Management Articles

When dealing with upset, angry, or difficult customers it can be very easy to become upset and angry ourselves. As the professional in the situation it is our job to remain calm and assist the customer. In doing so we need to make sure we are not further upsetting our client. In my experience there are some key […]

What are the expectations of today’s employees? They are looking for a boss who is approachable, honest, trustworthy, personable, and has a positive attitude. They also want someone who is organized, knows how to lead and direct a team, and is contributing. Remember- a leader’s job is not to do the job, but to create the environment […]

Protect Your Email and Avoiding Phishing Scams “I don’t know this person, and I can’t identify this person.” Common sense dictates to ignore them or scrutinize this unidentified entity. However, Cyber Criminals still communicate personalized attacked through e-mail. Over 150 billion e-mails were sent in 2018, thus making e-mail one of the most effective ways […]

How far away are we from self-driving cars? So how close is humankind away from self-driving automotive vehicles? Innovators may be off for a few more decades, but this will break all over the news. The media loves to blow things up, metaphorically, because that’s what it does best. Boston Dynamics Self-driving cars meet your […]

How to Avoid Social Engineering Scams One of the worlds worst optimistic views is the common belief that they can not be a victim of hacking, scams, etcetera. At this point, the existence of hackers and scammers is the worlds worst kept secret. Some of the victims are those that do not understand value of […]

Today’s Automotive & Heavy Duty Aftermarkets are just slap full of organizations that are known only by the acronyms:  AWDA, AASA, ASA, MEMA, YANG, ACC are just a sampling of the groups that exist.  Who they are and what they do is very often overlooked by most of us in the Automotive Aftermarket….and if you’re […]

Warranties – It is your money that you’re holding hostage   Start the Conversations This is a conversation more than a monologue, what I mean by that is you should be having conversations with team members, co-workers, employees and factory reps (do they exist anymore?) on this topic quarterly. Warranties….the ignored issue for many at […]

Get it Out the Door!   It’s coming….Friday is coming!   Friday brings a slight drop in the work load, anticipation of a weekend with time all to yourself (unless you own the place) and time to relax! But to get through Friday, one thing has to happen, you have to get it out the door. […]

History of a Lost Account If you look around at your competition you can pick up valuable insights as to how and why you might lose a valued account.  In Connecticut, there was a smaller operation that competed against our firm. We were larger and a more efficient company, had the inventory and a professional […]

Collision Shop Diplomacy Recently I was reviewing an article in AutoInc, involving a “picky customer” case history at a collision repair facility.  The question was what would you do if you had a customer you simply could not satisfy?  No matter what you offered to do or had done to achieve a near perfect repair, […]

All new quick management tips on being prepared, customer service and etiquette.  Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line. Tip#193 – Odds are your Service Stinks How good is your customer service? Our standards in […]

We Replaced All The Parts Every fleet mechanic’s job has tasks that are fairly repetitive and you learn them so well, you can almost accomplish them blindfolded. In today’s fleets, PM services, brakes and tire replacement are done routinely to the point where the techs have an established pattern to the job. So what happens […]

What is up with the automotive aftermarket industry?   It cannot be denied that people in the automotive aftermarket industry who have shifted their focus to online parts sales have been celebrating their triumph in business for a series of consecutive years now. The shift of today’s technological advances has seen changes in the preferences […]

Written by Tom Ham, these are the latest Shop Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network! Tip #187 – Slow down! Take a little extra time with every customer both in person and on the phone. During that time, give them your undivided attention. There is no looking elsewhere. There is no one else to talk to. […]

Nothing is better than knowing you have a productive team of employees that is dependable and motivated. We are all looking for ways to keep our teams excited and productive. Here’s a list of 7 simple ways to keep your team on track! IMAGE by Andy Welsher   1. Set Clear Goals Let your employees […]

Mistake #1. Have your technicians compete against one another. We all can agree that competition among employees is good, but there is a right way, and there’s a wrong way. The wrong way is to tell your techs that you’re going to post the hours they each flag, and at the end of the pay […]

All new management tips on being prepared, customer service and etiquette. Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

  In this week’s “Morning Minute” sponsored by Shop Owner magazine presenter DJ Harrington give some inspirational and motivational tips on how to WOW your customer.  “Morning Minute” is weekly motivational clip for managers and employees alike so stay tuned and join our newsletter for your weekly moment of inspiration, knowledge and encouragement. DJ Harrington is a trainer and […]

In this week’s “Morning Minutet” sponsored by Shop Owner magazine presenter DJ Harrington give some inspirational and motivational tips on the value of a smile.

In this week’s “Morning Minutet” sponsored by Shop Owner magazine presenter DJ Harrington give some inspirational and motivational tips on the value of a smile.

Should you be attending community events? What can you do to really make a customers day? How comfortable is your waiting lounge?  Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line. Be there or be square! What […]

Should you be attending community events? What can you do to really make a customers day? How comfortable is your waiting lounge?

Is your marketing message clear to everyone? What can you do to get further exposure for your business? Are you able to point out what makes your business so great?

Last summer I was sitting in my doctor’s office reviewing the findings of all the tests that were done, diagnosing my recurring and unexplained headaches. As he explained in lengthy detail, the results of the tests, my mind began to wander to all the possibilities and decisions I had to make.

What do people really want to see? What can you offer someone who visits your shop? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

By Tom Ham. What can you do to make your customer feel comfortable with your shop? How can you make the first visit to your shop a good experience? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

By Tom Ham. What do you say when your customers ask how many miles are on your car? Are you a member of your state’s automotive trade association? When is the last time you checked your shop for heating and air conditioning leaks? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

By Bob Cooper. When your service advisors recommend additional services that are outside of the customer’s original concern, and the customer initially declines those additional services, in most cases, your advisors should call the customer back at the appropriate time to re-offer the services. For example, ask your service advisors to follow up and say something along the lines of, “Hi, Jim? This is Bob at Elite Auto Service. Do you have just a moment?

By Joe Marconi. How many times during the day does a customer stop by or call, and ask to only speak with you, the shop owner? Do you know why? It’s because in general, the experience the customer has when dealing with the owner of a business is much different than when dealing with an employee. The owner goes out of his or her way to make the customer feel special and important. The owner has a vested stake in the customer relationship, and an attitude of appreciation is expressed toward the customer. The customer picks up on this, and thus the tendency is to seek out the owner. You, the shop owner, have a culture of ownership.

By Tom Ham. What do you say when your customers ask how many miles are on your car? Are you a member of your state’s automotive trade association? When is the last time you checked your shop for heating and air conditioning leaks? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

Training, that is. You’re going to get trained one way or the other. When it comes to business, you can do it the hard way or you can do it the easy way. Personally, I am far too lazy to work very hard, so I’ve always sought the easiest way to do things. Good training […]

By Tom Ham. Are you using the latest methods to send reminders to your customers? Do you share positives with your customers before you tell them what’s wrong with their car? Does your shop take photos of various failures? How do you share them with your customers? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

By Tom Ham. Do you pay close attention to your Google Reviews? How do you keep up communication between you and your employees? How does your shop follow up on Estimate Requests? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

By Tom Ham. How often do you check your email? Does your shop look busy enough? Are you still using the fax machine to receive parts diagrams? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

By Tom Ham. Are the people at your front desk too technical? Does your shop have a good incentive pay plan? Do you have options available for your customers? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.