Ratchet+Wrench - February 2020 by EndeavorBusinessMedia-VehicleRepairGroup

02.20

STRATEGIES & INSPIRATION FOR AUTO CARE SUCCESS

MANAGE YOUR STRESS PAGE 49

BECOME A REFERRAL MAGNET PAGE 50

IS IT TIME TO ADD A PARTS SPECIALIST?

PAGE 54

STOKES

GET OUT OF YOUR RUT

Servant Leader

Brin Kline has mastered the art of adapting his leadership style to Assured Auto Worksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; staff.

PAGE 66

LEADER THE DIFFER ENTIATED

The secret to better leadership? Treating others the way they want to be treated PAGE 36

02.20 / R+W / 1

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02.20 VO L . 0 8 N O. 02

F E B R U A R Y

Family Run Jean (left) and Patrick (center) Weidman work alongside their dad, Bob (right), at Grove Street Auto.

F E AT U R E

P R O F I L E

C A S E

Grove Street Auto Repair in Franklin, Mass., is run by family members and that close-knit dynamic spills over into the community, which creates an appealing atmosphere for all.

Having a parts specialist has helped Mike Brewster, owner of Gil’s Garage, remain efficient and provide superior customer service.

BY HANNA BUBSER

B Y A B B Y PAT T E R S O N

Through written procedures and policies, Cody Morelock, owner of Advanced Automotive, has been able to take a step back from day-today operations and focus on the bigger picture.

EXCEL AT LEADERSHIP

Great leaders are hard to come by. The best-of-thebest know how to inspire and are able to adjust to the needs of others. Here’s how to become the best leader you can be.

FAMILY TIES

S T U DY

A KEY STAFF MEMBER

DAN BUSLER

B Y M A R AYA K I N G

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New Ratchet+Wrench Podcasts.

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HOW I DID IT. Series featuring a rotating guest each month. Hear about the challenges, opportunities and success stories from shop owners who found a way to thrive. New episode this month.

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LEAD. Series hosted by shop operator Aaron Stokes. The go-to resource for leadership lessons, philosophies and success stories. New episode this month.

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Scott Elmore from Stan’s Automotive Scott lmore likes to joke that he was the only one of his siblings dumb enough to come back to his father’s auto repair business. efore that, Scott built houses and wasn’t at all interested in fiing cars. ut when his father started talking to him about taking over the family business, it came with a bit of sage advice: Stan’s is not about fiing carssit is about helping people solve problems. Mrs. Jones doesn’t care if her alternator fuid is leaking. She cares if she can get her kid to school, or her mom to the doctor. Stan’s helps with that. Stan’s help solve problems; auto repair is just part of how they accomplish that goal. Scott’s parents, Stan & Donna, started Stan’s Automotive in 1973 when Lafayette was a small town with a population of about 4,000. Today, Scott and his team serve a community of about 100,000, repairing a full range of domestic and foreign vehicles. They have grown his family’s shop alongside Lafayette and the surrounding area. Today, Scott and his team continue to reifne Stan’s Automotive, innovating new ways to help the people in his hometown of Lafayette.

47 Years of Quality, Care, and Giving Back After college, when I returned to worjing with dad, he showed me that the business was really not about ifxing cars, but about our relationships with people. A turning point for me was realizing that ‘family-owned business’ means that my family values are my business values—and that dictates how I treat my staff and how we treat our clients.

My fundamental philosophy is that if you live to help other people win, then ultimately you're going to win, too. We all care and looj out for each other. If one of our staff has a family emergency, we all pull together so that they can taje the time they need with their family. The deifnition I have of doing it right is this: Am I tajing care of my team, my customers, and my business? If I can say “yes”, then we’re doing it right. Proiftability, sustainability, and growth will follow.

H elping O ur Co@@unity S ucceed Our business has grown up in a small town that has become a big town. There is no secret to sticjing around for 47 years; we just treat everyone lije family and stay involved in the success of the community.

We see doing the right thing as a philosophy and not a tactic. It's made us very successful.

S H O P P R SO HF IOLPE S T A T S

Stan’s Automotive

Owner: Scott Elmore Location: Lafayette, Colorado Staff: 16 Average Monthly Car Count: 600 A O: 3 6 increase in 1 year Number of ays: 14 Shop Management System: Tejmetric We set aside the majority of our marjeting budget to help people. Another ad in a newspaper doesn’t help people. Solving people’s problems does. A couple of weejs ago, a church reached out to us to asj if we could ifx a woman’s heater who just moved here from Florida. Somebody had bypassed her heater core because it was too expensive for her to repair. That was ifne when she lived in Florida, but in Colorado during the winter, a heater is pretty important. We tooj care of it because under the circumstances it was the right thing to do.

H elping O ur Co@@unity S ucceed When my dad started Stan’s in 1973, they were running on scratch paper, pens and pencils lije everybody else. Throughout the years, we adopted shop management systems that were ift for the level of business that we were doing at the time. But when we started vision-casting in 2018, we realized that we needed software that was going to propel us for the next 10 years and beyond. For the saje of my team, I wanted them to be able to accomplish more without simply worjing harder. If I can put a tool in their hands that helps them do their job in half the time, it empowers them to put more of their focus on client service and run a better shop. That's motivating. That’s growing. That’s transforming.

Our shop management system also empowers our clients. They need to feel lije they are more than just a repair order. We give them options to communicate with us on their terms: we can text, email, or call them about their repairs. The more communication options our shop management system provides, the more we are able to give our clients the jind of experience that shows how much we value and respect them. Visit Tekmetric.com/shop-spotlight-sa to read the full story. For more information about Stan’s Automotive, visit Stansautomotive.com

0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 37

A Likeable Leader Owner Brin Kline (center) leads his team, Carlos Mercado (left) and service advisor JD Winkler (right).

The New Rule of Leadership The best leaders adapt to the needs of others

38 / R+W / 02.20

B Y M A R AYA K I N G PHOTOG R A PH Y BY AV ERY SH A E PHOTOG R A PH Y

If given a leadership position, anyone can bark orders, make requests and demand results. But not everyone is capable of truly leading others. To lead others is to teach, to inspire and to set an example, says Phil Christensen, president of BG Automotive in Colorado. There is not one uniform way to go about leading others— and there shouldn’t be. Much like leadership styles vary, so do learning styles. In order to get the most out of your employees, you need to understand how they best learn, in addition to how you best teach. The goal is to find a happy medium, find out how you can best lead your employees in the way that they best learn. The new Golden Rule of leadership is not heavy handedness or a sharp tongue, but rather versatility and consideration for whom you are leading. Here’s how to go about finding your own leadership style and understanding how to best approach your staff based on their personalities.

02.20 / R+W / 39

THE NEW GOLDEN RULE OF LEADERSHIP

KNOW YOURSELF AS A LEADER You can’t lead others without a true understanding of yourself

Ho w Do Y ou L e a d ? A breakdown of Ratchet+Wrench readers’ leadership styles The 2019 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey asked how shop owners would describe their leadership styles.

David Loy, CEO of Leverage Creative Group, says that he defines a leadership philosophy as the way you make decisions. If you know what guides you and where your boundaries are, it’s easier to make decisions, he explains. Every leader should have an understanding of his or her own style (for more on leadership styles, see “How Do You Lead?”). To do this, Loy encourages shop owners to write down answers to a few questions: What do you want your company to accomplish? What is it currently doing? Now, compare the two. How can you get from what you’re actually doing to what you want to happen? The answer may be a change or adaptation of your current leadership style based on how your team works and learns best. For more on crafting a personal leadership philosophy, visit Loy’s blog at bit.ly/developaleadershipphilosophy.

