Finding skilled technicians is tough. The NAPA Auto Care Apprentice Program helps you hire new talent or grow your own. Get the tools to attract passionate, driven individuals who bring more than just technical skills to your shop.
THE STAGES
1. General Service
Duration 1 month
STAGES
Paid, hands-on training every step of the way.
YEAR PROGRAM
Flexible pacing for apprentices to learn as they grow.
Earned throughout to boost skills and credibility.
2. General Service
Duration 2 months
3. Emissions Certification
Duration 3 months
4. Earn ASE G1 (General)
Duration 3 months
5. Earn ASE A5 (Brakes)
Duration 3 months
6. Earn ASE A4 (Suspension)
Duration 3 months
7. Electrical
Duration 3 months
8. Earn ASE A/C Certification
Duration 3 months
9. Diagnostic & Fuel Systems
Duration 3 months
to make sure your local trust follows you to a
IVAN RIOJA-SCOTT
HYDROGEN AND H2O
Hydrogen fuel cells are a viable alternative to ICE and plug-in electric vehicles, but it remains uncertain when and if the general public will adopt this technology
BY IVAN RIOJA-SCOTT
I distinctly remember the first time I learned about hydrogen-powered cars; it was during the Madrid auto show in 2000. Although the Madrid show isn’t as significant or central for the European market as the Geneva show, it occasionally features some vehicles that have already been introduced globally.
The U.S. saw the arrival of the first retail hydrogen-powered car with the Honda Clarity FCX in 2008. Deemed by the BBC television show “Top Gear” as the “car of the future,” it was more of a concept car for sale than an actual push from Honda to conquer the new market. The limited availability of charging stations made this car what is was supposed to be, a demonstration of technical advancement. Not to mention that it was only available for purchase in California.
It’s been 25 years since then, and hydrogen hasn’t really made its way into the mainstream auto markets like many people thought it would. Many brands, especially Toyota, BMW, Honda, and Hyundai, have developed this technology into a retail level with certain models, but liquid hydrogen storage and distribution still remains a “hard nut to crack.”
According to the website “Hydrogen Insight”, the second quarter of 2024 saw hydrogen-powered car sales fall to only 99 actual vehicles in the U.S. This is down from 1,094 in the same period of 2023. Despite manufacturers offering large discounts and hydrogen-fuel credits of up to $16,000, these cars have simply not appealed to the U.S. consumer.
There are several reasons behind this lack of interest. Primarily, it’s the limited availability of charging stations outside of California. Additionally, there’s a gap in understanding what
hydrogen fuel cells are and how they function. Transitioning from gasolinepowered cars to hybrids was simpler for the general public because it was environmentally friendly and there was still the option to use gasoline, which made the switch smooth and convenient. It makes sense to believe that the aftermarket auto repair industry still has plenty of time to get ready for hydrogen-powered vehicles. It’s only recently that specific electric vehicle repair shops have begun to appear in the U.S. As an industry, we need to stay alert because the general public will rely on us to be knowledgeable and equipped when it comes to repairing and servicing hydrogen-powered cars. After all, we are essential service providers.
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Chris Jones
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ivan Rioja-Scott
ASSISTANT EDITOR
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Tess Owings, Leona Scott
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Tara Topel, Topel’s Towing and Repair
Andrew Marcotte, American Pride Automotive
J.J. Mont, J.J.’s Auto Service
Rachel Spencer, Spencer’s Auto Repair
Tonnika Haynes, Brown’s Automotive
Lucas Underwood, L&N Performance Auto Repair
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INDUSTRY DRIVERS
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JUMP START
MOVING ON UP: HELPING EMPLOYEES ADVANCE WITHIN YOUR SHOP
American Pride Automotive fosters an engaging environment in its workshop that inspires employees to stay motivated and continually grow in their roles within the company
BY KACEY FREDERICK
As you grow and expand your business, so too will many of your employees be looking to advance their own careers. If you’ve put time and effort into recruiting the best team possible, the best way to retain them is to show that your shop offers the best opportunities available to them.
At American Pride Automotive, a shop
with six locations based in the Virginia Peninsula, a thorough hiring process ensures that only the most passionate and talented are considered—but the work does not end there, as American Pride realizes that once they find a valued team player, they have to work to keep them.
Vice
President Andrew Marcotte and
Chief Technical Training Officer Billy Weston share how American Pride recruits these employees and only adds to the fulfillment they receive from the work they do by having the opportunity to move into any role they want within the company.
Focusing on What Matters
To begin with, American Pride Automotive has carefully constructed its hiring process to weed out those uninterested in staying for the long haul. Technical ability is undoubtedly important in the recruitment process, but an individual’s ability to fit within the shop’s culture often trumps everything else—especially for entry-level apprentice techs, who are still looking for guidance on how to navigate the field.
“We have evaluated a series of interview questions that are more designed to pick apart cultural fit versus technical skill,” tells Marcotte. “We’ve been focusing for the last four years now on more of a cultural-based
interview—knowing that the raw skills can be taught, but the cultural fit is likely something that somebody can’t learn and change into.”
The shop is able to be selective with who it hires because it rarely needs to fill an empty position. This is largely the result of its apprenticeship program, which pairs up entry-level technicians with mentors in the shop, who are typically shop foremen.
Those who serve as mentors are also deeply involved in the hiring process, with American Pride having each shop’s service director and shop foreman participating in interviews with potential new hires.
Ensuring you’re hiring a good technician is only half of what it takes to keep them on. The other half is how involved the shop is in supporting new hires. This is more likely to happen if your team feels they had some say in who they’ll be training and working with.
