MWACA - May 2021

HOW YOUR TEAM CAN DRESS TO IMPRESS

THE NEW PROCESS FOR HANDLING COVID-19 CASES

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

The Driving Force for Automotive Service Professionals

LEAVE YOUR MARK

A standout shop culture should be your lasting legacy PAGE 12

PASS IT ON Rick Hughlett, owner of Rick’s Automotive in Springfield, Mo., is preparing his son-in-law, Travis Comfort, to take over his successful business.

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 03 NUMBER 02

04

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK Prepare for a great second half of 2021

06

NEW MEMBERS MWACA is growing

07

ACTION PLAN: DRESS TO IMPRESS Boost your shop’s branding by offering clean and professional uniforms

08

FEATURE You can’t plan for a pandemic but you can plan for when things go off the rails

12

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Follow Rick Hughlett’s retirement journey, and how he plans to pass his shop along

15 GETTY, BUCKLEY’S AUTO CARE, HONEST WRENCHES, RICK’S AUTOMOTIVE

Q&A MSO owner Greg Bunch reflects on where we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going as an industry

12

18

ACTION PLAN: COMMUNICATE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY Connect the front and the back of your shop with virtual communication

22

MEMBER COLUMN Stringent documentation can (and will) save your shop

18

08

The driving force for today’s independent service professionals. Formerly operating as ASA-Midwest, the second largest affiliate, our leadership responded to our members’ concerns and created a regional association designed to provide new and innovative benefits, resources, and support to shop owners and managers.

Visit mwaca.org to become a member today.

MWACAmagazine.com | 3

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

EDITORIAL VP CONTENT AND EVENTS

Bryce Evans

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Anna Zeck

SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITORS

AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS LETTER, we have just finished a very success-

Zach Pate

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mitch Bradford PRODUCTION ARTIST

Lauren Coleman

a lobby to meet up with old friends and make new acquaintances.

SALES

sponsored by Advance Auto Parts, along with a happy hour supplied in our VISION boxes, courtesy of NAPA. I felt this virtual event was the closest thing possible to being live in Kansas City. One of the truly remarkable differences from this year is that VISION attendees could log in and view all the presented classes compared to years in the past.

How cool is that? If you missed a class due to a conflict in timing, no problem, watch it later on. And many shop owners are allowing their technicians to watch some of the management classes, too. Can you think of a better way for the front and the back of the shop to better understand the concerns each is having? Who would have thought about cross-training as a method of helping increase shop productivity? This benefit was good until April 15th for all attendees, but as a member, you get access to the videos for the term of your membership!

Every year, my friend Jerry Holcom buys lunch and has a meeting with his staff a few weeks after VISION. He requires each employee to bring a list of at least five new ideas or techniques that they got from the VISION training, and they each get a chance to share these ideas with the rest of the staff. What a great way to come up with an action plan for the coming year!

I enjoy this time of year, as it’s the end of winter; the days are longer, the flowers are blooming, and customers have a much brighter attitude. All of this, combined with a mental "recharge" that I received when attending Virtually VISION, gives me an excellent launchpad to really focus on my yearly goals. I find it easier to motivate my staff and put into place the things we learned from VISION, not to just let those lessons fade away. We just pull out our action plan and check off each item as they are put into use.

I am very optimistic that 2021 will be a hectic year for the auto repair industry. We need to be prepared more than ever. My question is, have you reviewed your goals? Are you optimistic that 2021 will be a good year for all of us? With the benefits I receive and the alliances I make from being involved in MWACA, I am confident we will meet the challenges head-on and have a great 2021.

4

ART DIRECTOR

ful Virtually VISION conference. We had superb live training; we had We enjoyed watching the opening general session keynote speaker,

T I M D AV I S O N PRESIDENT

PRODUCTION

VP AND PUBLISHER

Chris Messer 651.846.9462 cmesser@10missions.com MARKETING STRATEGIST

Matt Walz 651.846.9463 mwalz@10missions.com CLIENT & SALES SERVICE SPECIALIST

Jen George 651.846.9465 jgeorge@10missions.com

MWACA LEADERSHIP PRESIDENT

Tim Davison 515.961.2594 tim@chumbleysautocare.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sheri Hamilton 816.413.9800 sheri@mwaca.org OTHER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Summer Guerrero - Vice President Doug Rosencutter - Secretary Sherri Stock - Treasurer Jerry Holcom - Past President MWACA MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD

Jennifer Baggett Summer Guerrero Jerry Holcom Scott Pelava Sherri Stock Travis Troy

MWACA SUPPORT STAFF

Hannah Jarman Jessalyn Kincaid

10 MISSIONS MEDIA PRESIDENT

Jay DeWitt

GENERAL MANAGER AND PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mariah Straub