Direct Involvement: “I get my

IDENTIFY YOUR STYLE.

or it doesn’t get done.”

Despite working in the same industry, Christensen and Brin Kline, owner of Assured Auto Works in Melbourne, Fla., lead differently [See: Understand Your Strengths and Weaknesses], which makes sense, since their operations are very different. Christensen oversees three locations that combined do $5.2 million per year and see an average of 800–900 vehicles per month. Kline’s 2,500 square-foot Assured Auto Works generates $400,000 per year with 80 cars per month. Different operations—and staff—require different leaders. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Take a look at this list, put together by Indeed, and circle the one that best describes your style. Take it one step further and ask your employees how they would describe you to get a better idea of what your real leadership style is. • Coach: Someone who can quickly recognize strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help with improvement. This type of leader helps set goals and provides regular feedback. • Visionary: This leader inspires employees and earns trust while fostering confidence. • Servant: This person has a people-first mindset and emphasizes employee satisfaction and collaboration. • Autocratic/Authoritarian: This leader is focused on results and efficiency. • Laissez-faire (hands-off): This is the opposite of autocratic and focuses on delegation and provides little to no supervision. • Democratic: This style is a combination of autocratic and laissez-faire. This leader asks for input and considers feedback before making a decision. • Pacesetter: This person is focused on performance, sets high standards and holds their team accountable to hitting goals. • Transformational: Similar to the coach style, it focuses on clear communication, goal-setting and employee motivation. Instead of focusing on individual goals, this leader is focused on organization objectives. • Transactional: This style is focused on performance and establishes incentives. This leader is focused on mentorship, instruction and training to achieve goals. • Bureaucratic: Expects team members to follow procedures. Bureaucratic leaders focus on fixed duties where each employee has 40 / R+W / 02.20

hands dirty on the shop floor and lead by example.”

Visionary:“I focus on the big picture and inspire my team to succeed.”

Hands-Off: “I trust my team with key decisions and am not afraid to delegate.”

Democratic: “I encourage staff input in decision making.”

Authoritarian:“It’s done my way

15% 36% 19% 28%

Visit bit.ly/10leadershipstyles to learn more about these different types of styles.

a set list of responsibilities and there is little need for collaboration and creativity.

PINPOINT YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.

Christensen, who oversees a staff of 25, describes his leadership style as “approachable.” He says holding people accountable is necessary in any field of work, but as a leader, he is in the unique position to educate as well as enforce. Successful leaders motivate their teams while staying on target. Christensen says he and his technicians are able to do this through goal-setting and one-on-one conversations. “We set goals that are feasible, but also uncomfortable,” he says. This drives his employees to think beyond their current station while also testing the skills they have acquired. Kline, who leads two people (a service advisor and a tech), has a different style. “I generally keep an eye on each job, but I try not to intervene too much,” Kline says.

Trust in Your Staff Brin Kline (center) says that a good leader knows what his or her job is and that good employees know that as well. So, he gives his staff the autonomy to make the right decisions.

E s se n t i a l L e a10deskills rship Sk il l s that make up effective leaders

Inc. compiled a list of the top 10 leadership skills that are most important for success based off of feedback gathered from leadership development consultant from over 330,000 bosses, peers and subordinates. How many do you have?

1. Inspires and motivates others 2. Displays high integrity and honesty 3. Solves problems and analyzes issues 4. Drives for results 5. Communicates powerfully and prolifically 6. Builds relationships 7. Displays technical or professional expertise 8. Displays a strategic perspective 9. Develops others 10. I nnovates

Read the full article at bit.ly/keyleadershipskills

He prefers to let his technicians forge their own path only stepping in when he disagrees. “If I would do something differently, I’ll ask why they’re doing it that particular way, then tell them how I would go about it, and usually we both learn something,” Kline says. For Kline, being an effective leader means giving feedback at crucial junctures. “You have to give them the freedom to make the right decisions and let them make a few wrong ones, so they can learn from them,” he says. Positive feedback is really important, and something Kline is always working on, he says. “You have to pay close attention and make sure you’re giving them more positive feedback than negative,” he says. “It’s almost like a bank, you make sure you’re making more deposits than you are withdrawals.” Leadership styles are formed from the particular leader’s personality and their own learning style. Both Christensen and Kline had to be aware of who they were and how they were motivated before they could truly grasp their leadership style. One way to do this is through a leadership style test. Here are a leadership style test links: bit.ly/whattypeofleaderareyou bit.ly/leadershipstyledefined bit.ly/yourleadershiplegacy

LEARN TO LEAD YOUR STAFF

The success of your shop depends on your staff—get to know how they’re best led Analytics professor Kirk Wakefield says knowing how your students, or in this case, employees, process information is vital in helping them achieve their full potential. Something as simple as an identity assessment could give insight into why they act the way they do. Wakefield has each of his students at Baylor University take 0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 41

THE NEW GOLDEN RULE OF LEADERSHIP

a behavioral analysis questionnaire known as the DiSC assessment, and then discuss how this affects their perception of the world. “The DiSC profile helps them understand who they are and how they may see things differently than others,” Wakefield says.

TEST YOUR STAFF.

The method describes the four basic behavioral styles, as well as the preferences and tendencies of those who identify within the types. Originally created in 1956, the DiSC assessment draws from the DiSC theory by psychologist William Moultan Marston’s. The four types are: (D) Dominance: active, outspoken and questioning (i) Inf luence: active, outgoing and lively (S) Steadiness: thoughtful, accepting and patient (C) Conscientiousness: thoughtful and analytical as well as questioning As with any personality indicator, there is going to be some crossover. Most individuals do not perfectly fit into one style or another, which is not uncommon. By understanding your own behavioral tendencies, you can better gauge how you take in information, interact with others, and more. It also gives insight into how your employees best respond to your own teaching style. If they have a high Dominance, then you know to keep the small talk to a minimum, tell them 42 / R + W / 0 2 . 2 0

what they need to know and let them get going, he says. If they’re a high Conscientiousness, that means they thrive in a supportive environment and appreciate the chance to work in collaborative environments. This isn’t just a tool that can be used at universities; business owners can also use personality tests as a way to work better with their own teams. A simple questionnaire assessment of each employee could improve almost every area of a repair shop—from customer service to interpersonal relations to the hierarchy of authority.

BREAK DOWN THE RESULTS.

Once the findings come back, that information can be used to better lead your staff. Similar to how Wakefield implements the test results with his students, a manager or owner can integrate these findings into their workplace. If there is an employee who seems reluctant to follow instruction, it could be because he or she measures high in Dominance or Conscientiousness and is craving a challenge. Similarly, if an employee who ranks high in Inf luence or Steadiness appears to be discouraged, he or she could be lacking the reassurance and positive reinforcement he or she needs to excel. What sets the DiSC assessment apart from other questionnaires is its judgement of behavior. As individuals, we are often

AFour d a pkeys t Ytoour Style changing your leadership style to adapt to the situation

Forbes shares the DACA approach and how it helps change your leadership style by allowing you to slow down your thought process and settle in.

(D)etect Before anything else, you need to determine how to best deliver results. Check out your environment and see what works well and what doesn’t.

(A)dapt The ability to adjust mid-course based on new information or perspectives is essential in a good leader.

(C)hoose Know When to Step In Owner Brin Kline (right) keeps an eye on every job, but only steps in when there’s a decision he disagrees with or he feels he has something to teach.

