The other day, one of my service advisors came to my office to discuss the past week. We made an agreement that we would meet in private at least once […]
All great companies have one thing in common: They realize industries and consumers need change, so they follow their customers. Apple provides a great example. As we all know, when […]
There is an expression that has been around our industry for decades that says if you run a good, ethical business, the one thing you should never do is “steal” […]
There’s no denying it, we have a shortage of technicians in our industry. In fact, we have a shortage in the country in all the skilled trades. And unless we […]
1. Most shop owners will wait until they need someone before they start recruiting. This is a major mistake! Instead of hiring the best service advisor or tech, they’ll inevitably […]
In today’s world, your customers have 24/7 access to the web. Whether it be on their home computer, work computer or their smartphone, no matter where they are they can […]
Over the years I have had the pleasure of watching hundreds of shop owners go to the top, and truly become industry leaders. I have also seen thousands of shop […]
Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with many of the top shop owners in America, and I have met thousands of owners who are living from […]
When it comes to customerfollow-up calls, let’s first talk about “who” you should call. You should callall first-time customers (even if they just came in for an oil service) tothank […]
Many colleagues in the industry seem to be confused about managing labor inventory in their shops. Much of the confusion comes from the terminology thrown around the industry and because […]
As business owners, our best teachers will always be our employees and our customers. They understand many components of our businesses, and in most cases, they really do care about […]
At Elite, we realize that the the very first thing a service advisor needs to do with first-time customers is build rapport. Making good eye contact, smiling, and shaking the […]
Maximizing labor potential continues to be critical for shop owners who are working to grow their businesses without adding personnel. First, we need to understand what the labor potential is. […]
Recently one of my service advisors (who is no longer with us, by the way) matched a price on a set of tires to a competitor. I felt the need […]
Creating a list of your, competitive advantages will help every shop owner to position their business inthe market. It is an advantage that enables you to survive against competitionover a […]
Many years ago I read an article that featured an interview with Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines. In the article he stated that he and his mother (who […]
#1. Under promise and over-deliver. If you apply this principle to your business, you can often exceed the customer’s expectations. As an example, when your competitors are asked how long […]
We all know that there are many things you can do when it comes to customer retention. Follow-up calls, sending out service reminder notices, ongoing advertising campaigns that keep your […]
I am sure we can all agree that our industry, and society, has been going through quite a transformation. One of the changes that’s had an extraordinary impact, and will […]
Over the years I have seen hundreds, if not thousands of shop owners do irreparable damage to their businesses. This damage occurs when they are mesmerized by the management trainers […]