BOOKKEEPER AND CLIENT SERVICES SPECIALIST

Meghann Moore

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Corey Steinhoff

MWACA HEADQUARTERS 5950 N Oak Trafficway, Suite 201 Gladstone, MO 64118

816.413.9800

mwacamagazine.com and visionkc.com

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NEW MEMBERS LEE’S GARAGE William Lee Gingerich Trenton, MO

ROUTE 103 AUTO Roger Batchelder Chester, VT

TYLER AUTOMOTIVE Phil Westrick Indianapoli, IN

KNUCKLES AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE LLC Diana Smith Goddard, KS

VERYL’S AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES INC. Jeffrey Poirier South Hadley, MA

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AUTO CRAFTSMEN Amy Mattinat Montpelier, VT LUKES AUTOMOTIVE Rory Patrick Columbus, OH BIRD AUTOMOTIVE Joshua Bird Oak Grove, MO ROONEY’S AUTO & TIRE CENTER Brian Rooney Emmetsburg, IA

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PARK RIDGE AUTO CARE INC Scott Felser Seneca, NY

SIL’S COMPLETE AUTO CARE CENTRE Carlo Sabucco Oakville, ON

ROADRUNNER TRUCK SERVICE Douglas Barlow Summit, UT

PRECISION AUTOMOTIVE James McNeal Paris, TX

AUTOMOTIVE ALLEY INC. James Fleischman Arcade, NY

NORWOOD AUTO SERVICE Erik Scheidt Chicago, IL

EVERYTHING AUTOMOTIVE OF JACKSONVILLE James Mossuto Jacksonville, FL

WASTLER AUTO SERVICE, LLC Dave Wastler Westminster, MD

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DIAMOND AUTO AND TRUCK SERVICES LLC Leslie Strite Wayne City, IL

MCM JOBES REPAIR INC. Greg McGrath Napa, CA

GROVE STREET AUTO REPAIR Patrick Weidman Franklin, MA

LYLE’S COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR, LLC. April Jackson Omaha, NE

ZIMA AUTOMOTIVE Max Zima Springfield, OH

FRANCIS AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES John Francis Atglen, PA

J & J AUTO REPAIR Joshua Garretson Tampico, IL

AMJ AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE INC Monty Brown Stevensville, MD

CASEY’S AUTOMOTIVE Bryan Jewett Chantilly, VA

SMITH-DAVIDSON AUTOMOTIVE Cole Davidson Greenville SC

SCHERBENSKE AUTO REPAIR INC Shelley Scherbenske Watertown, SD

PRECISION DIESEL INC. Pat Varilek Red Oak, IA

MACEK’S AUTO SERVICE, INC. Tim Macek Shawnee, KS

AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALIST Missy Cottle Columbia, MO

MYERS AUTOMOTIVE Christopher Myers Andover, KS NAPER AUTO WORKS Trevor Silberhorn Naperville, IL PRESSURIZED PERFORMANCE Chris Huggins Texarkana, AR QUALITY SERVICE CENTER Keith Katz York, PA

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ACTION PLAN: DRESS TO IMPRESS

DRESS THE PART

Boost your branding and shop image by investing in your staff’s uniforms BY

N O R A

J O H N S O N

MARKETING IS ALL ENCOMPASSING ,

from advertising materials, to a

training and marketing classes. This education made him realize

shop’s social media presence, to the design of a waiting room. But

that if he wanted to grow his business, he needed to start marketing

one factor of marketing that is often overlooked—particularly in the

his shop.

auto repair industry—is the professional appearance of the staff.

One of the first new marketing steps Guenther took was to focus

Customers are far too often faced with shop employees wearing

on a rebrand, and he invested in a logo design for Downtown Auto

mismatched, and possibly greasy and worn-out shirts and pants.

Service. “Once I had the new shop logo, I decided to change up the

This look is not only a reflection of the shop but also the industry as

shirt design,” he explains. “I decided to go from the regular striped

a whole—possibly turning away top potential customers.

design to something with a bit more color to tie into our logo.”

Michael Guenther, owner of Downtown Auto Service in Crofton,

Now, each shop shirt is grey with orange sleeves, adorned with

Neb., has recently invested in upgraded uniforms at his shop in

a patch of the new shop logo and the employee’s name. The freshly

order to boost brand awareness and ultimately grow his business.

designed logo and shop marketing help to make Downtown Auto

“Being in a small town, you have to be able to bring new people

Service a recognizable brand in his small Nebraska town. With

in your shop,” Guenther explains. “That's why I’m focusing on my

customers now faced with the logo each time they interact with a

marketing right now, and where the idea of new uniforms came from.”

shop employee.

INDUSTRY IMAGE REFRESH

THE BENEFIT OF EASE

It’s no secret that the auto repair industry still battles a hovering

A shop owner wears many hats, and anything that can be done to

negative public image. From being viewed as untrustworthy to

automate a responsibility can be a blessing—even if it’s something

unprofessional, it’s something every shop across the country faces

as mundane as laundry.

from both potential and current customers each day. There are

Once a week, the company Guenther went through to order his

countless strategies one can implement to help push back against

uniforms stops by to pick up the dirty shirts and drops off clean

the industry’s reputation, but it should begin with where every

ones, along with some rags and door mats. This helps Downtown

one-on-one interaction begins: the first impression.

