http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 Most Recent Submissions from WAP on AutoPro Workshop Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:34:18 GMT Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:34:18 GMT mwillins@advanstar.com (AutoBizGuru) mwillins@advanstar.com (AutoBizGuru) KickApps Feed Builder 2012-12-12T19:34:18Z 39 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=31710&includeVideo=on&includeAudio=on&includePhoto=on&includeBlog=on&sortType=recent 0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Textual-Healing/blog/6487222/31710.html Social media.  A true definition reveals it's very existence is extremely 'non-social' because use of such communication requires very little social skills, very little typing ability, spelling, or grammar, and mostly no etiquette or manners.  Then why or why are we all so addicted?  The illusion of freedom and the ability to blog whatever you want with no real consequences.  But hold on there Hoss! Your posts and text messages can be used in a court of law!  Just had a guy sue me last month over a repair he said he did not authorize, yet the text messages and facebook messages he posted indicated he knew exactly what he was getting and the price.  Then after he filed suit, he posted further messages indicating that he was going to get out of paying me because I did not have signed document authorizing the repair.  The judge didn't see it that way, and explained that the myriad of messages before and after the fact showed sufficient evidence of awareness of price, and knowledge of the work performed.  I won.  So, saving all of those messages may not be a bad thing.  Marvin Gaye has always been my favorite soul singer, and it appears, with a slight twist, his message rings true.  Impartial communication with no regrets, yet hooking up a different way. Social media.  A true definition reveals it's very existence is extremely 'non-social' because use of such communication requires very little social skills, very little typing ability, spelling, or grammar, and mostly no etiquette or manners.  Then why or why are we all so addicted?  The illusion of freedom and the ability to blog whatever you want with no real consequences.  But hold on there Hoss! Your posts and text messages can be used in a court of law!  Just had a guy sue me last month over a repair he said he did not authorize, yet the text messages and facebook messages he posted indicated he knew exactly what he was getting and the price.  Then after he filed suit, he posted further messages indicating that he was going to get out of paying me because I did not have signed document authorizing the repair.  The judge didn't see it that way, and explained that the myriad of messages before and after the fact showed sufficient evidence of awareness of price, and knowledge of the work performed.  I won.  So, saving all of those messages may not be a bad thing.  Marvin Gaye has always been my favorite soul singer, and it appears, with a slight twist, his message rings true.  Impartial communication with no regrets, yet hooking up a different way. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:34:18 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Textual-Healing/blog/6487222/31710.html WAP 2012-12-12T19:34:18Z AMBW Blogs AutoPro Workshop Social media.  A true definition reveals it's very existence is extremely 'non-social' because use of such communication requires very little social skills, very little typing ability, spelling, or grammar, and mostly no etiquette or manners.  Then why or why are we all so addicted?  The illusion of freedom and the ability to blog whatever you want with no real consequences.  But hold on there Hoss! Your posts and text messages can be used in a court of law!  Just had a guy sue me last month over a repair he said he did not authorize, yet the text messages and facebook messages he posted indicated he knew exactly what he was getting and the price.  Then after he filed suit, he posted further messages indicating that he was going to get out of paying me because I did not have signed document authorizing the repair.  The judge didn't see it that way, and explained that the myriad of messages before and after the fact showed sufficient evidence of awareness of price, and knowledge of the work performed.  I won.  So, saving all of those messages may not be a bad thing.  Marvin Gaye has always been my favorite soul singer, and it appears, with a slight twist, his message rings true.  Impartial communication with no regrets, yet hooking up a different way. ambw, blogs nonadult false Textual Healing text blog ambw,blogs 239 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 AMBW / Blogs 0 6487222 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_ODD-MAN-OUT/blog/6470227/31710.html I recently attended a meeting in Las Vegas and was asked to participate on an industry advisory panel for a software company.  This software company is an industry leader for automotive, but as it seems, they are also very big in manufacturing, retail, and commercial applications that have little to do with automotive. They are in 90 different countries and employ thousands of people.  All in all, a very impressive organization. As all of the panelists assembled on the stage, it became very clear that panel had a wide array of persons representing many different industries.  There were several of us, and the introduction process started to paint a picture of a diverse group indeed.  Being from Wholesale Auto Parts, also from West Virginia, and with a last name of Smith, any alphabetical arrangement gave me more time than most to understand how much diversity was present due to the seating arrangement and my being the next to last panelist. As so-and-so from Chicago, followed by so-and-so from Dallas, followed by so-and-so from New York, were all being introduced, I took notice that many of the attendants of the meeting had their heads in their lap tops or looking at messages on their I-Phones as the introduction process continued.  Yep, just another typical dog-and-pony show where the company that invited all of us expected us panelists to extoll their greatness.  Most of the companies on that panel could fit my entire yearly budget of operation into a months worth of per-diem expenditures.  I felt small.  Insignificant by comparison. And then I was introduced, Mark Smith, owner of Wholesale Auto Parts, from Summersville, West Virginia.  What happened next amazed me.  All heads in the room looked up, and each person shoved their chair back about an inch, and crossed their arms.  Not because I'm famous, but as if to say, 'What the heck is he doing here, and what could he possibly have to say?"  The last guy on the panel whom was sitting to my right that had a last name even more alphabetically challenged than mine, quipped, 'Dude, you just owned the room.'  I can't remember where he was from, but I'm pretty sure his business involved surfing or snowboards. So what did I garner from this unwarranted attention?  I realized that being unique, or odd as it were, piques a lot of interest.  Just because in the grand scheme of things I was small, my voice had some resonance.  Your customers may be wooed by bigger distributors, yet they still buy from people, and interesting people remain interestingly worthy of at least listening to.  It was a great meeting, mostly for me, as I came home with a renewed confidence, and restored zest for working within the industry that I love. I recently attended a meeting in Las Vegas and was asked to participate on an industry advisory panel for a software company.  This software company is an industry leader for automotive, but as it seems, they are also very big in manufacturing, retail, and commercial applications that have little to do with automotive. They are in 90 different countries and employ thousands of people.  All in all, a very impressive organization. As all of the panelists assembled on the stage, it became very clear that panel had a wide array of persons representing many different industries.  There were several of us, and the introduction process started to paint a picture of a diverse group indeed.  Being from Wholesale Auto Parts, also from West Virginia, and with a last name of Smith, any alphabetical arrangement gave me more time than most to understand how much diversity was present due to the seating arrangement and my being the next to last panelist. As so-and-so from Chicago, followed by so-and-so from Dallas, followed by so-and-so from New York, were all being introduced, I took notice that many of the attendants of the meeting had their heads in their lap tops or looking at messages on their I-Phones as the introduction process continued.  Yep, just another typical dog-and-pony show where the company that invited all of us expected us panelists to extoll their greatness.  Most of the companies on that panel could fit my entire yearly budget of operation into a months worth of per-diem expenditures.  I felt small.  Insignificant by comparison. And then I was introduced, Mark Smith, owner of Wholesale Auto Parts, from Summersville, West Virginia.  What happened next amazed me.  All heads in the room looked up, and each person shoved their chair back about an inch, and crossed their arms.  Not because I'm famous, but as if to say, 'What the heck is he doing here, and what could he possibly have to say?"  The last guy on the panel whom was sitting to my right that had a last name even more alphabetically challenged than mine, quipped, 'Dude, you just owned the room.'  I can't remember where he was from, but I'm pretty sure his business involved surfing or snowboards. So what did I garner from this unwarranted attention?  I realized that being unique, or odd as it were, piques a lot of interest.  Just because in the grand scheme of things I was small, my voice had some resonance.  Your customers may be wooed by bigger distributors, yet they still buy from people, and interesting people remain interestingly worthy of at least listening to.  It was a great meeting, mostly for me, as I came home with a renewed confidence, and restored zest for working within the industry that I love. Tue, 20 Nov 2012 03:17:11 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_ODD-MAN-OUT/blog/6470227/31710.html WAP 2012-11-20T03:17:11Z AutoPro Workshop I recently attended a meeting in Las Vegas and was asked to participate on an industry advisory panel for a software company.  This software company is an industry leader for automotive, but as it seems, they are also very big in manufacturing, retail, and commercial applications that have little to do with automotive. They are in 90 different countries and employ thousands of people.  All in all, a very impressive organization. As all of the panelists assembled on the stage, it became very clear that panel had a wide array of persons representing many different industries.  There were several of us, and the introduction process started to paint a picture of a diverse group indeed.  Being from Wholesale Auto Parts, also from West Virginia, and with a last name of Smith, any alphabetical arrangement gave me more time than most to understand how much diversity was present due to the seating arrangement and my being the next to last panelist. As so-and-so from Chicago, followed by so-and-so from Dallas, followed by so-and-so from New York, were all being introduced, I took notice that many of the attendants of the meeting had their heads in their lap tops or looking at messages on their I-Phones as the introduction process continued.  Yep, just another typical dog-and-pony show where the company that invited all of us expected us panelists to extoll their greatness.  Most of the companies on that panel could fit my entire yearly budget of operation into a months worth of per-diem expenditures.  I felt small.  Insignificant by comparison. And then I was introduced, Mark Smith, owner of Wholesale Auto Parts, from Summersville, West Virginia.  What happened next amazed me.  All heads in the room looked up, and each person shoved their chair back about an inch, and crossed their arms.  Not because I'm famous, but as if to say, 'What the heck is he doing here, and what could he possibly have to say?"  The last guy on the panel whom was sitting to my right that had a last name even more alphabetically challenged than mine, quipped, 'Dude, you just owned the room.'  I can't remember where he was from, but I'm pretty sure his business involved surfing or snowboards. So what did I garner from this unwarranted attention?  I realized that being unique, or odd as it were, piques a lot of interest.  Just because in the grand scheme of things I was small, my voice had some resonance.  Your customers may be wooed by bigger distributors, yet they still buy from people, and interesting people remain interestingly worthy of at least listening to.  It was a great meeting, mostly for me, as I came home with a renewed confidence, and restored zest for working within the industry that I love. nonadult false ODD MAN OUT text blog 263 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 6470227 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_ADVISORY-COUNCIL-BULLIES/blog/6351931/31710.html At this point in my career, I'm being invited to join more advisory councils than I even knew existed.  I'm not quite sure it's my expertise in all things, or the fact that all of the other advisory council members have died off, nonetheless, I agree to all invitations.  Now, the real point of being an advisory council member to a group that organizes the Christmas Parade has very little to do with my vocation and even less to do with my uncanny orgazational skills.  It's about being part of your community and bringing a different perspective to the table.  At least that's what I think it should mean. Most advisory council meetings are very subdued, with a moderator going over the reason for the meeting, some general discussion is had, typically a meal or some snacks, a vote is taken, and everyone congratulates each other on how 'hard' everyone worked to see this or that thing come to pass. But sometimes, there is an advisory council member, that although they possess no real knowledge of the subject matter being discussed,  that takes control of the meeting and gets everyone so stirred up about a stupid little detail it's a wonder we don't have to call in an arbitrator to settle the dispute. I was just part of such a meeting last night wherein everything was going swimmingly until one guy got his panties in a wad over something he assumed to be true, but later found out he was wrong.  He didn't apologize, but instead became madder because his own ineptitude made him look more foolish than we all thought he was to begin with, and he blamed his stupidity on the company we were advising for not properly informing him.  My point is this: If you are going to be on an advisory council or any type, do your position or appointment some justice and do a little research on what you are advising about, otherwise, for the good of the rest of the council, resign.  It's not a Presidential Debate.  At this point in my career, I'm being invited to join more advisory councils than I even knew existed.  I'm not quite sure it's my expertise in all things, or the fact that all of the other advisory council members have died off, nonetheless, I agree to all invitations.  Now, the real point of being an advisory council member to a group that organizes the Christmas Parade has very little to do with my vocation and even less to do with my uncanny orgazational skills.  It's about being part of your community and bringing a different perspective to the table.  At least that's what I think it should mean. Most advisory council meetings are very subdued, with a moderator going over the reason for the meeting, some general discussion is had, typically a meal or some snacks, a vote is taken, and everyone congratulates each other on how 'hard' everyone worked to see this or that thing come to pass. But sometimes, there is an advisory council member, that although they possess no real knowledge of the subject matter being discussed,  that takes control of the meeting and gets everyone so stirred up about a stupid little detail it's a wonder we don't have to call in an arbitrator to settle the dispute. I was just part of such a meeting last night wherein everything was going swimmingly until one guy got his panties in a wad over something he assumed to be true, but later found out he was wrong.  He didn't apologize, but instead became madder because his own ineptitude made him look more foolish than we all thought he was to begin with, and he blamed his stupidity on the company we were advising for not properly informing him.  My point is this: If you are going to be on an advisory council or any type, do your position or appointment some justice and do a little research on what you are advising about, otherwise, for the good of the rest of the council, resign.  It's not a Presidential Debate.  Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:06:47 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_ADVISORY-COUNCIL-BULLIES/blog/6351931/31710.html WAP 2012-09-19T18:06:47Z AutoPro Workshop At this point in my career, I'm being invited to join more advisory councils than I even knew existed.  I'm not quite sure it's my expertise in all things, or the fact that all of the other advisory council members have died off, nonetheless, I agree to all invitations.  Now, the real point of being an advisory council member to a group that organizes the Christmas Parade has very little to do with my vocation and even less to do with my uncanny orgazational skills.  It's about being part of your community and bringing a different perspective to the table.  At least that's what I think it should mean. Most advisory council meetings are very subdued, with a moderator going over the reason for the meeting, some general discussion is had, typically a meal or some snacks, a vote is taken, and everyone congratulates each other on how 'hard' everyone worked to see this or that thing come to pass. But sometimes, there is an advisory council member, that although they possess no real knowledge of the subject matter being discussed,  that takes control of the meeting and gets everyone so stirred up about a stupid little detail it's a wonder we don't have to call in an arbitrator to settle the dispute. I was just part of such a meeting last night wherein everything was going swimmingly until one guy got his panties in a wad over something he assumed to be true, but later found out he was wrong.  He didn't apologize, but instead became madder because his own ineptitude made him look more foolish than we all thought he was to begin with, and he blamed his stupidity on the company we were advising for not properly informing him.  My point is this: If you are going to be on an advisory council or any type, do your position or appointment some justice and do a little research on what you are advising about, otherwise, for the good of the rest of the council, resign.  It's not a Presidential Debate.  nonadult false ADVISORY COUNCIL BULLIES text blog 283 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 6351931 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_IN-SICKNESS-AND-IN-HEALTH/blog/6234779/31710.html Owning a business is much akin to a committed relationship, with one difference.  It seems a heck of a lot easier to get out of a committed realtionship if something is not quite going your way.  If it's a business, you have to deal with it regardless, unless you sell the business. Recently, I had some health issues that required hospitalization.  I had a stroke.  The DR asked if I was under a lot of stress, and prescribed medication in an attempt to keep another stroke from coming on since I was laughing so hard.  He then told me to take 2 weeks off, and that he would give me a note to give to my boss. I asked the doc whom I was supposed to give this to?   So I read this note to myself, and then denied the request for time off.  I guess the old saying "It's all fun till someone gets hurt" really has a lot of merit.  But we go on, and things somehow seem to become manageable again. Owning a business is much akin to a committed relationship, with one difference.  It seems a heck of a lot easier to get out of a committed realtionship if something is not quite going your way.  If it's a business, you have to deal with it regardless, unless you sell the business. Recently, I had some health issues that required hospitalization.  I had a stroke.  The DR asked if I was under a lot of stress, and prescribed medication in an attempt to keep another stroke from coming on since I was laughing so hard.  He then told me to take 2 weeks off, and that he would give me a note to give to my boss. I asked the doc whom I was supposed to give this to?   So I read this note to myself, and then denied the request for time off.  I guess the old saying "It's all fun till someone gets hurt" really has a lot of merit.  But we go on, and things somehow seem to become manageable again. Fri, 20 Jul 2012 06:07:50 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_IN-SICKNESS-AND-IN-HEALTH/blog/6234779/31710.html WAP 2012-07-20T06:07:50Z AutoPro Workshop Owning a business is much akin to a committed relationship, with one difference.  It seems a heck of a lot easier to get out of a committed realtionship if something is not quite going your way.  If it's a business, you have to deal with it regardless, unless you sell the business. Recently, I had some health issues that required hospitalization.  I had a stroke.  The DR asked if I was under a lot of stress, and prescribed medication in an attempt to keep another stroke from coming on since I was laughing so hard.  He then told me to take 2 weeks off, and that he would give me a note to give to my boss. I asked the doc whom I was supposed to give this to?   So I read this note to myself, and then denied the request for time off.  I guess the old saying "It's all fun till someone gets hurt" really has a lot of merit.  But we go on, and things somehow seem to become manageable again. nonadult false IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH text blog 413 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 1 0 6234779 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_TRAVEL-39TRAINWRECK39/blog/6140113/31710.html Once upon a time, my wife and I went to Canada for a speaking engagement in Banff, Alberta, Canada.... As I mentioned above, the story of our trip to Canada could only read like a fairytale, a grim fairytale, because you simply can't make this stuff up. Since our flight left at 6am in the morning, and we live 1.5 hours from the closet airport of any size, we were up at 3am loading the car. As I entered our garage, I notice a large amount of water in the floor. Further inspection revealed that the A/C unit drain was blocked by something causing the condensed water to leak into the house. No problem, turn off the a/c, wake my son and inform him that he will have no a/c until I can contact someone during our trip to come and fix the issue. I also encourage him to clean up the mess as soon as possible. Since we were now late, we hurried loading the car, and drove something close to warp speed towards the airport. Shortly before arriving at the airport, my wife and I went over our list of things we needed to be sure we had with us. Luggage. Check. Passports. Check. Tickets. Check. Money......Money......? My wife had changed purses, and left the cash we were to take with us in her other purse, along with her debit card. I had no debit card either, $12 in cash, but I did have credit cards, so I soothed Kim, my wife, by telling her that we would just hit an ATM machine at O'hare in Chicago and get some cash. Apprehesnively, she agreed to continue. We barely made the flight. Upon arrival at Ohare, we found an ATM that was close to our departing gate. I pulled out my Mastercard, slipped it into the machine, pulled it out, and then realized that I had never, ever, used this card at an ATM since I got the card back in 1991. The pin number could have been anything that made sense to me over the last 21 years, and sure enough, thousands of gallons of beer and whiskey over the years did nothing to jog my memory. So I called MasterCard, explained my situation, and they informed me that they would be happy to provide the PIN information.....in 5-7 days via US Mail, but informed me that I could go to any bank, and with photo ID, I could still get an advance on the card. It was a Saturday, and we were in an airport where the only bank opened at 10 am and our flight left a 9:45am. This was going to have to be solved once we arrived in Canada. We arrived in Calgary and had 15 mins to catch our bus to Banff, so we would have to wait until Monday to get some cash. Our bus ride took 1.5 hours, and they dropped us off at the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs Resort. We made our way to the check in desk, only to find out that we had no reservations. What? No problem, I thought, I'll just call the director of the meeting and we'll clear this up. Kim, my thoughtful wife, anticipated our international travel, and purchased an international cell phone package for her phone. Only one problem, she had been playing words with friends, dice with buddies, and several other games while at Ohare to keep her mind off of our dilema, so her phone was now dead. I turned on my phone, and it displayed one signal bar. I placed a call to the director of the meeting, crossed my fingers, and wondered how much this call was going to cost me as his phone rang. I discovered that unbeknownst to me, that my reservation had been moved to another hotel, and was assured it was within walking distance. Somewhat relieved, still bewildered, yet hopeful, I asked the directions to my new lodging, and discovered it was within a walking distance alright.... a 7 kilometer walk. The look that I got from my wife was one that I will never forget, so I resigned myself to getting a taxi instead of trying to talk my wife into walking up-hill for 7km, in 28 degree weather, at night in grizzly bear country. During the taxi ride, I watched the taxi meter very closely, knowing the small amount of cash I had. At our new hotel, the meter read $11.06, which was Canadian, and the taxi driver was nice enough to accept $12.00 American as he did not accept credit cards. At the front desk of our new resort lodging, we once again inquired about our reservations, and once again were told we had no reservations, at least not for 2 more days. How this all got so messed up at this point was not our real problem. The real issue was the fact that we were 2500 miles from home, with zero cash, and no where to stay. However, further inquiry yeilded good results as the resort could accomodate us for the unscheduled 2 days. In a very Austrailan accent, the front desk clerk soothed our wounds, and told us to secure the rooms all she needed was a credit card, at which I tossed her my MasterCard. With a swipe of the card, our hopes and dreams of indoor lodging were almost dashed as she quietly informed me that the card had been denied. What? My wife began to tear up and imagine to herself what sort of tools she would use to dismember my body and discretely bury it on an obscure piece of our property. Oh no, the ATM attempt at Ohare in Chicago resulted in Mastercard putting a 'fraud freeze' on the card! It was clearly time to dust off my best sales techniques to otherwise convince a foreigner in a foreign land that this is all some sort of simple misunderstanding and if I could only get a room I could have the problem resolved within an hour. Once a salesman, always a salesman, and in homage to past feats of spectacular 'closing' skills, we finally secured a room. At least for one night, that is, because now I had to implement some of the same sales strategies with my negotiations with MasterCard to get my card reativated. Once in the room, and 1 hour later, having gone through intense credit card fraud de-briefing, all was well. We dared not exit the room that evening, let alone go outside for fear of a tree spontaneously felling itself upon us. We had our meal brought to us, ate in abject silence, and laid down to get some much needed rest. A few minutes later, we received a text message from my sister who informed us that my Father had had a heart attack, and was at that time being transported to the hospital. A dismal end to a disastrous day. My father is fine, now. I have had some bad travelling experiences, but this trainwreck has set a new benchmark of examples of what might go wrong. It is also a testament for all of us wiley old parts guys that deal with the ever changing