Here are a few questions to consider before choosing the best leadership style: What does “right” look like? Is my definition of winning the same as everyone else’s? What objective am I trying to achieve? What objectives are we trying to achieve? Why the discrepancy? What and who will be impacted the most? Is this impact in accordance with our intent?

(A)dopt unaware of our own behaviors because they are so inherent. The employee who needs reassurance may not even be aware that this is what he or she misses. Behavioral tendencies are much harder to define for oneself, because you have never known anything different. This is where the DiSC method can assess employees in a manner that would be otherwise inaccessible, Wakefield explains.

PUT THE FINDINGS TO USE.

Wakefield says one of the best parts about behavioral traits is that they are adjustable. With awareness and observation, you can coach yourself to behave differently. “I had very high (D) traits, but, through discipline, I was able to overcome them and now I rank highest as an (i),” Wakefield says. “It may not be your nature, but you adapt and learn over time.” The same can be said of the workplace. Acknowledging the learning differences between you and your coworkers does not need to have a negative connotation, it is merely an adjustment that will better serve you both in the future (To learn more, check out “Adapt Your Style”). Being aware of your own positionality puts you in a position to tailor your teaching methods. Being aware of your employee’s positionality makes those adjustments a reality. The DiSC method is just one way to learn more about how you and your employees work. Christensen says each of the employees at BG Automotive

Once you’ve figured out the right type of leadership style, start doing it.

Read the full article at bit.ly/changeyourleadershipstyle

goes through a personality evaluation, which it started having all new hires take five years ago. Christensen says they do not use the DiSC method, but rather a test centered entirely around personality, excluding any and all behavioral traits. The test helps them determine who can work side by side with one another. “We know what motivates people and how they interact,” Christensen says. “Just knowing that much, puts us one step ahead of the grind.” David Loy, CEO of Leverage Creative Group, explains that good leadership will change based on the situation but the best type is one that works for both you and the team that you surround yourself with. “A good [leadership philosophy] is one that you’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about and that you’ve put into practice and has proven itself over time,” Loy says. “People change. Be able and willing to revisit and revise that philosophy.” 02.20 / R+W / 43

Giving Back Patrick Weidman’s shop, Grove Street Auto, is invested in more than repairing vehicles—it’s part of the community.

Treat Them Like Family Inspire customer retention by giving back and serving your community members like one of your own 44 / R+W / 02.20

BY HANNAH BUBSER PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN BUSLER

When Patrick Weidman says that his shop is a family business, he truly means it. Originally, he started Grove Street Auto Repair with his brother, Bobby, after working in another shop with their uncle. Since its inauguration, just about every one of their immediate family members has had a stint at the Franklin, Mass.-based shop. “There are six of us altogether,” Weidman says of his siblings. “All but one have worked here.” Some have only stayed for a short time, like when Weidman’s older brother who helped drive a tow truck or when his little sister did bookkeeping before going off to college. But, others have stuck around. In 2005, Patrick and Bobby hired their sister, Jean, to the front counter. She is now an integral part of the team, and runs some of the shop’s marketing and social media accounts. Their now 84-yearold father, Bob—who, Weidman says with a laugh, is on his third retirement—came aboard in 2000 to help out, and has worked at the shop in various capacities since then.

“He makes us look good,” Weidman says. This family unit has made for a business model that is rooted in dependability, trust and overall care for one another. “I’ve been lucky because I know there are a lot of family businesses that struggle internally with direction,” Weidman says. This is something that Grove Street has never really had an issue with, even when former co-owner Bobby decided that the shop life was no longer for him. “I was fortunate that my brother let me steer the ship, and then he just got burnt out and didn’t want to do it anymore,” Weidman continues. “Three years ago, we came together, made an agreement, and I bought him out. Everything has been great.” This attitude of positivity doesn’t end within the confines of Weidman’s own family. It continues into the relationships Grove Street cultivates with its customers. 02.20 / R+W / 45

T R E AT T H E M L I K E FA M I LY

Family Operated Grove Street Auto has employed almost every member of the family, including Jean, Patrick (center) and Bob.

Build a Loyal Following Weidman and his staff look out for their community, and it comes out of the goodness of their hearts. One of their main takeaways is simply the joy of helping out where they are able. They don’t give back to their community with the intention of getting much in return, but their customers end up showing their appreciation regardless. Their customers like the idea of putting their money toward a shop that they not only trust, but they know has good values. The clientele of Grove Street is not made up of one-off repair jobs. “Our retention rate is very high,” Says Weidman. “We service between 70 and 80 cars per week and new customers make up less than 10 percent of those cars.” New customers are important, this is true. But there is also something to be said of a shop that maintains a solid customer base populated by familiar faces walking through the door. Grove Street’s retention adds to the family atmosphere that they have been curating ever since it opened. Give Back For as long as Weidman can remember, he knew the importance of staying humble and helping others. This mindset did not go away when it came to running a repair shop. “We have been giving back to the community since we opened,” Weidman says. “I guess it was something our parents instilled in us; to help out when asked.” 46 / R+W / 02.20

If someone asks Grove Street for charitable funds, there is no hesitation. Weidman says that if a member of their community comes along asking for donations under $250, the shop automatically donates. They do larger donations too, of course, but they don’t commit to those right away because larger amounts of money take more planning. Weidman says they will check into the source, make sure it is reputable and ensure that they have the means to support it. They tend to make larger donations to charities that are closer to home. A couple of their favorites are Brakes for Breasts; the Pan-Mass Challenge, which is a bike-a-thon for cancer research; and the Santa Foundation, which is a nonprofit located in Franklin. It provides families in need with gifts during the holiday season. “Our tagline is, ‘Your family depends on our family,’” Weidman says. “That’s

how we treat all our customers and everybody we interact with.” For the staff of Grove Street, this means taking community engagement one step further. It’s not just interacting with customers on a surface level, it is contributing to and giving back to the community that the shop is a part of and doing so by catering to certain demographics within that population. “I’m very fortunate because we’ve had a ton of support from the community,” Weidman says. “So we try and give back in anyway that we can.” Grove Street sponsors kid’s sports teams, gives to the local food pantry, and raises money for various local charities every year. “This year, we’ll probably give $12,000 to charity,” Weidman says. Educate Customers Grove Street furthers their family-oriented approach by doing things in a personalized way, which shifts depending on who in the

GROVE STREET AUTO REPAIR Location: Franklin, Mass. Shop Size: 9,600 square feet Staff Size: 4 techs, 2 service advisors, 1 quality controlman, 1 dad (Weidman’s dad is a shop floater, and helps out where he can. He is not a trained technician) Average Monthly Car Count: 300 Annual Revenue: $1.8 million

community they are interacting with. For example, for local women, they do a “Ladies Night,” which is marketed by Jean. “We put a car up on the lift, all the techs stay and donate their time and we have different stations. We try to educate them on things like what a brake rotor is, what an oxygen sensor is, a bad tire...then we take questions and answers at the end and we have giveaways,” Weidman says. They usually try to keep events like this small, limiting the registration to about 20 people. The goal is to educate in a more focused setting. For giveaways, they often give out shirts, pamphlets, or—in the case of their most recent ladies night—cupcakes. It’s an approach that relays important information, but also makes a genuine effort to appeal to the audience. Weidman also takes time to visit driver’s education courses. “I try to go once per session,” Weidman says. “I tell the kids what to do when their check engine light goes on. I go through

all the lights and what they mean. I show them how to change and tire and check the oil.” His visits are reminiscent of a father teaching his kid about a car, and his guidance comes from a truly caring place. Aside from giving the younger crowd mechanical advice, Weidman also instills in them the importance of distractionfree driving. ”The shop is unique because we do towing for the police, so we see a lot of the aftermath of distracted driving,” Weidman says. “So, sometimes, I’ll bring slides.” Weidman believes that bringing in visuals really drives the point home and makes an impact on impressionable young drivers. The goal, after all, is to keep everyone safe. Make an Impact There is no getting around it; Weidman’s shop is more than a repair shop. It is a member of the community, and this has

proven to be absolutely integral to the way their business is run. Grove Street has its own approach to community involvement and giving back, but it can be implemented in any existing shop in a variety of ways. “Every community could use help,” Weidman says. “There will always be a need, and any repair shop could have the opportunity to fill it in a similar vein to Grove Street.” The heart of the matter is simple: Give back and show that you care about the community that you service. Offer your support and expertise, just like you would when helping out a family member. These are the strategies that Grove Street has implemented, and it has defined their customer relations. Weidman encourages other shop owners to look for their own ways of getting involved. “Any community has these things,” Weidman says. “You just have to go out and find it, whether it be large or small.” 0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 47