Auto Service maintain a professional look and takes one responsi-

Like many owners, Guenther recognizes this challenge, and works to present a professional image to every customer that visits Downtown Auto Service. That professional image includes clean and clearly branded shop uniforms—something he has refreshed recently, to help grow his shop and market his business.

“If you're dressed for the part, so to speak, it really gives off a

bility off of the busy owner’s back.

The laundry service also takes away the annoying task of washing greasy uniforms from the staff.

“When I started in the industry and got my first uniform, I was living with my parents, and my mother refused to wash my dirty clothes,” he says. “I see providing the uniforms and the service as a

far better impression than regular clothes,” he explains.

benefit, to not have to deal with washing them themself.”

A BRANDING EFFORT

within the cycle, allowing the company to drop off five at once to

In the past year, Guenther decided to put in more of an effort to

last the week. The service only costs him roughly an extra $300

market his business, and part of that came down to branding.

a month.

According to Guenther, there are over 10 shirts per employee

GETTY

“Marketing was never something I did from the get-go, I just kind of hit the ground running and didn't worry about it,” he explains.

Since, Guenther has become more involved in shop management

“I'm currently transitioning right now to spend more time in the office, but I still wear my work shirts,” he says. “It’s great, I barely have any laundry to do.”

MWACAmagazine.com | 7

Feature

PEOPLE AND PROCESS: THE PANDEMIC SOLUTION As shop owners, Greg Buckley and Travis Troy had the necessary steps in place to endure COVID-19

By Jordan Wiklund Photography courtesy Buckley’s Auto Care, Honest Wrenches In a year loaded with the sorts of numbers

“I got caught in the hailstorm of airports

nobody wants to see, here’s a score to rejoice

shutting down,” he says, “and though I felt

about: MWACA Members 2, COVID 0.

our team was prepared, we were guessing like everyone else. We didn’t know what

That’s not to say there’s more to the

kind of threat it posed—who’s to say?”

story; there is, from MWACA members

Upon return, his first thoughts went

far and wide. But today the focus is on

to his wife, whose autoimmune rheuma-

Greg Buckley, owner of Buckley’s Auto

toid arthritis could put her at more risk.

Care (Wilmington, DE), and Travis Troy,

Nonetheless, they endured the onset like

owner of Honest Wrenches (Des Moines,

everyone else.

IA). Both shops followed state and federal shutdown

guidelines;

both

“We were protective and on-guard

owners

as much as possible; there’s no level

contracted the virus; both have stories to

of per fection you’re going to reach, so

share. There’s no accounting for unthink-

we did the best we could with what we

able worldwide viruses, but there’s plenty

had,” he says. “My wife, my team and

of reasons to ensure your shop is prepared

most of my family were in a containment

to handle the unexpected.

situation and we felt we were as close to safe as possible.”

Enduring with Vision

Almost one year from the onset,

When COVID struck last March, Greg

Buckley’s son felt sick and tested positive.

Buckley’s normal life was 1,000 miles

Then his parents. Finally, “it struck us like

away—literally. He was in Phoenix in

lightning.” As a mostly family-run shop, the

March 2020 when the country shut down,

line between employee and relation is thin.

the entire country separating him from his

Luckily, Buckley felt comfortable with his

wife, shop and normal life.

son behind the counter and his nephew as

8

the sole technician as the rest of the staff

into a calmer situation. Many owners have

recovered. They called their customers and

had to re-define mission, principle and

reduced their books, finishing up all exist-

purpose. And it’s healthy. That’s what the

ing work and slowly taking on more as the

next phase of all this will be.”

days passed and the afflicted recovered.

“You scratch your head as an owner

It Spread Like Wildfire Despite strict self-quarantine measures all other reasonable and state-led mandates, many of Greg Buckley’s family employees at Buckley’s Auto Care contracted coronavirus.

and a leader,” he says, “and you ask your-

bers-numbers,

self, ‘What could I have done differently?’

metric-metric-metric. He intends to “live

I don’t know. There’s not much value

properly,” incorporating the pandemic

wondering why it happened.”

crunch-crunch-crunch,

experience into his employee plan and

Buckley says he’d never seen anything

handbook. He’s planning proactive health

run through a shop like the virus did; not

initiatives for his entire staff, and he plans

the flu, not anything. “I just waited by the

to put down whatever they decide on in

phone and the texts came in one by one,”

writing so they have a foundation from

he says, “positive, positive, positive.”

which to work.