environment of sales, management and dealing with the public. Actually, in retrospect, it was just like another day at the office. Once upon a time, my wife and I went to Canada for a speaking engagement in Banff, Alberta, Canada.... As I mentioned above, the story of our trip to Canada could only read like a fairytale, a grim fairytale, because you simply can't make this stuff up. Since our flight left at 6am in the morning, and we live 1.5 hours from the closet airport of any size, we were up at 3am loading the car. As I entered our garage, I notice a large amount of water in the floor. Further inspection revealed that the A/C unit drain was blocked by something causing the condensed water to leak into the house. No problem, turn off the a/c, wake my son and inform him that he will have no a/c until I can contact someone during our trip to come and fix the issue. I also encourage him to clean up the mess as soon as possible. Since we were now late, we hurried loading the car, and drove something close to warp speed towards the airport. Shortly before arriving at the airport, my wife and I went over our list of things we needed to be sure we had with us. Luggage. Check. Passports. Check. Tickets. Check. Money......Money......? My wife had changed purses, and left the cash we were to take with us in her other purse, along with her debit card. I had no debit card either, $12 in cash, but I did have credit cards, so I soothed Kim, my wife, by telling her that we would just hit an ATM machine at O'hare in Chicago and get some cash. Apprehesnively, she agreed to continue. We barely made the flight. Upon arrival at Ohare, we found an ATM that was close to our departing gate. I pulled out my Mastercard, slipped it into the machine, pulled it out, and then realized that I had never, ever, used this card at an ATM since I got the card back in 1991. The pin number could have been anything that made sense to me over the last 21 years, and sure enough, thousands of gallons of beer and whiskey over the years did nothing to jog my memory. So I called MasterCard, explained my situation, and they informed me that they would be happy to provide the PIN information.....in 5-7 days via US Mail, but informed me that I could go to any bank, and with photo ID, I could still get an advance on the card. It was a Saturday, and we were in an airport where the only bank opened at 10 am and our flight left a 9:45am. This was going to have to be solved once we arrived in Canada. We arrived in Calgary and had 15 mins to catch our bus to Banff, so we would have to wait until Monday to get some cash. Our bus ride took 1.5 hours, and they dropped us off at the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs Resort. We made our way to the check in desk, only to find out that we had no reservations. What? No problem, I thought, I'll just call the director of the meeting and we'll clear this up. Kim, my thoughtful wife, anticipated our international travel, and purchased an international cell phone package for her phone. Only one problem, she had been playing words with friends, dice with buddies, and several other games while at Ohare to keep her mind off of our dilema, so her phone was now dead. I turned on my phone, and it displayed one signal bar. I placed a call to the director of the meeting, crossed my fingers, and wondered how much this call was going to cost me as his phone rang. I discovered that unbeknownst to me, that my reservation had been moved to another hotel, and was assured it was within walking distance. Somewhat relieved, still bewildered, yet hopeful, I asked the directions to my new lodging, and discovered it was within a walking distance alright.... a 7 kilometer walk. The look that I got from my wife was one that I will never forget, so I resigned myself to getting a taxi instead of trying to talk my wife into walking up-hill for 7km, in 28 degree weather, at night in grizzly bear country. During the taxi ride, I watched the taxi meter very closely, knowing the small amount of cash I had. At our new hotel, the meter read $11.06, which was Canadian, and the taxi driver was nice enough to accept $12.00 American as he did not accept credit cards. At the front desk of our new resort lodging, we once again inquired about our reservations, and once again were told we had no reservations, at least not for 2 more days. How this all got so messed up at this point was not our real problem. The real issue was the fact that we were 2500 miles from home, with zero cash, and no where to stay. However, further inquiry yeilded good results as the resort could accomodate us for the unscheduled 2 days. In a very Austrailan accent, the front desk clerk soothed our wounds, and told us to secure the rooms all she needed was a credit card, at which I tossed her my MasterCard. With a swipe of the card, our hopes and dreams of indoor lodging were almost dashed as she quietly informed me that the card had been denied. What? My wife began to tear up and imagine to herself what sort of tools she would use to dismember my body and discretely bury it on an obscure piece of our property. Oh no, the ATM attempt at Ohare in Chicago resulted in Mastercard putting a 'fraud freeze' on the card! It was clearly time to dust off my best sales techniques to otherwise convince a foreigner in a foreign land that this is all some sort of simple misunderstanding and if I could only get a room I could have the problem resolved within an hour. Once a salesman, always a salesman, and in homage to past feats of spectacular 'closing' skills, we finally secured a room. At least for one night, that is, because now I had to implement some of the same sales strategies with my negotiations with MasterCard to get my card reativated. Once in the room, and 1 hour later, having gone through intense credit card fraud de-briefing, all was well. We dared not exit the room that evening, let alone go outside for fear of a tree spontaneously felling itself upon us. We had our meal brought to us, ate in abject silence, and laid down to get some much needed rest. A few minutes later, we received a text message from my sister who informed us that my Father had had a heart attack, and was at that time being transported to the hospital. A dismal end to a disastrous day. My father is fine, now. I have had some bad travelling experiences, but this trainwreck has set a new benchmark of examples of what might go wrong. It is also a testament for all of us wiley old parts guys that deal with the ever changing environment of sales, management and dealing with the public. Actually, in retrospect, it was just like another day at the office. Sun, 03 Jun 2012 03:19:38 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_TRAVEL-39TRAINWRECK39/blog/6140113/31710.html WAP 2012-06-03T03:19:38Z AutoPro Workshop Once upon a time, my wife and I went to Canada for a speaking engagement in Banff, Alberta, Canada.... As I mentioned above, the story of our trip to Canada could only read like a fairytale, a grim fairytale, because you simply can't make this stuff up. Since our flight left at 6am in the morning, and we live 1.5 hours from the closet airport of any size, we were up at 3am loading the car. As I entered our garage, I notice a large amount of water in the floor. Further inspection revealed that the A/C unit drain was blocked by something causing the condensed water to leak into the house. No problem, turn off the a/c, wake my son and inform him that he will have no a/c until I can contact someone during our trip to come and fix the issue. I also encourage him to clean up the mess as soon as possible. Since we were now late, we hurried loading the car, and drove something close to warp speed towards the airport. Shortly before arriving at the airport, my wife and I went over our list of things we needed to be sure we had with us. Luggage. Check. Passports. Check. Tickets. Check. Money......Money......? My wife had changed purses, and left the cash we were to take with us in her other purse, along with her debit card. I had no debit card either, $12 in cash, but I did have credit cards, so I soothed Kim, my wife, by telling her that we would just hit an ATM machine at O'hare in Chicago and get some cash. Apprehesnively, she agreed to continue. We barely made the flight. Upon arrival at Ohare, we found an ATM that was close to our departing gate. I pulled out my Mastercard, slipped it into the machine, pulled it out, and then realized that I had never, ever, used this card at an ATM since I got the card back in 1991. The pin number could have been anything that made sense to me over the last 21 years, and sure enough, thousands of gallons of beer and whiskey over the years did nothing to jog my memory. So I called MasterCard, explained my situation, and they informed me that they would be happy to provide the PIN information.....in 5-7 days via US Mail, but informed me that I could go to any bank, and with photo ID, I could still get an advance on the card. It was a Saturday, and we were in an airport where the only bank opened at 10 am and our flight left a 9:45am. This was going to have to be solved once we arrived in Canada. We arrived in Calgary and had 15 mins to catch our bus to Banff, so we would have to wait until Monday to get some cash. Our bus ride took 1.5 hours, and they dropped us off at the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs Resort. We made our way to the check in desk, only to find out that we had no reservations. What? No problem, I thought, I'll just call the director of the meeting and we'll clear this up. Kim, my thoughtful wife, anticipated our international travel, and purchased an international cell phone package for her phone. Only one problem, she had been playing words with friends, dice with buddies, and several other games while at Ohare to keep her mind off of our dilema, so her phone was now dead. I turned on my phone, and it displayed one signal bar. I placed a call to the director of the meeting, crossed my fingers, and wondered how much this call was going to cost me as his phone rang. I discovered that unbeknownst to me, that my reservation had been moved to another hotel, and was assured it was within walking distance. Somewhat relieved, still bewildered, yet hopeful, I asked the directions to my new lodging, and discovered it was within a walking distance alright.... a 7 kilometer walk. The look that I got from my wife was one that I will never forget, so I resigned myself to getting a taxi instead of trying to talk my wife into walking up-hill for 7km, in 28 degree weather, at night in grizzly bear country. During the taxi ride, I watched the taxi meter very closely, knowing the small amount of cash I had. At our new hotel, the meter read $11.06, which was Canadian, and the taxi driver was nice enough to accept $12.00 American as he did not accept credit cards. At the front desk of our new resort lodging, we once again inquired about our reservations, and once again were told we had no reservations, at least not for 2 more days. How this all got so messed up at this point was not our real problem. The real issue was the fact that we were 2500 miles from home, with zero cash, and no where to stay. However, further inquiry yeilded good results as the resort could accomodate us for the unscheduled 2 days. In a very Austrailan accent, the front desk clerk soothed our wounds, and told us to secure the rooms all she needed was a credit card, at which I tossed her my MasterCard. With a swipe of the card, our hopes and dreams of indoor lodging were almost dashed as she quietly informed me that the card had been denied. What? My wife began to tear up and imagine to herself what sort of tools she would use to dismember my body and discretely bury it on an obscure piece of our property. Oh no, the ATM attempt at Ohare in Chicago resulted in Mastercard putting a 'fraud freeze' on the card! It was clearly time to dust off my best sales techniques to otherwise convince a foreigner in a foreign land that this is all some sort of simple misunderstanding and if I could only get a room I could have the problem resolved within an hour. Once a salesman, always a salesman, and in homage to past feats of spectacular 'closing' skills, we finally secured a room. At least for one night, that is, because now I had to implement some of the same sales strategies with my negotiations with MasterCard to get my card reativated. Once in the room, and 1 hour later, having gone through intense credit card fraud de-briefing, all was well. We dared not exit the room that evening, let alone go outside for fear of a tree spontaneously felling itself upon us. We had our meal brought to us, ate in abject silence, and laid down to get some much needed rest. A few minutes later, we received a text message from my sister who informed us that my Father had had a heart attack, and was at that time being transported to the hospital. A dismal end to a disastrous day. My father is fine, now. I have had some bad travelling experiences, but this trainwreck has set a new benchmark of examples of what might go wrong. It is also a testament for all of us wiley old parts guys that deal with the ever changing environment of sales, management and dealing with the public. Actually, in retrospect, it was just like another day at the office. credit, international, sales, surprise, travel, unexpected nonadult false TRAVEL 'TRAINWRECK' text blog credit,international,sales,surprise,travel,unexpected 253 1 4.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 6140113 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_TRUTH-ABOUT-PRICING/blog/5997019/31710.html Truth in Pricing   I read a recent industry article that was about the results of a recent survey of independant repair shops and their buying trends, and since I am an independent business owner whom happens to own a jobber/shop combination business, that also sales to wholesale clients like independent repair shops, dealerships, installers, and fleet companies, I curiosly perused the article. I know a lot of work and effort went into the article, and a lot of time was spent gathering the data, but the information gleaned from the raw data led to conclusions that were based on conjecture. The root cause of the collected data would make for a much more interesting article because it would be the ugly truth, not someones grandiose ideas of themselves or their business. The fact that independent repair shops are buying more and more from retailers is not disputed, but 'price' being the main reason is complete hogwash. Go into any independent repair shop, pick up 5 items, and ask them their cost of those items. In almost every occurance, they will not be able to give you an accurate cost of 4 of them, and the 5th one will be close, but not exact. If they stock tires, they will have no clue as to the replacement cost of those tires. If they stock exhaust, they have no clue what it cost them or even what they have in stock in the way of part numbers. If they sell bulk-oil, they are losing several gallons per month due to 1/10ths over ran when filling a customers vehicle, and have no real clue about where it is going because they do not sell the oil in 10ths of a quart. To say that most independent shops, without modern sales and management techniques let alone computer systems at all, being serviced by the oil, tire, and exhaust industry, has any clue about price and it's implications is like saying a Gigilo only does business with the ugly ones because he is more concerned about keeping his prices low. The article even goes on to say that the independent shop is concerned about quality almost as much as price, implying they buy trusted brands only. Also a snow-job, because price and quality are usually not partners, usually being on opposite colors within the sprectrum. Black and white, if you wil, and where they meet is a shade of gray. A curious contradiction of terms. Here are a few of the real reasons that the independent shop is buying more from retailers. 1. Loss of in-house credit with his local jobber. In-house credit is a personal thing for most jobbers. The retailers 'credit' system is not in-house, it's usually a deal brokered through a credit card clearing house. The retailer gets paid regardless of the credit card company, and the credit card company only makes money if they don't get paid on time. Symbiosis! Why the independant shop will not pay their bill with me with a credit card defies logic in this whole scenario. Too personal, I guess. 2. Warranty. A retailer will warranty anything for any reason. Installation error, improper application, incomplete installation (ie -new pads on old chewed up rotors), or even warranty parts that were not bought from them! In doing this, the shop is relieved of any burden of responsibility. 3. A lot of independant shops want to feel superior over their suppliers and have such misguided 'knowledge' or worse, lack of knowledge, doing business with a jobber store that has 25 years parts experience is not someone they can easily push around. The jobber that considers himself a professional and whom might insist on a VIN number to be able to deliver the correct part will send an independent shop into cardiac arrest if we ask anything questioning what the shop really needs. Ask the tech or the service writer what year 350 they have, and I guarantee you'll hear, "why, they are all the same, just send me the @#$! plugs", followed by the salmming of the phone. The independant shop of this type will not be in business for long, and they will drag your name through the mud to make their indignant selves look better. 4. Sexism. It's alive and well. I have actually lost business to garages or shops because the reatiler hires cute 20 something year old girls to deliver parts. Then, after they can't complete a job, or need additional help, expect me to step in and bail them out. I tell them to call Bambie, or whatever her name is, and she if she can come down, bat her eyes at the distributor, and magically get it in time. I become physically ill when thinking that the owners of these types of shops are even allowed to get a business license. Essentially, they are the reason that the repair industry has such a bad reputation. There's a lot of these types out there , in fact, the majority. Let's face it. The true professional independent shop is a gem, and we turn back flips for them. But alas, they are a rare breed, if not a dying breed. Instead, the new generation of independent shops, of which make up a large majority of the 1/3 preferring retailers the article eluded to, don't last very long. 95% fail within the first 3 years, and then riddle the entire industry with their debt. The retailers can have them. That's the exact reason I opened my own shop, and the very reason I intend to expand my operation. In my area, they better be concerned about price, because they can't touch me, and I don't miss them. Traditional distribution is broken, and I encourage more auto parts jobbers to get into the service industry. You will be shocked at what you find, and depressed somewhat by the realization that you have been 'duped' by a large number of independent shops and garages throughtout the years. The solution to the growing problem of losing market share to the reatilers is to create a new market of your own. It's a sign of the times, so may as well get in if you're gonna stay. By the way, you'll make a boatload more money with a lot less headache of dealing with marginal clientele. Truth in Pricing   I read a recent industry article that was about the results of a recent survey of independant repair shops and their buying trends, and since I am an independent business owner whom happens to own a jobber/shop combination business, that also sales to wholesale clients like independent repair shops, dealerships, installers, and fleet companies, I curiosly perused the article. I know a lot of work and effort went into the article, and a lot of time was spent gathering the data, but the information gleaned from the raw data led to conclusions that were based on conjecture. The root cause of the collected data would make for a much more interesting article because it would be the ugly truth, not someones grandiose ideas of themselves or their business. The fact that independent repair shops are buying more and more from retailers is not disputed, but 'price' being the main reason is complete hogwash. Go into any independent repair shop, pick up 5 items, and ask them their cost of those items. In almost every occurance, they will not be able to give you an accurate cost of 4 of them, and the 5th one will be close, but not exact. If they stock tires, they will have no clue as to the replacement cost of those tires. If they stock exhaust, they have no clue what it cost them or even what they have in stock in the way of part numbers. If they sell bulk-oil, they are losing several gallons per month due to 1/10ths over ran when filling a customers vehicle, and have no real clue about where it is going because they do not sell the oil in 10ths of a quart. To say that most independent shops, without modern sales and management techniques let alone computer systems at all, being serviced by the oil, tire, and exhaust industry, has any clue about price and it's implications is like saying a Gigilo only does business with the ugly ones because he is more concerned about keeping his prices low. The article even goes on to say that the independent shop is concerned about quality almost as much as price, implying they buy trusted brands only. Also a snow-job, because price and quality are usually not partners, usually being on opposite colors within the sprectrum. Black and white, if you wil, and where they meet is a shade of gray. A curious contradiction of terms. Here are a few of the real reasons that the independent shop is buying more from retailers. 1. Loss of in-house credit with his local jobber. In-house credit is a personal thing for most jobbers. The retailers 'credit' system is not in-house, it's usually a deal brokered through a credit card clearing house. The retailer gets paid regardless of the credit card company, and the credit card company only makes money if they don't get paid on time. Symbiosis! Why the independant shop will not pay their bill with me with a credit card defies logic in this whole scenario. Too personal, I guess. 2. Warranty. A retailer will warranty anything for any reason. Installation error, improper application, incomplete installation (ie -new pads on old chewed up rotors), or even warranty parts that were not bought from them! In doing this, the shop is relieved of any burden of responsibility. 3. A lot of independant shops want to feel superior over their suppliers and have such misguided 'knowledge' or worse, lack of knowledge, doing business with a jobber store that has 25 years parts experience is not someone they can easily push around. The jobber that considers himself a professional and whom might insist on a VIN number to be able to deliver the correct part will send an independent shop into cardiac arrest if we ask anything questioning what the shop really needs. Ask the tech or the service writer what year 350 they have, and I guarantee you'll hear, "why, they are all the same, just send me the @#$! plugs", followed by the salmming of the phone. The independant shop of this type will not be in business for long, and they will drag your name through the mud to make their indignant selves look better. 4. Sexism. It's alive and well. I have actually lost business to garages or shops because the reatiler hires cute 20 something year old girls to deliver parts. Then, after they can't complete a job, or need additional help, expect me to step in and bail them out. I tell them to call Bambie, or whatever her name is, and she if she can come down, bat her eyes at the distributor, and magically get it in time. I become physically ill when thinking that the owners of these types of shops are even allowed to get a business license. Essentially, they are the reason that the repair industry has such a bad reputation. There's a lot of these types out there , in fact, the majority. Let's face it. The true professional independent shop is a gem, and we turn back flips for them. But alas, they are a rare breed, if not a dying breed. Instead, the new generation of independent shops, of which make up a large majority of the 1/3 preferring retailers the article eluded to, don't last very long. 95% fail within the first 3 years, and then riddle the entire industry with their debt. The retailers can have them. That's the exact reason I opened my own shop, and the very reason I intend to expand my operation. In my area, they better be concerned about price, because they can't touch me, and I don't miss them. Traditional distribution is broken, and I encourage more auto parts jobbers to get into the service industry. You will be shocked at what you find, and depressed somewhat by the realization that you have been 'duped' by a large number of independent shops and garages throughtout the years. The solution to the growing problem of losing market share to the reatilers is to create a new market of your own. It's a sign of the times, so may as well get in if you're gonna stay. By the way, you'll make a boatload more money with a lot less headache of dealing with marginal clientele. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:28:02 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_TRUTH-ABOUT-PRICING/blog/5997019/31710.html WAP 2012-04-20T19:28:02Z AutoPro Workshop Truth in Pricing   I read a recent industry article that was about the results of a recent survey of independant repair shops and their buying trends, and since I am an independent business owner whom happens to own a jobber/shop combination business, that also sales to wholesale clients like independent repair shops, dealerships, installers, and fleet companies, I curiosly perused the article. I know a lot of work and effort went into the article, and a lot of time was spent gathering the data, but the information gleaned from the raw data led to conclusions that were based on conjecture. The root cause of the collected data would make for a much more interesting article because it would be the ugly truth, not someones grandiose ideas of themselves or their business. The fact that independent repair shops are buying more and more from retailers is not disputed, but 'price' being the main reason is complete hogwash. Go into any independent repair shop, pick up 5 items, and ask them their cost of those items. In almost every occurance, they will not be able to give you an accurate cost of 4 of them, and the 5th one will be close, but not exact. If they stock tires, they will have no clue as to the replacement cost of those tires. If they stock exhaust, they have no clue what it cost them or even what they have in stock in the way of part numbers. If they sell bulk-oil, they are losing several gallons per month due to 1/10ths over ran when filling a customers vehicle, and have no real clue about where it is going because they do not sell the oil in 10ths of a quart. To say that most independent shops, without modern sales and management techniques let alone computer systems at all, being serviced by the oil, tire, and exhaust industry, has any clue about price and it's implications is like saying a Gigilo only does business with the ugly ones because he is more concerned about keeping his prices low. The article even goes on to say that the independent shop is concerned about quality almost as much as price, implying they buy trusted brands only. Also a snow-job, because price and quality are usually not partners, usually being on opposite colors within the sprectrum. Black and white, if you wil, and where they meet is a shade of gray. A curious contradiction of terms. Here are a few of the real reasons that the independent shop is buying more from retailers. 1. Loss of in-house credit with his local jobber. In-house credit is a personal thing for most jobbers. The retailers 'credit' system is not in-house, it's usually a deal brokered through a credit card clearing house. The retailer gets paid regardless of the credit card company, and the credit card company only makes money if they don't get paid on time. Symbiosis! Why the independant shop will not pay their bill with me with a credit card defies logic in this whole scenario. Too personal, I guess. 2. Warranty. A retailer will warranty anything for any reason. Installation error, improper application, incomplete installation (ie -new pads on old chewed up rotors), or even warranty parts that were not bought from them! In doing this, the shop is relieved of any burden of responsibility. 