“We found a much higher level of buy-in and effort put into new team member success when the shop foremen and the service directors have had an actual say in who gets to join the team,” explains Marcotte. “Because at the end of the day, if they end
up struggling in some areas, it’s no longer ‘Oh, you guys gave me a bad hire.’ Now it’s, ‘You helped me make this decision to bring this person on. You saw potential in them.’”
Know Your Employees
Keeping technicians engaged is not a oneand-done deal, though. A shop must make a constant effort to maintain a connection with its technicians, and understand what their motivations are as their skill sets expand.
To accomplish this, Marcotte’s shop conducts a semi-annual review, consisting of two halves each year. For the first part, employees will do a self-evaluation, with the second part being crafted by their direct supervisor, accompanied by a review of each staff member’s pay.
Alternatively, some shops in Marcotte’s network also conduct regular one-on-one meetings with team members as a way to stay connected with their goals.
This practice has enabled a deeper understanding of where an employee thinks they are in their career and where they see themselves going, and making it easier for American Pride to support them in achieving that.
“If you’re assuming somebody is motivated by money, money alone, and that’s what you’re using as a motivational tool, but they’re driven by career growth, skill development, things along those lines, you’re not going to have the impact you’re looking to have,” says Marcotte. “So being connected and really just knowing those things, however your company comes up with their process of gathering that information.”
Weston holds weekly meetings with all the shop foremen to gain insight into how all the apprentice techs are doing. He’ll check in on their skill sets, opportunities for growth, and any accomplishments they’ve made. The shop always makes an effort to recognize wins from technicians, such as awarding reimbursement for tools as they expand their capabilities.
Be the Opportunity
Recognizing and communicating with technicians is especially important with employees who have been treated poorly in previous workplaces where they were held back from advancing. Often times, this can be due to a high-performance tech
HIRING IN HIGH GEAR
being kept in a particular role. Though it may be challenging to fill their spot, keeping them stuck in a position they want to evolve from could lead to you losing them to another shop.
“Most of the people that are coming into this trade have a passion for vehicles. You just have to find a way to keep them excited about it,” says Weston. “You can’t pigeon-
hole them into a general service position and expect for them to continue to have the passion that they came in with.”
Weston himself is proof of what a shop can gain from investing in its technicians for the long haul. He joined the shop as a technician before advancing to a shop foreman, then running a store, and now serving as the brand’s chief technical training officer.
He’s far from the only one. Of the business’ over 50 employees, nearly 15 have begun to advance within the company, spanning a variety of roles, including a service advisor or shop foreman going on to run an entire store, a customer service representative becoming a service advisor, and an apprentice being promoted to a flat rate technician.
The cost benefits, the quality of service, the hiring process, the shop culture—it has all been amplified by American Pride bolstering the passions that brought its team to this industry in the first place. The shop has spent lots of time perfecting its recruitment practices, but it is only successful if it’s coupled with employees feeling like they are growing with the business, too.
“At the end of the day, they owe it to themselves to go see what they’re capable of doing with somebody who’s going to give them the opportunity,” says Marcotte. “We have so many who are key people within the company who were undervalued where they were previously, and would have never progressed if they had accepted that.”
Sun Auto Tire & Service Acquires
Piedmont Radiator and Tire of North Carolina
Sun Auto Tire & Service has acquired Piedmont Radiator and Tire in King, North Carolina, according to a press release.
Piedmont Radiator and Tire was founded in 1993, and is owned by Jeff Nunn.
The acquisition follows four Tire Max locations acquired by Sun Auto this past November.
“Joining Sun Auto Tire & Service provides an exciting opportunity to continue offering exceptional customer service and trusted automotive care to our loyal customers,” said Nunn. “We chose Sun Auto Tire & Service because they value the relationships we’ve built over three decades and will continue to nurture those connections and do right by our employees and their families.”
“Piedmont Radiator and Tire is exactly the kind of respected, community-focused business that we look to partner with as we expand our footprint,” added Sun Auto Tire & Service Regional Vice President Michael Loa. “We’re committed to preserving the legacy of outstanding service that they have cultivated over their 30-plus years in business.”
North Carolina Auto Shops Targeted By Tire Purchasing Scam, Costing
Them Thousands
Auto repair shops across Craven and Pamlico counties in North Carolina have been the recent target of a scam involving tire purchases, reports WITN.
Around two weeks ago, Diversified Auto & Tire owner David Drexler got a call from someone named Ken Wolf, asking to purchase eight tires. He provided credit card info over the phone and completed the purchase, but called back a few days later to purchase eight more tires.
When a van came by to pick up the tires, Drexler said something felt wrong about it.
“I kinda just had that sinking feeling,” said Drexler.
Afterward, Drexler discovered that the cards used to purchase the tires were fake. The shop lost $5,800 as a result of the ordeal.
Diversified Auto was far from the only shop to be targeted by the scam, though— upon speaking with other shops in the area to warn them, Drexler found that all of them
had been contacted by the same person. Blake Frames at Craven Tire & Automotive Repair shared that someone using the same name had called them too, trying to purchase 28 tires.
“It was kinda suspicious buying that many tires at one time so I wanted to look into it,” Frames said.
When Frames asked the man to come by the shop and present identification, he refused, confirming to Frames that it was a scam. If they had gone through with the transaction, it would have lost the shop $7,500.
Now, auto shops in the area are coming together to warn one another and prepare against future scam attempts. These proactive measures have included working with bank and credit card companies, requiring more identification, and making changes to the credit card machine to ask for more information on a phone sale.
U.S. Government Releases List of Auto Parts Impacted by Incoming 25% Tariff
The White House has released a list of the auto parts impacted by the additional 25% tariff on imports from all countries, as recently shared by the Auto Care Association.