“We didn’t have much information on

Despite the challenges this year has

what was going on,” he continues, “and

posed, Buckley anticipates breaking a sales

you’re in this storm of rhetoric complicated

record or coming awfully close. He’s still

by politics. A hurricane of misinformation.

working the numbers and anticipating the

I respected the virus, but I don’t know

used car and repair/maintenance market

if I gave it enough respect. My attitude

to thrive.

could have been a little less cavalier. We

“As shop owners, we’ve all become

followed all the protocols. We tried to do

better, smarter and hopefully more prof-

the right thing. It didn’t matter.”

itable owners. Many are raising rates,

Still, it was process that Buckley

looking at numbers, extracting the best

credits with allowing the business to move

value out of each car. We have a lot in

forward despite some scary setbacks.

our favor,” he says, “and this summer and

Though his team was temporarily deci-

beyond, it’s off to the races.”

mated, he already had processes in place

Keeping the Shop Afloat Though business dwindled as the staff reduced to almost nothing, Buckley was able to keep a small book and soon ran at 100 percent capacity.

For his part, he believes success is found by not always pushing numbers-num-

to communicate internally and externally.

Coming Full Circle

The first week of his team’s COVID shut-

When Troy appeared in the first issue of

down, the shop lost about $20,000 in

MWACA Magazine, he was a new father

revenue; not great, but not as debilitating

and hoped to one day open a second shop.

as others endured.

Just two years later, the story is much the

Reflecting on the whole experience,

same—he’s once again a new father, and

Buckley believes his shop, his family and

the second shop is almost open, under

his community will be better for it.

construction in West Des Moines about 15

“There isn’t going to be a single person

miles from the original Honest Wrenches.

who won’t reflect on this period without

“Before COVID, in November 2019, we

some sort of different perspective,” he

were adding staff,” Troy says. They were

says. “The times we’ve endured, the

planning to grow substantially by January

mental stress and conditions of many

2020, and despite the pandemic, Honest

individuals is severely compromised. We’ll

Wrenches enjoyed a robust first quarter up

need a year of self-centering, and it might

until April and May 2020. Troy knew busi-

not even be this year. I hope we move

ness would pick up over the summer, and

MWACAmagazine.com | 9

Feature

planned for another dip in the fall, exactly matching the resurgence of the virus.

“We had set up financially to be able to get through everything OK. We sat our staf f down and were 100 percent transparent; the company is financially stable, and we’re going to make sure you guys are OK.” Troy says that eased everyone considerably, and the staff wanted to do anything to avoid being sent home. So they undertook several shop projects to keep everyone on site and working, such as cutting

Pushing Ahead Through Adversity Construction is almost complete at Troy’s second Honest Wrenches location in West Des Moines, Iowa.

down trees, cleaning and updating some interior areas and servicing much of the shop’s tools and equipment.

“We

accomplished

much

of

the

honey-do list that as a business always

COVID; Troy says he’s not there very often so he wasn’t as worried about his staff.

“What COVID showed me was how little time I had spent with my family before;

gets pushed to the wayside. We even

He lost taste. He lost smell. His

I’m a go-getter, and it was easier than I

re-did the office floors,” he says. More

breathing worsened, and he was finally

thought to put that aside and spend more

importantly, though, Troy began thinking,

hauled to the hospital at 4 AM on the

time with my family. I decided to achieve a

What can I do as shop owner and leader?

back of a stretcher.

better balance, and I’m going to ensure that

He realized he had two opportunities: first,

“I was MIA in the hospital,” he says. “I

my staff has adequate time to spend with

to slow down and spend more time with his

was on 70 liters of oxygen and it was bad.”

their families, even though I wasn’t exactly

newly grown family; and second, to ensure

Nonetheless, because

Honest of

his

Wrenches

the shop could run without him long after

endured

proac tive

the pandemic is over.

approach to managing; the videos he

the poster child for it.

“That’s going to change,” Troy says, “and that’s a big deal for me.”

So he looked to a common tool these

made guided the staff and his second-

When asked what other takeaways

days: Zoom. Instead of transcribing all

in-command through many of the duties

his experience taught him, he pauses. His

his notes, he recorded himself speaking

they only had marginal parts in before the

breathing, now regular and slow, is audible.

directly into the camera: how to do payroll.

virus struck.

How to add a new employee. How to open

“Those videos and that instruction

up. How to shut down. Anything and

allowed me to heal with minimal commu-

everything that fell under his umbrella as

nication,” he says.

owner now exists in the cloud and on his shop software.

It’s a good thing, too. Everything changed in November.

Nothing More Valuable than Time

“COVID showed me we have the right people,” he says.

“What that did was galvanize me to do so much more for them—I know they’re

“Thank God it dawned on me to do

willing to do anything for me and the shop.

something to ensure the longevity of

A second location wouldn’t be possible

my shop and my people; I realized that I

without them.”

was the guy between the staff and their

And as we move into the second COVID

paychecks, and almost immediately after I

summer, both Buckley and Troy plan to

contracted the coronavirus.”

take even less for granted. Nothing is

“I don’t have a great idea how I contracted

Troy says he wasn’t normal until the

guaranteed—neither your health nor your

it,” Troy says. There was a spike at his

new year and doesn’t know what to expect

business—but surrounding yourself with

daughter’s school when over 60 kids

long-term (just like everyone else). What

the right people can carry you far, even

tested positive. His four-week-old son

he does expect, though, are some changes

through the toughest times. Even—espe-

tested positive, yet nobody in his shop had

to his life and his business.

cially—through COVID-19.