3. A lot of independant shops want to feel superior over their suppliers and have such misguided 'knowledge' or worse, lack of knowledge, doing business with a jobber store that has 25 years parts experience is not someone they can easily push around. The jobber that considers himself a professional and whom might insist on a VIN number to be able to deliver the correct part will send an independent shop into cardiac arrest if we ask anything questioning what the shop really needs. Ask the tech or the service writer what year 350 they have, and I guarantee you'll hear, "why, they are all the same, just send me the @#$! plugs", followed by the salmming of the phone. The independant shop of this type will not be in business for long, and they will drag your name through the mud to make their indignant selves look better. 4. Sexism. It's alive and well. I have actually lost business to garages or shops because the reatiler hires cute 20 something year old girls to deliver parts. Then, after they can't complete a job, or need additional help, expect me to step in and bail them out. I tell them to call Bambie, or whatever her name is, and she if she can come down, bat her eyes at the distributor, and magically get it in time. I become physically ill when thinking that the owners of these types of shops are even allowed to get a business license. Essentially, they are the reason that the repair industry has such a bad reputation. There's a lot of these types out there , in fact, the majority. Let's face it. The true professional independent shop is a gem, and we turn back flips for them. But alas, they are a rare breed, if not a dying breed. Instead, the new generation of independent shops, of which make up a large majority of the 1/3 preferring retailers the article eluded to, don't last very long. 95% fail within the first 3 years, and then riddle the entire industry with their debt. The retailers can have them. That's the exact reason I opened my own shop, and the very reason I intend to expand my operation. In my area, they better be concerned about price, because they can't touch me, and I don't miss them. Traditional distribution is broken, and I encourage more auto parts jobbers to get into the service industry. You will be shocked at what you find, and depressed somewhat by the realization that you have been 'duped' by a large number of independent shops and garages throughtout the years. The solution to the growing problem of losing market share to the reatilers is to create a new market of your own. It's a sign of the times, so may as well get in if you're gonna stay. By the way, you'll make a boatload more money with a lot less headache of dealing with marginal clientele. nonadult false TRUTH ABOUT PRICING text blog 1169 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 2 0 5997019 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_DO-NOT-READ-USELESS-INFO/blog/5922141/31710.html If you are one of the 'useless media' junkies whom has actually read the contents of this blog, please post your name below. I am amazed at the content and purpose of so many blogs, that I thought if I simply warned you that this blog was, well, idiotic, it would keep you away. But here you are. Some blogs are meaningfull with poetic insight, yet get very little 'air time'. Other blogs that ramble and discuss very ho-hum mundane topics or are otherwise advertising conversely get a lot of exposure. Go figure. I'm curious to see how many of us can't keep our fingers out of the 'electrical outlet'. If you are one of the 'useless media' junkies whom has actually read the contents of this blog, please post your name below. I am amazed at the content and purpose of so many blogs, that I thought if I simply warned you that this blog was, well, idiotic, it would keep you away. But here you are. Some blogs are meaningfull with poetic insight, yet get very little 'air time'. Other blogs that ramble and discuss very ho-hum mundane topics or are otherwise advertising conversely get a lot of exposure. Go figure. I'm curious to see how many of us can't keep our fingers out of the 'electrical outlet'. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:40:05 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_DO-NOT-READ-USELESS-INFO/blog/5922141/31710.html WAP 2012-03-31T22:40:05Z AutoPro Workshop If you are one of the 'useless media' junkies whom has actually read the contents of this blog, please post your name below. I am amazed at the content and purpose of so many blogs, that I thought if I simply warned you that this blog was, well, idiotic, it would keep you away. But here you are. Some blogs are meaningfull with poetic insight, yet get very little 'air time'. Other blogs that ramble and discuss very ho-hum mundane topics or are otherwise advertising conversely get a lot of exposure. Go figure. I'm curious to see how many of us can't keep our fingers out of the 'electrical outlet'. nonadult false DO NOT READ - USELESS INFO text blog 352 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5922141 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_CarMDASEMakesMeMAD/blog/5896991/31710.html CarMD+ASE=MakesMeMAD You've seen the commercial. 'Avoid being ripped off! Use CarMD to diagnose your own vehicle and save hundreds if not thousands of dollars!!" And right in the middle of this infomercial that exploits the fear of unscruplous repair centers is ASE. It's even on the CarMD website! The testing and certifying standard of all service and repair centers (ASE) is actually participating in an ad for a company that sales it's CarMD product by telling you not to trust what the repair center tells you is wrong with your car! That's right! A standard that we have all believed to be the 'golden rule' of Automotive Service Excellence is assisting a company in marketing a product to keep customers away from the very service centers that they certify! I was dumbfounded! Any company that sales it's product by using fear-mongering tactics backed up by an ASE certification (unwittingly or otherwise) needs to be called 'on the carpet'. Shame on ASE. Shame on CarMD. I think we should all remove our ASE signs until ASE removes their 'AD' from CarMD's website. A real Benedict Arnold could be no prouder. CarMD+ASE=MakesMeMAD You've seen the commercial. 'Avoid being ripped off! Use CarMD to diagnose your own vehicle and save hundreds if not thousands of dollars!!" And right in the middle of this infomercial that exploits the fear of unscruplous repair centers is ASE. It's even on the CarMD website! The testing and certifying standard of all service and repair centers (ASE) is actually participating in an ad for a company that sales it's CarMD product by telling you not to trust what the repair center tells you is wrong with your car! That's right! A standard that we have all believed to be the 'golden rule' of Automotive Service Excellence is assisting a company in marketing a product to keep customers away from the very service centers that they certify! I was dumbfounded! Any company that sales it's product by using fear-mongering tactics backed up by an ASE certification (unwittingly or otherwise) needs to be called 'on the carpet'. Shame on ASE. Shame on CarMD. I think we should all remove our ASE signs until ASE removes their 'AD' from CarMD's website. A real Benedict Arnold could be no prouder. Sat, 24 Mar 2012 22:02:12 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_CarMDASEMakesMeMAD/blog/5896991/31710.html WAP 2012-03-24T22:02:12Z AutoPro Workshop CarMD+ASE=MakesMeMAD You've seen the commercial. 'Avoid being ripped off! Use CarMD to diagnose your own vehicle and save hundreds if not thousands of dollars!!" And right in the middle of this infomercial that exploits the fear of unscruplous repair centers is ASE. It's even on the CarMD website! The testing and certifying standard of all service and repair centers (ASE) is actually participating in an ad for a company that sales it's CarMD product by telling you not to trust what the repair center tells you is wrong with your car! That's right! A standard that we have all believed to be the 'golden rule' of Automotive Service Excellence is assisting a company in marketing a product to keep customers away from the very service centers that they certify! I was dumbfounded! Any company that sales it's product by using fear-mongering tactics backed up by an ASE certification (unwittingly or otherwise) needs to be called 'on the carpet'. Shame on ASE. Shame on CarMD. I think we should all remove our ASE signs until ASE removes their 'AD' from CarMD's website. A real Benedict Arnold could be no prouder. nonadult false CarMD+ASE=MakesMeMAD text blog 523 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 6 0 5896991 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Acceptable-Theft/blog/5834717/31710.html One thing that is for sure, if you have employees, at some point, they will steal something. Often times, it's an insignificant little something-something. But what I have noticed is that theives become greedy. Even if they don't steal, they get stuff that they never pay for. My largest write-offs for the past year were for ex-employees that gave me some sort of 'bleeding-heart' story about why they needed a transmission of some other big ticket item only to leave me hanging in the lurch. This is not a recent occurrance either. It's been going on for about 25 years, and it's gotten to the point that the least trusted customer of mine is my employees! I'm not saying that they are all bad, but I'm telling you this, per capita versus every other type of potential customer, they are a horrible risk. Why? I think they somehow feel 'entitled' to whatever it is that they are stealing or refusing to pay for. To them, it's 'acceptable' theft due to how hard they may have worked on a particular day. This is a dirty little secret that has plagued this industry for years, and I think it's a result from several things. My new employees from now on have no ability to charge or make payments on anything. Period. I'm sick of it, and I'm sure a few of you reading this have experienced the same things over the years. Is theft ever acceptable? If it is, then we are truly cultivating a culture endorsing the very thing that makes us all look very hard at ourselves in the mirror. You know, your 'ace' counterman, servicewriter, bodyman or mechanic that you are well aware of having sticky fingers, but you can't replace the level of expertise he or she has attained. Maybe we should encourge them to move on to politics....where this is widely accepted as the norm. Time for this to change don't you think? One thing that is for sure, if you have employees, at some point, they will steal something. Often times, it's an insignificant little something-something. But what I have noticed is that theives become greedy. Even if they don't steal, they get stuff that they never pay for. My largest write-offs for the past year were for ex-employees that gave me some sort of 'bleeding-heart' story about why they needed a transmission of some other big ticket item only to leave me hanging in the lurch. This is not a recent occurrance either. It's been going on for about 25 years, and it's gotten to the point that the least trusted customer of mine is my employees! I'm not saying that they are all bad, but I'm telling you this, per capita versus every other type of potential customer, they are a horrible risk. Why? I think they somehow feel 'entitled' to whatever it is that they are stealing or refusing to pay for. To them, it's 'acceptable' theft due to how hard they may have worked on a particular day. This is a dirty little secret that has plagued this industry for years, and I think it's a result from several things. My new employees from now on have no ability to charge or make payments on anything. Period. I'm sick of it, and I'm sure a few of you reading this have experienced the same things over the years. Is theft ever acceptable? If it is, then we are truly cultivating a culture endorsing the very thing that makes us all look very hard at ourselves in the mirror. You know, your 'ace' counterman, servicewriter, bodyman or mechanic that you are well aware of having sticky fingers, but you can't replace the level of expertise he or she has attained. Maybe we should encourge them to move on to politics....where this is widely accepted as the norm. Time for this to change don't you think? Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:28:03 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Acceptable-Theft/blog/5834717/31710.html WAP 2012-03-05T19:28:03Z AutoPro Workshop One thing that is for sure, if you have employees, at some point, they will steal something. Often times, it's an insignificant little something-something. But what I have noticed is that theives become greedy. Even if they don't steal, they get stuff that they never pay for. My largest write-offs for the past year were for ex-employees that gave me some sort of 'bleeding-heart' story about why they needed a transmission of some other big ticket item only to leave me hanging in the lurch. This is not a recent occurrance either. It's been going on for about 25 years, and it's gotten to the point that the least trusted customer of mine is my employees! I'm not saying that they are all bad, but I'm telling you this, per capita versus every other type of potential customer, they are a horrible risk. Why? I think they somehow feel 'entitled' to whatever it is that they are stealing or refusing to pay for. To them, it's 'acceptable' theft due to how hard they may have worked on a particular day. This is a dirty little secret that has plagued this industry for years, and I think it's a result from several things. My new employees from now on have no ability to charge or make payments on anything. Period. I'm sick of it, and I'm sure a few of you reading this have experienced the same things over the years. Is theft ever acceptable? If it is, then we are truly cultivating a culture endorsing the very thing that makes us all look very hard at ourselves in the mirror. You know, your 'ace' counterman, servicewriter, bodyman or mechanic that you are well aware of having sticky fingers, but you can't replace the level of expertise he or she has attained. Maybe we should encourge them to move on to politics....where this is widely accepted as the norm. Time for this to change don't you think? automotive, business, employees, funny, theft nonadult false Acceptable Theft? text blog automotive,business,employees,funny,theft 506 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 1 0 5834717 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_CURSE-OF-THE-WEREWOLF/blog/5789659/31710.html When you've been around for a while like me, you've gone through a number of employees. Since this industry is like a tight-knit community of gypsies, we all have a tendancy to 'trade' employees. It's seems that most technicians' motto is 'have tools, will travel.' The run of the mill guys that have worked for me are simply 'fodder' for the employment base, not too good or not too bad, just average. Losing one of these types really does not hurt that much if they go to work for your competition. But what do you think about losing your star employee to your competition, or what if your 'star' decides to open his own shop? I have been blessed with some excellent talent throughout the years, only to be cursed by them leaving to open their own shop, or leave me for .50 on the hour increase in pay. Call it the curse of the werewolf, if you will, with the exception that I'm not quite as innocent as the doomed star-palmed virgin of Bela Lugosi vintage movie lore. Now I'm not worried about 'the competition' factor, my concern is ultimatey what happens to these 'shining stars' just a few years down the road. Here is the real question: why do all of the one's we pin a hope or a dream on leave? Even worse is when they leave, open their own shop, and fail miserably. So miserable, in fact, that they become jaded and end up changing vocation. I have yet to figure this out. When you have an employee that works for you from 5-10 years, you have a lot of time, money, and training invested these people. Others I have talked to within our industry have often said as soon as they get 'em trained, they leave. I say it could be worse, possibly you don't train them at all and they stay, but I digress. The shortage of qualified technicians can be likened to the shortage of Ethiopian chickens. Both are in high demand. According in a recent article I read, 71% of all technicians in training want to open their own shop which leaves all of the existing shop owners scrambling over the 29% of remaining technician rookies. Since this 29% most likely falls into the "I don't aspire to be much" category, well...you can see our dilema. Back to the 71%. If the 71% fully realized the amount of time, experience, money and energy that was required to run and maintain a good profitable shop, that number would be cut in half. So now we are down to 35%. Of the 35% remaining that may actually try to open a shop, about half of them will make it for a year or less in business. Now we are down to 17%. Of the 17% remaining, about 95% of them will not make it 5 years. That leaves us a pawltry .85% "success" rate for automotive technicians wishing to be successful shop owners. Wouldn't you say that's about right? Think about how many new shops that have opened in your area over the years and how many are still there now. It's a pitiful career choice if you advertise the probability of success. So how do we fix this? Become involved with you local vo-tech center or technical college. We must all act as a guide to help these budding techs learn the entire system, and not just the turning of the wrenches, so to speak. I have hired techs that have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on their education only to find that we must train them all over again. Class room training makes them dangerous, real world training takes a lot more time and patience besides the fact that it's dealing with real people spending real money with un-realistic expectations. When you throw all of the variables together and combine a young techs aptitude and attitude, it's no wonder that we can't keep these guys and gals around. They have to pay a lot for an education, supply their own tools(also very costly), start out making a meager wage, and generally get very little respect from their co-workers within the industry because they are so green. Again, become more involved. If we act like the tight-knit Gypsie community I eluded to in the first paragraph, we will circle the wagons, sing, dance, and more importantly, take care of our own. Have you ever saw a sad gypsie? Our heritage is at stake in educating the next generation properly. These young virginal techs are the prey of the werewolf, and any good palm reader will keep a ready supply of 'wolfbane'(EDUCATION)  to the keep the evil malcontents away. Go hug your young guns, and tell them they'll be ok, they've just gotta put in the work. When you've been around for a while like me, you've gone through a number of employees. Since this industry is like a tight-knit community of gypsies, we all have a tendancy to 'trade' employees. It's seems that most technicians' motto is 'have tools, will travel.' The run of the mill guys that have worked for me are simply 'fodder' for the employment base, not too good or not too bad, just average. Losing one of these types really does not hurt that much if they go to work for your competition. But what do you think about losing your star employee to your competition, or what if your 'star' decides to open his own shop? I have been blessed with some excellent talent throughout the years, only to be cursed by them leaving to open their own shop, or leave me for .50 on the hour increase in pay. Call it the curse of the werewolf, if you will, with the exception that I'm not quite as innocent as the doomed star-palmed virgin of Bela Lugosi vintage movie lore. Now I'm not worried about 'the competition' factor, my concern is ultimatey what happens to these 'shining stars' just a few years down the road. Here is the real question: why do all of the one's we pin a hope or a dream on leave? Even worse is when they leave, open their own shop, and fail miserably. So miserable, in fact, that they become jaded and end up changing vocation. I have yet to figure this out. When you have an employee that works for you from 5-10 years, you have a lot of time, money, and training invested these people. Others I have talked to within our industry have often said as soon as they get 'em trained, they leave. I say it could be worse, possibly you don't train them at all and they stay, but I digress. The shortage of qualified technicians can be likened to the shortage of Ethiopian chickens. Both are in high demand. According in a recent article I read, 71% of all technicians in training want to open their own shop which leaves all of the existing shop owners scrambling over the 29% of remaining technician rookies. Since this 29% most likely falls into the "I don't aspire to be much" category, well...you can see our dilema. Back to the 71%. If the 71% fully realized the amount of time, experience, money and energy that was required to run and maintain a good profitable shop, that number would be cut in half. So now we are down to 35%. Of the 35% remaining that may actually try to open a shop, about half of them will make it for a year or less in business. Now we are down to 17%. Of the 17% remaining, about 95% of them will not make it 5 years. That leaves us a pawltry .85% "success" rate for automotive technicians wishing to be successful shop owners. Wouldn't you say that's about right? Think about how many new shops that have opened in your area over the years and how many are still there now. It's a pitiful career choice if you advertise the probability of success. So how do we fix this? Become involved with you local vo-tech center or technical college. We must all act as a guide to help these budding techs learn the entire system, and not just the turning of the wrenches, so to speak. I have hired techs that have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on their education only to find that we must train them all over again. Class room training makes them dangerous, real world training takes a lot more time and patience besides the fact that it's dealing with real people spending real money with un-realistic expectations. When you throw all of the variables together and combine a young techs aptitude and attitude, it's no wonder that we can't keep these guys and gals around. They have to pay a lot for an education, supply their own tools(also very costly), start out making a meager wage, and generally get very little respect from their co-workers within the industry because they are so green. Again, become more involved. If we act like the tight-knit Gypsie community I eluded to in the first paragraph, we will circle the wagons, sing, dance, and more importantly, take care of our own. Have you ever saw a sad gypsie? Our heritage is at stake in educating the next generation properly. These young virginal techs are the prey of the werewolf, and any good palm reader will keep a ready supply of 'wolfbane'(EDUCATION)  to the keep the evil malcontents away. Go hug your young guns, and tell them they'll be ok, they've just gotta put in the work. Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:49:00 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_CURSE-OF-THE-WEREWOLF/blog/5789659/31710.html WAP 2012-02-18T14:49:00Z AutoPro Workshop When you've been around for a while like me, you've gone through a number of employees. Since this industry is like a tight-knit community of gypsies, we all have a tendancy to 'trade' employees. It's seems that most technicians' motto is 'have tools, will travel.' The run of the mill guys that have worked for me are simply 'fodder' for the employment base, not too good or not too bad, just average. Losing one of these types really does not hurt that much if they go to work for your competition. But what do you think about losing your star employee to your competition, or what if your 'star' decides to open his own shop? I have been blessed with some excellent talent throughout the years, only to be cursed by them leaving to open their own shop, or leave me for .50 on the hour increase in pay. Call it the curse of the werewolf, if you will, with the exception that I'm not quite as innocent as the doomed star-palmed virgin of Bela Lugosi vintage movie lore. Now I'm not worried about 'the competition' factor, my concern is ultimatey what happens to these 'shining stars' just a few years down the road. Here is the real question: why do all of the one's we pin a hope or a dream on leave? Even worse is when they leave, open their own shop, and fail miserably. So miserable, in fact, that they become jaded and end up changing vocation. I have yet to figure this out. When you have an employee that works for you from 5-10 years, you have a lot of time, money, and training invested these people. Others I have talked to within our industry have often said as soon as they get 'em trained, they leave. I say it could be worse, possibly you don't train them at all and they stay, but I digress. The shortage of qualified technicians can be likened to the shortage of Ethiopian chickens. Both are in high demand. According in a recent article I read, 71% of all technicians in training want to open their own shop which leaves all of the existing shop owners scrambling over the 29% of remaining technician rookies. Since this 29% most likely falls into the "I don't aspire to be much" category, well...you can see our dilema. Back to the 71%. If the 71% fully realized the amount of time, experience, money and energy that was required to run and maintain a good profitable shop, that number would be cut in half. So now we are down to 35%. Of the 35% remaining that may actually try to open a shop, about half of them will make it for a year or less in business. Now we are down to 17%. Of the 17% remaining, about 95% of them will not make it 5 years. That leaves us a pawltry .85% "success" rate for automotive technicians wishing to be successful shop owners. Wouldn't you say that's about right? Think about how many new shops that have opened in your area over the years and how many are still there now. It's a pitiful career choice if you advertise the probability of success. So how do we fix this? Become involved with you local vo-tech center or technical college. We must all act as a guide to help these budding techs learn the entire system, and not just the turning of the wrenches, so to speak. I have hired techs that have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on their education only to find that we must train them all over again. Class room training makes them dangerous, real world training takes a lot more time and patience besides the fact that it's dealing with real people spending real money with un-realistic expectations. When you throw all of the variables together and combine a young techs aptitude and attitude, it's no wonder that we can't keep these guys and gals around. They have to pay a lot for an education, supply their own tools(also very costly), start out making a meager wage, and generally get very little respect from their co-workers within the industry because they are so green. Again, become more involved. If we act like the tight-knit Gypsie community I eluded to in the first paragraph, we will circle the wagons, sing, dance, and more importantly, take care of our own. Have you ever saw a sad gypsie? Our heritage is at stake in educating the next generation properly. These young virginal techs are the prey of the werewolf, and any good palm reader will keep a ready supply of 'wolfbane'(EDUCATION)  to the keep the evil malcontents away. Go hug your young guns, and tell them they'll be ok, they've just gotta put in the work. nonadult false CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF text blog 465 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5789659 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Out-looking-for-34Somebody34/blog/5777633/31710.html Out Looking for "Somebody" Well, it's 2012, and things are starting to line up. My signs line up on a much smaller scale, yet when they line up, the 'doom' factor is equally as ominous as the Mayan 2012 calendar. There are some things that can never be fully understood, envisioned, or prevented but the seemingly imperceptable clues that go without notice leading up a horrendous event will stupify an observers' perception of reality when looked upon with hindsight. These things start small, and then build with velocity and size. This is where my story begins, and is 100% truthful. It all started on a very cold Sunday morning as I went outside to get the paper. I was cheerfully greeted by my neighbors dog whom lives with, only out in the garage. He barked and growled whilst jumping around as is his way when he expects food. I opened the tote that we keep his food locked away in only to discover he was out of food. Knowing that my son whom was travelling back to college that day was probably out of fuel, I decided to make a quick trip to the local rural fuel station to fill his car up with fuel, and pick up some dog food for what now can only be described as a raging 120lb fanatical Labrodor Retriever impatiently waiting to be fed. I could kill two birds with one stone, or so I thought. I pulled up to the pump, got out of the car, only to discover that they were out of fuel. It is a rural station, and this happens frequentley, and when it does, a longer drive to town is required. So I put the gas cap back on, closed the lid, and looked down at the right rear tire. It was almost flat! Out of air! My journey took on a slightly larger amount of complexity, as now, after getting fuel, the tire demanded attention and I would have to go into the shop, open the garage and check out the tire. Grumbling to myself something about why does stuff have to be so hard, I resigned myself to the task at hand. After finally getting the car fueled up, I pulled the car into the shop to look at the tire. The shop seemed a little cool, so I moved the thermostat up a notch of two and....nothing. I stood staring at our waste oil heater as if somehow to magically encourage it to fire up and....nothing. Further investigation yeilded an immediate cause. The tank was out of waste oil. Since the evening was expected to dip into the single digits, pumping more oil into the furnace tank was not an option unless I wanted to hear all of the whining and complaining the next morning about the lack of heat. Man-handling a 55 gallon drum of waste oil by yourself is no easy task, but by this point my adrenaline levels were so high due to building anger that I actually welcomed the challenge. 