Going online for any service is the new norm with almost every consumer owning a smartphone. With today’s technology, information can be accessed almost anywhere, making a major purchasing or scheduling decision a click away. Searching the Web for repair shops and tire dealers is gaining momentum, making a functioning and user-friendly website more important than ever for your shop’s livelihood.

First published in 1990, Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is one of the best-selling and most influential personal development books of all time. In this article, we’ll look at each of the habits and how they apply to maximizing success as a sales/customer service professional.

Summer is the shop owner’s best friend. Just as surely as Independence Day means fireworks and Thanksgiving means turkey, the end of summer means the fall slowdown. And while it doesn’t happen overnight – just one fewer car here and another there – by September, the fall slowdown will be in full effect.

Price is often the biggest sticking point in an auto repair job. Some customers just have no feel for what certain services or parts cost, others have perhaps been treated poorly in the past (or are cheap), and some just flat out do not have the money. Choices need to be made between fixing a vehicle or paying rent or buying groceries. For those customers, a shop in Gallatin, TN, is going beyond typical customer service and actively trying to help.