10

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11

Member Spotlight

After over 40 years, Rick Hughlett is passing over his responsibilities to his motivated son-in-law and retiring from his $8 million shop

By Nora Johnson

W

/

Photography courtesy Rick’s Automotive

hen you call Rick’s Automotive (Springfield, Mo.) and

annually. In the last 40 years, Hughlett has created

get put on hold, an automated message rings through

something undoubtedly impressive through the same

the phone. In between information about the shop,

attitude mirrored in the hold message. Employees stay at

the voice recording mentions the owner, Rick Hughlett, and says

Rick’s, and customers keep coming to Rick’s because of

that he can still typically be found in his office and to stop over

the strong culture that has been built up throughout the

for a brief conversation.

years. But soon the hold message may have to change —

Purposeful or not, this speaks volumes about Rick’s.

after four decades with his business, Hughlett is working

The shop —which is actually more similar in size to six

to step away and fully retire from his shop, passing the

to eight shops—has grown to be a total of three build-

role to his son-in-law, and current vice president at Rick’s,

ings, 41 employees, and 28 bays that brings in $8 million

Travis Comfort.

12

The debilitating neurodegenerative disorder caused Cummings to step away from Rick’s, and Hughlett had to reassess the future of his shop.

It soon became clear that his son-inlaw, Travis Comfort, would be the best fit for the job, for Cummings had passed on

Continuing the Legacy Rick Hughlett (left) has been working to prepare Travis Comfort (right) to take over the leadership of Rick’s Automotive through training and networking.

his expert knowledge to Comfort over the recent years.

“We were grooming Travis to be Tim's assistant for a long time,” he says, “and then when Tim eventually had to step away, we just had to accelerate that path.”

Comfort is a great fit for taking over

STEPPING OUT

studying how and when to retire.”

More than 10 years later, Hughlett

he has truly worked his way up over the

Find the Right Time

brought up the same conversation to his

years. From sweeping the shop floor to

Deciding to step away from the busi-

mentor and soon began the process. The

running the parts department, he knows

ness that you have put all of your blood,

term “process” is important: creating a

the business, the culture, the employees

sweat and tears into is no easy task. For

plan and fully stepping away can take

and customers, and how to add to the

Hughlett, he knew he wanted to retire

eight or more years, he says.

extreme success of Rick’s Automotive.

from his shop in order to travel, boat

Another key factor that Hughlett

the business, explains Hughlett, because

“Travis has done a fantastic job,” he says.

the Great Loop, and ultimately spend

emphasizes is tactfully deciding what

more time with his grandchildren, but he

happens to your business—to sell or pass

from his shop for months at a time, leaving

wasn’t sure about timing.

on, which can also impact retirement

the day-to-day to Comfort and the rest

timing. He suggests really focusing on the

of his trusted team. He sees himself fully

ment plan in progress, Hughlett turned to

finances of selling, along with the poten-

retired in the next three years.

a mentor to discuss the “when”.

tial taxes. If selling calculate how much

To start the process of putting a retire-

“I first talked to a friend about retir-

money you will receive and how long that

ing when I was around fifty, I felt like I

money will last you. For Hughlett, he knew

had everything in place and was ready to

he wanted to pass down his business.

step away, but he told me I was way too young,” he explains.

Hughlett is currently stepping away

STEPPING IN Put In the Work

Create Multiple Plans

I think everyone in the industry can agree

Determining when and how to retire from

that Hughlett has created something quite

other business owners can be extremely

your business is important, but it leaves

incredible over the years. The proof is in

helpful in determining the right time

the equally significant question of “who”.

the shop’s yearly revenue, high employee

to begin to step away. Hughlett also

Who will take over your metaphorical child

retention, and constant expansion. With

heard about several other owners who

when you step away?

a strong work ethic and the help of

Leaning on those in the industry and

had sold their businesses too soon and whom felt regret years later.

Throughout Hughlett’s retirement

Hughlett, Cummings, Tim Fess (Comfort’s

process, his plans of “who” began to

team partner at Rick’s), and countless

shift. In a devastating series of events,

other industry mentors, associations, and

life around building a business and

Tim Cummings, who had been with Rick’s

organizations, Comfort says he feels ready

taking care of your customers, you can

for over 30 years and was originally on

to take on the lead.

become kind of lost when you leave,”

the path to take over the business, was

he says. “So I definitely recommend

diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy.