20 minutes of hand cranking dispensed with a toxic level of testosterone, and the shop now had heat. Another 20 minutes to pull the wheel off, plug the tire, and I was on my way home. I was almost home when I noticed blue lights in my mirror. Aw, come on, what now? It seems my sons tag was out of date on the car due to his claimed inability to bend at the knees and obviously prohibited the installation of the new tag that was still in the glove box. I arrived home, and realized I had forgot the dog food. Didn't matter to the dog because he drew on his stash of deer carcases and other road kill to batten down his hunger and was kind enough to leave some for me strewn about the floor of the garage.   I went to bed, talked to no one, and pondered on the possibility that God must have been having a slow day of handing out crosses to bear. On my way to work the next morning, I mulled over the morning discussion topic/counseling session that I have every morning with all of the employees. Certainly re-fill of the waste-oil heaters was at the top of a short list. As I made my way into the shop, it felt awfully cold, and no wonder. The waste oil furnace was not functioning again! I called the company that works on our heaters and the receptionist said they were all out on calls, but she would find out when someone could come out and check it out and call me back.  Single digits, out of heat, and Monday with a full schedule. Some provisions for alternative heat had to be made, and I intended to get a kerosene turbo-heater as a stipend. I started the company truck to warm it up in preparation for my trip to the hardware store only to discover the truck was out of fuel. Really, below the "E", and I must first solve that dilema. Truck fueling was accomplished quickly, and I stood waiting for the clerk at our local hardware store just minutes later. When I asked for the turbo-heater he responded he had just sold out, and I should try another store across town. My fury was on the rise again and I inspected the tags, tires, and oil in the company truck before I travelled across town to another hardware store. The second choice hardware store had the heater, and I got a couple of 5 gallon kerosene cans to fill up on the way back to the store. Guess what, every fuel station in or around town was out of kerosene. So I had to go way,way out of my way to get the required fuel. I made a dash back to the shop so as not to further inconvienience my chilly, punctual, and oh-so considerate work staff. They'd jump through all these hoops for me, wouldn't they? One of my guys met me in the parking lot, helped me unload the heater and the fuel, and then set to work putting the turbo heater, frame and wheels together. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, the repairman had arrived and was busily working on the waste oil heater. On my wayward trip to get kerosense, I was out of cell range and did not get the call from his receptionist, and Monday being Monday, the amount of return phone calls I had to make on my return to the shop had amassed into a small pile. 30 Minutes more passed, the heater was together, and I wheeled it into the shop, fully fueled and ready to use. When I opened the door that leads out to the shop, I was met with a burst of warm air, as the repairman had fixed the furnace. Since I had already put fuel into the turbo heater, I couldn't return it, and I was out of luck. Oh well, everything I had touched for the last two days was 'out' of something that somebody was supposed to keep an eye on. I resumed normal operation, with a much lighter wallet and heavier heart. I waited on the next customer whom bought an item costing $1.12 that paid with a $100 only to discover my drawer was out of change. I could just s#%#, but didn't dare because by this point I'd figured out we were probably out of toilet paper. On a side note, if a person comes into your place of business with the name 'Somebody', I strongly recommend hiring him or her because it's seems they are willing to be responsible for a lot of things that all of the 'nobodys' never consider part of their work description.....lol. Out Looking for "Somebody" Well, it's 2012, and things are starting to line up. My signs line up on a much smaller scale, yet when they line up, the 'doom' factor is equally as ominous as the Mayan 2012 calendar. There are some things that can never be fully understood, envisioned, or prevented but the seemingly imperceptable clues that go without notice leading up a horrendous event will stupify an observers' perception of reality when looked upon with hindsight. These things start small, and then build with velocity and size. This is where my story begins, and is 100% truthful. It all started on a very cold Sunday morning as I went outside to get the paper. I was cheerfully greeted by my neighbors dog whom lives with, only out in the garage. He barked and growled whilst jumping around as is his way when he expects food. I opened the tote that we keep his food locked away in only to discover he was out of food. Knowing that my son whom was travelling back to college that day was probably out of fuel, I decided to make a quick trip to the local rural fuel station to fill his car up with fuel, and pick up some dog food for what now can only be described as a raging 120lb fanatical Labrodor Retriever impatiently waiting to be fed. I could kill two birds with one stone, or so I thought. I pulled up to the pump, got out of the car, only to discover that they were out of fuel. It is a rural station, and this happens frequentley, and when it does, a longer drive to town is required. So I put the gas cap back on, closed the lid, and looked down at the right rear tire. It was almost flat! Out of air! My journey took on a slightly larger amount of complexity, as now, after getting fuel, the tire demanded attention and I would have to go into the shop, open the garage and check out the tire. Grumbling to myself something about why does stuff have to be so hard, I resigned myself to the task at hand. After finally getting the car fueled up, I pulled the car into the shop to look at the tire. The shop seemed a little cool, so I moved the thermostat up a notch of two and....nothing. I stood staring at our waste oil heater as if somehow to magically encourage it to fire up and....nothing. Further investigation yeilded an immediate cause. The tank was out of waste oil. Since the evening was expected to dip into the single digits, pumping more oil into the furnace tank was not an option unless I wanted to hear all of the whining and complaining the next morning about the lack of heat. Man-handling a 55 gallon drum of waste oil by yourself is no easy task, but by this point my adrenaline levels were so high due to building anger that I actually welcomed the challenge. 20 minutes of hand cranking dispensed with a toxic level of testosterone, and the shop now had heat. Another 20 minutes to pull the wheel off, plug the tire, and I was on my way home. I was almost home when I noticed blue lights in my mirror. Aw, come on, what now? It seems my sons tag was out of date on the car due to his claimed inability to bend at the knees and obviously prohibited the installation of the new tag that was still in the glove box. I arrived home, and realized I had forgot the dog food. Didn't matter to the dog because he drew on his stash of deer carcases and other road kill to batten down his hunger and was kind enough to leave some for me strewn about the floor of the garage.   I went to bed, talked to no one, and pondered on the possibility that God must have been having a slow day of handing out crosses to bear. On my way to work the next morning, I mulled over the morning discussion topic/counseling session that I have every morning with all of the employees. Certainly re-fill of the waste-oil heaters was at the top of a short list. As I made my way into the shop, it felt awfully cold, and no wonder. The waste oil furnace was not functioning again! I called the company that works on our heaters and the receptionist said they were all out on calls, but she would find out when someone could come out and check it out and call me back.  Single digits, out of heat, and Monday with a full schedule. Some provisions for alternative heat had to be made, and I intended to get a kerosene turbo-heater as a stipend. I started the company truck to warm it up in preparation for my trip to the hardware store only to discover the truck was out of fuel. Really, below the "E", and I must first solve that dilema. Truck fueling was accomplished quickly, and I stood waiting for the clerk at our local hardware store just minutes later. When I asked for the turbo-heater he responded he had just sold out, and I should try another store across town. My fury was on the rise again and I inspected the tags, tires, and oil in the company truck before I travelled across town to another hardware store. The second choice hardware store had the heater, and I got a couple of 5 gallon kerosene cans to fill up on the way back to the store. Guess what, every fuel station in or around town was out of kerosene. So I had to go way,way out of my way to get the required fuel. I made a dash back to the shop so as not to further inconvienience my chilly, punctual, and oh-so considerate work staff. They'd jump through all these hoops for me, wouldn't they? One of my guys met me in the parking lot, helped me unload the heater and the fuel, and then set to work putting the turbo heater, frame and wheels together. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, the repairman had arrived and was busily working on the waste oil heater. On my wayward trip to get kerosense, I was out of cell range and did not get the call from his receptionist, and Monday being Monday, the amount of return phone calls I had to make on my return to the shop had amassed into a small pile. 30 Minutes more passed, the heater was together, and I wheeled it into the shop, fully fueled and ready to use. When I opened the door that leads out to the shop, I was met with a burst of warm air, as the repairman had fixed the furnace. Since I had already put fuel into the turbo heater, I couldn't return it, and I was out of luck. Oh well, everything I had touched for the last two days was 'out' of something that somebody was supposed to keep an eye on. I resumed normal operation, with a much lighter wallet and heavier heart. I waited on the next customer whom bought an item costing $1.12 that paid with a $100 only to discover my drawer was out of change. I could just s#%#, but didn't dare because by this point I'd figured out we were probably out of toilet paper. On a side note, if a person comes into your place of business with the name 'Somebody', I strongly recommend hiring him or her because it's seems they are willing to be responsible for a lot of things that all of the 'nobodys' never consider part of their work description.....lol. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:09:25 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Out-looking-for-34Somebody34/blog/5777633/31710.html WAP 2012-02-14T13:42:25Z AMBW AutoPro Workshop Out Looking for "Somebody" Well, it's 2012, and things are starting to line up. My signs line up on a much smaller scale, yet when they line up, the 'doom' factor is equally as ominous as the Mayan 2012 calendar. There are some things that can never be fully understood, envisioned, or prevented but the seemingly imperceptable clues that go without notice leading up a horrendous event will stupify an observers' perception of reality when looked upon with hindsight. These things start small, and then build with velocity and size. This is where my story begins, and is 100% truthful. It all started on a very cold Sunday morning as I went outside to get the paper. I was cheerfully greeted by my neighbors dog whom lives with, only out in the garage. He barked and growled whilst jumping around as is his way when he expects food. I opened the tote that we keep his food locked away in only to discover he was out of food. Knowing that my son whom was travelling back to college that day was probably out of fuel, I decided to make a quick trip to the local rural fuel station to fill his car up with fuel, and pick up some dog food for what now can only be described as a raging 120lb fanatical Labrodor Retriever impatiently waiting to be fed. I could kill two birds with one stone, or so I thought. I pulled up to the pump, got out of the car, only to discover that they were out of fuel. It is a rural station, and this happens frequentley, and when it does, a longer drive to town is required. So I put the gas cap back on, closed the lid, and looked down at the right rear tire. It was almost flat! Out of air! My journey took on a slightly larger amount of complexity, as now, after getting fuel, the tire demanded attention and I would have to go into the shop, open the garage and check out the tire. Grumbling to myself something about why does stuff have to be so hard, I resigned myself to the task at hand. After finally getting the car fueled up, I pulled the car into the shop to look at the tire. The shop seemed a little cool, so I moved the thermostat up a notch of two and....nothing. I stood staring at our waste oil heater as if somehow to magically encourage it to fire up and....nothing. Further investigation yeilded an immediate cause. The tank was out of waste oil. Since the evening was expected to dip into the single digits, pumping more oil into the furnace tank was not an option unless I wanted to hear all of the whining and complaining the next morning about the lack of heat. Man-handling a 55 gallon drum of waste oil by yourself is no easy task, but by this point my adrenaline levels were so high due to building anger that I actually welcomed the challenge. 20 minutes of hand cranking dispensed with a toxic level of testosterone, and the shop now had heat. Another 20 minutes to pull the wheel off, plug the tire, and I was on my way home. I was almost home when I noticed blue lights in my mirror. Aw, come on, what now? It seems my sons tag was out of date on the car due to his claimed inability to bend at the knees and obviously prohibited the installation of the new tag that was still in the glove box. I arrived home, and realized I had forgot the dog food. Didn't matter to the dog because he drew on his stash of deer carcases and other road kill to batten down his hunger and was kind enough to leave some for me strewn about the floor of the garage.   I went to bed, talked to no one, and pondered on the possibility that God must have been having a slow day of handing out crosses to bear. On my way to work the next morning, I mulled over the morning discussion topic/counseling session that I have every morning with all of the employees. Certainly re-fill of the waste-oil heaters was at the top of a short list. As I made my way into the shop, it felt awfully cold, and no wonder. The waste oil furnace was not functioning again! I called the company that works on our heaters and the receptionist said they were all out on calls, but she would find out when someone could come out and check it out and call me back.  Single digits, out of heat, and Monday with a full schedule. Some provisions for alternative heat had to be made, and I intended to get a kerosene turbo-heater as a stipend. I started the company truck to warm it up in preparation for my trip to the hardware store only to discover the truck was out of fuel. Really, below the "E", and I must first solve that dilema. Truck fueling was accomplished quickly, and I stood waiting for the clerk at our local hardware store just minutes later. When I asked for the turbo-heater he responded he had just sold out, and I should try another store across town. My fury was on the rise again and I inspected the tags, tires, and oil in the company truck before I travelled across town to another hardware store. The second choice hardware store had the heater, and I got a couple of 5 gallon kerosene cans to fill up on the way back to the store. Guess what, every fuel station in or around town was out of kerosene. So I had to go way,way out of my way to get the required fuel. I made a dash back to the shop so as not to further inconvienience my chilly, punctual, and oh-so considerate work staff. They'd jump through all these hoops for me, wouldn't they? One of my guys met me in the parking lot, helped me unload the heater and the fuel, and then set to work putting the turbo heater, frame and wheels together. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, the repairman had arrived and was busily working on the waste oil heater. On my wayward trip to get kerosense, I was out of cell range and did not get the call from his receptionist, and Monday being Monday, the amount of return phone calls I had to make on my return to the shop had amassed into a small pile. 30 Minutes more passed, the heater was together, and I wheeled it into the shop, fully fueled and ready to use. When I opened the door that leads out to the shop, I was met with a burst of warm air, as the repairman had fixed the furnace. Since I had already put fuel into the turbo heater, I couldn't return it, and I was out of luck. Oh well, everything I had touched for the last two days was 'out' of something that somebody was supposed to keep an eye on. I resumed normal operation, with a much lighter wallet and heavier heart. I waited on the next customer whom bought an item costing $1.12 that paid with a $100 only to discover my drawer was out of change. I could just s#%#, but didn't dare because by this point I'd figured out we were probably out of toilet paper. On a side note, if a person comes into your place of business with the name 'Somebody', I strongly recommend hiring him or her because it's seems they are willing to be responsible for a lot of things that all of the 'nobodys' never consider part of their work description.....lol. ambw nonadult false Out looking for "Somebody" text blog ambw 621 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 AMBW 0 5777633 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Like-I-was-sayin39/blog/5733936/31710.html My recent article "Turning the Pyramid on it's Head" really generated a lot of email responses from all over the country and from a diverse group of business types within the industry, including presidents and VPs of manufacturing, owners of service centers, owners and managers of multiple service centers, marketing directors of advertising agencies, marketing groups, jobbers, warehouses and board members of large aftermarket corporations. Every email I received was complimentary, but more than that, they were very, very detailed about how they would like to see program group marketing change. I was astounded that this article touched such a sore spot with so many people.  A former CEO of one manufacturer wrote "(we) have already left the (program) group concept as a manufacturer and are building a direct-to-distributor model from worldwide sources." Another VP of sales and marketing wrote, "I agree that the amount of wasted time, effort and money you refer to is monumental in this industry." He went on to say "These 'me too' aftermarket marketing efforts do nothing to move product, educate employees or add to the bottom line." A GM of a large independant installer wrote, "There is so much technology available today that the (program) groups could be using to help our businesses run better and more efficient, which in turn would increase our parts purchases with our jobber." One e-mail responder wrote, "Features and benefits offer the customer the information to decide if this product will solve his problem." The responder also added, "They don't just go down to the parts store to see what's on sale." Another email from a marketing and consulting company wanted to know how many responses this article got, and was interested — I assumed — based on the level of responses in building a program to demonstrate how selling "quality, features and benefits" were better than programs that simply sell price. You need to start working on that program now, because the responses were many.  I was really encouraged to see that so many people shared my same view on this topic, but at the same time, was dismayed by the lack of attention from program groups and manufacturers regarding everyone else's plea to change how we market product. One email from a marketing VP indicated that he "felt sorry for (the manufacturers') disconnection," and he eluded to the fact that some programs had a design of "stroking the egos of the upper echelon of manufacturer marketing people and executives." Thanks to everyone that responded, as I couldn't include a snippet from every email. Read the article and tell your manufacturers, warehouses, group administrators or jobbers what you think. If we all scream loud enough, someone has got to hear us and hopefully listen! My recent article "Turning the Pyramid on it's Head" really generated a lot of email responses from all over the country and from a diverse group of business types within the industry, including presidents and VPs of manufacturing, owners of service centers, owners and managers of multiple service centers, marketing directors of advertising agencies, marketing groups, jobbers, warehouses and board members of large aftermarket corporations. Every email I received was complimentary, but more than that, they were very, very detailed about how they would like to see program group marketing change. I was astounded that this article touched such a sore spot with so many people.  A former CEO of one manufacturer wrote "(we) have already left the (program) group concept as a manufacturer and are building a direct-to-distributor model from worldwide sources." Another VP of sales and marketing wrote, "I agree that the amount of wasted time, effort and money you refer to is monumental in this industry." He went on to say "These 'me too' aftermarket marketing efforts do nothing to move product, educate employees or add to the bottom line." A GM of a large independant installer wrote, "There is so much technology available today that the (program) groups could be using to help our businesses run better and more efficient, which in turn would increase our parts purchases with our jobber." One e-mail responder wrote, "Features and benefits offer the customer the information to decide if this product will solve his problem." The responder also added, "They don't just go down to the parts store to see what's on sale." Another email from a marketing and consulting company wanted to know how many responses this article got, and was interested — I assumed — based on the level of responses in building a program to demonstrate how selling "quality, features and benefits" were better than programs that simply sell price. You need to start working on that program now, because the responses were many.  I was really encouraged to see that so many people shared my same view on this topic, but at the same time, was dismayed by the lack of attention from program groups and manufacturers regarding everyone else's plea to change how we market product. One email from a marketing VP indicated that he "felt sorry for (the manufacturers') disconnection," and he eluded to the fact that some programs had a design of "stroking the egos of the upper echelon of manufacturer marketing people and executives." Thanks to everyone that responded, as I couldn't include a snippet from every email. Read the article and tell your manufacturers, warehouses, group administrators or jobbers what you think. If we all scream loud enough, someone has got to hear us and hopefully listen! Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:30:30 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Like-I-was-sayin39/blog/5733936/31710.html WAP 2012-01-25T20:47:16Z AMBW AutoPro Workshop My recent article "Turning the Pyramid on it's Head" really generated a lot of email responses from all over the country and from a diverse group of business types within the industry, including presidents and VPs of manufacturing, owners of service centers, owners and managers of multiple service centers, marketing directors of advertising agencies, marketing groups, jobbers, warehouses and board members of large aftermarket corporations. Every email I received was complimentary, but more than that, they were very, very detailed about how they would like to see program group marketing change. I was astounded that this article touched such a sore spot with so many people.  A former CEO of one manufacturer wrote "(we) have already left the (program) group concept as a manufacturer and are building a direct-to-distributor model from worldwide sources." Another VP of sales and marketing wrote, "I agree that the amount of wasted time, effort and money you refer to is monumental in this industry." He went on to say "These 'me too' aftermarket marketing efforts do nothing to move product, educate employees or add to the bottom line." A GM of a large independant installer wrote, "There is so much technology available today that the (program) groups could be using to help our businesses run better and more efficient, which in turn would increase our parts purchases with our jobber." One e-mail responder wrote, "Features and benefits offer the customer the information to decide if this product will solve his problem." The responder also added, "They don't just go down to the parts store to see what's on sale." Another email from a marketing and consulting company wanted to know how many responses this article got, and was interested — I assumed — based on the level of responses in building a program to demonstrate how selling "quality, features and benefits" were better than programs that simply sell price. You need to start working on that program now, because the responses were many.  