Bob Cooper

While all positive reviews are valuable, reviews that are stories written by your average customers about common repairs, services and everyday visits that resulted in great experiences will inspire the most trust, and have the most influence.

If you’ve been a shop owner for any length of time, you’ve more than likely been exposed to, or employed by, a prima donna. According to the dictionary definition, a prima donna is “a very temperamental person with an inflated view of their own talent or importance.” If that sounds like someone who works at your shop, this may very well be the perfect article for you.

Before you start giving raises to your auto shop employees based on tenure alone, consider this: outside of raises that are based on an increase in the cost of living, all raises should be commensurate to the productivity of the employee.

I have found over the years that despite all their good intentions, there are 5 mistakes that most shop owners make, not just sometimes, but every single day. The first mistake comes the very moment they walk through their door.

Every shop owner has a number of important responsibilities. First and foremost, they are responsible for setting the goals of their company and hiring the right people. They are also responsible for creating the overall business plan, managing employees and ensuring the success of the business. But there’s another major responsibility that every shop owner has that isn’t as tangible: Bringing ethics into every decision the company makes.

If you what to sell more service, drive up employee morale and productivity, and see higher profits, then this is one article you may want to read. I realize that I just made a pretty substantial claim, but I sense that by the time you finish this article, you will agree.

Most shop owners begin their careers as technicians, and eventually buy their first shop. They are often the people who feel they own a business, when in reality, it’s the furthest from the truth.

Although there is no simple or conclusive way of determining whether someone you are interviewing is an ethical person, one question I always ask an applicant is, “Can you tell me a detailed story about something you did in the workplace that will help me understand your ethics?”

When your advisors start a sales presentation, and the customer senses they will need a number of repairs, they’ll get anxious. They’ll then immediately ask for a price, or they’ll tell your advisors they just want the oil service done. The secret? Your advisors should always ask for permission to talk about the price after they’ve reviewed their discoveries with the customer.

When it comes to hiring techs and advisors, you need to have a really good system in place. Otherwise, you might hire the wrong people and will soon regret your decision. It’s a mistake we have all made. Although there is no foolproof way to ensure you are hiring the superstars you are looking for, we can learn from some of the most successful companies in America that utilize tests and assessments to better ensure their success.

Before you make a decision to open up your shop on Saturdays, or to continue to remain open on Saturdays, here are five considerations that should not be overlooked.

We all know how tough it is to find great technicians, so how do you reach those stars who are not out looking for the right opportunity? Well, I’ve found an answer.