“When you've centered your whole

“Rick has been preparing me since I first started here, teaching me a little bit

MWACAmagazine.com | 1 3

Member Spotlight

of this and a little bit of that for the past

not the easiest industry to be in, but hard

created at Rick’s. Each year (COVID-19

twelve years,” Comfort says. “He has

work does reward itself.”

aside), the shop hosts employee parties

really taught me to always focus on our

and get-togethers to strengthen the

employees and to do the right thing with

Don’t Fix What’s Not Broken

sense of family. And, as a more unique

our customers.”

The strong shop culture, customer

opportunity, Rick’s offers longtime

service and community involvement

employees an all-expenses-paid vaca-

improve his management and industry

is what helps keep Rick’s Automotive

tion when they reach certain milestones

skills outside of the shop. He is heavily

successful. And Comfort has no plans

to thank the team members for their hard

involved in local networking organiza-

to really change any of the aspects that

work and dedication.

tions, 20 groups, associations (including

make the shop great.

Comfort has also found ways to

MWACA), and industry training. With his

“Rick and I are both very employee- and

The culture also expands past the shop doors and bleeds into the commu-

“put your head down and work hard” atti-

community-driven, we’re not just fixing

nity. Rick’s continues to give back to their

tude, Comfort continues to put in the work

cars,” he explains. “We try to keep things

surrounding areas in many different facets.

inside and outside of Rick’s Automotive to

creative and keep the employees happy.”

help aid in its success.

And the employees definitely seem to

Hughlett is always a phone call away if Comfort has a new idea or

“If you find a place where you enjoy

be happy. Plenty of staff members have

wants to tweak something in the shop;

working, that has great leadership, and an

been with the business for 10, 20, even

but the main pillars that hold up Rick’s

employee-driven culture, stick with it and

30 years. This is strongly connected to

Automotive will stay the same as the

work your way up,” Comfort says. “This is

the culture of celebration that has been

roles transfer.

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14

Q&A

KEEP THE PANDEMIC (AND FUTURE) IN PERSPECTIVE Despite an off year, the aftermarket is poised to prosper

GREG

BUNCH

BY

J O R D A N

W I K L U N D

There’s much to cover about the

Looking ahead, we always talk of tech

pandemic; how have you contextual-

and tools and keeping up with modern

Greg Bunch is the founder

ized it as part of the industry? What

times in the shop and on the shop floor.

of Aspen Auto Clinic and

have you seen?

How do you balance the tried-and-true

Transformers Mastermind. He

As far as the Colorado market goes, the

tools of yesterday with tomorrow’s

began Aspen as a one-man

impact of COVID gets less and less with

advanced shop tech and its needs?

operation in his home garage

each passing day. Many shops had a

You want to make sure your name is in

in 2001 and now runs a

massive dip at the onset, but I hear a lot

front of people as volume increases,

six-facility, nearly $10 million-

of positivity from talking to local business

so marketing is important. Investing in

per-year business in central

people in Colorado Springs and from

apprenticeship programs and developing

Colorado. Along the way,

other shop owners around the region

the next gen of technicians is important;

Bunch has mastered the art of

and country. Everyone is pretty pumped

everyone should be spending some

measured business expansion

up that the third and fourth quarters will

money on that. You need to keep up with

and founded a networking

remain a very strong year.

technology if you want to hold onto long-

group for independent owners

If you think about it (and putting all

of multiple repair shops. Learn

politics aside), the big picture is we were

more at AspenAutoClinic.com.

the sleeping giant and found ourselves

So how do you prioritize? I suppose

very vulnerable, just like what occurred in

that’s the challenge every day.

World War II after the Japanese attacked

It is. It also depends where you’re at in

Pearl Harbor. We put a war machine

your own business. Some shops have

together and entered WWII. We returned

great technicians and equipment but

to business fast and then dominated, and

don’t know how to market nor sell the

that’s how I look at COVID; we got our

work; the “ferrari in the garage” dilemma.

COURTESY GREG BUNCH

butts kicked in the beginning and now

term customers.

When I teach and have the oppor-

we’re bouncing back. There will be more

tunity to speak, I use slides about an

national travel this year as families will be

oncoming tsunami. When it hit, some

driving to see relatives they haven’t been

people didn’t realize what was going

able to see. Those of us in the aftermarket

on. Others hit the high ground imme-

will prosper.

diately. The analogy is consolidation; MWACAmagazine.com | 1 5

Q&A

the consolidation of independent shops is

It’s a hot topic, and the long-tail end can

need to have an electrical engineer? I

going to organically squeeze out single-

be hard to see, but if you can grow your

don’t know. Maybe.

store, mom and pop shops. From the 2015

own you will be poised to handle the

Ratchet+Wrench survey, 50 percent of

shortage and teach technicians how you

really became mainstream, we all believed

mom and pop shops wanted out by 2020.

would want them to be taught.

it would galvanize productivity. Work/life balance would be better and everything

when sharp operators need strong single

To that end, how long will the current

would be easier. The opposite is actually

locations or understand that diversifying is

aftermarket atmosphere endure?