I was really encouraged to see that so many people shared my same view on this topic, but at the same time, was dismayed by the lack of attention from program groups and manufacturers regarding everyone else's plea to change how we market product. One email from a marketing VP indicated that he "felt sorry for (the manufacturers') disconnection," and he eluded to the fact that some programs had a design of "stroking the egos of the upper echelon of manufacturer marketing people and executives." Thanks to everyone that responded, as I couldn't include a snippet from every email. Read the article and tell your manufacturers, warehouses, group administrators or jobbers what you think. If we all scream loud enough, someone has got to hear us and hopefully listen! ambw nonadult false Like I was sayin'..... text blog ambw 402 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 AMBW 0 5733936 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Lombardi-Time/blog/5710938/31710.html DOLDRUMS OF WINTER It invariably seems that every winter, the weather turns cold and so do the sales. I've read article after article about how to boost sales during these slow months and I've came to the conclusion in order to maintain mental sanity and pass the time while waiting for Spring that a lot of people write an article about what to do during the Winter months. We've all read them for years and like you, I've tried to implement some of the suggested changes. But guess what, things still slow down, yet the articles about avoiding the slow down are the only things that annually prevail during this auspicious season. So whadda you do to be otherwise productive? Train the new and re-educate the veterans. Establish goals for the new year. Discuss the past years failures. Hype any prior successes and give credit where credit is due. Think of it as a non-melancoly retrospective Vince Lombardi kick in the pants. I love everything about Vince Lombardi, legendary and iconic coach of the Green Bay Packers. If your team needs motivation, direction, or correction, no one did or has done it like Lombardi. If Lombardi found something that worked, he perfected it and turned it into something beautiful. John Madden, a footbal legend in his own right, once went to a seminar that Lombardi was giving to new or aspiring NFL coaches. The 4 hour long seminar was about 1 particular play, the 'Power Sweep'. Four hours of discussing one play and only one play. John Madden has often commented that when he left that seminar he actually considered finding a new career because obviously, by Lombardi standards, he knew absolutely nothing about football! To say that Lombardi was passionate is like saying the surface of the Sun is warm to the touch. He once scolded one of his offensive linemen for jumping off sides by explaining to him that a 'college student has an attention span of 60 seconds, a high school student's attention span is 45 seconds, and a pre-schooler has an attention span of 30 seconds, and should think about where he ranks amongst the educated masses for not being able to maintain his attention for 24 seconds.' After the game, Lombardi came through the locker room and looked at his offensive lineman he had rebuffed during the game, patted him on the back, and told him he had the potential of being one of the best offensive linemen the game has ever seen, but he had to stay focused and put in the work. That lineman was Forrest Gregg, who was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1977. There are so many stories like this about Lombardi. Many of which involve how he impacted the lives of the people he managed, coached, chewed out, and praised. I recommend reading a book about Lombardi to get a more accurate insight of his psyche and wouldn't it be nice to hit the ground running with a renewed sense of purpose when Spring comes? Spring is coming, and more volume will simply 'hide' the sins that are not corrected, and those 'sins' will lie dormant until the next winter season. Lombardi said, "I want us to be perfect, but since nothing is perfect, we'll never make it to that level, but we can be excellent, and the only way to be excellent is to try to be perfect." Bundle up everyone, and this Winter, read an inspirational book or two. My quotes of Lombardi may not be perfect or verbatim, but they are excellent anyway. Rest in peace, Vince. DOLDRUMS OF WINTER It invariably seems that every winter, the weather turns cold and so do the sales. I've read article after article about how to boost sales during these slow months and I've came to the conclusion in order to maintain mental sanity and pass the time while waiting for Spring that a lot of people write an article about what to do during the Winter months. We've all read them for years and like you, I've tried to implement some of the suggested changes. But guess what, things still slow down, yet the articles about avoiding the slow down are the only things that annually prevail during this auspicious season. So whadda you do to be otherwise productive? Train the new and re-educate the veterans. Establish goals for the new year. Discuss the past years failures. Hype any prior successes and give credit where credit is due. Think of it as a non-melancoly retrospective Vince Lombardi kick in the pants. I love everything about Vince Lombardi, legendary and iconic coach of the Green Bay Packers. If your team needs motivation, direction, or correction, no one did or has done it like Lombardi. If Lombardi found something that worked, he perfected it and turned it into something beautiful. John Madden, a footbal legend in his own right, once went to a seminar that Lombardi was giving to new or aspiring NFL coaches. The 4 hour long seminar was about 1 particular play, the 'Power Sweep'. Four hours of discussing one play and only one play. John Madden has often commented that when he left that seminar he actually considered finding a new career because obviously, by Lombardi standards, he knew absolutely nothing about football! To say that Lombardi was passionate is like saying the surface of the Sun is warm to the touch. He once scolded one of his offensive linemen for jumping off sides by explaining to him that a 'college student has an attention span of 60 seconds, a high school student's attention span is 45 seconds, and a pre-schooler has an attention span of 30 seconds, and should think about where he ranks amongst the educated masses for not being able to maintain his attention for 24 seconds.' After the game, Lombardi came through the locker room and looked at his offensive lineman he had rebuffed during the game, patted him on the back, and told him he had the potential of being one of the best offensive linemen the game has ever seen, but he had to stay focused and put in the work. That lineman was Forrest Gregg, who was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1977. There are so many stories like this about Lombardi. Many of which involve how he impacted the lives of the people he managed, coached, chewed out, and praised. I recommend reading a book about Lombardi to get a more accurate insight of his psyche and wouldn't it be nice to hit the ground running with a renewed sense of purpose when Spring comes? Spring is coming, and more volume will simply 'hide' the sins that are not corrected, and those 'sins' will lie dormant until the next winter season. Lombardi said, "I want us to be perfect, but since nothing is perfect, we'll never make it to that level, but we can be excellent, and the only way to be excellent is to try to be perfect." Bundle up everyone, and this Winter, read an inspirational book or two. My quotes of Lombardi may not be perfect or verbatim, but they are excellent anyway. Rest in peace, Vince. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:46:50 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Lombardi-Time/blog/5710938/31710.html WAP 2012-01-14T15:46:50Z AutoPro Workshop DOLDRUMS OF WINTER It invariably seems that every winter, the weather turns cold and so do the sales. I've read article after article about how to boost sales during these slow months and I've came to the conclusion in order to maintain mental sanity and pass the time while waiting for Spring that a lot of people write an article about what to do during the Winter months. We've all read them for years and like you, I've tried to implement some of the suggested changes. But guess what, things still slow down, yet the articles about avoiding the slow down are the only things that annually prevail during this auspicious season. So whadda you do to be otherwise productive? Train the new and re-educate the veterans. Establish goals for the new year. Discuss the past years failures. Hype any prior successes and give credit where credit is due. Think of it as a non-melancoly retrospective Vince Lombardi kick in the pants. I love everything about Vince Lombardi, legendary and iconic coach of the Green Bay Packers. If your team needs motivation, direction, or correction, no one did or has done it like Lombardi. If Lombardi found something that worked, he perfected it and turned it into something beautiful. John Madden, a footbal legend in his own right, once went to a seminar that Lombardi was giving to new or aspiring NFL coaches. The 4 hour long seminar was about 1 particular play, the 'Power Sweep'. Four hours of discussing one play and only one play. John Madden has often commented that when he left that seminar he actually considered finding a new career because obviously, by Lombardi standards, he knew absolutely nothing about football! To say that Lombardi was passionate is like saying the surface of the Sun is warm to the touch. He once scolded one of his offensive linemen for jumping off sides by explaining to him that a 'college student has an attention span of 60 seconds, a high school student's attention span is 45 seconds, and a pre-schooler has an attention span of 30 seconds, and should think about where he ranks amongst the educated masses for not being able to maintain his attention for 24 seconds.' After the game, Lombardi came through the locker room and looked at his offensive lineman he had rebuffed during the game, patted him on the back, and told him he had the potential of being one of the best offensive linemen the game has ever seen, but he had to stay focused and put in the work. That lineman was Forrest Gregg, who was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1977. There are so many stories like this about Lombardi. Many of which involve how he impacted the lives of the people he managed, coached, chewed out, and praised. I recommend reading a book about Lombardi to get a more accurate insight of his psyche and wouldn't it be nice to hit the ground running with a renewed sense of purpose when Spring comes? Spring is coming, and more volume will simply 'hide' the sins that are not corrected, and those 'sins' will lie dormant until the next winter season. Lombardi said, "I want us to be perfect, but since nothing is perfect, we'll never make it to that level, but we can be excellent, and the only way to be excellent is to try to be perfect." Bundle up everyone, and this Winter, read an inspirational book or two. My quotes of Lombardi may not be perfect or verbatim, but they are excellent anyway. Rest in peace, Vince. nonadult false Lombardi Time text blog 336 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5710938 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_OE-vs-Aftermarket/blog/5683183/31710.html Mitch's column suddenly sparked a renewed interest in the debate of OE vs. Aftermarket. It was the tag line of 'form, fit, and function.' Granted, my perspective on this is a little unique because we are an auto parts store as well as a full service center. There are times when we use OE, but it's only if there is nothing available in the aftermarket. My experience is that both OE and aftermarket have failure rates that are similar, one is not better than the other in regards to function, but aftermarket is much more cost effective 95 percent of the time. Combine the cost effectiveness with availability and returnability, and you end up with a clear winner — aftermarket. If you special order a blower motor from an OE supplier that they don't have in stock, it's either non-returnable or has a huge restock fee. The same blower motor from an aftermarket supplier with a better warranty, although it may be special ordered, is usually returnable for at least 30 days, and it will be 1/3 less expensive. This is just one way of looking at it. I recently received a phone call from another jobber/service center operation that was having trouble with a line of hub assemblies that had a high failure rate when installed. I used the same brand and was experiencing no trouble. I explained that his technicians were not properly installing them, at which he scoffed and said his guys always installed them properly and with the right torque. When I further questioned him where this 'torque' information was being acquired, he fell silent. He did not know, because no one ever asked him for a spec on anything, unlesss it was OE. The problem was solved when he insisted on proper installation techniques and torque specs. Prior to this, all of his techs lamented the shortcomings of the aftermarket brand, and said they would prefer to use OE instead, and since OE cost 1/3 to 1/2 more, they went to the trouble of getting the right torque spec. Prima-donna technicians drive this mentality to a great degree. Also, if you run a service center, it behoves you to remember that the OE manufacturers are not your friends. They undermine the aftermarket at every turn, and will stop at nothing to make the independents look bad. Especially if your customer knows that you got the parts from a dealership and then calls the dealership to price the part after your repair is complete. If you think a dealership is your friend, you should realize we are all trying to get the same customers, and the OE manufacturers/dealership will do anything to take your established customers away. Last, dealerships buy a lot of aftermarket parts! But they tend to put a twist on things. I recently had some warranty work performed on my wife's Volvo. While at the dealership, the service writer was calling an aftermarket supplier to locate a cv axle.  He quoted the price that the aftermarket supplier had given him out loud (less than $100). He then called his client, told them he could install the axle that was required, and the axle was $450 plus labor. When I questioned the service writer about the huge markup, he professed that if they were going to give it a Volvo warranty, they were going to give it a Volvo price. What? The aftermarket cv axle probably had a lifetime warranty, and for a 400% markup, the warranty was going to be reduced to a 12 mo/12k mile warranty. Dealerships like to have their cake.....and eat it too. It seems to me that the OE/dealer suppliers need us more than we need them, but we do need them from time to time. I just don't get all warm and fuzzy when I have to buy something from my competition, regardless of how well those Wagner brakes that are Chrysler OE on a minvan look and feel. But at the same time, I guess it's good to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I'm in it to win it.   Mitch's column suddenly sparked a renewed interest in the debate of OE vs. Aftermarket. It was the tag line of 'form, fit, and function.' Granted, my perspective on this is a little unique because we are an auto parts store as well as a full service center. There are times when we use OE, but it's only if there is nothing available in the aftermarket. My experience is that both OE and aftermarket have failure rates that are similar, one is not better than the other in regards to function, but aftermarket is much more cost effective 95 percent of the time. Combine the cost effectiveness with availability and returnability, and you end up with a clear winner — aftermarket. If you special order a blower motor from an OE supplier that they don't have in stock, it's either non-returnable or has a huge restock fee. The same blower motor from an aftermarket supplier with a better warranty, although it may be special ordered, is usually returnable for at least 30 days, and it will be 1/3 less expensive. This is just one way of looking at it. I recently received a phone call from another jobber/service center operation that was having trouble with a line of hub assemblies that had a high failure rate when installed. I used the same brand and was experiencing no trouble. I explained that his technicians were not properly installing them, at which he scoffed and said his guys always installed them properly and with the right torque. When I further questioned him where this 'torque' information was being acquired, he fell silent. He did not know, because no one ever asked him for a spec on anything, unlesss it was OE. The problem was solved when he insisted on proper installation techniques and torque specs. Prior to this, all of his techs lamented the shortcomings of the aftermarket brand, and said they would prefer to use OE instead, and since OE cost 1/3 to 1/2 more, they went to the trouble of getting the right torque spec. Prima-donna technicians drive this mentality to a great degree. Also, if you run a service center, it behoves you to remember that the OE manufacturers are not your friends. They undermine the aftermarket at every turn, and will stop at nothing to make the independents look bad. Especially if your customer knows that you got the parts from a dealership and then calls the dealership to price the part after your repair is complete. If you think a dealership is your friend, you should realize we are all trying to get the same customers, and the OE manufacturers/dealership will do anything to take your established customers away. Last, dealerships buy a lot of aftermarket parts! But they tend to put a twist on things. I recently had some warranty work performed on my wife's Volvo. While at the dealership, the service writer was calling an aftermarket supplier to locate a cv axle.  He quoted the price that the aftermarket supplier had given him out loud (less than $100). He then called his client, told them he could install the axle that was required, and the axle was $450 plus labor. When I questioned the service writer about the huge markup, he professed that if they were going to give it a Volvo warranty, they were going to give it a Volvo price. What? The aftermarket cv axle probably had a lifetime warranty, and for a 400% markup, the warranty was going to be reduced to a 12 mo/12k mile warranty. Dealerships like to have their cake.....and eat it too. It seems to me that the OE/dealer suppliers need us more than we need them, but we do need them from time to time. I just don't get all warm and fuzzy when I have to buy something from my competition, regardless of how well those Wagner brakes that are Chrysler OE on a minvan look and feel. But at the same time, I guess it's good to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I'm in it to win it.   Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:11:08 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_OE-vs-Aftermarket/blog/5683183/31710.html WAP 2011-12-30T20:12:41Z AMBW AutoPro Workshop Mitch's column suddenly sparked a renewed interest in the debate of OE vs. Aftermarket. It was the tag line of 'form, fit, and function.' Granted, my perspective on this is a little unique because we are an auto parts store as well as a full service center. There are times when we use OE, but it's only if there is nothing available in the aftermarket. My experience is that both OE and aftermarket have failure rates that are similar, one is not better than the other in regards to function, but aftermarket is much more cost effective 95 percent of the time. Combine the cost effectiveness with availability and returnability, and you end up with a clear winner — aftermarket. If you special order a blower motor from an OE supplier that they don't have in stock, it's either non-returnable or has a huge restock fee. The same blower motor from an aftermarket supplier with a better warranty, although it may be special ordered, is usually returnable for at least 30 days, and it will be 1/3 less expensive. This is just one way of looking at it. I recently received a phone call from another jobber/service center operation that was having trouble with a line of hub assemblies that had a high failure rate when installed. I used the same brand and was experiencing no trouble. I explained that his technicians were not properly installing them, at which he scoffed and said his guys always installed them properly and with the right torque. When I further questioned him where this 'torque' information was being acquired, he fell silent. He did not know, because no one ever asked him for a spec on anything, unlesss it was OE. The problem was solved when he insisted on proper installation techniques and torque specs. Prior to this, all of his techs lamented the shortcomings of the aftermarket brand, and said they would prefer to use OE instead, and since OE cost 1/3 to 1/2 more, they went to the trouble of getting the right torque spec. Prima-donna technicians drive this mentality to a great degree. Also, if you run a service center, it behoves you to remember that the OE manufacturers are not your friends. They undermine the aftermarket at every turn, and will stop at nothing to make the independents look bad. Especially if your customer knows that you got the parts from a dealership and then calls the dealership to price the part after your repair is complete. If you think a dealership is your friend, you should realize we are all trying to get the same customers, and the OE manufacturers/dealership will do anything to take your established customers away. Last, dealerships buy a lot of aftermarket parts! But they tend to put a twist on things. I recently had some warranty work performed on my wife's Volvo. While at the dealership, the service writer was calling an aftermarket supplier to locate a cv axle.  He quoted the price that the aftermarket supplier had given him out loud (less than $100). He then called his client, told them he could install the axle that was required, and the axle was $450 plus labor. When I questioned the service writer about the huge markup, he professed that if they were going to give it a Volvo warranty, they were going to give it a Volvo price. What? The aftermarket cv axle probably had a lifetime warranty, and for a 400% markup, the warranty was going to be reduced to a 12 mo/12k mile warranty. Dealerships like to have their cake.....and eat it too. It seems to me that the OE/dealer suppliers need us more than we need them, but we do need them from time to time. I just don't get all warm and fuzzy when I have to buy something from my competition, regardless of how well those Wagner brakes that are Chrysler OE on a minvan look and feel. But at the same time, I guess it's good to keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. I'm in it to win it.   ambw nonadult false OE vs Aftermarket text blog ambw 1182 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 3 AMBW 0 5683183 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_What-Planet-Are-Your-Customers-From/blog/5659144/31710.html Women may be from Venus, Men can be from Uranus I love my customers, for more than the obvious reasons. In general, women are excellent shoppers, and don't show up with an ego bigger than the rings of Saturn. Women do at times, however, play the 'disclaimer card'. The old 'I'm a woman, and don't take advantage of me' statement, which implies that they are not beyond stero-typing themselves if it works to their advantage. Men tend to have giant egos or worse, a knowledge void the size of a black hole. In regards to men, I blame the internet, and too much XXX. When men shop the internet or are looking for information, they tend to hit too many XXX sites along the way and all of that testosterone tainted education leads to somewhat of a frenzied understanding of what they really need vs. what they desire. It's all in our wiring? Possibly, but for certain, there are some stark differences in each genders' approach to buying parts and service. Below are some common questions that we frequently ask of both men and women along with each's a-typical responses.   Would you like us to check the air filter?   W: Sure. M: I didn't ask you to check the air filter did I? Besides, I've got a reuseable air filter that gives me 25 more horsepower.   Since you just bought 4 tires that cost $1000, would you like us to check the alignment and line it up if needed? W: Sure, that makes sense, the steering wheel has been off-center for years. M: Nah. Steering is a little off, but I'm used to that. What's the mileage warranty on those tires anyhow?   Would you like us to test drive the car to make sure the noise is the rear brakes and not something else? W: Well my husband says it's the brakes, but go ahead and drive it and see what you think. I just hate that noise. M: Nope. It's the brakes, I'm sure of it. Drives my wife crazy. I hope yours are better than the last 2 sets I had put on. They all made the same noise.   Your car actually calls for 5W20. I don't recommend using the 50W you brought with you. W: Go ahead and put what it calls for I guess. I'm just a woman, and don't know these things. M: It's the only weight oil I use now, I don't care what it calls for. This engine has already been replaced once, and I ain't gonna risk it.   What year is your car?   W: I'm not sure. It's sitting out front. M: It's a 94..95..no, it's a 97. Yep, it's a 96. Don't matter, they are all the same. These are but a mere few examples. If you've got another, share it. Happy Holidays...Mark Women may be from Venus, Men can be from Uranus I love my customers, for more than the obvious reasons. In general, women are excellent shoppers, and don't show up with an ego bigger than the rings of Saturn. Women do at times, however, play the 'disclaimer card'. The old 'I'm a woman, and don't take advantage of me' statement, which implies that they are not beyond stero-typing themselves if it works to their advantage. Men tend to have giant egos or worse, a knowledge void the size of a black hole. In regards to men, I blame the internet, and too much XXX. When men shop the internet or are looking for information, they tend to hit too many XXX sites along the way and all of that testosterone tainted education leads to somewhat of a frenzied understanding of what they really need vs. what they desire. It's all in our wiring? Possibly, but for certain, there are some stark differences in each genders' approach to buying parts and service. Below are some common questions that we frequently ask of both men and women along with each's a-typical responses.   Would you like us to check the air filter?   W: Sure. M: I didn't ask you to check the air filter did I? Besides, I've got a reuseable air filter that gives me 25 more horsepower.   Since you just bought 4 tires that cost $1000, would you like us to check the alignment and line it up if needed? W: Sure, that makes sense, the steering wheel has been off-center for years. M: Nah. Steering is a little off, but I'm used to that. What's the mileage warranty on those tires anyhow?   Would you like us to test drive the car to make sure the noise is the rear brakes and not something else? W: Well my husband says it's the brakes, but go ahead and drive it and see what you think. I just hate that noise. M: Nope. It's the brakes, I'm sure of it. Drives my wife crazy. I hope yours are better than the last 2 sets I had put on. They all made the same noise.   Your car actually calls for 5W20. I don't recommend using the 50W you brought with you. W: Go ahead and put what it calls for I guess. I'm just a woman, and don't know these things. M: It's the only weight oil I use now, I don't care what it calls for. This engine has already been replaced once, and I ain't gonna risk it.   What year is your car?   W: I'm not sure. It's sitting out front. M: It's a 94..95..no, it's a 97. Yep, it's a 96. Don't matter, they are all the same. These are but a mere few examples. If you've got another, share it. Happy Holidays...Mark Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:01:49 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_What-Planet-Are-Your-Customers-From/blog/5659144/31710.html WAP 2011-12-21T00:01:49Z AutoPro Workshop Women may be from Venus, Men can be from Uranus I love my customers, for more than the obvious reasons. In general, women are excellent shoppers, and don't show up with an ego bigger than the rings of Saturn. Women do at times, however, play the 'disclaimer card'. The old 'I'm a woman, and don't take advantage of me' statement, which implies that they are not beyond stero-typing themselves if it works to their advantage. Men tend to have giant egos or worse, a knowledge void the size of a black hole. In regards to men, I blame the internet, and too much XXX. When men shop the internet or are looking for information, they tend to hit too many XXX sites along the way and all of that testosterone tainted education leads to somewhat of a frenzied understanding of what they really need vs. what they desire. It's all in our wiring? Possibly, but for certain, there are some stark differences in each genders' approach to buying parts and service. Below are some common questions that we frequently ask of both men and women along with each's a-typical responses.   Would you like us to check the air filter?   W: Sure. M: I didn't ask you to check the air filter did I? Besides, I've got a reuseable air filter that gives me 25 more horsepower.   