A list of auto parts HTS codes impacted by the tariffs was shared through a Federal Register notice in April. Tariffs on auto parts are expected to take effect no later than May 3, 2025.
Though not an exhaustive list, the following components are covered:
Chassis and Drivetrain Parts
• Brake hoses
• Various bearings
• Leaf springs
Automotive Tires and Tubes
• Tires
• Inner tubes
Bodies and Parts
• Safety glass
• Rear-view mirrors
• Locks
• Hinges
• Bodies
Engines and Parts
• Compression ignition engine
• Fuel injection pumps
• Oil or fuel filters
• Camshafts and crankshafts
Electrical and Electric Components
• Compressors
• Turbochargers
• Fans
• Air conditioners
• Spark plugs
• Ignition coils
• Starter motors
• Generators
• Electric motors
General Motors Trucks, SUVs Facing National Backorder on Transmission Valve Bodies
A national backorder on transmission valve bodies is causing delays in necessary repairs for GM trucks and SUVs, reports GM Authority.
On Nov. 26, 2024, GM said it would be offering special coverage for vehicles impacted by momentary rear-wheel lockup from control valve failure, potentially caused by a miscommunication between the transmission and the transmission control module software.
Beginning with model year 2019 and later, the following models are impacted by the issue:
• Chevy Silverado 1500
• Chevy Suburban
• Chevy Tahoe
• GMC Sierra 1500
• GMC Yukon
• GMC Yukon XL
• Cadillac Escalade
• Cadillac Escalade ESV
Any unit containing a GM eight-speed automatic transmission or GM 10-speed automatic transmission may be affected. GM Authority noted that the issue may also potentially be present in all ICE-powered full-size GM truck and SUV models, including diesel and gasoline variants.
GM’s special coverage included transmission control valve body repairs, but many repairs have yet to be carried out due to a national backorder on transmission control valves. Owners have been estimated wait times ranging from six weeks to over seven months, with one owner even being told it would be a year before a dealership could get the part. In response, many dealerships have resorted to performing full transmission replacements. This led one owner to finally receiving a repair, after seven months, after GM approved a replacement transmission.
In
June 21st - 22nd
July 19th - 20th
June 21st - 22nd
July 19th - 20th
June 20th
“This
WOMAN-OWNED AUTO SHOPS
The average female shop owner according to the 2024 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey is between 40 and 49 years old, having begun her ownership journey in her 30s with approximately two decades of industry experience under her belt—often including previous roles in administration
Here’s how their shops are run:
or management. Nearly 90% operate independent repair shops, while the remaining 10% manage multistore or franchise operations. Their facilities typically span 2,000 to 4,999 square feet, featuring 3-6 bays and lifts, and are staffed by teams of 3 to 8 employees.
Handing Your Shop to an Employee
Blaine Jenkins shares how he passed the mantle to longtime employee Tim Holzer, and the best ways shops can recreate similar succession paths
BY KACEY FREDERICK
At one point or another, most shop owners will have retirement on their mind. It’s notalways an option to pass on your business to someone else, but sometimes, there areopportunities to pass on your legacy to another emerging shop owner.
The hard part is deciding who will be responsible for the customers left behind. But forshops with longtime technicians, sometimes the answer is already in front of you.
After 30 years of operation, when Blaine and Donna Jenkins sold Auto-
Tech ServiceCenter—a repair shop in Winchester, Virginia—they didn’t initially think of it, either. But the support they provided to longtime technician Tim Holzer made him realize he was ready to take the mantle.
Both Jenkins and Holzer took a moment to share what that process looked like for them, and how other shops can learn from their experience to establish their own process for employee succession.
ESTABLISH A STANDARD
As a shop owner, Jenkins has regarded
regular training as invaluable to his business’ success. He was always investing in classes, updating equipment, and anything that could help the shop to evolve and keep pace with the industry. This is where retaining employees can pay off huge in the long-run, as Holzer spent 25 years learning the culture of Auto-Tech Service Center and being shaped by this standard. Today, it helps him maintain the level of quality seen under Jenkins’ leadership. “I’m pretty much running everything the way I’ve seen and watched them do
things, because that’s really all I know,” says Holzer. “Blaine and Donna both taught me a bunchover the years.”
A shop being up-to-date is a neverending, constant effort. It’s what solidified a standard among Auto-Tech Service Center’s technicians, as well as a customer base solid enough to be retained after Holzer took over. Because of Auto-Tech Service Center’s dedication to training and modern equipment, other shops in the area ended up sending over more complex repairs, such as electrical diagnostics.
This led to a strong, loyal customer base being built, which became more familiar and trusting of not only Jenkins, but his entire team as well. “If a guy’s at a shop and they send him to another shop because they can’t diagnose thevehicle properly, as a rule, we retain those customers, because once you fix their
cars, they’ll continue coming, even if you’re not trying to solicit their business. It just becomes a loyalty issue,” says Jenkins.
CONNECT WITH YOUR MOST SOLID EMPLOYEES
Jenkins advises that if a shop is going to transition its ownership to an employee, the transition should be planned well in advance. Though ideal, this isn’t how it turned out for Jenkins and Holzer. Although Jenkins had floated the idea to Holzer, they hadn’t seriously discussed it; however, it set the stage for Holzer having greater ambitions.
“Until Blaine actually said something about me having this one day, I just thought of being a tech at that point,” tells Holzer.
After over two decades of working at Auto-Tech Service Center, Holzer actually pursued his own auto repair business before he launched Ironsides Garage—however, it didn’t operate out of a shop, but was a mobile repair business he was doing alongside his son. It wasn’t the right fit, though. Holzer missed having the equipment and tools of a shop at his disposal.