true. Who works less hours? No one. We’re

the wave of the future. If I’m one guy with

I believe gas-powered vehicles are

answering emails at 9:00 at night. That’s

a $33,000 scan tool, how long is it going to

going to be around for a long time. Most

my analogy for digital vehicle inspections;

be until I have paid that tool off? Is keeping

dealerships’ lots are 98 percent internal

they’re great in our industry. Customers

up with technology worth it for me?

combustion engines, hybrid or not. We

love it. We get a lot of positivity around

may not know what the far future holds,

it. But what’s going to happen and what’s

Let’s zoom in a bit. What stimulates

but the short term one still relies on the

already been happening through COVID is

you? What’s interesting and needs to

internal combustion engine.

that some service advisors don’t necessar-

be addressed?

I’ve always been proud of our indus-

ily need to work as hard; it may seem great

The short term is the technician shortage.

try and our ability to reverse-engineer

now, but eventually it will erode because

I know it’s an old subject, but there are

the answer or the repair from what

you don’t have a personal relationship with

not enough qualified guys to go around;

we’ve seen. The reality that few talk

the people to whom you’re selling. In the

someone always gets the short straw

about is that technicians at a dealership

aftermarket, it’s all about the relationship.

in any market having poor technicians.

aren’t any more well trained than the

The entire reason we exist is because

Savvy owners are working directly with

guys working at my shop on the most

people didn’t want to feel like a number.

local governments, local high schools and

contemporary technology; we all need

Still, some advisors are taking the easy way

programs, and they’re figuring things out

training on that, and we don’t even know

out and are successful at it, but the long-

under their own roofs to grow their own.

what types of tech we’ll need. Will shops

term ramifications are significant.

16

GETTY

And that was all before COVID. It’s a time

Here’s my last thing--when computers

“Parts department,

PLEASE HOLD…”

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AC T I O N P L A N : C O M M U N I C AT E T H RO U G H T E C H N O L O G Y

EMBRACE VIRTUAL INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Improve efficiency by utilizing workflow and communication technology BY

N O R A

J O H N S O N

LIKE ANY ORGANIZATION OR BUSINESS,

MWACA Magazine runs on

strong internal communication.

of cars takes up vital room in the shop and keeps the vehicle away from the owner for longer than necessary.

For a quick behind the scenes look, each magazine story is

“Some shops run in a chaotic environment—all day, every day—

assigned out and pushed through an online tracker—from writer,

this is still very rampant in our industry,” Cloutier says. “Internal

to editor, to designer, back to editor. Tasks physically get dragged

communication first starts with each employee knowing where

down a virtual timeline, indicating when the next person can jump

everything in the shop is at.”

in. Without this technology—and added Google Chat messages

By utilizing a workflow tool, all employees from the front of the

along the way—you may not have the pleasure of reading this

shop to the back are aware of what is going on with every vehicle

current issue.

that comes through the doors.

In this case, magazines aren’t too far off from vehicles in a repair

Cloutier developed autotext.me over seven years ago to help

shop. Internal communication and digital workflow tools get the

aid in both internal and external communication within the shop.

keys back in customers’ hands as quickly as possible. According to

He compares his workflow tool within autotext.me to the online

Chris Cloutier, co-owner of Golden Rule Auto Care in Rowlett and

Domino’s pizza tracker. Each step along the way is sectioned

Wylie, Texas and founder of the cloud-based communication tool,

out and assigned, virtually progressing as steps are finished.

autotext.me, use of internal communication technology improves

Simaliarily, through autotext.me, specific shop employees are

efficiency and eliminates lost vehicles along the way.

assigned steps along the repair process. As steps are completed, the tracker pushes along through the entirety of the process. All

DIGITALLY TRACK YOUR WORKFLOW.

team members are able to view the tracker, leaving no confusion

It’s no secret that every repair shop can easily become chaotic, no

as to where a vehicle is at.

touch points along the way, vehicles are bound to simply be forgot-

VIRTUALLY COMMUNICATE, CONSTANTLY.

ten or become lost. Without a strong system of internal commu-

Tracking the workflow of a vehicle can only help so much, one-on-

nication, employees can easily become confused and vehicles can

one and group communication also needs to be heavily present

stay in the shop much longer than expected. This backed up queue

along the way.

18

GETTY

matter the size. With vehicles coming in and out, and countless

“I strongly suggest tablets for technicians, not just for staying

START SLOW AND PRACTICE.

on top of workflow but also for chat communication,” Cloutier

Everything new takes time to perfect. If internal communication

explains. “External chatting outside of workflow is the glue that

is a struggle at your shop, encourage your employees to ramp up

holds everything together.”

their face-to-face and virtual communication each and every day.