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T O O L B OX / S H O P A D V I C E

Stress Management 101 How to create more work-life balance in a stressful position As a business owner, it can be difficult to take a step back from your work. Owners usually are in the mindset of living to work instead of working to live, and because of this, many are left dealing with chronic stress. According to the Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey, the largest group of respondents (37 percent) report working longer than a traditional 40-hour workweek at 50–59 hours. Sixteen percent reported working over 60. Joe Robinson, a work-life coach, trainer, and speaker, says there’s a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack and heart disease and a 33 percent higher risk of stroke for those who work over 40 hours per week. “Hours are getting longer—the longer the hours, the more time it impinges on time out of your job,” Robinson says. “People now wind up staying later to get all of the work done.” And because work hours are getting longer, it’s common for the line between work and life to become blurred. It’s so common that Robinson has made a career out of managing this. He travels all over the world working for companies like Lego, Kellogg, and IBM to help work on work-life balance and stress management. “No one ever really gets information on how to manage their mind,” Robinson says. To help auto repair shop owners manage their stress and find a balance between work and play, Robinson gives us some insight on the topic and provides tips along the way. A S TO L D TO A B BY PAT T E R S O N

GETTY

Business owners are some of the worst afflicted with long hours, thinking there

is no one else that can do the job; they don’t rely on enough people to do the job. They need sensible schedules and strategies to detach themselves from work. We actually create our own stress, it’s not created by an external event or a customer; it’s what we tell ourselves in our head. There’s a science called work recovery; when you get home from tensions and pressures of the day, you need to have relaxation strategies to manage and push the stress away. The point I always like to get across is a little

stress, no big deal; if it’s day after day, there’s a problem. Owners need sensible schedules and strategies to detach themselves from work. Start off the day by sitting down and

prioritizing the most important things. It’s important to come up with a to-do list in your head or write it down on paper or on your computer. Don’t rush to get to the next project; focus your full attention on what you are doing at that moment. We are always rushing to get to the next task and are not really focusing 100 percent on what

you are trying to accomplish in a current task. It’s also important to delegate a lot of the tasks so it’s not all on your shoulders. It’s also important to have a schedule that allows business owners time to recover. Eight-hour days are the maximum; when you go past that, that’s when the problems start. Don’t bring work home with you—leave it at the office. It can be hard to leave everything at the office, but if you have good people, it shouldn’t be an issue. Hire good workers that you can trust to do as much of the work as possible so you don’t end up having to do it. Delegating the work is key. And having a system of checking in on a regular basis— something that allows one-on-one facetime with your employees—will help you gain this trust with employees. Some simple relaxation strategies help with managing stress. This can include

listening to music, going for a run, a walk, or even hitting the gym. Mastery strategies are known to be the most effective. When you find yourself overly stressed, tell yourself three positives to every negative. It’s all about finding the time and making it happen. Another technique is counting backward from 100 to one, or focus on your breath. These exercises force you to pay attention in the moment and bring your mind back to the present. Science shows these two techniques are the most helpful. The more attention you have, the less stress you will have. 0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 51

T O O L B OX / C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E

Win the Referral

4 keys to getting customers to recommend your business to friends and family BY TESS COLLINS

with advertisements. From the time you wake up, businesses are trying to win you over with TV, radio, print and social media ads. It’s information overload. But think about it, when you do need something— whether it be a service or a product—where do you look? Many look to their friends and family for recommendations. Why? Because of trust. Your customers are no different. “Word-of-mouth is No. 1 and online reviews are No. 2,” Tom Lambert, owner of Shadetree Automotive in Layton, Utah, says. “You always have to be creating a buzz about your business. Referrals and the rest of your business go hand in hand.” Repeat customers or customers that express satisfaction with your business are a great source for future customers, as they’re likely to recommend their friends and family. Lambert generates 15 percent of his business from referrals, which breaks down to roughly 30 customers per month. 52 / R+W / 02.20

“Customer referrals are really important because people are barraged with information more than ever, it’s hard to know who to trust,” Dorie Clark, author of Stand Out, named the No. 1 leadership book of 2015 by Inc. magazine, and a professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. “If they [consumers] are just seeing paid advertisements, it’s very hard for people to evaluate whether it’s legit or if it’s another business chest pumping. If they hear that message from a friend that they trust and that actually knows something about their background, when that person says, ‘Check them out,’ it means something,’” Clark says. This is cheap, effective marketing of which, unfortunately, many fail to take advantage. It’s not that customers are unwilling to refer, Clark says, it’s just that it’s not top of mind for them. That’s why it’s up to you, as a business owner, to find ways to encourage

your customers. Here are four keys to winning customer referrals—and why it’s a necessity to do so. THE REASON: “Consumers are 92 percent more likely to trust recommendations by people they know.” Digital Intelligence Today THE SOLUTION: Deliver service worthy of a referral.

“They should leave so impressed that they can’t help but tell people about our service,” Lambert says. Lambert says the key to referral success for his business is consistency and clear communication with customers. Lambert keeps his customers happy by letting them know exactly what they are doing to their vehicle, when they can expect it to be finished and what the price will be. If, at any point, this changes, his staff reaches out immediately to update customers. Lambert uses digital vehicle inspections

GETTY IMAGES

Everywhere you look, you’re bombarded

so he’s able to provide proof of why the repair is needed, which creates trust. In addition, Lambert’s team leaves a bag of fresh cookies and a thank you note in each of his customers’ vehicles; sends thank you cards to each new customer (along with a bag of brownies); and provides a shuttle service and loaner vehicles.

glad, would you be willing to provide a testimonial for our website?’ That way, you can capture that testimonial and people in your community that know that person, it becomes a perpetual referral.” Beyond the testimonial, you can thank the customer and ask them straight out to refer a friend if they’ve had a positive experience. Customers are very willing to make referrals, it’s just not something that they think to do, so Clark encourages shop owners to let customers know that referrals are appreciated. Lambert asks every customer that comes in for a referral. Everyone on the staff knows how to encourage referrals, which starts with the check-in process. When a customer comes in, the staff asks, “Have I seen this car before?” That’s key, Lambert says, because it avoids a customer feeling like you don’t remember them. From there, if they are a new customer, Lambert’s team asks, “Who referred you?” because they like to assume that all of their new customers are referrals. Then, if they were referred by a person, the team says how much they appreciate referrals and lets the customer know that their friend or family member who made the referral will be entered in a monthly drawing for a prize. This starts the referral program conversation and gets the ball rolling to encourage the new customer to refer down the line.

