Vic Tarasik

Shop owners who are focused on serving their customers and operating efficiently are taking a little extra time to also get their financial house in order. They realize the value of the ABCs of a well-managed business: A for attorney, B for banker and C for CPA. These trusted advisers could help you focus on your ­customers and your business, while also ensuring you operate legally, effectively and profitably.

While the subject of safety in an automotive repair shop is not nearly as sexy as a new marketing program or the latest on SEO, it goes a long way toward ensuring your technicians and company remain a vital component of your community, and you remain a profitable entity.

At the end of every year, I reflect on the events that transpired over the past 12 months that pertain to my business and personal life. Reflection can have a powerful impact on how you act in a similar situation you may encounter in the future.

Morale as defined in Merriam-Webster is the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, confidence or loyalty) of an individual or group with regard to the function or task at hand. As independent repair shop owners, we all strive to have a successful, profitable business that secures a great lifestyle for us and our family.

The phrase “Family Owned and Operated” creates a warm flow of positive emotions when you talk about your company to your customers, especially your female customers. But having family as a part of your business creates a whole new dynamic of which most people are unaware.

Whether it’s silver, gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies or even cold, hard cash, we take numerous measures each day to protect our valuable items, some more drastic than others. We use locks, banks, safes and alarms to ensure their safe protection. We lock our homes, cars and businesses in order to safeguard our personal possessions and the things that are important to us.

Excellent customer service is delivering a service experience that exceeds the customer’s expectation, while being remarkable at the same time. It’s easy to forget a so-so experience, even one that meets our needs. But it’s hard to forget when you receive top-flight service.

A few months ago, my mom passed away. She lived a long and fruitful life working hard as a single mother to ensure her three children had food on the table, a roof over their head and clothes on their back. Not an easy feat in the early 1960s in a small, western NY town. Looking back at my upbringing, I recall we didn’t have as much “stuff” as my friends in school, but one thing she always had for us was her time and love.

This article is the first of a multi-part series where we will discuss shop signage and image. We’ll talk about what message you’re communicating without even uttering a word to your customer. We will look at ways for you to improve on the message you’re sending and help you set your shop apart from your competition.

On June 6, 1944, the Allied Invasion Forces landed across 60 miles of French coastline beginning one of the bloodiest battles in history, and resulting in the liberation of Europe that ultimately occurred on May 8, 1945, also known as V.E. Day. As Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, Dwight D. Eisenhower had to set the objective first – European liberation from Nazi Germany.

Admiral Richard E. Byrd, one of the world’s greatest explorers, once said, “Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.”

In the last issue of Shop Owner, I talked about the need for receiving feedback from your employees and how important it
is to improving your leadership abilities. Another element of an effective leader is that he or she delivers feedback to employees in the form of recognition.