Fortunately, Jenkins maintained contact with Holzer, having relied on him as a solid employee for so many years, and when Holzer found out that Jenkins was finally retiring, he said he wanted to take over the facility.
Although a deal to sell the property was already made, the buyer showed no interest in buying Auto-Tech Service Center as a business. Unsatisfied with mobile repair, Holzer had the idea to continue serving Jenkins’ customers himself. It ended up working out well for them, but Jenkins recommends that other shops take as much time as they need to negotiate and find the best deal they can.
“Ideally, I would have liked to have had him take over Auto-Tech directly, and been able to work out something where he could have owned the building as well. But it’s just the way the cards fell. It didn’t work out for us,” explains Jenkins. “So, yeah, that would have been my advice: to negotiate the deal ahead of time.”
ASSIST WITH TRANSITIONING
Jenkins didn’t sell the Auto-Tech
Service Center brand over to Holzer, but what he could do was to share his customer list and publicly endorse the shop. It’s contributed to Ironsides Garage retaining nearly all of AutoTech Service Center’s clientele.
Right now, Jenkins and his wife are focused on enjoying their retirement— but he still frequently drops by to check on Holzer, and has always been just a quick phone call away.
“If I do need him, he’s available. And there’s been a couple times I needed some assistance or advice or whatnot. I’ve given him a call, and every now and then he’ll just popin to see how things are going,” says Holzer.
Tim Holzer
Current owner of AutoTech Service Center
Tim Holzer is a seasoned automotive technician with over two decades of experience working at Auto Tech Service Center under Jenkins’ mentorship.
Growing up with a passion for cars inspired by his father, a truck driver whose CB handle was “Ironsides,” Tim has been immersed in automotive work since childhood. His son Cody has also been learning the trade alongside him since he was four or five years old.
ironsidesgarage@gmail.com
Blaine Jenkins
Former owner of AutoTech Service Center
Blaine Jenkins has five decades of experience working in the automotive industry—30 of which were spent as a shop owner alongside his wife of 44 years, Donna Jenkins. His commitment to continuous learning and technological adaptation was a hallmark of his business approach.
A passionate automotive enthusiast, Blaine's hobby has always been cars, including racing and maintaining vintage vehicles. He has owned several older cars and continues to work on automotive projects during retirement.
MEASURE, MANAGE & MASTER
Your Tone and Body Language Matter
BY KATHLEEN CALLAHAN
Continuing our series on how to deliver exceptional customer service, last month we talked about active listening. This month, let’s talk about how we communicate with our clients (and to be honest, with everyone in our lives).
I’m sure nobody reading this has ever argued with someone over their tone, right? We could all probably fill books with examples of conflict caused by a misunderstood tone!
Your tone is how you say things and, maybe more importantly, how it makes the listener feel. Albert Mehrabian’s communication theory states that communication is 7% what you say (words), 38% how you say it (tone), and 55% body language, particularly facial expressions. This means your tone of voice has five times more impact than your word choice in a conversation.
Your vocal tone is the combination of pitch, pace, volume, and timbre. This is how each of those characteristics is defined:
• Pitch: A message is conveyed by how high or low your voice fluctuates. If it’s too high, it could indicate defensiveness, and if it’s too low, it can convey authority and seriousness.
• Pace: Speaking too slowly could be perceived as demeaning and offensive, and speaking too fast conveys a feeling of rushing, lowering the sense of importance. Maintaining a steady pace ensures you are communicating your point and causes more focus on your message by the listener.
• Volume: This one is pretty obvious. Loud talking feels aggressive or insensitive.
• Timbre: This is the big one … Your speech’s emotional quality or attitude comes through no matter which words you choose. If you’re feeling happy, frustrated, rushed, or distracted, the phrase “Have a great day!” will sound very different to the listener.
Here are some ways to improve your tone:
• Use positive body language . Here are some examples:
1. Smile! We’ve talked a lot about the importance of smiling, even when someone you are talking to cannot see you. Even a slight upward curve to the corners of your mouth brightens your face and uplifts your tone.
2. Keep your arms uncrossed and your hands off your hips. These two are often perceived as aggressive behavior.
3. Allow people to see the palms of your hands by keeping them open and visible. Not jazz hands, but not balled into closed fists. How you hold yourself impacts the muscles in your face and neck, which changes your breathing and the pressure on your vocal cords.
• Maintain calm and patience: This can sometimes be tough, and focusing on your breath when your blood pressure rises is a helpful way to maintain your calm. I used to have an English teacher who, when people would get out of hand, would quietly say, “Maintain a modicum of decorum.” I can still hear that in my mind when I start to get a little flustered and it resets my brain so I can prevent escalation, sometimes.
• Use positive language and words: Just like last month, we talked about not using industry jargon or technical terms that may alienate our clients. We should also try to avoid the word “no.” This requires practice and some creativity. Here are some examples of phrases that we can use instead of using negative sayings:
1. We can’t do that. / Here’s what we can do to address that.
2. I don’t know. / Let me find out for you.
3. You’ll have to … / You might find it helpful to ...
4. Hold on. / Would you mind holding for a moment while I ...
5. No problem. / Absolutely. I’d be happy to assist with that.
6. That would frustrate me as well. / Let me see how I can help.
If you’ve read this far, you’ll realize that all of these steps will help in building good relationships with the people in your life–not only your clients. Remember–like any good relationship, it isn’t always easy, but it is definitely worth the work!
