You’re probably advertising to customers who will never be profitable for your shop—and you don’t even know it. Every mile a customer drives to reach your shop affects their lifetime value. Customers living 15 miles away might visit once when they have a major problem, but they won’t come back for routine maintenance. Meanwhile, customers […]
You’ve probably thought about hiring another technician or service advisor to handle the workload—but what if the problem isn’t too few people, it’s too much wasted time? Most auto repair shops operate at 50-60% efficiency. Your technicians spend half their day on non-billable activities: searching for tools, waiting for parts, clarifying work orders, and dealing […]
The diagnostic tool salesman just quoted you $15,000 for equipment that would “expand your capabilities”—but will it actually expand your profits? Most auto repair shop owners buy equipment based on what they might need someday instead of what generates revenue today. The result is thousands of dollars sitting on your tool cart that hasn’t paid […]
Most auto repair shop owners resist new technology because they see the monthly cost without calculating what inefficiency is already costing them. You’re losing money right now to manual processes, missed appointments, communication gaps, and jobs that take longer than they should. The question isn’t whether technology costs money—it’s whether it costs more or less […]
I’ve watched too many profitable auto repair shops struggle to make payroll during slow months—not because they weren’t making money, but because they didn’t have cash when they needed it. You might gross $80K one month and $45K the next, but your expenses stay constant. Rent, insurance, and salaries don’t adjust for seasonal fluctuations. When […]
Every auto repair shop owner I’ve spoken with recently asks the same question: “Should I be worried about electric vehicles?” The honest answer is yes—but not in the way you think. EVs don’t need oil changes, transmission work, or exhaust repairs. But they still need tire services, brake maintenance, alignment work, HVAC repairs, and collision […]
Most auto repair shop owners I talk to have the same fear: a surprise inspection that shuts down their operation for days or results in fines they can’t afford. You’re focused on turning wrenches and keeping customers happy, but one missed compliance requirement can cost you thousands in fines—or worse, force you to close your […]
You spent $1,200 on a booth at the local business expo. You handed out 200 business cards. Three people called. None became customers. Meanwhile, your competitor somehow landed a 15-vehicle fleet account from the same event and now has guaranteed revenue every month. The problem isn’t that trade shows don’t work for auto repair shops—it’s […]
Your lead technician has eight ASE certifications. Your shop has the Blue Seal of Excellence. You invested thousands in training and testing. Yet customers still call asking “How much for an oil change?” like you’re a quick lube shop, and when you quote a fair price for your certified expertise, they hang up and call […]
You quote a customer $180 for an oil change and tire rotation. They approve it. You complete the work. They pay and leave. What you didn’t realize is they would have happily spent $380 if you’d offered the right service bundle at the right time. Most shop managers think increasing revenue means getting more customers […]