Whether it be Slack, Google Chat, or a different communication software, each team member should be logged in and communicat-

“You have to repeat something until it becomes natural, because eventually we're creatures of habit,” Cloutier explains.

ing. Internal communication doesn’t stop once a part of the repair

Once internal communication increases, the shop can come

process is complete. Issues may arise or questions might need to

together and assess where improvements can be made, what can

be answered, and instead of taking up valuable time tracking down

be tweaked and made better.

the other team member in the shop, the employee can simply send

If you are introducing new workflow or chat technology to

a quick one-on-one or group message to whomever may have an

improve internal communication and efficiency, don’t be afraid to

answer or solution.

start slow. More old school employees may shy away from new

Internal virtual communication is especially important between

forms of technology. Cloutier suggests making a goal to encourage

technicians and service advisors, in order to ensure things are

the team to begin by using the new tool only 20 percent of the time.

being properly communicated to customers.

When that goal is reached, you can slowly increase the percentage.

“Everything is about time and communication,” Cloutier says.

Soon, it will get to the point where everyone is used to the tool,

“It comes down to shop efficiency and how you can get that car

and constant workflow tracking and strong internal communication

in and out quickly.”

becomes second nature.

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MWACAmagazine.com | 1 9

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Shop Fix has changed the way I view things. Mindset is the key component to having a successful business. We have accomplished a lot, to some it can be a little, but to me it is huge! We grew from a 1 man shop to projecting this year, even with the pandemic and fires, $1,5M. My 1st yr I did $142k, 2nd yr $242K, 3rd yr $342K, 4th we did $760k, and last yr 2019 we did $1,349,000, and we project 2021 to be $1.8m. Thanks to Shop Fix Academy and all the members who are always willing to help.

-Juan Acevedo, California

T H E F I N A L WO R D

NO CUSTOMER IS ROUTINE BY

D E V I N

K E L L E Y

WHAT DO A PUNCTURED OIL COOLER,

the city police, the attorney

general and the FBI all have in common?

They were all involved in a wild claim in my shop last year.

A customer had their car towed into the shop. The oil light had come on and it wasn’t running. We assessed it and learned that while they were driving, the cooling fan broke and had punctured the engine oil cooler. The engine stopped running, so the engine, both turbo chargers, fan assembly and other items were ruined.

Essentially, we had a nonfunctional car on our hands.

Less functional was the customer; they were irritable, commu-

Prepare for Every Customer Kelley wants shop notes to be as precise and detailed as surgical procedures notes: every tool, every repair, everything backed up with photos.

nicated poorly and decided to leave the car at the shop. After our initial assessment, we advised taking it to a dealership or different shop as we didn’t specialize in that type of vehicle (the estimate was

vehicle. His report matched ours completely, so now we have even

over $38,000, far and away the largest we’ve written). They didn’t

more photos and evidence that we did not harm this vehicle.

We’ve now been dealing with this for over year. We learned

One week passed, kicking off storage fees as part of our process.

their attorney dropped them as a client. They sent a check for

They came to the shop, looked under the hood and accused us of

the $120 assessment even though we’re over thirty times that in

stealing the fan and other parts, even though we had them inven-

other fees.

toried nearby. They also claimed we stole the splash guard, which

My attorney advised us to release the vehicle and let them sue us;

we had to remove to assess the engine. Another week went by and

there’s literally no evidence of any of their claims. They finally towed

we told them they had to pick up up the vehicle. They came by, did

the vehicle away after a six-hour fiasco involving the Columbia city

the same thing, and as the situation escalated we called the police

police department, my Federated insurance rep, three additional

to report trespassing. They left before police arrived. Another week

witnesses and finally the FBI because they thought we had planted

passed; another angry visit, and this time the police showed up in

drugs in their vehicle. They even requested drug-sniffing dogs on

time and escorted them off the premises.

site. I had to coordinate all parties and it was quite an event.

A few months later, we got a letter from an attorney that formally

The moral of the story is that a sound assessment gives you

accused us of theft and wilful negligence. They demanded full resti-

leverage as you never know who is coming through your doors

tution for the car even though the bad engine rendered it mostly scrap

next. I tell my team to use precise, detailed notes similar to surgical

metal. We contacted our lawyer and sent the same day-after digital

procedure notes. I want to know every aspect of every repair, every

assessment we had shared with the customer as well as all other

tool used, when it was used, what data we collected, anything and

documentation. We wanted them to sign a release of liability as we

everything to achieve maximum transparency.

hadn’t disassembled the car and certainly weren’t going to. We stored

Later, I learned the person had open cases against other dealerships

the car in a safer location offsite and several more months passed.

in the area and was even suing a major state legal department over

Storage and attorney’s fees grew as more legal letters arrived.

unrelated events. You just never know.

Eventually a letter arrived from the state attorney general’s office with even wilder claims. They advised us to release the car or respond, and my attorney responded. I got my Federated insurance

Devin Kelley owns All Star Automotive in Columbia, Missouri.

agent involved and they sent a third-party adjuster to assess the

He is the MWACA Central Missouri Chapter Vice President.

22

ANNIKA MILLER

listen and even seemed to laugh at me at one point.

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23

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