Kathleen Callahan has owned Florida’s Xpertech Auto Repair for 20 years. In 2020, she joined Repair Shop of Tomorrow as a coach to pursue her passion for developing people and creating thriving shop cultures. Callahan is the 2018 Women in Auto Care Shop Owner of the Year, nationally recognized by AAA for three consecutive years, testified for Right to Repair on Capitol Hill, and is vice chair of Women in Auto Care. kathleencallahanfl@gmail.com
Casting a Bigger Net
There are many aspects that shops can use to improve their overall net profit
BY IVAN RIOJA-SCOTT
BY CHRIS MCGUIRE PHOTOGRAPHY
When shops take a closer look at their financial figures, many discover that their net profits fall short of their expectations. This revelation prompts a host of inquiries about potential areas for improvement. Shop owners begin to seek ways to enhance their metrics and boost their bottom line. However, this endeavor is often challenging, as they strive to maximize profits without implementing drastic structural changes within their businesses.
Monitoring and Improving your KPIs
One of the first steps that shop owners can take is to understand and manage their KPIs. As a shop owner, taking the time to monitor the statistics weekly, at the least, will help you identify areas of potential growth while correcting metrics that may not be up to par. Some of the most important KPIs are those that reflect the efficiency of technicians, the overall efficiency of the shop, and the effective labor rate.
PHOTOS
This may sound like it’s a technique for control, but it’s not. Hiller Automotive is a three-store shop with locations in Peoria, Pekin, and Springfield, Illinois. At Hiller, they take a step back and assign specific employees to key roles to enhance our operational efficiency. “We have designated a dedicated a technician alongside a specialized technician focused on all engine and transmission repairs,” says Jimmy Jones, general manager of the Peoria location. By utilizing the expertise of each individual technician and allowing them to perform the work that they are best suited for, there’s an increase in the effective labor rate.
The assignment process has to start with hiring, and finding an overall well-balanced staff that can tackle all the different types of work that comes through the doors in the most efficient way possible. Employees at Hiller are paid competitively on an hourly plus commission pay structure, allowing them to hire the best and most well-rounded technicians for their needs.
The Net Profit
Understanding net profit as both a numerical figure and a percentage of total sales over a specified period—after deducting all operational costs, including salaries— is essential for any automotive shop. This calculation enables a shop to assess its net profit situation in relation to its sales. It’s important to note that net profits can differ significantly between shops, largely due to variations in size and scale of operations. Generally, a healthy net profit margin ranges between 10% and 20%.
For many automotive shops, increasing net profit is a primary goal. The traditional method involves determining the desired net profit margin as a percentage, translating that into the target monetary net profit, and subsequently calculating the sales necessary to meet this objective. By taking the average repair order and dividing the required sales increase by this figure, one can ascertain the number of additional repair orders needed to achieve the desired net profit enhancement.
Moreover, this figure also translates into the additional vehicles the shop must service. By further dividing this number by the operating period—whether in months, weeks, or days—shops can clearly identify the additional volume of cars necessary to elevate their net profit.
Increasing net profit isn’t straightforward for most shops, as boosting sales directly
typically demands additional expenses. You’ll need more technicians and more space, not to mention expanded marketing efforts. These represent tangible financial metrics that inevitably drive up your costs.
This is where an in-depth analysis of the pricing structure of labor hours and parts can help shops reach the desired net profit goals. Sometimes a small increment to the labor rate can help profitability without marginalizing customers.
The Importance of the Shop Management System
The market currently offers a wide range of shop management software for both front and back-of-the-house. Fully utilizing the capabilities of your shop management system can allow you to generate larger AROs, bigger tickets, and strengthen your relationship with existing customers. At a moment in time when car counts are declining, making the most out of every car that comes into your shop, without pressuring sales, can affect your bottom line.
These systems are incredibly valuable because they eliminate missed opportunities through human error. “The system reads my declined services. When customer X schedules or changes an appointment, the system remembers that we previously recommended a certain service that she declined. Then, when customer X calls to schedule again, the system automatically asks, ‘are you scheduling for that certain service?’” says Jones.
Structure and Transparency with the Staff
Hiller Automotive has a unique ownership and profit-sharing structure implemented by the parent company, Kingdom Autocare.
“Our profit-sharing breakdown allocates funds in a balanced way. The owner retains 50% of the profits while the other 50% is distributed among our employees, covering both front and back-of-house staff. This ensures that everyone is rewarded for their contributions,” says Jones.
This business model isn’t applicable to all shops, but it does create that culture of growth mindset. When all employees can see the profit and loss statement, it creates a special motivation. “I believe we’ve positioned ourselves for greater success by aligning tasks with the right skills,” says Jones.
Understanding the strengths of each employee helps them tackle their day-to-
day work in a more efficient manner. Scheduling the workflow in a way that maximizes the skill level of each technician helps achieve a greater effective labor rate. “This approach has proven to enhance productivity in the shop, allowing each team member to focus on what they do best,” says Jones. As a result of these measures, the Peoria location has had almost no personnel turnover and has shown growth and profit numbers consistently.
Questioning your Parts Matrix
Within the industry there are many ways of configuring a parts matrix. The most common understanding is that as part costs increase, their multipliers decrease, resulting in smaller percentage margins on expensive parts and larger percentages on cheaper ones.
While less expensive parts show higher percentage margins on paper, they generate fewer actual dollars compared to costlier parts. In mathematical terms, the median is where most actual profit occurs. This central band of your parts matrix should produce the dollar amount auto repair businesses need for their profit margins. By understanding and properly applying multipliers in your parts matrix, you can effectively maximize your profit margin.
“You don't take care of cars, you take care of customers.”