THE REASON: “Ninety-one percent

THE REASON: “Customers who are

of customers say they would give referrals, but only 11 percent of salespeople ask for them.” Propeller CRM THE SOLUTION: Ask the customer to refer.

referred to your brand are five times more likely to use your referral program than customers who weren't.” Extole THE SOLUTION: Make referring easy.

People often “raise their hands” to show they want to refer, Clark says, but many let these opportunities pass them by. “If they [customers] call, email or come up to you and praise you, usually the owner says ‘thank you,’ and that’s it,” Clark says. “Instead what you should be doing is saying, number one, ‘We’re so

“They won’t make an effort if it’s hard,” Clark says of customers making referrals to their friends and family. A customer may have loved the service you provided and has every intention of coming back to you, but if your shop doesn’t have an easy-to-find website so that customers can share the link, the referral will most likely not happen. “Often, people will refer friends by

forwarding a link and if your company doesn’t have a website—or the website looks like a ransom note—the friend will be embarrassed to send it,” Clark says. Don’t make the customer dig for your website, she says. One of the main ways to ensure this is to make sure your website is mobilefriendly, like Lambert’s is. THE REASON: “Customers referred by a friend are four times more likely to make a purchase.” Propeller CRM THE SOLUTION: Show gratitude for a referral.

Lambert shows gratitude for referrals in a number of ways, including the above mentioned monthly drawing. Each month, the shop gives something away—the month of October, it was a smoker—and puts every customer that has referred a customer in for the drawing. Lambert says it’s usually between 20–30 names each month. Even if a customer doesn’t win, they’re still sent a token of the shop’s appreciation, such as a gift card. Lambert puts aside $350 each month to cover this cost. “It’s classy to provide some sort of gift,” Clark says. “It could be anything—a free service, box of chocolates—thanking someone for doing you a favor is appropriate and gracious.” More important than winning the drawing or the token is the genuine gratitude that is shown, says Lambert. “The most important part is taking the time to give someone a genuine thank you—that trumps the giveaway 20 to 1,” he says. Every customer that makes a referral is sent a handwritten note from the Shadetree team, thanking the customer for taking the time to recommend its services. The team also familiarizes themselves with the names of its customers that make referrals and makes sure to thank those people inperson the next time that they come in. “It’s not fake or forced—we’re excited when we get a referral,” Lambert says. 02.20 / R+W / 53

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Columns

INDUSTRY INSIDER Rissy Sutherland

Looking back over a successful time,

it’s easy to be impressed with how much you’ve done. In good times, owners talk about how great their team and systems are and how these both led to great sales and great margins. Even I do this. We hit the beginning of a slow time for the first time in a few years. This wasn’t just one location, but it was across all locations across the country and it lasted for a period of 2–3 weeks. I got calls from other shop owners saying, “Oh my goodness, my sales are down.” So, I would ask them what they were doing about it. Many would say some version of the following: “It’s been raining.” “It’s slow everywhere—I talked to my tool guys.” “Customers are just not buying right now.” “The fair came to town.” It starts to sound like, “Blah, blah, blah.” Comments like this separate a good owner from a best-of-the-best owner. After two slow days, let me tell you, I will start freaking out. I’ll make calls and dive in. Here’s my advice: Do not wait to see what will happen. Do not call others to validate your excuses. Instead, dig in to your business. Find out what’s wrong and do something about it. If it’s car count, then listen to every coach you can and determine whether or not it’s an execution problem. If leads went down, find out if your ads actually hit. Start doing outside sales today and send out an email blast. Look at options on a rebate letter, free oil changes and gift certification. What I’m trying to get across is that you need to do something. You have to end the month better than last year. If you give the thumbs up

that it’s ok not to be as good as last year, then your business will continue down that path. It’s the same with staffing and hiring. You should be interviewing every week—even if you think you’re fully staffed. The day that you think you are fully staffed is the day that a tech gets hurt or your manager leaves for another job. Be prepared to make a change. Don’t be held hostage due to the work that comes along with interviewing, hiring and training or fear of the unknown. Fear of the unknown is what got you to be an entrepreneur—don’t forget that. This fear is why so few become the best-of-the best and stay there. To achieve this level, it takes dedication, persistence and hard work. Don’t ever catch yourself making excuses for a down week. Do something about it. Here are a few tips from some of the best of the best in their respective industries to get you inspired to stop making excuses and start making a change. “I'd say my number one tip is to spend time with other top business owners.” Ashleigh Lucas, owner, Lucas Euro Care

“The customer is king. Do what’s right for the customer and profitability will follow.” Beth Barron, CEO, Chabill's Tire & Auto Service

“Great operators work through systems as much as possible. This makes it easy for everyone to be on the same page. It’s when we go outside of our systems that employees get confused and unmotivated. Systems make it easy to recognize great performance and make corrective actions when necessary. Finally, great operators

Rissy Sutherland has opened more than 400 shops in her career as the executive for nearly a dozen automotive brands and now the president of SRS + Co. She is one of the industry's foremost experts in shop operations. sutherlandrissy@gmail.com ratchetandwrench.com/sutherland

must be great at communicating and training. Never stop training.” Greg Sands, CEO, SRSANDCO

“Customers want to be respected and to conduct business with people they like. Never underestimate the importance of company culture to your business and its impact to your bottom line.” Alan Smith, president, Valentine Enterprises

“Think like an entrepreneur. Create like an innovator. Perform like a teammate.” Adrian J. Cronje, CEO and CIO, Ballentine Wealth Management

02.20 / R+W / 55

T O O L B OX / C A S E S T U DY

THE VALUE OF A P

Know When to Grow When needed, Mike Brewster knows adding an additional staff member pays off long-term. It keeps his current staff from feeling overwhelmed.

56 / R+W / 02.20

PARTS SPECIALIST How one shop became king of efficiency with a parts specialist on its team BY A B BY PAT T E R S O N PHOTOGRAPHY BY KERENSA RYBAK

0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 57

T O O L B OX / C A S E S T U DY

Clear Cut Tasks Mike Brewster’s staffing model allows service advisors to worry about best serving customers while the parts employees take care of the parts.

“You have to spend money to make money.” Mike Brewster, owner of the two location Gil’s Garage in New York, has a staffing model that exemplifies this. Every position has a capacity, and, rather than stretching his people thin, Brewster brings aboard new people when the time comes. Brewster places convenience above costs. If something costs a little more, but makes life easier on him and his employees, then he’s willing to invest. For Brewster, efficiency is key. And, when his business started growing, he didn’t want that efficiency to be lost. That’s why he’s followed in his father’s footsteps and employed a parts person, and hired additional ones when necessary. Brewster sat down with Ratchet+Wrench to discuss why the position of a parts specialist has been worthwhile.

58 / R+W / 02.20

THE BACKSTORY

Gil’s Garage opened its doors back in 1966 by, you guessed it, Gil Brewster. What started as a four-bay shop quickly grew to 16 with the shop’s move to another location in 1979. Six years after the move, Gil’s son, Mike Brewster, decided to take over the business as a secondgeneration owner and work with his two sisters, who are stockholders within the business. And, in 2012, the shop grew once more, adding another location in Halfmoon, N.Y., just 12 miles from the Burnt Hills location. Since 1980, the business has had a parts person. When Brewster took over and the shop’s continual growth added more work, he added on his own parts specialist in 2000 to his Burnt Hills shop. After seeing such success with this position, he’s since added a second parts specialist to the location and is continually evaluating the staffing at his shop.

