The Secret to Finding Success When You're Feeling Stuck

“Never take constructive criticism from someone who has never constructed anything.”
Dr. George Frazier

“Harry” is a shop owner in your area. One day he’s walking down the street thinking about his dreams, his dollars, and the upcoming decisions he will have to make at his shop. 

He’s so focused on his future that he fails to notice that there is a hole in the sidewalk. As a result, Harry falls in the hole! 

Harry’s best efforts to climb up result in him falling down! To make matters worse, it’s starting to rain and the water is up to his ankles. (BTW, why does it only rain on the days when you wash your car and fall into a hole?)   

The Fastest Way to Build Trust With Your Customers

It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. Warren Buffett 

"That's outrageous! It's just too much!" Said "Gary,"  the owner of a 2007 Toyota Camry in need of a power steering pump and fluid exchange.

I overheard this conversation as I was listening to the recording of "John," a service writer from Maryland, present the technician's findings. It was painfully obvious that this call was not going well!

How to Lose Your Good Customers Over Price

"There are no price objections; only value questions." Art Sobczak

"I'm losing business because of the pricing matrix!" This statement was made by a shop owner named Rich, during our weekly coaching call. Both his car count and average repair order (ARO) were down from the previous year.

He had two service writers named Steve and Chris. Even though they had the same invoice count, Steve held a 61% parts margin and a $400 ARO, while Chris hovered around 45% and $230.

I had Rich make the "where have you been" calls to determine why people weren't coming back. He spoke to ten customers; five from each writer.

The Key to Attracting Your Ideal Customer

Look at everything as if you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Betty Smith

Several weeks ago I took my car to a local tire retailer to resolve a slow leak. As soon as I arrived at the service counter it became obvious that “Jeff,” the service writer, didn’t want my business.

He didn’t smile, didn’t greet me, but he did say the following: “Sir, I need you to step to the other side of the counter because I’m with a customer.” After several minutes it was my turn and I made him aware of my tire situation.