—
Jimmy Jones, General Manager of Hiller Automotive Peoria Location
Starting with the Exit Strategy
Drawing from his
background,
previous
professional
DeLucca leveraged his expertise to elevate his shop’s processes and procedures, placing Boca Auto Fix on the path to success
BY IVAN RIOJA-SCOTT
LLOYD'S STUDIO
Unlike many in the industry, Doug and Alyssa DeLucca didn’t come from the automotive world. In fact, Doug had built his career in corporate America in IT since the early 2000s. Recognizing it was time for a change, and after a short sabbatical, he decided to open an auto repair shop. While Doug had always been a hands-on mechanic with knowledge of American and Asian vehicles, what truly distinguishes Boca Auto Fix is the welldefined systems and procedures established from the beginning—many derived from Doug’s previous experience in corporate America and the IT world.
Boca Auto Fix is located in Boca Raton, Florida, an area predominantly populated by high-end European vehicles. Doug and Alyssa DeLucca started their shop just three years ago with the intention of entering a market they believed held opportunity. Boca Auto Fix services non-European vehicles and was founded on the premise of offering excellent customer service from day one, implementing systems and procedures that would ensure success from the beginning.
Getting the Marketing Right
When the DeLuccas opened the shop in 2022, Doug didn’t yet understand the importance of marketing. “You just can’t start a shop and expect the phone to start ringing,” says Doug. A short time after opening, he attended the Automotive Service and Tire Alliance Expo, where he learned new concepts on how to market his shop. With a lot of effort and time, Doug mastered SEO and other marketing tools so that he could handle Boca Auto Fix’s marketing push by himself.
“Of course, our website doesn’t remain static. We continuously update it by adding new content, pictures, and various other elements to keep it fresh and engaging,” says D. Doug. It’s not uncommon for
shops to think that just having a website will bring them the business they want.
With the addition of Allisa to the team, Boca Auto Fix gained manpower and, therefore, new ideas. The DeLucca family has always given back to the community, but it’s through their community involvement that they developed an entirely new customer base from their alma mater, Florida Atlantic University. Realizing that the campus is just a few miles away and has many out-of-state students, the need for auto care and repair was clear. Allisa contacted the parents’ groups, many of whom help their children find everything from local doctors to services, and made Boca Auto Fix’s presence known. This involvement with the University has grown, and through a customer who is a marketing professor, the shop has become a class-marketing case study.
“We are now focusing on marketing to those potential customers who are close, a mile or two away, so that we keep the demand steady,” says Doug.
Forming Partnerships
The area in which the DeLuccas’ shop is located has a large population of European cars. While Doug is not closed off to the idea of working on European makes, his area of expertise is in domestic and Japanese vehicles. “We partnered with a couple of shops that we hand off our European work to, and in exchange, they feed us their Asian domestic work. This arrangement has been working out very well,” says Doug.
The DeLuccas are well-established in the community and understand the value of forming strong relationships with all partners involved in their area. “We’re in a geographical location in which the shops are forced to be in certain industrial clusters, and some of them have been open for a long time,” says Allisa. This scenario makes competition not only service-based but also location-based. Allisa admits it wasn’t always an easy situation, but their mentality of becoming a staple of the community and not a “yes-shop,” has
PHOTOS
helped them make a name for themselves in the area.
Working on Cars is Different than Running a Business
One of the most common topics for discussion in the industry is working on the business versus working in the business. Owners are often bogged down by the
day-to-day running of their shops, which prevents them from taking a step back and looking at the business from a different perspective. When shop owners are able to take the step toward working on the business, they can address new challenges like expansion, scaling, or becoming off-site owners.
Boca Auto Fix was designed from
day one to have the potential to become a scalable business. “We have a good understanding of our KPIs. But how do our KPIs compare to industry standards? Are we beating them?” questions Doug. His prior experience in the corporate world has given him the expertise to implement systems and procedures that allow him to work on the business while serving as the main technician.
“There’s been structure in the business since day one, and that’s just going to help us scale,” says Doug.
The DeLuccas have always had an exit strategy in mind: a day in which they will be in the right place to pass their shop onto other hands and retire. “We want to be prepared well before that day comes. We’re always working backwards, trying to see what the end of the tunnel looks like whenever we make any significant decisions for the business. This approach ensures we’re consistently aligned with our long-term vision and exit strategy,” states Doug.
THE EXIT STRATEGY
According to Harvard Business Review, the majority of startup exits happen through acquisition. Technology-based startups are often designed with the idea of building a business to sell, allowing a larger corporation to take the company to the next step. Auto repair shops are no different from other startups, but they tend to want to create a lasting legacy and expansion plan for the future. Most owners don’t have a detailed exit strategy at the start; rather, they develop one after operating for some time, often prompted by various circumstances, most likely as retirement age approaches.
Doug DeLucca has a different view, and his exit strategy was decided upon the creation of Boca Auto Fix. Having already developed a successful career in corporate America, DeLucca has a clear vision for when and how he wants to exit the auto repair business. The mindset of the exit strategy allows owners to make decisions based on the prospect of relinquishing their stake in ownership. It enables shop owners to define clear longterm goals and create business strategies and decisions focused on that exit plan, maximizing value creation.
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4 WAYS TO MAKE SURE YOUR LOCAL TRUST FOLLOWS YOU TO A NEW SHOP LOCATION
How to maintain your reputation while expanding your geographic reach
BY LEONA SCOTT
When expanding to a new location, many auto repair shops face a delicate balancing act: how to grow without losing the local trust and customer loyalty that built the business in the first place. A strong reputation in one part of town doesn’t automatically follow them to another locale. How do successful shop owners bring that sense of community credibility with them when they open a new door or purchase a new location?