Since you just bought 4 tires that cost $1000, would you like us to check the alignment and line it up if needed? W: Sure, that makes sense, the steering wheel has been off-center for years. M: Nah. Steering is a little off, but I'm used to that. What's the mileage warranty on those tires anyhow?   Would you like us to test drive the car to make sure the noise is the rear brakes and not something else? W: Well my husband says it's the brakes, but go ahead and drive it and see what you think. I just hate that noise. M: Nope. It's the brakes, I'm sure of it. Drives my wife crazy. I hope yours are better than the last 2 sets I had put on. They all made the same noise.   Your car actually calls for 5W20. I don't recommend using the 50W you brought with you. W: Go ahead and put what it calls for I guess. I'm just a woman, and don't know these things. M: It's the only weight oil I use now, I don't care what it calls for. This engine has already been replaced once, and I ain't gonna risk it.   What year is your car?   W: I'm not sure. It's sitting out front. M: It's a 94..95..no, it's a 97. Yep, it's a 96. Don't matter, they are all the same. These are but a mere few examples. If you've got another, share it. Happy Holidays...Mark nonadult false What Planet Are Your Customers From? text blog 1513 1 4.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 1 0 5659144 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_ILL-Equipped-Equipment-Marketing/blog/5640695/31710.html Equipment Companies are ILL-EQUIPPPED I have purchased endless amounts of equipment for years and years. One thing that has remained unchanged throughtout the years is the lack of practical application experience amongst equipment salesmen and saleswomen. They can all recite the company play book, have an endless array of acronyms, know the price points of their products, and are all seemingly very dedicated, especially to making the sale. There is only one problem. Very few of them understand how to use the equipment in a real environment. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the company they work for, because the company they work for uses their design engineers to train the sales force. Let's face it, techie-engineer types tend to solve problems in a whole different fashion. One that involves logic first and foremost without giving heir to economic or social pressures that involve the reality of every day life. To futher illustrate my position, I'm going to tell you a story.   Three guys were playing golf. A Pastor, a social worker, and an engineer. All three were capable golfers, but approached the game differently. The pastor said a few Psalms and crossed his heart before hitting each ball. The social worker was very adept in regards to rules and regulations, not to mention the etiquette of golf. The engineer was very,very technical in methodology and had the most scientifically advanced set of golf clubs known to man. They had all played together for many years in a golf scramble every Tuesday. As a team, they were almost unbeatable, but individually, they all played average golf. On one such outing, the group of three got behind another group of extremely slow golfers. So slow that it took them almost an hour to play each hole. Finally, their patience ran out, but upon questioning the slow group to allow them to play trhough, it became evident that they were all blind. Astonishment and surprise are the only words to describe their reaction. In an attempt to solve the problem of playing golf with the added handicap of being blind, they each offered their own unique solution. The Pastor said that he would remember the blind golfers in his prayers, and ask for their sight to be restored. The social worker said he would see if he could find some audible golf balls, or if seeing-eye dogs were available to assist them in playing. The engineer scoffed at both ideas. Since he was on the board of directors for the golf club, he was going to recommend that the club offer the three blind golfers a half-price membership with the stipulation that they be only allowed to play at night. I recently purchased a new alignment machine. My salesman presented this machine as the best fit for my needs. He bombarded me with features, advantages, and benefits. So much so that I almost bought two. Upon installation, when we tried to look up the alignment specs for our first alignment of the day, we could not look them up by VIN number as I was previously told. Instead the trainer told me, "It's coming." After talking to my salesman about this issue, he blamed it on the sales information he was given, and offered to give me something for free to ease my pain. When I contacted the companies technical service department, I was told the machine I bought does not have that capability, but I could receive full value towards a unit that has that particular ability, plus the capability of about 20 other acronyms and abbreviations.   For my next equipmet purchase of any kind, I will require a team of individuals to present the product. The salesman, the trainer, the engineer that designed it, and all of the people that assembled it. I think if I can get them all in one room together, I might be able to understand what I'm buying and how I'll really use it. On a side note, I will require a 'company' thesarus to explain what the heck all of those acronyms mean, and the appropriate synonym to use in it's place when I'm trying to bill my customer for a task performed with the equipment they supplied.  In the mean time, I've presented my salesman and his company with my own acronym.  See if you can decipher it. (G.Y.H.O.O.Y.A.)  Pronounced guy-hoo-yah.  Come on equipment guys! My customers expect more from me, and therefore I expect more from you. Equipment Companies are ILL-EQUIPPPED I have purchased endless amounts of equipment for years and years. One thing that has remained unchanged throughtout the years is the lack of practical application experience amongst equipment salesmen and saleswomen. They can all recite the company play book, have an endless array of acronyms, know the price points of their products, and are all seemingly very dedicated, especially to making the sale. There is only one problem. Very few of them understand how to use the equipment in a real environment. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the company they work for, because the company they work for uses their design engineers to train the sales force. Let's face it, techie-engineer types tend to solve problems in a whole different fashion. One that involves logic first and foremost without giving heir to economic or social pressures that involve the reality of every day life. To futher illustrate my position, I'm going to tell you a story.   Three guys were playing golf. A Pastor, a social worker, and an engineer. All three were capable golfers, but approached the game differently. The pastor said a few Psalms and crossed his heart before hitting each ball. The social worker was very adept in regards to rules and regulations, not to mention the etiquette of golf. The engineer was very,very technical in methodology and had the most scientifically advanced set of golf clubs known to man. They had all played together for many years in a golf scramble every Tuesday. As a team, they were almost unbeatable, but individually, they all played average golf. On one such outing, the group of three got behind another group of extremely slow golfers. So slow that it took them almost an hour to play each hole. Finally, their patience ran out, but upon questioning the slow group to allow them to play trhough, it became evident that they were all blind. Astonishment and surprise are the only words to describe their reaction. In an attempt to solve the problem of playing golf with the added handicap of being blind, they each offered their own unique solution. The Pastor said that he would remember the blind golfers in his prayers, and ask for their sight to be restored. The social worker said he would see if he could find some audible golf balls, or if seeing-eye dogs were available to assist them in playing. The engineer scoffed at both ideas. Since he was on the board of directors for the golf club, he was going to recommend that the club offer the three blind golfers a half-price membership with the stipulation that they be only allowed to play at night. I recently purchased a new alignment machine. My salesman presented this machine as the best fit for my needs. He bombarded me with features, advantages, and benefits. So much so that I almost bought two. Upon installation, when we tried to look up the alignment specs for our first alignment of the day, we could not look them up by VIN number as I was previously told. Instead the trainer told me, "It's coming." After talking to my salesman about this issue, he blamed it on the sales information he was given, and offered to give me something for free to ease my pain. When I contacted the companies technical service department, I was told the machine I bought does not have that capability, but I could receive full value towards a unit that has that particular ability, plus the capability of about 20 other acronyms and abbreviations.   For my next equipmet purchase of any kind, I will require a team of individuals to present the product. The salesman, the trainer, the engineer that designed it, and all of the people that assembled it. I think if I can get them all in one room together, I might be able to understand what I'm buying and how I'll really use it. On a side note, I will require a 'company' thesarus to explain what the heck all of those acronyms mean, and the appropriate synonym to use in it's place when I'm trying to bill my customer for a task performed with the equipment they supplied.  In the mean time, I've presented my salesman and his company with my own acronym.  See if you can decipher it. (G.Y.H.O.O.Y.A.)  Pronounced guy-hoo-yah.  Come on equipment guys! My customers expect more from me, and therefore I expect more from you. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:24:03 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_ILL-Equipped-Equipment-Marketing/blog/5640695/31710.html WAP 2011-12-13T16:24:03Z AutoPro Workshop Equipment Companies are ILL-EQUIPPPED I have purchased endless amounts of equipment for years and years. One thing that has remained unchanged throughtout the years is the lack of practical application experience amongst equipment salesmen and saleswomen. They can all recite the company play book, have an endless array of acronyms, know the price points of their products, and are all seemingly very dedicated, especially to making the sale. There is only one problem. Very few of them understand how to use the equipment in a real environment. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the company they work for, because the company they work for uses their design engineers to train the sales force. Let's face it, techie-engineer types tend to solve problems in a whole different fashion. One that involves logic first and foremost without giving heir to economic or social pressures that involve the reality of every day life. To futher illustrate my position, I'm going to tell you a story.   Three guys were playing golf. A Pastor, a social worker, and an engineer. All three were capable golfers, but approached the game differently. The pastor said a few Psalms and crossed his heart before hitting each ball. The social worker was very adept in regards to rules and regulations, not to mention the etiquette of golf. The engineer was very,very technical in methodology and had the most scientifically advanced set of golf clubs known to man. They had all played together for many years in a golf scramble every Tuesday. As a team, they were almost unbeatable, but individually, they all played average golf. On one such outing, the group of three got behind another group of extremely slow golfers. So slow that it took them almost an hour to play each hole. Finally, their patience ran out, but upon questioning the slow group to allow them to play trhough, it became evident that they were all blind. Astonishment and surprise are the only words to describe their reaction. In an attempt to solve the problem of playing golf with the added handicap of being blind, they each offered their own unique solution. The Pastor said that he would remember the blind golfers in his prayers, and ask for their sight to be restored. The social worker said he would see if he could find some audible golf balls, or if seeing-eye dogs were available to assist them in playing. The engineer scoffed at both ideas. Since he was on the board of directors for the golf club, he was going to recommend that the club offer the three blind golfers a half-price membership with the stipulation that they be only allowed to play at night. I recently purchased a new alignment machine. My salesman presented this machine as the best fit for my needs. He bombarded me with features, advantages, and benefits. So much so that I almost bought two. Upon installation, when we tried to look up the alignment specs for our first alignment of the day, we could not look them up by VIN number as I was previously told. Instead the trainer told me, "It's coming." After talking to my salesman about this issue, he blamed it on the sales information he was given, and offered to give me something for free to ease my pain. When I contacted the companies technical service department, I was told the machine I bought does not have that capability, but I could receive full value towards a unit that has that particular ability, plus the capability of about 20 other acronyms and abbreviations.   For my next equipmet purchase of any kind, I will require a team of individuals to present the product. The salesman, the trainer, the engineer that designed it, and all of the people that assembled it. I think if I can get them all in one room together, I might be able to understand what I'm buying and how I'll really use it. On a side note, I will require a 'company' thesarus to explain what the heck all of those acronyms mean, and the appropriate synonym to use in it's place when I'm trying to bill my customer for a task performed with the equipment they supplied.  In the mean time, I've presented my salesman and his company with my own acronym.  See if you can decipher it. (G.Y.H.O.O.Y.A.)  Pronounced guy-hoo-yah.  Come on equipment guys! My customers expect more from me, and therefore I expect more from you. nonadult false ILL-Equipped Equipment Marketing text blog 375 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5640695 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_The-34Good-Old-Days34-Are-Now/blog/5561745/31710.html Yep.  They are right now.  But why are they right now?  2 very good reasons. 1.  You have every chance of success. 2.  See reason 1. We all tend to "wax" melancholy about happenings in the past that shaped the way we run our businesses now.  You all know what I'm talking about, those events that occurred in the past,  when reflected upon display some of our best and equally weakest moments.  Nevertheless, it changed us.  The old saying hind sight is 20-20 vision has a lot of merit.  I say history repeats itself, but we are all too engrossed in the humm-drum day to day routine to realize it is 'Dega-vu, all over again." If you remember too many events from the past, and not near enough from the recent, there is a fundamental reason for that.  We have become too set in our ways, or in other words, very complacent with 'what seems to work.'  When we were young, dumb and indifferent we tried all kinds of stuff to grow our business.  I know I sure did.  Many were silly or crazy things, but I learned from my mistakes.  The funny thing about the last 25 years is that they are puncutated with sheer moments of excitement, joy, dissapointment, and crystal clear hindsight.  Running a business is like trying to keep a bunch of teenage girls quiet at a Justin Bieber concert.  The thrill of it involves how much effort you put into it, and usually results in a lot of 'good ole days' memories. If you think you've got it all figured out.....you don't.  Try Something new!  Challenge the Norm!  If you've been at it for a while, it won't be a glaring failure, but it might be a giant success.  Striving to be better will motivate your employees and renew your vigor.  Trust me, if you involve your staff on some outrageous sales promotion, I guarantee the end result will be positive because it involves something new and everyone whom has a new idea that gets implemented will feel part of the big picture.  Good idea or bad idea.  Remember, you are still the 'captain of the ship', and even if your goofy first mate wants to go through the Bermuda Triangle to save some time, chart a course and see what happens.  The best part of the trip is the struggle to get there, so hit a country road, turn the a/c off, turn the radio up, roll the windows down, and run baby run.  You'll be surprised how much money you can make when you are having fun and how much FUN it is to make money. You control your businesses' destiiny, not the economy, your employees, or anything else.  Do what you will, it's yours, and don't forget it.   ......Mark Yep.  They are right now.  But why are they right now?  2 very good reasons. 1.  You have every chance of success. 2.  See reason 1. We all tend to "wax" melancholy about happenings in the past that shaped the way we run our businesses now.  You all know what I'm talking about, those events that occurred in the past,  when reflected upon display some of our best and equally weakest moments.  Nevertheless, it changed us.  The old saying hind sight is 20-20 vision has a lot of merit.  I say history repeats itself, but we are all too engrossed in the humm-drum day to day routine to realize it is 'Dega-vu, all over again." If you remember too many events from the past, and not near enough from the recent, there is a fundamental reason for that.  We have become too set in our ways, or in other words, very complacent with 'what seems to work.'  When we were young, dumb and indifferent we tried all kinds of stuff to grow our business.  I know I sure did.  Many were silly or crazy things, but I learned from my mistakes.  The funny thing about the last 25 years is that they are puncutated with sheer moments of excitement, joy, dissapointment, and crystal clear hindsight.  Running a business is like trying to keep a bunch of teenage girls quiet at a Justin Bieber concert.  The thrill of it involves how much effort you put into it, and usually results in a lot of 'good ole days' memories. If you think you've got it all figured out.....you don't.  Try Something new!  Challenge the Norm!  If you've been at it for a while, it won't be a glaring failure, but it might be a giant success.  Striving to be better will motivate your employees and renew your vigor.  Trust me, if you involve your staff on some outrageous sales promotion, I guarantee the end result will be positive because it involves something new and everyone whom has a new idea that gets implemented will feel part of the big picture.  Good idea or bad idea.  Remember, you are still the 'captain of the ship', and even if your goofy first mate wants to go through the Bermuda Triangle to save some time, chart a course and see what happens.  The best part of the trip is the struggle to get there, so hit a country road, turn the a/c off, turn the radio up, roll the windows down, and run baby run.  You'll be surprised how much money you can make when you are having fun and how much FUN it is to make money. You control your businesses' destiiny, not the economy, your employees, or anything else.  Do what you will, it's yours, and don't forget it.   ......Mark Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:15:10 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_The-34Good-Old-Days34-Are-Now/blog/5561745/31710.html WAP 2011-12-06T19:58:01Z AMBW AutoPro Workshop Yep.  They are right now.  But why are they right now?  2 very good reasons. 1.  You have every chance of success. 2.  See reason 1. We all tend to "wax" melancholy about happenings in the past that shaped the way we run our businesses now.  You all know what I'm talking about, those events that occurred in the past,  when reflected upon display some of our best and equally weakest moments.  Nevertheless, it changed us.  The old saying hind sight is 20-20 vision has a lot of merit.  I say history repeats itself, but we are all too engrossed in the humm-drum day to day routine to realize it is 'Dega-vu, all over again." If you remember too many events from the past, and not near enough from the recent, there is a fundamental reason for that.  We have become too set in our ways, or in other words, very complacent with 'what seems to work.'  When we were young, dumb and indifferent we tried all kinds of stuff to grow our business.  I know I sure did.  Many were silly or crazy things, but I learned from my mistakes.  The funny thing about the last 25 years is that they are puncutated with sheer moments of excitement, joy, dissapointment, and crystal clear hindsight.  Running a business is like trying to keep a bunch of teenage girls quiet at a Justin Bieber concert.  The thrill of it involves how much effort you put into it, and usually results in a lot of 'good ole days' memories. If you think you've got it all figured out.....you don't.  Try Something new!  Challenge the Norm!  If you've been at it for a while, it won't be a glaring failure, but it might be a giant success.  Striving to be better will motivate your employees and renew your vigor.  Trust me, if you involve your staff on some outrageous sales promotion, I guarantee the end result will be positive because it involves something new and everyone whom has a new idea that gets implemented will feel part of the big picture.  Good idea or bad idea.  Remember, you are still the 'captain of the ship', and even if your goofy first mate wants to go through the Bermuda Triangle to save some time, chart a course and see what happens.  The best part of the trip is the struggle to get there, so hit a country road, turn the a/c off, turn the radio up, roll the windows down, and run baby run.  You'll be surprised how much money you can make when you are having fun and how much FUN it is to make money. You control your businesses' destiiny, not the economy, your employees, or anything else.  Do what you will, it's yours, and don't forget it.   ......Mark ambw nonadult false The "Good Old Days" Are Now text blog ambw 999 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 AMBW 0 5561745 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Santa39s-Wish-List/blog/5506665/31710.html To All Good Little Boys' and Girls' Parents: As the great elf leader, I, Santa Claus, must inform a you, my constituents, of a few issues that are sure to affect this Holiday Season. While we always try to provide exceptional joy, glad tidings, and cheer, we have had to make a few changes in light of the economy, industry, politics, and general disarray of the world as we know it. 1. Delivery - Well, last year as we were leaving North America, the reindeer were thristy, and we stopped in PA at a remote forrested area to let Prancer and the gang rehydrate. Little did we know that this was a Marcellus Shale gas drilling area, and every last one of the reindeer got sick. They are still on workers compensation, so we might be until the 26th or 27th due to the fact that my replacement 'deer' consist of 2 goats, 1-dik-dik, 3-big horn sheep, 2-water buffalo, and a kangaroo holding a laser-pointer. Getting skilled replacement labor has become very difficult. 2. Letters to Santa - since the north pole is a rural area, our local post office has been shut down. Please address all mail to Gnome, Alaska c/o Santa Claus. 3. Please, discourage your children from asking for 'pimp' hats. Herman Cain has ran everyone out of inventory and they are on backorder. 4. If you are s US Senator or Congressman, our Good-Bad Staff will most likely never conclude if you were good or bad due to your recent shenanigans, so you might want to stop by Wal-Mart and pick up something for yourself. 5. All Iranian, Egyptian, and Libyan wish-makers, please understand that Santa Claus, Inc. is a NON-PROFIT organization and kidnapping one our staff will result in no ransom at all. Also, if you guys keep trying to shoot down the sleigh, I'm gonna give all of your sons Malibu Barbies without a veil. I might a also metion screaming and errant gunfire will scare the water-buffalo and since we normally fly at about 1000 feet in altitude, water buffalo dung will do a lot of damage if it strkes a structure or someone. 6. Try to limit the 'Tickle-Me-Elmos' and other talking toys. I am so stressed out over this other stuff, listening to 1000's of these toys on Christmas Eve will surely drive me over the edge and I'll give all of your kids' stuff to the Occupy Wall Street guys. They don't know what they want, and obviously should be happy with anything. 7. Fruit Cakes are in short supply. It seems the Perry campaign made a deal with Bacardi Rum, and when we asked Rick about the deal, and he started waving his hands around and acting real goofy. Who really likes fruit cakes anyway? 8. Finally, in lieu of milk and cookies, please set out a cup of egg-nog flavored Activia yogurt. It seems to make Jamie Lee Curtis very happy, and I need to thin down a little before me and Mrs. Claus go on vacation. Peace to All. S. Claus 　 　 　 To All Good Little Boys' and Girls' Parents: As the great elf leader, I, Santa Claus, must inform a you, my constituents, of a few issues that are sure to affect this Holiday Season. While we always try to provide exceptional joy, glad tidings, and cheer, we have had to make a few changes in light of the economy, industry, politics, and general disarray of the world as we know it. 1. Delivery - Well, last year as we were leaving North America, the reindeer were thristy, and we stopped in PA at a remote forrested area to let Prancer and the gang rehydrate. Little did we know that this was a Marcellus Shale gas drilling area, and every last one of the reindeer got sick. They are still on workers compensation, so we might be until the 26th or 27th due to the fact that my replacement 'deer' consist of 2 goats, 1-dik-dik, 3-big horn sheep, 2-water buffalo, and a kangaroo holding a laser-pointer. Getting skilled replacement labor has become very difficult. 2. Letters to Santa - since the north pole is a rural area, our local post office has been shut down. Please address all mail to Gnome, Alaska c/o Santa Claus. 3. Please, discourage your children from asking for 'pimp' hats. Herman Cain has ran everyone out of inventory and they are on backorder. 4. If you are s US Senator or Congressman, our Good-Bad Staff will most likely never conclude if you were good or bad due to your recent shenanigans, so you might want to stop by Wal-Mart and pick up something for yourself. 5. All Iranian, Egyptian, and Libyan wish-makers, please understand that Santa Claus, Inc. is a NON-PROFIT organization and kidnapping one our staff will result in no ransom at all. Also, if you guys keep trying to shoot down the sleigh, I'm gonna give all of your sons Malibu Barbies without a veil. I might a also metion screaming and errant gunfire will scare the water-buffalo and since we normally fly at about 1000 feet in altitude, water buffalo dung will do a lot of damage if it strkes a structure or someone. 6. Try to limit the 'Tickle-Me-Elmos' and other talking toys. I am so stressed out over this other stuff, listening to 1000's of these toys on Christmas Eve will surely drive me over the edge and I'll give all of your kids' stuff to the Occupy Wall Street guys. They don't know what they want, and obviously should be happy with anything. 7. Fruit Cakes are in short supply. It seems the Perry campaign made a deal with Bacardi Rum, and when we asked Rick about the deal, and he started waving his hands around and acting real goofy. Who really likes fruit cakes anyway? 