lift sticking up about a foot. From the ruins of the foundation, you can see two bays, an office and the tile floor for two bathrooms. Next to the foundation, you can see the
Port of Opportunity
I was recently at a big-box electronics store and I saw a variety of OBD-II devices that are designed to track drivers, diagnose check engine lights and even perform remote starting. As a gadget geek, I was drawn into slick packaging and promises of a better life through technology. There was also another voice inside
Zombie Cars
Way back, when we used points and condensers, cars didn’t need brains, but that all changed in the mid-1970s with some imports and pretty much on everything else by the time the ‘80s came around. Some of these brains were only cursory and didn’t actually control the car, but merely watched for emission issues. Others