A great quote only gets better with age. It can stand up to changes in society, technology and morals. Here are six quotes that every shop owner should live by:
“People like to talk about a job well done and equally like to complain when a job is badly done.”
– Fred G. Wacker, president, Ammco Tools, May 1973 issue of Brake & Front End.
Fred made this comment in 1973 long before Facebook, Yelp or Twitter. People like to talk about a job well done and give a glowing review online even more than they want to provide a negative review.
“Profit is a dirty word if you put it ahead of servicing and satisfying your customers.”
– C.R. “Dick” Bowers, vice president, Amermac Inc., July 1973 issue of Brake & Front End.
It is OK to make money fixing cars, as long as you are honest and have the customers’ best interest in mind. Never feel bad about recommending a service or repair that could make a customer’s vehicle safer or last longer. Fixing cars for a living is not a vow of poverty.
“Have enough faith in yourself to advertise your service. Buy advertised products in order that you may safeguard the confidence of your customers.”
– Edward Babcox, founder of Brake & Front End, March 1933 issue.
This rings true even today! In the past decade, it is possible to get a part for less and from more competing sources. But, it is hard to trust a product just on price and maybe an online review; they could be here today and gone tomorrow. Advertising is a sign that a manufacturer or brand is in it for the long haul with you.
To put this quote in context, during the 1930s the aftermarket was facing competition from people ordering parts using mail order catalogs instead of visiting their local shop or local parts supplier. Many of the parts in these catalogs were “no name” brands.
“You may have a perfect understanding of wheel alignment and front-end geometry. But, if you can’t communicate in “layman’s language” what is wrong and how to correct it, you are not using one of the most important sales tools you have.”
– Lee Hunter, founder of Hunter Engineering in an interview, March 1973 issue of Brake & Front End.
Lee Hunter changed the automotive service equipment business with innovative battery chargers, wheel balancers and alignment systems. He realized that communication is key when selling services to the motoring public.
“A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one.”
–Henry Ford
“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”
–Henry Ford
If the number of birthdays you’ve had has crested the half-century mark, it means you grew up riding around in cars from the ‘60s and ‘70s. This being the case with me, I remember them well. The styles and designs were all different and unique, but no matter how different they may have been, most of them all smelled the same on the inside.