THE PROBLEM

Ordering parts and keeping up with inventory are typically a part of the service advisor’s job. However, with the amount of work that was coming in to the Burnt Hills location back in the 1980s, processes started to unravel. “It became unruly,” Brewster says. “We needed more parts, had too much of some. We needed to manage parts that were in stock.” Because of the growing workload, it became difficult for service advisors to do their job and the job of a parts person. And, when a service advisor is too busy worrying about parts, he or she isn’t worrying about the customer, which

was a problem for Brewster. Orders were forgotten about and it was difficult to maintain inventory and keep track of cores that needed to be returned. “For us, it’s workflow, production and efficiencies for the service advisors so they’re not distracted and can spend more time with clients,” Brewster says.

THE SOLUTION

Rather than depending on service advisors to essentially do two jobs, Brewster employs dedicated parts people. This is something that the business has done since the ’80s, and continues to invest in because of the success the position has had. Burnt Hills, being the larger shop, has two parts specialists. The two parts people are constantly on the phone ordering special orders and dealing with main vendors, parts vendors, and are working with sales. Both of the parts specialists essentially have the same job, but the position has evolved a bit since its initial inception. One staff

GIL'S GARAGE Owner: Mike Brewster Location: 2 locations in N.Y. (Burnt Hills, Halfmoon) Shop Size: 10,500 square feet (average) Staff Size: Burnt Hills: 29 Halfmoon: 12 Average Monthly Car Count: Burnt Hills: 1,500 Halfmoon: 600 Annual Revenue: Burnt Hills: $6 million Halfmoon: $2.4 million

“They’ll know a part number off the top of their head and know what parts they’ve ordered for what job,” Brewster says. “They need to know the part’s quality and where to source those parts at a good price efficiently.” And with this, look for someone who can switch gears quickly and efficiently—Brewster hates the word multitask. Brewster relates a parts person to a service advisor; the only difference is that they don’t need to be as strong in sales. What they don’t have in sales, they make up for it in detail.

member has the title of parts manager and the other is the parts specialist; one focuses on inventory more and the other one on servicing technicians and working with the service advisors on parts. When making his first parts specialist hire, Brewster went with an inside hire. One of the technicians started having back issues that made it hard to be a tech, but Brewster says he was essential to the operation. Because he was super detailedoriented, Brewster knew he’d be perfect for the job. Currently, the Halfmoon location does not have a parts specialist. The reason for this is that the service advisors still have enough capacity at that location to be able to handle the parts job, too. If that ever changes, though, Brewster may have to re-evaluate. When it comes to the skills a parts specialist should have, being detailoriented is at the top of Brewster’s list, as well as having a good memory and a sense of urgency.

THE AF TERMATH

Brewster pays each parts specialist between $18 to $24 per hour, but the return on his investment makes it worthwhile. Overall, the point of hiring a parts manager and specialist was to make sure things run as efficiently as possible; for example, it’s their job to make sure the cores get returned in a timely fashion, and when it is, it can save the shop money on the replacement parts; Brewster says this saves the shop thousands of dollars each month alone. And, because there’s someone always managing the parts inventory, the shop has cut down on its parts inventory from $300,000 to half that amount. Prices and money are all part of the overall business equation, Brewster says. “They pay for themselves,” he says. Because Brewster hired on a parts specialist where and when it was needed, he says it’s kept up efficiency and has eliminated lost time and money. Now, when a technician is ready to start working on a vehicle, the parts specialist already

has inventoried all of the parts needed to get the job done. And because of this, the shop’s monthly car count has gone from an estimated 1,200 back before the shop had a parts specialist, to an estimated 1,460; during peak season, the car count gets up to around 1,800. “I think with a good parts specialist, they help make you more profitable,” Brewster says.

THE TAKEAWAY

Overall, there’s not a set timeline or schedule on when you need a couple extra hands. If you know your processes, you’ll know when they need to be fine-tuned. How did he determine this was the ideal setup for his shops? Brewster simply asked himself one question: “Are time and money being spent as efficiently as possible?” If the answer is “no,” this is your first clue that you may need a parts person in your shop. Brewster says shop owners are all concerned about losing money. And to him, wasting time leads to wasting money. As a shop owner, you want parts to be ready as soon as the order is put in. When you spend the time waiting for a part instead of fixing it right off the bat, productivity will be lost, which means more time on one vehicle and less time to be able to take on others—hence, lost money. “If you have techs waiting for parts because service advisors are busy, they don’t have time to source parts,” Brewster says. “They’re not sourcing something last minute at not a good price. Timing is everything.” Are processes slipping? Are cores returns being missed? If so, it may be time to start thinking about a hire. 02.20 / R+W / 59

T O O L B OX / T E C H +T O O L S

The Unseen Benefits of an IT Company How having outside tech support saves you money

When someone’s vehicle breaks down

and is in need of a repair, do they try and fix it themselves? Maybe, if the vehicle has a flat tire that needs changing. But when the job becomes a little more complicated, they should call in the experts. The same goes for auto repair shops, especially when it comes to dealing with technology. “Things have become so technical with cars; the same goes for IT,” says Jeff Harlan, manager of network services at the IT company, United Systems & Software. “Whether we like it or not, IT has become a core we have to have in order for systems to be safe.” Harlan has been in the IT business for 30 years, starting as a tech, moving into the server environment, and eventually into management. Because IT has become more complex, the solution is not as easy as a click of a button. The way it is right now, many shops have a “tech expert,” which is typically someone on the shop that’s handy with technology, that’s called in for fixing problems. While that can work, there are often more complicated issues that can be too difficult for that person. That’s where 60 / R+W / 02.20

an outside IT company can come in hand. Nick Stoffel, general manager at Lloyd’s Automotive in St. Paul, Minn., has always had an IT company at the repair shop, mainly because: 1. He’s not an IT expert and; 2. He can spend more time focusing on his main job: running the day-to-day operations of the shop. Harlan explains the benefits of having a third-party IT company on board and Stoffel discusses how it’s helped out in his shop.

More Time

One cost-saving element is the difference in the time it takes to fix a problem when a professional IT company manages a network versus someone in the shop. For example, the IT company went to work with a new customer that had an internal IT person. At the time, the internal employee was too busy with other work, and there was too much for him to do in his normal day-to-day job. And at this point, the company was used to their computers locking up or crashing every day and sitting around. When the company took over tech issues, Harlan simply took away the administrative rights so they couldn’t access

anything involving IT, and it was like night and day. All this time, this customer could have qualified working computers if they had someone that specialized in that field. Staff shouldn’t be sitting around waiting for help. That’s a waste of time and resources. But, if there’s nobody in place to help or that person is busy doing something else, it doesn’t leave many options. Stoffel says he could save his money, but he’s better off working on cars than spending time fixing something he knows nothing about. In this sense, the money made from having more time to service cars outweighs the cost of hiring an IT company, which, according to Aldridge, should cost between $120 to $175 per user, per month. “You could go back to hand-writing tickets, but you should consider your staff when not being able to use all of your resources. You should have a plan B or someone in place just in case,” Stoffel says. “It’s much more cost-effective to have someone in a position to help you versus not working and trying to fix it yourself. You can’t be an expert on everything.”