Ratchet+Wrench spoke with two seasoned multi-location shop owners–Travis Duchatschek of West Side Tire & Auto in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and a second former owner in a large metro area who recently sold his shops; he shared his insights on condition, maintaining anonymity due to a non-disclosure agreement. Both operate three-location businesses and know what it takes to earn–and keep–trust in new territory.
Here are four things they say you must get right.
1. Put Community at the Center of Your Expansion Strategy
Both shop owners emphasized the importance of showing up locally, long before customers ever set foot in your new waiting room. Duchatschek, whose business began in 1984 and expanded in 1993 and 2000, makes it a priority to get involved in each neighborhood his shops serve. “Join the chamber, sponsor a youth baseball team, support the firefighters–that’s how people start seeing you as ‘their’ local shop,” he says.
The second owner agrees and took a highly strategic approach when opening a location in a new suburb. He advertised in every church bulletin within a 15-mile radius, supported school fundraisers, and joined business networking groups,
such as Rotary and BNI. “You want to be visible and support your community and customers, which fosters trust” he says. Those relationships can speak volumes for your brand before anyone even Googles your shop.
They also emphasize being present personally. That means dining at local restaurants, attending neighborhood events, and making time for conversations with fellow business neighbors. “Make new friends,” says Duchatschek. “Foster community.”
2. Consistency is King: Maintain Standards Across Locations
One major concern when opening a new shop is whether it will deliver the same quality of service as your flagship. To combat this, Duchatschek spends a halfday at each location weekly and is highly engaged with their marketing efforts.
“You have to be connected to your management teams and make sure SOPs are being followed,” he says. “It’s the only way to ensure customers have the same experience no matter where they go.”
Training service advisors to be educational and transparent is a cornerstone of this strategy. “We want them to be able to explain every service recommendation in plain language,” he adds.
The second owner also made it clear that reputation was everything, and that meant training and marketing had to be aligned. His team launched a new loaner car program, trained all staff on the same customer-first philosophy, and even coordinated uniformity in the appearance and scent of the shops. “It’s so essential for customers to see it, hear it, and feel it–across every touchpoint,” he says.
3. Use Smart Marketing to Mirror the Community
Direct mail isn’t dead–it just has to be smart. Owners can use targeted mailers when expanding. The former owner recommends
hitting the same household two to three times to build familiarity. “Blanket your area,” he advises. “Use the tools available to match the clientele you want.”
When he launched his third location, he ran direct mail campaigns to past clients, introduced new programs such as loaner vehicles, and ensured that messaging was localized. He even used visible message boards and ensured their ads ran in newsletters of nearby churches and schools. They wanted neighbors to know they were vested in their community and wanted to introduce themselves.
4. Don’t Let Go of the Human Element–Ever
The final key to making local trust follow you? Staying human. Duchatschek takes time to respond personally to every Google review, good or bad. “When someone complains, it’s usually someone I’ve seen in the shop,” says Duchatschek. “So I can say, ‘Hey, I remember you. Let’s talk about what happened.’ That shows you care.”
If taking over an existing business, Duchatschek suggests being introduced by the previous owner. “We haven’t changed the name. That way, we can greet customers with, ‘Welcome back. We’re honored you trusted the shop before, and we’re committed to earning your trust again.’”
That small gesture can mean everything to a loyal customer walking through unfamiliar doors.
“Your name and reputation are always on the line,” adds the second owner. “Walk in your customers’ shoes. Understand their rhythms–back-to-school, holidays, seasonal maintenance. Be ready to meet them where they are.”
Expanding doesn’t mean outgrowing your roots. As these two owners demonstrate, you can expand your geographic reach without compromising the personal touch that made your first location successful. By staying involved, staying consistent, and staying human, your reputation doesn’t just follow you–it can pave the way forward.
FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK
BY TESS OWINGS
Imagine having a three-day weekend , every weekend. On top of that, picture a company that encourages employees to take a solid hour for lunch so much so that they shut the shop down and make employees leave to take time for themselves. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, at Bock Auto in Amagansett, New York, that’s a reality. The shop is open from Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and shuts down from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. so that employees can enjoy a lunch break. For those reading this who are thinking that it can’t work because business would suffer, co-owner Meghan Bock
says you would be surprised. Their customers have zero complaints and their sales have continued to increase year-over-year since they implemented a four-day workweek in 2022.
BACKSTORY:
In 2015, Bock and her husband, Erick, took over a three-bay repair shop attached to a gas station and started Bock Auto. Bock knew nothing about vehicle repair when they started. “The joke is that he married the girl that didn’t know she had to have a regular oil service,” Bock says. She has since learned a lot about auto repair and running a
business and the husband-and-wife team have found such happiness and success through their first shop that they’re currently looking for a spot for a second location in North Carolina.
PROBLEM:
The shop that the Bocks took over ran a traditional Monday to Saturday business model. With three small kids at home and only one technician working for them, it was difficult to make that schedule work.
SOLUTION:
The Bocks dropped Saturdays pretty quickly. Being in a resort town they noticed that the jobs that they were seeing on Saturday weren’t bringing in that much money and that shutting down that day wouldn’t hurt the business–but it would help them out a lot. That worked great for a while and then, after the pandemic, they realized that they could make it work by dropping Fridays as well. When the doors opened back up, they had
their techs on a rotating schedule so that each one would have three three-day weekends and one twoday weekend per month. After a year of doing that, in October 2022, they switched over to the hours they have now so the entire team gets a three-day weekend, every weekend. They now have a longer working day and they expect their technicians to turn a certain amount of hours, for example 13 to 14 hours for their A-techs, for it to work.