8. Finally, in lieu of milk and cookies, please set out a cup of egg-nog flavored Activia yogurt. It seems to make Jamie Lee Curtis very happy, and I need to thin down a little before me and Mrs. Claus go on vacation. Peace to All. S. Claus 　 　 　 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:04:10 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Santa39s-Wish-List/blog/5506665/31710.html WAP 2011-11-23T19:04:10Z AutoPro Workshop To All Good Little Boys' and Girls' Parents: As the great elf leader, I, Santa Claus, must inform a you, my constituents, of a few issues that are sure to affect this Holiday Season. While we always try to provide exceptional joy, glad tidings, and cheer, we have had to make a few changes in light of the economy, industry, politics, and general disarray of the world as we know it. 1. Delivery - Well, last year as we were leaving North America, the reindeer were thristy, and we stopped in PA at a remote forrested area to let Prancer and the gang rehydrate. Little did we know that this was a Marcellus Shale gas drilling area, and every last one of the reindeer got sick. They are still on workers compensation, so we might be until the 26th or 27th due to the fact that my replacement 'deer' consist of 2 goats, 1-dik-dik, 3-big horn sheep, 2-water buffalo, and a kangaroo holding a laser-pointer. Getting skilled replacement labor has become very difficult. 2. Letters to Santa - since the north pole is a rural area, our local post office has been shut down. Please address all mail to Gnome, Alaska c/o Santa Claus. 3. Please, discourage your children from asking for 'pimp' hats. Herman Cain has ran everyone out of inventory and they are on backorder. 4. If you are s US Senator or Congressman, our Good-Bad Staff will most likely never conclude if you were good or bad due to your recent shenanigans, so you might want to stop by Wal-Mart and pick up something for yourself. 5. All Iranian, Egyptian, and Libyan wish-makers, please understand that Santa Claus, Inc. is a NON-PROFIT organization and kidnapping one our staff will result in no ransom at all. Also, if you guys keep trying to shoot down the sleigh, I'm gonna give all of your sons Malibu Barbies without a veil. I might a also metion screaming and errant gunfire will scare the water-buffalo and since we normally fly at about 1000 feet in altitude, water buffalo dung will do a lot of damage if it strkes a structure or someone. 6. Try to limit the 'Tickle-Me-Elmos' and other talking toys. I am so stressed out over this other stuff, listening to 1000's of these toys on Christmas Eve will surely drive me over the edge and I'll give all of your kids' stuff to the Occupy Wall Street guys. They don't know what they want, and obviously should be happy with anything. 7. Fruit Cakes are in short supply. It seems the Perry campaign made a deal with Bacardi Rum, and when we asked Rick about the deal, and he started waving his hands around and acting real goofy. Who really likes fruit cakes anyway? 8. Finally, in lieu of milk and cookies, please set out a cup of egg-nog flavored Activia yogurt. It seems to make Jamie Lee Curtis very happy, and I need to thin down a little before me and Mrs. Claus go on vacation. Peace to All. S. Claus 　 　 　 nonadult false Santa's Wish List..... text blog 439 1 5.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5506665 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Kill-the-Messenger/blog/5502339/31710.html In the light of public opinion, sometimes a messge takes on a life of it's own.  Especially is the message is inflamatory.  The Penn State debacle is a good example of what happens when you are presented with a problem that eveidently has no easy solution regardless of how you handle it.  Many states have 'whistle blower' laws intented to protect informants that provide information that leads to enforcement of law or policy to protect the public interest.  Alas, the automotive aftermarket and many other business segments offer no such protections.  If you challenge the authority, methods or customary practice within any group or institution, you are sure to stir debate, but what I stirred up was more like something stuck to the bottom of your shoe that smells really bad. A recent article I wrote which lamented our distribution system for fuel surcharges, lack of price sheets, and fanatical policy resulted in what I can only describe as a pre-eminent first strike of an e-mail war.  I have never received so many e-mails in my life!  Nor do I want to ever again. at least not like these.  Most were very professional, well thought out, used proper grammar and punctuation, verb tense, and very literate.  Some e-mails sided with my take on things, but most were from various industry executives whom were upset over their perceived result of the article.  It exposed an ugly little truth about sur-charges and most would have liked to 'keep a lid' on it, you know, status quo.  I guess when large sums of money are at stake, status quo is a good motto.  Ugly little truths, however, are very likely to result in change if enough of the right people are aware of them. Normal and customary should never be confused with fair and justified.  If you are plagued with additional charges that have no rooted base other than the fear of fuel price increases, it's time to speak up, because judging from the size of my in-box these days, the 'powers-that-be' are fully aware of our dislike for such things. In the light of public opinion, sometimes a messge takes on a life of it's own.  Especially is the message is inflamatory.  The Penn State debacle is a good example of what happens when you are presented with a problem that eveidently has no easy solution regardless of how you handle it.  Many states have 'whistle blower' laws intented to protect informants that provide information that leads to enforcement of law or policy to protect the public interest.  Alas, the automotive aftermarket and many other business segments offer no such protections.  If you challenge the authority, methods or customary practice within any group or institution, you are sure to stir debate, but what I stirred up was more like something stuck to the bottom of your shoe that smells really bad. A recent article I wrote which lamented our distribution system for fuel surcharges, lack of price sheets, and fanatical policy resulted in what I can only describe as a pre-eminent first strike of an e-mail war.  I have never received so many e-mails in my life!  Nor do I want to ever again. at least not like these.  Most were very professional, well thought out, used proper grammar and punctuation, verb tense, and very literate.  Some e-mails sided with my take on things, but most were from various industry executives whom were upset over their perceived result of the article.  It exposed an ugly little truth about sur-charges and most would have liked to 'keep a lid' on it, you know, status quo.  I guess when large sums of money are at stake, status quo is a good motto.  Ugly little truths, however, are very likely to result in change if enough of the right people are aware of them. Normal and customary should never be confused with fair and justified.  If you are plagued with additional charges that have no rooted base other than the fear of fuel price increases, it's time to speak up, because judging from the size of my in-box these days, the 'powers-that-be' are fully aware of our dislike for such things. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:50:44 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Kill-the-Messenger/blog/5502339/31710.html WAP 2011-11-22T14:50:44Z AutoPro Workshop In the light of public opinion, sometimes a messge takes on a life of it's own.  Especially is the message is inflamatory.  The Penn State debacle is a good example of what happens when you are presented with a problem that eveidently has no easy solution regardless of how you handle it.  Many states have 'whistle blower' laws intented to protect informants that provide information that leads to enforcement of law or policy to protect the public interest.  Alas, the automotive aftermarket and many other business segments offer no such protections.  If you challenge the authority, methods or customary practice within any group or institution, you are sure to stir debate, but what I stirred up was more like something stuck to the bottom of your shoe that smells really bad. A recent article I wrote which lamented our distribution system for fuel surcharges, lack of price sheets, and fanatical policy resulted in what I can only describe as a pre-eminent first strike of an e-mail war.  I have never received so many e-mails in my life!  Nor do I want to ever again. at least not like these.  Most were very professional, well thought out, used proper grammar and punctuation, verb tense, and very literate.  Some e-mails sided with my take on things, but most were from various industry executives whom were upset over their perceived result of the article.  It exposed an ugly little truth about sur-charges and most would have liked to 'keep a lid' on it, you know, status quo.  I guess when large sums of money are at stake, status quo is a good motto.  Ugly little truths, however, are very likely to result in change if enough of the right people are aware of them. Normal and customary should never be confused with fair and justified.  If you are plagued with additional charges that have no rooted base other than the fear of fuel price increases, it's time to speak up, because judging from the size of my in-box these days, the 'powers-that-be' are fully aware of our dislike for such things. nonadult false Kill the Messenger text blog 1809 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 5 0 5502339 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Peek-Inside-Pandora39s-Box-Before-Opening/blog/5476134/31710.html Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it. I think at some point in each of our lives, someone has given us this type of advice.  And like some of you, I paid very little attention to what result the words actually eluded, but dang it, I sure made a point with what I did. For some reason, every dealership in my area has gone absolutely bonkers with construction of facilities which are much the same as a quick-lube.  They are trying to attract business from potential customers that may or may not drive a car with their manufacturer label.  I get it, but there is no way that I was going to let them sneak in and try to steal my 'loyal' customers by opening up a quick-lube which would just muddy the waters around here.  So I set out to strike first, and by striking first, I wanted to send a signal to the dealerships that you are messing around in territory that has been traditionally an independant area of expertise.  Since oil changes represent a small percentage of our business in regards to overall sales, I decided to low-ball the heck out of oil changes as if to say to the dealerships, 'You want some of this mess? This is what you've got to do to play ball with me!" So, I put up a billboard at a key intersection of our town which highlighted the special pricing, and basic outline of the program.  The result was instantaneous.  Our phones were ringing off the hook, our bays were backed up, and we saw so many new faces it was shocking.  I had to call in one of my techs to cover the absolute overload of people wishing to cash in on such a great deal.  Sure, we didn't make much money that first day, but we booked several brake jobs, ordered some tires, and other service work to be done at a later date.  Most of my techs were complaining about how hard, and busy the day was, and asked me please, please, to reconsider what I had done.  Well, I wasn't quite sure what I'd actually done.  The only plausible answer is we gave people what they wanted.  An exceptional deal, with exceptional service.  Granted, my techs felt like they were giving a command performance, of which they were, but it also highlighted the fact that even though we are known as a parts store and service center associated for doing complicated and difficult tasks, we really got to show just how good we were at doing the EASY stuff.  It was very.....FUN! I then got a call from a 'dealership' manager, and he point blank asked how the oil change special went the first day.  I was perplexed about whether to tell the truth or not, so I answered him with a question, "How do you think it went, it wasn't what we expected!"  At that query/comment he said, yep just what I figured, I don't know why we are doing this quick-lube thing.  As I mentioned before, this was my area of expertise, and clearly with that comment, the dealership manager had different expectations from mine.  I guess if you give people what they want, they will love you for it.  The next time I plan to have a sale that is tantamount to opening Pandora's box, I will peek inside to make sure we are better prepared and my staff is better informed of what's to come.  This time the result was very pleasant as it brought us a lot of new faces.  It also reinforced my notion that the quick-lubes that the dealerships are installing will make an impact for the independants regardless of what the management thinks.  We feel one step ahead because we have set the benchmark for pricing, and tasted the fruit, and brother, it sure was sweet. Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it. I think at some point in each of our lives, someone has given us this type of advice.  And like some of you, I paid very little attention to what result the words actually eluded, but dang it, I sure made a point with what I did. For some reason, every dealership in my area has gone absolutely bonkers with construction of facilities which are much the same as a quick-lube.  They are trying to attract business from potential customers that may or may not drive a car with their manufacturer label.  I get it, but there is no way that I was going to let them sneak in and try to steal my 'loyal' customers by opening up a quick-lube which would just muddy the waters around here.  So I set out to strike first, and by striking first, I wanted to send a signal to the dealerships that you are messing around in territory that has been traditionally an independant area of expertise.  Since oil changes represent a small percentage of our business in regards to overall sales, I decided to low-ball the heck out of oil changes as if to say to the dealerships, 'You want some of this mess? This is what you've got to do to play ball with me!" So, I put up a billboard at a key intersection of our town which highlighted the special pricing, and basic outline of the program.  The result was instantaneous.  Our phones were ringing off the hook, our bays were backed up, and we saw so many new faces it was shocking.  I had to call in one of my techs to cover the absolute overload of people wishing to cash in on such a great deal.  Sure, we didn't make much money that first day, but we booked several brake jobs, ordered some tires, and other service work to be done at a later date.  Most of my techs were complaining about how hard, and busy the day was, and asked me please, please, to reconsider what I had done.  Well, I wasn't quite sure what I'd actually done.  The only plausible answer is we gave people what they wanted.  An exceptional deal, with exceptional service.  Granted, my techs felt like they were giving a command performance, of which they were, but it also highlighted the fact that even though we are known as a parts store and service center associated for doing complicated and difficult tasks, we really got to show just how good we were at doing the EASY stuff.  It was very.....FUN! I then got a call from a 'dealership' manager, and he point blank asked how the oil change special went the first day.  I was perplexed about whether to tell the truth or not, so I answered him with a question, "How do you think it went, it wasn't what we expected!"  At that query/comment he said, yep just what I figured, I don't know why we are doing this quick-lube thing.  As I mentioned before, this was my area of expertise, and clearly with that comment, the dealership manager had different expectations from mine.  I guess if you give people what they want, they will love you for it.  The next time I plan to have a sale that is tantamount to opening Pandora's box, I will peek inside to make sure we are better prepared and my staff is better informed of what's to come.  This time the result was very pleasant as it brought us a lot of new faces.  It also reinforced my notion that the quick-lubes that the dealerships are installing will make an impact for the independants regardless of what the management thinks.  We feel one step ahead because we have set the benchmark for pricing, and tasted the fruit, and brother, it sure was sweet. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:43:57 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Peek-Inside-Pandora39s-Box-Before-Opening/blog/5476134/31710.html WAP 2011-11-15T15:43:57Z AutoPro Workshop Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it. I think at some point in each of our lives, someone has given us this type of advice.  And like some of you, I paid very little attention to what result the words actually eluded, but dang it, I sure made a point with what I did. For some reason, every dealership in my area has gone absolutely bonkers with construction of facilities which are much the same as a quick-lube.  They are trying to attract business from potential customers that may or may not drive a car with their manufacturer label.  I get it, but there is no way that I was going to let them sneak in and try to steal my 'loyal' customers by opening up a quick-lube which would just muddy the waters around here.  So I set out to strike first, and by striking first, I wanted to send a signal to the dealerships that you are messing around in territory that has been traditionally an independant area of expertise.  Since oil changes represent a small percentage of our business in regards to overall sales, I decided to low-ball the heck out of oil changes as if to say to the dealerships, 'You want some of this mess? This is what you've got to do to play ball with me!" So, I put up a billboard at a key intersection of our town which highlighted the special pricing, and basic outline of the program.  The result was instantaneous.  Our phones were ringing off the hook, our bays were backed up, and we saw so many new faces it was shocking.  I had to call in one of my techs to cover the absolute overload of people wishing to cash in on such a great deal.  Sure, we didn't make much money that first day, but we booked several brake jobs, ordered some tires, and other service work to be done at a later date.  Most of my techs were complaining about how hard, and busy the day was, and asked me please, please, to reconsider what I had done.  Well, I wasn't quite sure what I'd actually done.  The only plausible answer is we gave people what they wanted.  An exceptional deal, with exceptional service.  Granted, my techs felt like they were giving a command performance, of which they were, but it also highlighted the fact that even though we are known as a parts store and service center associated for doing complicated and difficult tasks, we really got to show just how good we were at doing the EASY stuff.  It was very.....FUN! I then got a call from a 'dealership' manager, and he point blank asked how the oil change special went the first day.  I was perplexed about whether to tell the truth or not, so I answered him with a question, "How do you think it went, it wasn't what we expected!"  At that query/comment he said, yep just what I figured, I don't know why we are doing this quick-lube thing.  As I mentioned before, this was my area of expertise, and clearly with that comment, the dealership manager had different expectations from mine.  I guess if you give people what they want, they will love you for it.  The next time I plan to have a sale that is tantamount to opening Pandora's box, I will peek inside to make sure we are better prepared and my staff is better informed of what's to come.  This time the result was very pleasant as it brought us a lot of new faces.  It also reinforced my notion that the quick-lubes that the dealerships are installing will make an impact for the independants regardless of what the management thinks.  We feel one step ahead because we have set the benchmark for pricing, and tasted the fruit, and brother, it sure was sweet. nonadult false Peek Inside Pandora's Box Before Opening text blog 441 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5476134 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Wrong-Number/blog/5435393/31710.html 3 years ago, we bought out an existing service center, got the rights to the name, the phone numbers, etc.  This spring, I entered into a lawsuit forcing the previous owner to keep his non-compete clause after he reopened his business.  I won the lawsuit, by the way, but having the rights to the old name and phone numbers has presented a problem.  Sometimes, it's quite entertaining, since the old phone books laying around in everyones house has his old business name which is very similar to his new business name.  So even though these folks think they are calling him, they are really calling us. Since we pride ourselves on running an honest business, we have not yet been tempted to pull some sort of deviant prank and tell his unassuming customers that all oil changes are free this week, but we are very close, because some of my customers end up GOING THERE unwittingly and sometimes the result of their repair is substantard, and often at a much different price. It's comical when his customers call us to complain about their repair, or their ridiculos wait, or the price they were charged because the number they are dialing was at one time associated with his business, but the rights are now ours.  After numerous, and I do mean numerous occurrances, we have developed what I would call a methodology of informing any customer that calls our establishment using the two phone numbers that we got in the purchase of the original business. First, I try to make them aware that they are calling us, not them.  If they require further explanation, I add that we purchased his original business, got rid of his original staff due to various reasons for terminating employment, hired qualified technicians, the previous owner reopened 3 years later, lost a legal battle with us, and then re-hired everyone that we had fired 3 years ago.  If THAT's the place you think you are calling, well, you have the wrong number. 3 years ago, we bought out an existing service center, got the rights to the name, the phone numbers, etc.  This spring, I entered into a lawsuit forcing the previous owner to keep his non-compete clause after he reopened his business.  I won the lawsuit, by the way, but having the rights to the old name and phone numbers has presented a problem.  Sometimes, it's quite entertaining, since the old phone books laying around in everyones house has his old business name which is very similar to his new business name.  So even though these folks think they are calling him, they are really calling us. Since we pride ourselves on running an honest business, we have not yet been tempted to pull some sort of deviant prank and tell his unassuming customers that all oil changes are free this week, but we are very close, because some of my customers end up GOING THERE unwittingly and sometimes the result of their repair is substantard, and often at a much different price. It's comical when his customers call us to complain about their repair, or their ridiculos wait, or the price they were charged because the number they are dialing was at one time associated with his business, but the rights are now ours.  After numerous, and I do mean numerous occurrances, we have developed what I would call a methodology of informing any customer that calls our establishment using the two phone numbers that we got in the purchase of the original business. First, I try to make them aware that they are calling us, not them.  If they require further explanation, I add that we purchased his original business, got rid of his original staff due to various reasons for terminating employment, hired qualified technicians, the previous owner reopened 3 years later, lost a legal battle with us, and then re-hired everyone that we had fired 3 years ago.  If THAT's the place you think you are calling, well, you have the wrong number. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:23:36 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Wrong-Number/blog/5435393/31710.html WAP 2011-11-04T17:23:36Z AutoPro Workshop 3 years ago, we bought out an existing service center, got the rights to the name, the phone numbers, etc.  This spring, I entered into a lawsuit forcing the previous owner to keep his non-compete clause after he reopened his business.  I won the lawsuit, by the way, but having the rights to the old name and phone numbers has presented a problem.  Sometimes, it's quite entertaining, since the old phone books laying around in everyones house has his old business name which is very similar to his new business name.  So even though these folks think they are calling him, they are really calling us. Since we pride ourselves on running an honest business, we have not yet been tempted to pull some sort of deviant prank and tell his unassuming customers that all oil changes are free this week, but we are very close, because some of my customers end up GOING THERE unwittingly and sometimes the result of their repair is substantard, and often at a much different price. It's comical when his customers call us to complain about their repair, or their ridiculos wait, or the price they were charged because the number they are dialing was at one time associated with his business, but the rights are now ours.  After numerous, and I do mean numerous occurrances, we have developed what I would call a methodology of informing any customer that calls our establishment using the two phone numbers that we got in the purchase of the original business. First, I try to make them aware that they are calling us, not them.  If they require further explanation, I add that we purchased his original business, got rid of his original staff due to various reasons for terminating employment, hired qualified technicians, the previous owner reopened 3 years later, lost a legal battle with us, and then re-hired everyone that we had fired 3 years ago.  If THAT's the place you think you are calling, well, you have the wrong number. nonadult false Wrong Number text blog 1611 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5435393 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_IS-IT-JUST-ME/blog/5387755/31710.html The funny thing about an economic slowdown is that we question ourselves with 'is it just me?'.  Well, it's not just you.  If you don't have a plan of action to combat this 'slowdown/recession/depression', you'd better develop one unless you are blessed with a booming market. (Volume hides a lot of sins!)  There are several things that I am accustomed to doing to make sure we survive and prosper during the winter, but possibly we should redouble our effort.  I will share with you some of my ideas and practices for 'riding out the storm.' 1.  Make sure that you are not purchasing unnecessary inventory or items that are spring/summer usage.  Also, I tend no to stock dual or triple line coverage.  I also use a buy-back delay program for items that are not very popular.  This is a big cash flow improver. 2.  Be sure to have your seasonal items prominently on display-now I'm not condoning decorating for Christmas already, but a little yule tide cheer may not hurt your situation.  Remind your staff to be positive and upbeat, even if they are crying inside. 3. Base any seasonal buying decision on 50% of last years volume.  Why you may.ask?  Well, you save some cash flow, and in a down economy, a safe bet would be hedgeing on 50% of future sales.  Look at it this way, you are not planning to fail, you are just not failing to plan.  How many more euphanisms can we apply here? Oh, yep, theres the old standby of plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Besides, if your seasonal items do well, and everyone else does poorly, there will be a glut of product at even more reasonable prices.  If everyone does great, you can still buy more, trust me. 4.  Offer additional services or things you may have not done before.  Like free alignment inspection with purchase of tires.  Free engine scans, free coffee and doughnuts, free wiper installation, battery install etc. and promote it.  Give your clientele additional reasons to shop with you.  It's more important now than you think.  Everyone wants a bargain. 5.  Watch your A/R very close.  Do not cave to too many sob stories.  You have to pay your bills, and your vendors do not paticularily care if some of your best customers are now on hard times.  Tighten the grip now. 6.  Price shop your competetion.  If you are slow, odds are so are they, and may be adjusting profit margins to attract customers.  If they are not, they are vulnerable and you may be able to take advantage of the situation.  Notice what your market will bear. 7.  Change your schedule to compensate for decreased revenues.  