More Support

Stoffel says having a backup source to call for a problem that’s beyond his staff’s

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BY A B BY PAT T E R S O N

capability is essential in order to keep his business running. “With a larger facility, someone has to be in charge to manage it, but also have someone to be a resource when things go wrong. There’s always that expertise portion; it’s never a good idea to have someone fixing your computer that has no idea what he’s doing with it. It’s no different than our customers coming in after trying to fix their vehicle themselves and coming in when things go wrong. If you don’t know who to call, you’re in trouble,” Stoffel says. When there is a small issue that arises, calling the IT company can add a little time lag to get something done—the average response time is 15 minutes and a resolution is usually reached within two hours. But, what if it’s not such a simple fix? If anything, waiting assures no more damage can be done. “What if you have three problems at once? Bob can’t handle three problems at once, but we can,” Harlan says. “Bob just can’t be an expert in everything. When you are working with a third-party, there are more heads and more knowledge.” Harlan says the IT company is working in different boxes. Usually, an internal IT person within the business

sees things from only their perspective. As an IT company, they see things from a multitude of perspectives. It’s not that the internal person can’t think, Harlan explains, but they aren’t consistently working in the IT realm and they don’t see the other perspectives like a dedicated outside support company does. “We are in all kinds of boxes to try different things and see, so they will come in your environment and ask if you have thought about this and that, not that he can’t think but he’s not usually just doing IT and doesn’t see other perspectives. We are in everybody’s world,” Harlan says.

More Protection

Not only do companies have to worry about viruses invading their computer and data and the cost of fixing it, criminals are starting to catch on, too. Harlan says ransomware is invading computers like crazy. A customer simply clicks on a link in a random email, and the next thing they know is their machine is shutdown. And the only way to get all of your data back? Paying a ransom in order to unlock the machine. Harlan worked with a company recently that ran into this issue. The company was forced to pay $132,000 to get all of their

information and data back. There was no other way out of it. “If that happens, you either pay the fee or you start over from scratch,” Harlan says. “Thank god they had insurance that covered that.” The one big mistake that the company made? They hired Harlan’s IT company after the ransomware hit; at this point, it was too late. Auto repair shops have to take a proactive approach to these situations in order to prevent them from ever happening. IT companies can help set up protection from this ever happening. This proactive approach also applies when dealing with a disaster, it’s always a part of that “what if?” factor. Not only will an IT company help the company budget for new IT equipment down the road, it will also help you plan for one. “We’re helping customers understand the risk of not having a plan,” Harlan says. “Everything is on these devices; if you lose all of your data today, you’re out of business and you never recover.” If you think about the value overall, an IT company is like having insurance— you don’t know when something bad will happen, but you’ll be prepared just in case it does. 0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 61

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Columns

THE BOTTOM LINE Mitch Schneider

RESILIENCE AND RENEWAL Don’t get stuck in the past—pick yourself up and start fresh I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking

about two things. One is the concept of resilience, something most shop owners have too much experience with. The other is renewal, and that’s something I wish more shop owners would consider more often. Both are important constructs, albeit artificial and existential ones. Nevertheless, their role in helping us navigate life and living cannot be overstated. Renewal has to do with new beginnings and starting over. Resilience has to do with mental toughness and our ability to transcend adversity, overcoming the obstacles and challenges we are confronted with everyday in life and business. I have to believe I’m uniquely qualified to address both, having survived a lifetime striving to succeed in our industry and, most recently, Primary Myelofibrosis, a stem cell/ bone marrow transplant, Graft versus Host Disease, a blood clot in my left leg and pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. All things considered, it has left me with a different and somewhat unique insight when it comes to resilience and renewal. Not to mention a fair amount of experience. Confronting your own mortality will do that to you. The idea of starting over is a central component of virtually all spiritual belief systems. The need to leave the past behind and try again is universal. What becomes problematic is finding the will and the opportunity to rise up out of the ashes of the past in order to take flight toward a new and better future. We search for reasons to try again when all we really need is the desire. But, too often, all we’re left with are all the reasons— and, excuses—we can’t. Or, won’t. In order to succeed, all we really need is the will and opportunity to stop and take inventory. All we really need is to press the reset button and recalibrate. That, and the strength to take that first step. The problem for most of us is that we

fail to take advantage of the opportunity to regroup and try again. We get stuck in the past. We find ourselves mired in today, yesterday and the tyranny of what we’re used to and comfortable with and we end up sacrificing a better tomorrow for a less than adequate yesterday and today. My cancer diagnosis and stem cell/ bone marrow transplant that followed gave me an entirely different perspective on renewal. Each new day is filled with a second opportunity to experience a new and different first. It also brought home the critical importance of being able to bend with the storm rather than contend against it with a blinding clarity. And, isn’t bending without breaking what resilience is all about? What do you think of when you think of the notion of resilience? Do words like supple, soft, flexible and yielding come to mind? These are all traits that can and will allow you to deflect the daily onslaught of challenges you confront at the counter and in the bays every day, aren’t they? All traits that can and will help you to remain untangled: free, able to act and react to anything that comes your way. When it comes to you, me, and resilience, the famous English writer and philosopher, Aldous Huxley, may have said it best when he suggested that, “Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.” It is all about how you act and react when confronted with whatever your current reality might be, either good or bad. And, since all of this exists more in our minds than in reality, it all comes down to understanding and interpreting that current reality in the context of the choices we make. Without realizing it, shop owners are masters of resiliency. We improvise, adapt, overcome and persevere every day just about all day. It’s a survival skill that

Mitch Schneider is a fourthgeneration auto repair professional and the former owner of Schneider’s Auto Repair in Simi Valley, Calif. He is an industry educator, seminar facilitator, blogger, and author of the acclaimed novel Misfire. Contact him at: mitch@misfirebook.com. mitch@mitchschneidersworld.com ratchetandwrench.com/schneider

has become second nature to just about every one of us. We bob and weave, feint and respond, extend and stretch, just to keep from getting tagged, and, for the most part we succeed. The problem isn’t whether or not we are resilient. We are. Or, at least, some of us are. The problem is that more of us aren’t as resilient as we could or should be. I believe there is a direct correlation between resilience and success. I believe resiliency can be cultivated. Just as I believe we can master the ability to renew. It’s simply a matter of awareness and desire. An awareness of how, where and when to stop, renew, and re-engage, coupled with a deep, almost overwhelming desire for a better tomorrow. How do you make that happen? You stop. Stop long enough to figure out where you are and what you’re doing. Long enough to resume a normal posture and recognize where the pressure is coming from. Then, you respond. In another direction, if necessary, with a different response, if called for. 02.20 / R+W / 63

“WHEN IT COMES TO COACHING AND FINANCIAL HELP, I DON’T SKIMP ON THE COST. IT’S WORTH EVERY PENNY FOR GOOD GUIDANCE AND ADVICE.” Repair Life 64 / R+W / 02.20

CODY MORELOCK

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF A DVA NC ED AU TOMOT I V E

02.20 / R+W / 65

R E PA I R L I F E / C O DY M O R E L O C K

Since day one, Cody Morelock has always had an interest in tinkering. “I started working in the shop with my dad ever since I could carry a screwdriver,” Morelock says. “I would go with my dad to work before he owned his own shop and watch him work on vehicles.” Once his father opened Advanced Automotive in 1993, he put Morelock to work—sweeping floors, picking up rags, cleaning and simply putting away his tools. At 12 years old, Morelock was working at the Redding, Calif., shop after school and during the summers. Over time, his dad gradually gave him more tasks, starting off with the basics and then more and more tasks involving maintenance and repairs. From a young age, Morelock was invested in the business. Morelock actively worked in the shop until he was 24 years old when he decided to take out a loan and take the money he had saved up to buy the assets of his father’s business in 2009. To say he took over the business at a difficult time would be an understatement. Unfortunately, right before Morelock acquired the business, it was the victim of embezzlement, leaving the operation with nothing. Two weeks after opening, he had to come up with a gameplan on how to pay his seven employees. “I worked long hours and did not take pay for a month until things started rolling strong,” Morelock says. After hitting the ground running and learning more of the business management side of things, he has now reached $1.7 million in annual revenue and has plans in the works on moving his business into a larger, more profitable space. That didn’t come without time, though. To help him find his way, Morelock invested in a coaching company that taught him valuable lessons about running a business. “Fast forward to today—34 years old—I do not work on cars, I work on the business,” Morelock says.