AFTERMATH:
The biggest concern was customers’ reactions, Bock says. But they were pleasantly surprised with how their regulars reacted. “We got little to no pushback from clients,” Bock says. The team started out by saying they wouldn’t be open for the upcoming Friday to give their employees more time for themselves and the customers thought it was
fantastic that Bock’s was giving their team more time for themselves and they’ve continued to feel that way. From an employee standpoint, they love it. Bock says that her employees have expressed to her that they don’t know if they could ever go to work at a place that has a “normal” workweek. That benefit has also been a major attractor for future employees. Bock says they are currently looking for a client services representative and they’ve had a lot of interest, and she believes the four-day workweek plays a big role. Being in a resort town, many people do part-time catering as a job and having a three-day weekend allows them to do this. She adds that having Friday off is great for getting personal errands done. Bock says that their sales have continued to increase year-over-year and that the shorter workweek hasn’t impacted them negatively at all. The longer
days have been a big benefit, she says. Opening earlier allows them to get to their clients earlier and being open an hour later has been a huge help with parts delivery.
TAKEAWAY:
For shop owners who are considering adopting this model, Bock has this piece of advice: “Do it and don’t look back.” Bock believes that a four-day workweek could work anywhere, but it depends on the type of shop that you are. Their shop is relationship oriented and they’re all about building relationships with their customers and creating an enjoyable culture for their employees. Because of the positive relationships that they’ve built, their customers understand that these hours are for the good of the team and they make it work because they support a business like this. For shops that are all about transactions, this won’t work.
THE
35,000-FOOT VIEW
A New Way to Train Technicians
Competency-based and performance-based training for technicians will require a complete mindset change
BY R. “DUTCH” SILVERSTEIN
It’s been about nine months since my last customer crossed the threshold of my shop and I retired. Much has happened between then and now. There’s more time to sleep in, to enjoy a lazy day, catch a midweek afternoon nap, and reflect on the changes I have experienced. Many changes are occurring, but more importantly, they are not occurring in my former trade.
There are changes that I know we need to see happen. Specifically, competencybased testing for auto technicians. With so many vehicle systems integrating the latest advancements in technology while relying on complex electrical circuitry, it is imperative that technicians have a solid working knowledge of electrical principles and a thorough understanding of that complex circuitry. Unfortunately, our current method of testing, and ultimately certifying technicians through multiple choice written tests, is not up to the task. A simple truth not frequently discussed is that written tests can be vulnerable to cheating and memorization, which can lead to technicians being certified without truly understanding the material. There are “test prep” courses online that “guarantee” a passing grade. While in the best case these tests may evaluate the technician’s understanding of theoretical concepts, they often fall far short in assessing the technician’s ability to apply that knowledge in a real-world setting.
Coming from an airline background where demonstrating proficiency is mandatory because the cost of making mistakes can literally be measured in terms of life and death, I’ve never understood the lack of competency-based testing which is the norm in our trade. We too can be held directly responsible if an accident occurs as a result of our carelessness, incapacity, or neglect. What logical reason can there be to leave something as important, as vital as safety to chance?
The benefits of competency-based and performance-based testing are numerous. The most important of which is that it provides a more accurate assessment of both a technician’s skills and weaknesses.
By evaluating a technician’s ability to perform tasks in a real-world setting, under stress, the testing can help to identify areas where additional training is needed. By highlighting areas of strength and weakness the employer can better know how to dispatch work with the goal of reducing errors, lowering warranty claims, and increasing customer satisfaction.
IMPLEMENTING COMPETENCY BASED TESTING
I’m not going to sugar coat this … implementing competency-based training is going to be a struggle. Creating a standardized program and protocols that assess specific skills and competencies would be essential to ensure consistency and fairness. We need to hire appropriate personnel, develop the correct curriculum, and ensure accessibility to technicians in different locations. This will include mobile testing units and online simulation-based testing. Crafting public relations campaigns to educate the motoring public about the need for such certification will all be expensive. If this is to be a grassroots movement without government involvement it will require substantial financial participation of both corporate and independent shop owners. This presents challenges as well.
In my experience in this trade for over thirty years, I’ve found that many, if not most shop owners, are a parsimonious bunch. Getting them to invest in training can be a chore. However, the potential real-world benefits far outweigh the costs. By providing a more comprehensive evaluation of a technician’s skills and competencies, this testing regimen will also help technicians. A technician who has earned credentials based on proven performance can command a higher wage. Fortunately, there are organizations committed to elevating the automotive technician career path through research, accreditation, and skills-based training.
WHAT’S NEXT?
It’s time for a paradigm shift in training,
testing and accountability. We need to get ahead of what’s coming in terms of technology. According to the organization Our World in Data, the pace of technological change is much faster now than it has been in the past. It took 2.4 million years for our ancestors to control fire and use it for cooking, but 66 years to go from the first flight to humans landing on the moon.
Teaching and testing younger people who are just entering the field will need to evolve. Using the same decades-old techniques will likely not yield a competent, technically proficient workforce. Investment in the future is needed now. In future columns I will write about another path involving governmental regulation. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
R. “Dutch” Silverstein, who earned his Accredited Automotive Manager Certificate from AMI, owns and operates A&M Auto Service, a seven bay, eight lift shop in Pineville, North Carolina. Dutch was a captain for a major airline earning type ratings in a variety of aircraft including the Boeing 767/757, 737, 200, 300 and 400 series, Airbus 319/320/321, McDonnell Douglas MD80/DC9 and Fokker FK-28 mk 4000 and 1000. After medically retiring, he transitioned his part-time auto repair business into a fulltime occupation.
