The rise of alternate transportation options for consumers like Uber and Lyft, along with the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology, might be viewed by some as a threat to personal vehicle transportation. In fact, some OEMs have expressed concern about the impact that increased usage of these options will have on consumers’ interest in purchasing vehicles in the future, says Mary DellaValle, editor of Shop Owner magazine.
Paying for vehicle repairs isn’t how most drivers prefer to spend their paycheck, which can make selling service a challenge. Mary DellaValle presents three easy steps you can take to make customers feel good about their purchase. Sponsored by MAHLE.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances – which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging – Gasoline Alley stands out as particularly memorable because everything that could’ve gone wrong ended up going just right.
Every shop owner wants high-ticket repairs coming through the door, but knowing how to sell maintenance is just as crucial. To make the most of your service opportunities, focus on the seasonal benefits of items like cabin air filters, wipers and batteries. Adam Redling presents the top 3 tips for selling seasonal maintenance in winter. Sponsored by MAHLE.
I didn’t know much about running a business when my partner and I opened our first automotive repair shop in 1997. One day I was a technician, the next day I was an owner responsible for the entire shop and its profitability. I just figured that I could work hard and put a lot of hours in and everything else would fall into place. That notion was far from reality.
New customers are key for growing your business. That’s why it’s so important to capitalize on your opportunities when a first-time caller dials your shop. Here are three tips from Adam Redling for bringing in more first-time callers. Sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper.
Whether you just bought your first garage or you’ve run a shop for decades, sometimes a business coach can be just what you need to reach new levels of success. The challenge is finding the right person for the job. Adam Redling provides tips for finding a business coach you can trust. Sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper.
When most people think of connecting via mobile devices, they think of apps. Then they subsequently think, “I can’t afford to build an app to connect with my customers.” The good news is that there are several ways to take advantage of your customers’ growing use of mobile technology to market to them on a more personal basis.
The purpose of having a presence online is to get more cars to fix. Anything else is ancillary to that. But there are robbers and extortionists, metaphorically speaking, who can hold you back, cost you too much and stand in the way of getting traffic to your website and brand exposure from your social media accounts.
We often come across shops that don’t have a logo; they just use their name. But shouldn’t we take a page out of the playbooks of the biggest companies in the world and have an identifiable logo?
In the automotive service industry, we all need to accept the fact that we’re going to have competition. With competition comes consumer choice. And, as we all know, when customers are lured away by a competitor, we may not get their business back very easily.
Mary DellaValle discusses three business best practices that can have a big impact on your shop’s success. Sponsored by Management Success.
