It’s a common problem that affects many industries – and the automotive repair industry is certainly not immune. It keeps business owners and managers up at night. That problem is trying to hire and retain top-notch, qualified employees

Facebook isn’t just for people to keep up with their friends. It can be a valuable tool to drive business to your shop, communicate with customers and stay updated on industry news—but some may feel it’s not worth the effort or takes too much time to maintain. Read on for more myths and the truth about business-related Facebook pages.

Running a shop today is not easy. It’s not like the “good old days” when the shop owner owned the shop and the land it was on, did repairs and ran things alone (or with a family member helping), and knew every customer personally. Today, it’s more likely that a shop owner is paying high rent, leasing equipment, has unsustainable staffing costs and high taxes, and doesn’t personally know most of the customers. It’s a very different—and much more challenging—world.

As a shop owner, you want to make sure your customers are satisfied and happy with the service they’ve received. Better yet, you want your customers to recommend your business to others. Word-of-mouth and personal recommendations are much more powerful than online reviews or picking the top search engine result. 

My techs seem to be busy all day. Why are we barely keeping our heads above water?” If you’ve thought or said this out loud, you’re not alone. The rising costs associated with running an automotive shop these days are making it increasingly difficult to keep the doors open. But by regularly evaluating workflow practices, shops may find some ways to fight those shrinking profit margins.

As a shop owner, your goals include looking for ways to increase your business and, even more importantly, to secure repeat business. There is one way you can achieve both goals, of increasing and ensuring repeat business: add fleet vehicles to your customer base. What type of fleet vehicles? Well, how many businesses and organizations can you think of that have more than one vehicle? Limo companies, delivery vans and company service trucks are great examples. Other examples would include utilities like cable TV, plumbers, exterminators, non-profit organizations and courier services. And don’t forget taxi cab companies! All of those vehicles will need servicing at some point, including regular maintenance and repairs. Some organizations have their own shops to work on their vehicles but many rely on a good local shop. And that shop could be yours!

Remember when every go-fast part listed in a performance catalog was guaranteed to give you at least 10% – 15% more power? I used to think that if I could install just a few of those high-performance parts on my motor, I could boost my horsepower by 40% or more! So I did … but it didn’t work. I later discovered the reason why — only a matched combination of the right carburetor, headers, intake manifold and cam, would give me the increase in horsepower and torque I was expecting.

Worried about your shop while you’re at SEMA or anywhere else outside of your shop? If you had ALLDATA Manage^® Online, you could keep tabs on what’s happening right from your laptop, no matter where you are. You thought you knew what a good shop management system was? Forget it! ALLDATA Manage Online puts you in control 24/7. ALLDATA Manage Online is browser based and can be accessed from anywhere, at any time to streamline workflow and increase shop productivity. ALLDATA Manage Online is designed with features to help you better manage the overall customer experience and enhance customer retention.

Why should you care about statistics and business trends? Because you don’t want surprises! When trends indicate the economy may be slowing, you want to take steps to ensure your customers will keep coming back. Or, trends may alert you that it’s time to think about hiring another technician or to upgrade shop equipment. Well-informed shop owners who fully understand the industry are better equipped to handle economic swings, stay connected with customers and prepare for change.

Keeping your technicians up-to-date with the latest technology is obviously a good investment. Well-trained techs mean fewer come-backs, faster repairs and happier customers and this means more cash in the register.  But what about your front counter? A lack of training here can create a silent erosion of your customer base and revenue you may not be aware of.