A S TO L D TO A B BY PAT T E R S O N 66 / R+W / 02.20

The Same Page The staff at Advanced Automotive kicks every morning off with a production meeting to update the entire team.

I usually get to the shop by 7:30 to 7:45 a.m. My service advisors and shop por-

ters hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., and my techs’ hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the shop is fully open and ready to operate right off the bat. We open right at 7:30 a.m. so people can drop off their vehicles before work and we offer rides for their convenience. I first check in with my service advisor on anything that needs my specific attention. I look over the schedule and from there, I take care of any payables needing attention, get a bank deposit ready as well as any outgoing mail. Our front office assistant then takes customers home and makes the rounds to the bank for the shop and post office. We do daily morning production meetings and also do biweekly lunch meetings. The biweekly meetings are a good

platform for everyone to get in good communication and have a voice on how things have been going. We go over and refresh on shop policies and procedures,

ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE

Owner: Cody Morelock Location: Redding, Calif. Staff Size: 9 Shop Size: 5,000 sqaure feet Average Monthly Car Count: 205 Annual Revenue: $1.7 million

Another key area that is priceless is a good certified public accountant (CPA). My shop has one and he keeps us

The Right Foot Cody Morelock and his staff get to the shop early to have everything ready to go for customers at 8 a.m.

address any problems that need attention, and basically get everyone on the same page on current and future plans. I buy lunch, then, at the end, we have a little quiz where I give out gift cards for employees that can answer questions that pertain to what we covered in the meeting, which makes it fun and keeps them engaged and paying attention. Late morning, I check on the status of inspections completed and monitor promised times with my service advisor. We take lunch from 12–1 p.m.,

but my service advisor and front office assistant stagger their lunch times so the front office can be open, phones can be answered and no opportunities are missed as far as a customer calling. From there, I occasionally step in and help our service writer and sell some work if my service advisor needs help, f loat between my desk in the front office and make my rounds through the shop checking on the techs and workf low.

The struggle I’ve had over the years has been getting what I know in my head, as far as how to run an auto repair shop, onto paper and essentially creating a playbook on how my shop should run.

I didn’t have a playbook on how my operation should run. I was communicating my expectations verbally and not writing anything down. I recruited a coaching company out of southern California to help get my business more operational. They helped me identify these problem areas in my business and have acted as a compass in guiding me to be successful.

Now, we have those policies and procedures written down in an operations manual. We even have a saying, “If it’s

not in writing, it doesn’t exist.” My expectations are now clearly stated and read by everyone in the shop so they know what their job is and what it entails. I’ve learned that in any business, your expectations and standards must be known in order for your employees to perform the way you expect.

on the level. When it comes to coaching and financial help, I don’t skimp on the cost. It’s worth every penny for good guidance and advice. For several years, we just bounced along with no real direction, just the mundane, fix cars, collect payment then repeat, and through this, I wasn’t paying very close attention to my numbers; my ARO was an average of $350, but gross profit was very low. With the help of the accountant and our business coach, our ARO and gross profit began to really take off. The coaching company, coupled with my accountant, really lit a fire in me. Now, my ARO is $700 with my gross profit margin at 55 percent. Currently we are working on purchasing a larger building so we can further expand and take on more work. Throughout the day, my main concern is making sure we are meeting or exceeding our customers expectations as far as promised times and commitments. My responsibility is ensuring my

staff has what they need and that I am enabling them to take care of my customers. If I take care of my employees, they will take care of my customers. To do this, we focus on providing service in abundance or exchange in abundance. Basically, giving the customer more than what they expect or pay for. We remove all roadblocks and barriers for the customers to do business with us. As an example, we started to offer a pick-up and delivery service, as well as a complementary vehicle washing at no charge. We always leave room in our schedule to take in emergency break downs and are as fluid and flexible as possible. Customers don't want to wait three days for an appointment, and it also gives them a chance to go elsewhere for service and repair. Let's face it, no one looks forward to getting their car worked on. If we can make that easier for our customers, we do it. 0 2 . 2 0 / R + W / 67

Columns

THE FIXER Aaron Stokes

GETTING OUT OF A RUT Open your eyes to new possibilities and avoid repeating the same mistakes

themselves looking up and realizing a whole decade has gone by. They’ve had kids, gotten married—time has passed. While this time has passed, their buddies’ shops have grown and theirs haven’t. As they try to figure out why, they miss the things that detract them. They’ll come up with excuses and explain away the reasons that their shops haven’t grown. Their employees aren’t good, their customers aren’t good, their marriage isn’t good—it’s sad. What they don’t realize is that they’re stuck in a rut. When you’re stuck in a rut, you have limited vision. It’s like you’re stuck in a ditch. You can see in front and behind you, but you can’t see to the left and to the right. The problem with that is that you only know what you’ve done in the past and what’s possible if you stay on the same path—so, in front and behind you. People in a rut tend to use their own opinions more than others’ opinions to make decisions. All of your mentors are wrong. Your friend that are giving you advice? Wrong. Your spouse? Wrong. This limited viewpoint causes tunnel vision at an extreme level. I encounter this a lot. People will call me up for coaching and they ignore the fact that they’re talking to the person that can give them the most actionable advice. They don’t realize that they’re saying shortsighted stuff and justifying what they’re doing—they’re blowing an opportunity to get advice on how to be better for an opportunity to brag to me. 68 / R+W / 02.20

These owners are so concerned with ego and how they’re seen that they’re living a fake life. They’re more worried about their imaginary life than their real life. When you’ve brainwashed yourself, it’s a sad existence. We are so good at lying to ourselves to make ourselves feel better. Instead of doing that, we must be focused on what we need to do to get ourselves to the next level. If you can find the courage to get out of the rut—to be able to climb out of the ditch and be able to see from the left to the right—you can see the full 360 degrees of the situation. You can see where you came from, but you can also see where you want to go and different options for getting to that destination. In the rut, it’s all the same. Your life, your business, whatever problem you’re facing—it’s awful. If you’re stuck in a rut, it’s going to be the same. Nothing is going to make it any better until you stop lying to yourself. Everyone needs to work on personal development. The only thing that will get you out of a rut is a new viewpoint. It’s imperative that you get to that higher level, to get out of the ditch, and make an accurate choice. A lot of people don’t realize that their current viewpoint is actually them lying to themselves. Many trust what they see with their own two eyes, which isn’t accurate, but in their mind it is. The people that are doing this are scratching their heads as year 11, 12, 13 go by and they’re still on the same path. It’s because they keep making the same mistake. What’s really happening is that they’re taking a

Aaron Stokes grew his business, AutoFix, into a six-shop operation that is widely regarded as one of the top repair businesses in the country. He is also the founder of Shop Fix Academy. aaron@shopfixacademy.com ratchetandwrench.com/stokes

fake attempt. What I mean by this is that people believe when they’ve taken a certain step (which is most likely a variation of or the same step they’ve tried in the past) that they’ve taken action, when, actually, they’re taking an inaction. That’s a fake movement, a fake attempt, a fake action. You can’t keep lying to yourself—you have to do whatever you can to get your business to the next level. The only way to do this is by trusting and relying on other people and through personal development. Find that higher level person that can help lift you out of this rut. Make those friends, read those books (I recommend anything by Jim Rohn—he’s a game changer) and make that change. The bottom line, drop the ego and see the solution through someone else’s perspective.

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