Editor’s Notebook: What Keeps You Up At Night? Overcoming Next Year’s Biggest Business Challenges
As the year winds down, it’s not uncommon to think about challenges in the year ahead and how you will be addressing them. We often hear that the things that keep shop owners awake at night include those issues that relate to profitability, productivity and shop operations/expenses.
Editor’s Notebook: Maintenance Matters! Vehicle Checks and Customer Education Yield Unperformed Maintenance Dollars
What’s the value of the un-educated consumer mindset toward preventive maintenance and its link to better-performing, safer, longer-lasting, more fuel-efficient vehicles? It’s a whopping $60 billion-plus. One of the main contributors of unperformed maintenance is consumer neglect due to the lack of knowledge about vehicle system operation, and the need for system checks at
Editor’s Notebook: We’re Kicking Things Up A Notch and Remaining Steadfast in Our Mission
In today’s competitive service environment, you need to work both harder and smarter to stay ahead of the competition. Beyond delivering highest-quality repairs and offering top-notch customer service, you wrestle with tough shop management issues on a daily basis. You also work hard on improving important business-building elements, like shop image and reputation, and making
Editor’s Notebook: Fall Car Care is in the Air and Central to the Northwood International Auto Show
If you’ve ever been involved in or hosted a Be Car Care Aware event, you know the power it can have in educating customers about how much money they can save with proper vehicle maintenance. You also know the value-added benefits of heightening your shop’s image in the community, earning existing customers’ lasting loyalty and prompting new referrals along the way.
Editor’s Notebook: August Is Brake Safety Awareness Month
For the sixth consecutive year, the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) will sponsor a period of Brake Safety Awareness.
Editor’s Notebook: Preventive Maintenance Equals Safety, Dependability and Road Readiness
The Car Care Council’s website contains a wealth of car care information to help motorists address needed maintenance or repairs before hitting the road.
Protecting Your Shop’s Reputation on the Web
Your shop may not be safe in cyberspace. Check out this article to safeguard your shop from erroneous or negative comments posted on the Web by angry customers or competitors.
Editor’s Notebook: Be Your Own Steward
One of the most important jobs you have is to make sure your customers are satisfied and that they return to your shop for additional repairs and preventive maintenance. Exceeding their expectations should rank among one of your most important-customer service strategies.
Frank’s Mercedes Service Tackles Even the Toughest Jobs and Over-Delivers on Customer Expectations
Walking into the serene, peaceful waiting room at Frank’s Mercedes Service in Henderson, NV, one would think that it’s a laid-back business. But, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Owner Frank Scandura and his dedicated team of top-notch techs are one serious group.
Editor’s Notebook: Unperformed Maintenance is ‘Ripe for the Picking’
The month of April can be “taxing” in more than one way. Beyond the dreaded income tax return deadline, April is also one of the two times during the year when the Car Care Council issues results of vehicle inspection check lanes held at community car care events across the country.
Successful APA Conference Continues Group’s Momentum and ‘Looking Ahead’ Spirit
Automotive Parts Associates’ (APA) 31st annual Shareholders’ & Manufacturers’ Conference, held Mar. 15-17 in Phoenix, AZ, boasted 66 members, 69 vendors and their guests in attendance, nearly mirroring the turnout of last year’s very successful event.
Editor’s Notebook: First Impressions Really Do Count
Continuing recent discussions with ImportCar shop owner readers extolling the benefits of shop image as it relates to attracting new customers and retaining existing ones, Frank Scandura, owner of Frank’s Mercedes Service, with locations in Henderson and Las Vegas, NV, says that his customers are catered to even before any work is done on their vehicle.