Inform your employees that the schedule changes are more than likely coming. Your employees can recognize the fact that things are slower, and reduced hours are always expected.  However, you may be able to keep all employees working the same amount of hours if you can extend your hours possibly which can lead to  increased revenues. 8.  Have a 'utility' meeting with your employees.  Quit leaving lights on, equipment running,  doors open etc.  Turn thermostats down when you are not open.  9.  Refresh your sales staff about the importance of add-on sales.  Ask for the business, and don't be complacent or ho-hum.  We will have more time per customer so use that time wisely. 10.  Remind your staff to offer options.  People like options.  It's kind of interesting, but in hard times a lot of folks buy better products due to the durability factor.  If you fail to offer the quality or branded product, you will likely lose a few of these customers. Finally, we've been through this crap before, and we will all go through this again.  Cinch the saddle, batten the hatches, and talk with your employees about what to expect and ways to improve the odds of actually prospering.  Your greatest assets are your inventory, your people, and your accounts receivable.  Manage them wisely. The funny thing about an economic slowdown is that we question ourselves with 'is it just me?'.  Well, it's not just you.  If you don't have a plan of action to combat this 'slowdown/recession/depression', you'd better develop one unless you are blessed with a booming market. (Volume hides a lot of sins!)  There are several things that I am accustomed to doing to make sure we survive and prosper during the winter, but possibly we should redouble our effort.  I will share with you some of my ideas and practices for 'riding out the storm.' 1.  Make sure that you are not purchasing unnecessary inventory or items that are spring/summer usage.  Also, I tend no to stock dual or triple line coverage.  I also use a buy-back delay program for items that are not very popular.  This is a big cash flow improver. 2.  Be sure to have your seasonal items prominently on display-now I'm not condoning decorating for Christmas already, but a little yule tide cheer may not hurt your situation.  Remind your staff to be positive and upbeat, even if they are crying inside. 3. Base any seasonal buying decision on 50% of last years volume.  Why you may.ask?  Well, you save some cash flow, and in a down economy, a safe bet would be hedgeing on 50% of future sales.  Look at it this way, you are not planning to fail, you are just not failing to plan.  How many more euphanisms can we apply here? Oh, yep, theres the old standby of plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Besides, if your seasonal items do well, and everyone else does poorly, there will be a glut of product at even more reasonable prices.  If everyone does great, you can still buy more, trust me. 4.  Offer additional services or things you may have not done before.  Like free alignment inspection with purchase of tires.  Free engine scans, free coffee and doughnuts, free wiper installation, battery install etc. and promote it.  Give your clientele additional reasons to shop with you.  It's more important now than you think.  Everyone wants a bargain. 5.  Watch your A/R very close.  Do not cave to too many sob stories.  You have to pay your bills, and your vendors do not paticularily care if some of your best customers are now on hard times.  Tighten the grip now. 6.  Price shop your competetion.  If you are slow, odds are so are they, and may be adjusting profit margins to attract customers.  If they are not, they are vulnerable and you may be able to take advantage of the situation.  Notice what your market will bear. 7.  Change your schedule to compensate for decreased revenues.  Inform your employees that the schedule changes are more than likely coming. Your employees can recognize the fact that things are slower, and reduced hours are always expected.  However, you may be able to keep all employees working the same amount of hours if you can extend your hours possibly which can lead to  increased revenues. 8.  Have a 'utility' meeting with your employees.  Quit leaving lights on, equipment running,  doors open etc.  Turn thermostats down when you are not open.  9.  Refresh your sales staff about the importance of add-on sales.  Ask for the business, and don't be complacent or ho-hum.  We will have more time per customer so use that time wisely. 10.  Remind your staff to offer options.  People like options.  It's kind of interesting, but in hard times a lot of folks buy better products due to the durability factor.  If you fail to offer the quality or branded product, you will likely lose a few of these customers. Finally, we've been through this crap before, and we will all go through this again.  Cinch the saddle, batten the hatches, and talk with your employees about what to expect and ways to improve the odds of actually prospering.  Your greatest assets are your inventory, your people, and your accounts receivable.  Manage them wisely. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:02:08 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_IS-IT-JUST-ME/blog/5387755/31710.html WAP 2011-10-26T17:02:08Z AutoPro Workshop The funny thing about an economic slowdown is that we question ourselves with 'is it just me?'.  Well, it's not just you.  If you don't have a plan of action to combat this 'slowdown/recession/depression', you'd better develop one unless you are blessed with a booming market. (Volume hides a lot of sins!)  There are several things that I am accustomed to doing to make sure we survive and prosper during the winter, but possibly we should redouble our effort.  I will share with you some of my ideas and practices for 'riding out the storm.' 1.  Make sure that you are not purchasing unnecessary inventory or items that are spring/summer usage.  Also, I tend no to stock dual or triple line coverage.  I also use a buy-back delay program for items that are not very popular.  This is a big cash flow improver. 2.  Be sure to have your seasonal items prominently on display-now I'm not condoning decorating for Christmas already, but a little yule tide cheer may not hurt your situation.  Remind your staff to be positive and upbeat, even if they are crying inside. 3. Base any seasonal buying decision on 50% of last years volume.  Why you may.ask?  Well, you save some cash flow, and in a down economy, a safe bet would be hedgeing on 50% of future sales.  Look at it this way, you are not planning to fail, you are just not failing to plan.  How many more euphanisms can we apply here? Oh, yep, theres the old standby of plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Besides, if your seasonal items do well, and everyone else does poorly, there will be a glut of product at even more reasonable prices.  If everyone does great, you can still buy more, trust me. 4.  Offer additional services or things you may have not done before.  Like free alignment inspection with purchase of tires.  Free engine scans, free coffee and doughnuts, free wiper installation, battery install etc. and promote it.  Give your clientele additional reasons to shop with you.  It's more important now than you think.  Everyone wants a bargain. 5.  Watch your A/R very close.  Do not cave to too many sob stories.  You have to pay your bills, and your vendors do not paticularily care if some of your best customers are now on hard times.  Tighten the grip now. 6.  Price shop your competetion.  If you are slow, odds are so are they, and may be adjusting profit margins to attract customers.  If they are not, they are vulnerable and you may be able to take advantage of the situation.  Notice what your market will bear. 7.  Change your schedule to compensate for decreased revenues.  Inform your employees that the schedule changes are more than likely coming. Your employees can recognize the fact that things are slower, and reduced hours are always expected.  However, you may be able to keep all employees working the same amount of hours if you can extend your hours possibly which can lead to  increased revenues. 8.  Have a 'utility' meeting with your employees.  Quit leaving lights on, equipment running,  doors open etc.  Turn thermostats down when you are not open.  9.  Refresh your sales staff about the importance of add-on sales.  Ask for the business, and don't be complacent or ho-hum.  We will have more time per customer so use that time wisely. 10.  Remind your staff to offer options.  People like options.  It's kind of interesting, but in hard times a lot of folks buy better products due to the durability factor.  If you fail to offer the quality or branded product, you will likely lose a few of these customers. Finally, we've been through this crap before, and we will all go through this again.  Cinch the saddle, batten the hatches, and talk with your employees about what to expect and ways to improve the odds of actually prospering.  Your greatest assets are your inventory, your people, and your accounts receivable.  Manage them wisely. nonadult false IS IT JUST ME? text blog 537 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 0 0 5387755 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_UNAUTHORIZED-REPAIRS-VS-UNAVAILABLE-CUSTOMERS/blog/5287611/31710.html So, here goes.  A customer drops of a car for a repair that he/she has 'diagnosed' themselves, gets a quote on the 'prescribed' repair, and leaves you a cell phone number that does not have a voicemail set up, or has a full mailbox, or the customer is out of service area.  It's on your rack, tying up a bay, and the actual repair it needs is just a few dollars more.  What do you do?  This is a discussion I have had with many, many other shop owners and there seems to be no clear concise answer, but there is a general rule of thought.  The customer brought it to you to be fixed, but how you handle the customer  is the key to keeping the customer from being upset.  Granted, there is no 100% accurate way to do this, ever. Step 1 - document everything.  That the expected repair was the customers diagnosis, not yours.  Document how many times you have called the customers phone numbers and the time.  Document any trouble you had leaving them a message, and what the trouble was. Step 2 - ask your customers up-front if the repair is more that the original estimate, do they need you to call and get authorization for any amount over the original estimate, or if it's over by a certain percentage, and be sure to ask for alternate phone numbers.  Explain to them that in the event that we cannot reach them and your new estimate falls outside of the range of their specs, the car will not be repaired or at the very least not repaired on time. Step 3 - When the customer calls to authorize the repair difference(s), have your ducks in a row.  Have the new estimate ready and waiting to be able to explain to your customer why it is different.  In this circumstance, it's keen to imply that you are aware that you have been waiting for someone to ok the job and that you will try to complete it asap.  Step 4 - If you are trying to clear the rack, guess what your customer wants or will apporve, and keep all things running effiicient you stand about a 50% chance of making your customer mad, a 25% chance of having your customer talk bad about your shop, and 100% chance of having mass confusion when your customer picks up their car. I'm sure this has happened to a few (all) of you reading this, so share if you like.  So, here goes.  A customer drops of a car for a repair that he/she has 'diagnosed' themselves, gets a quote on the 'prescribed' repair, and leaves you a cell phone number that does not have a voicemail set up, or has a full mailbox, or the customer is out of service area.  It's on your rack, tying up a bay, and the actual repair it needs is just a few dollars more.  What do you do?  This is a discussion I have had with many, many other shop owners and there seems to be no clear concise answer, but there is a general rule of thought.  The customer brought it to you to be fixed, but how you handle the customer  is the key to keeping the customer from being upset.  Granted, there is no 100% accurate way to do this, ever. Step 1 - document everything.  That the expected repair was the customers diagnosis, not yours.  Document how many times you have called the customers phone numbers and the time.  Document any trouble you had leaving them a message, and what the trouble was. Step 2 - ask your customers up-front if the repair is more that the original estimate, do they need you to call and get authorization for any amount over the original estimate, or if it's over by a certain percentage, and be sure to ask for alternate phone numbers.  Explain to them that in the event that we cannot reach them and your new estimate falls outside of the range of their specs, the car will not be repaired or at the very least not repaired on time. Step 3 - When the customer calls to authorize the repair difference(s), have your ducks in a row.  Have the new estimate ready and waiting to be able to explain to your customer why it is different.  In this circumstance, it's keen to imply that you are aware that you have been waiting for someone to ok the job and that you will try to complete it asap.  Step 4 - If you are trying to clear the rack, guess what your customer wants or will apporve, and keep all things running effiicient you stand about a 50% chance of making your customer mad, a 25% chance of having your customer talk bad about your shop, and 100% chance of having mass confusion when your customer picks up their car. I'm sure this has happened to a few (all) of you reading this, so share if you like.  Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:06:17 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_UNAUTHORIZED-REPAIRS-VS-UNAVAILABLE-CUSTOMERS/blog/5287611/31710.html WAP 2011-10-11T20:06:17Z AutoPro Workshop So, here goes.  A customer drops of a car for a repair that he/she has 'diagnosed' themselves, gets a quote on the 'prescribed' repair, and leaves you a cell phone number that does not have a voicemail set up, or has a full mailbox, or the customer is out of service area.  It's on your rack, tying up a bay, and the actual repair it needs is just a few dollars more.  What do you do?  This is a discussion I have had with many, many other shop owners and there seems to be no clear concise answer, but there is a general rule of thought.  The customer brought it to you to be fixed, but how you handle the customer  is the key to keeping the customer from being upset.  Granted, there is no 100% accurate way to do this, ever. Step 1 - document everything.  That the expected repair was the customers diagnosis, not yours.  Document how many times you have called the customers phone numbers and the time.  Document any trouble you had leaving them a message, and what the trouble was. Step 2 - ask your customers up-front if the repair is more that the original estimate, do they need you to call and get authorization for any amount over the original estimate, or if it's over by a certain percentage, and be sure to ask for alternate phone numbers.  Explain to them that in the event that we cannot reach them and your new estimate falls outside of the range of their specs, the car will not be repaired or at the very least not repaired on time. Step 3 - When the customer calls to authorize the repair difference(s), have your ducks in a row.  Have the new estimate ready and waiting to be able to explain to your customer why it is different.  In this circumstance, it's keen to imply that you are aware that you have been waiting for someone to ok the job and that you will try to complete it asap.  Step 4 - If you are trying to clear the rack, guess what your customer wants or will apporve, and keep all things running effiicient you stand about a 50% chance of making your customer mad, a 25% chance of having your customer talk bad about your shop, and 100% chance of having mass confusion when your customer picks up their car. I'm sure this has happened to a few (all) of you reading this, so share if you like.  nonadult false UNAUTHORIZED REPAIRS VS UNAVAILABLE CUSTOMERS text blog 2559 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 1 0 5287611 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_CUSTOMER-SERVICE-SALESMANSHIP/blog/5124632/31710.html My wife and I recently went out for lunch.  It was a national chain Italian place that we had not been to in a while.  The place has nice seating, a good menu, and resaonable prices.  I had pre-set expectations about what the experience would be like, but I was truly not ready for the waiter we received. As he came strolling towards us, I noticed that he had the full assortment of 'bling' adorning his wrists, lapels, tie, shirt, aporn and probably every apendage on his body.  He was extremely nice.  I do mean EXTREMELY nice to the point of being sickening.  His greeting was as if he had known us forever, commented on my wifes watch, commented on a tatoo that was visible on my forearm, asked for our drink order, and left us to look at the menu.  I commented to my wife that I thought our waiter must be on some sort of a happy pill.  When he returned to take our order, he brought us our drinks (tea, this was a working lunch), he complimented my wife on such a wise choice, and upon receiving my order, he commented that my ordered dish was his favorite on the menu, and was AWESOME. I consider myself to be a Italian food critic anyway, and felt very smug about the waiter recognizing my savant abilities.  As we ate our salad, I noticed the same 'rules of wait staff engagement' being deployed with his next customers.  When he took their orders for food, he commented to the person whom he decided was paying the bill that their ordered dish was his favorite on the menu and was AWESOME.  It was a different dish than I had ordered, as I then realized this guy was the perfect combination of service + sales.  He believed in his product, had uncanny sales ability, and had developed a successful cadence or routine of taking care of his customers.  I smiled, because this guy was good at his job, and even if the food was terrible, I knew he would make it right.....somehow.  As we finished our meal and paid the bill, another couple was looking over the menu that our waiter had left on their table, and the gentleman commented that he couldn't quite decide what to order.  As we left I told the gentleman, "Trust me, it's all AWESOME, at which my wife poked me in the ribs. During our drive back to the store, I wondered how that restaurant would function if it were staffed by some of the characters that worked for us.  Most would do quite well, but using the 'template of salemanship' that our waiter displayed, it sure pointed out a few of my employees that needed to be sent to Cinderella School.  Don't become complacent with the level of service and salemanship that your business presents to your customers.  Strive to make them all AWESOME!   .......Mark   My wife and I recently went out for lunch.  It was a national chain Italian place that we had not been to in a while.  The place has nice seating, a good menu, and resaonable prices.  I had pre-set expectations about what the experience would be like, but I was truly not ready for the waiter we received. As he came strolling towards us, I noticed that he had the full assortment of 'bling' adorning his wrists, lapels, tie, shirt, aporn and probably every apendage on his body.  He was extremely nice.  I do mean EXTREMELY nice to the point of being sickening.  His greeting was as if he had known us forever, commented on my wifes watch, commented on a tatoo that was visible on my forearm, asked for our drink order, and left us to look at the menu.  I commented to my wife that I thought our waiter must be on some sort of a happy pill.  When he returned to take our order, he brought us our drinks (tea, this was a working lunch), he complimented my wife on such a wise choice, and upon receiving my order, he commented that my ordered dish was his favorite on the menu, and was AWESOME. I consider myself to be a Italian food critic anyway, and felt very smug about the waiter recognizing my savant abilities.  As we ate our salad, I noticed the same 'rules of wait staff engagement' being deployed with his next customers.  When he took their orders for food, he commented to the person whom he decided was paying the bill that their ordered dish was his favorite on the menu and was AWESOME.  It was a different dish than I had ordered, as I then realized this guy was the perfect combination of service + sales.  He believed in his product, had uncanny sales ability, and had developed a successful cadence or routine of taking care of his customers.  I smiled, because this guy was good at his job, and even if the food was terrible, I knew he would make it right.....somehow.  As we finished our meal and paid the bill, another couple was looking over the menu that our waiter had left on their table, and the gentleman commented that he couldn't quite decide what to order.  As we left I told the gentleman, "Trust me, it's all AWESOME, at which my wife poked me in the ribs. During our drive back to the store, I wondered how that restaurant would function if it were staffed by some of the characters that worked for us.  Most would do quite well, but using the 'template of salemanship' that our waiter displayed, it sure pointed out a few of my employees that needed to be sent to Cinderella School.  Don't become complacent with the level of service and salemanship that your business presents to your customers.  Strive to make them all AWESOME!   .......Mark   Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:59:59 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_CUSTOMER-SERVICE-SALESMANSHIP/blog/5124632/31710.html WAP 2011-09-17T14:59:59Z AutoPro Workshop My wife and I recently went out for lunch.  It was a national chain Italian place that we had not been to in a while.  The place has nice seating, a good menu, and resaonable prices.  I had pre-set expectations about what the experience would be like, but I was truly not ready for the waiter we received. As he came strolling towards us, I noticed that he had the full assortment of 'bling' adorning his wrists, lapels, tie, shirt, aporn and probably every apendage on his body.  He was extremely nice.  I do mean EXTREMELY nice to the point of being sickening.  His greeting was as if he had known us forever, commented on my wifes watch, commented on a tatoo that was visible on my forearm, asked for our drink order, and left us to look at the menu.  I commented to my wife that I thought our waiter must be on some sort of a happy pill.  When he returned to take our order, he brought us our drinks (tea, this was a working lunch), he complimented my wife on such a wise choice, and upon receiving my order, he commented that my ordered dish was his favorite on the menu, and was AWESOME. I consider myself to be a Italian food critic anyway, and felt very smug about the waiter recognizing my savant abilities.  As we ate our salad, I noticed the same 'rules of wait staff engagement' being deployed with his next customers.  When he took their orders for food, he commented to the person whom he decided was paying the bill that their ordered dish was his favorite on the menu and was AWESOME.  It was a different dish than I had ordered, as I then realized this guy was the perfect combination of service + sales.  He believed in his product, had uncanny sales ability, and had developed a successful cadence or routine of taking care of his customers.  I smiled, because this guy was good at his job, and even if the food was terrible, I knew he would make it right.....somehow.  As we finished our meal and paid the bill, another couple was looking over the menu that our waiter had left on their table, and the gentleman commented that he couldn't quite decide what to order.  As we left I told the gentleman, "Trust me, it's all AWESOME, at which my wife poked me in the ribs. During our drive back to the store, I wondered how that restaurant would function if it were staffed by some of the characters that worked for us.  Most would do quite well, but using the 'template of salemanship' that our waiter displayed, it sure pointed out a few of my employees that needed to be sent to Cinderella School.  Don't become complacent with the level of service and salemanship that your business presents to your customers.  Strive to make them all AWESOME!   .......Mark   nonadult false CUSTOMER SERVICE + SALESMANSHIP text blog 558 1 4.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 1 0 5124632 4753732 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_IRREGULAR-BLOGS-AND-DEFINITIONS/blog/5077020/31710.html I recently deleted a blog post that was about ridiculous, or meaningless blogs. It was,  in it self, a ridiculous and meaningless blog to express my angst for reading what I considered blogs of the same caliber. This blog infuriated another fellow blogger, and a jousting match ensued. When criticizing anothers' blog posts it is much the same as walking out into a thunder storm weilding a lightning rod. As bloggers, we deliver our message in a blog post, and then wait to see the hit counts increase. Occasionally, we check to see if anyone has commented. For whatever reason, I feel compelled to post comments on quite a few posts. If I have offended anyone, please accept my sincere apology. To those of you I have not offended, and only irritated, I also apologize due to a momentary lapse of integrity that my 'deleted' blog seemingly evoked. Since Dennis Miller and Geroge Carlin are heroes of mine, I tend to rant. But somewhere within those rants and ramblings, there is a grain or 'spelt' of relevance, regardless of what a 'blowhard' I seem.    My Grandmother once told me 'to make apple butter, you've got to stir the pot.' Constructive dissenting comments will stir the pot for sure, but it also tends to heighten defense mechanisms to levels equal of DEFCON 1. For the record, I must end with this. The word 'spelt' is a basic irregular verb, and it's usage is largely regional, used in colloquial or informal conversation. The word itself has origins in the 1500's, and was common Old English dialect as well in liteary works such as Shakespeare. In the U.S., the usage of the word is common in the North East due largely to the high concentration of early English immigrants. 'Spelt' as a verb is not considered archaic, but in several dictionaries the primary definition of 'spelt' refers to a wheat-like grain. In Closing,   "Whilst ye mayest be right, thou thinkest thou is right herforetowith. Having learnt this, I hesitated, but I clapt with an irregular, bittersweet happiness" I recently deleted a blog post that was about ridiculous, or meaningless blogs. It was,  in it self, a ridiculous and meaningless blog to express my angst for reading what I considered blogs of the same caliber. This blog infuriated another fellow blogger, and a jousting match ensued. When criticizing anothers' blog posts it is much the same as walking out into a thunder storm weilding a lightning rod. As bloggers, we deliver our message in a blog post, and then wait to see the hit counts increase. Occasionally, we check to see if anyone has commented. For whatever reason, I feel compelled to post comments on quite a few posts. If I have offended anyone, please accept my sincere apology. To those of you I have not offended, and only irritated, I also apologize due to a momentary lapse of integrity that my 'deleted' blog seemingly evoked. Since Dennis Miller and Geroge Carlin are heroes of mine, I tend to rant. But somewhere within those rants and ramblings, there is a grain or 'spelt' of relevance, regardless of what a 'blowhard' I seem.    My Grandmother once told me 'to make apple butter, you've got to stir the pot.' Constructive dissenting comments will stir the pot for sure, but it also tends to heighten defense mechanisms to levels equal of DEFCON 1. For the record, I must end with this. The word 'spelt' is a basic irregular verb, and it's usage is largely regional, used in colloquial or informal conversation. The word itself has origins in the 1500's, and was common Old English dialect as well in liteary works such as Shakespeare. In the U.S., the usage of the word is common in the North East due largely to the high concentration of early English immigrants. 'Spelt' as a verb is not considered archaic, but in several dictionaries the primary definition of 'spelt' refers to a wheat-like grain. In Closing,   "Whilst ye mayest be right, thou thinkest thou is right herforetowith. Having learnt this, I hesitated, but I clapt with an irregular, bittersweet happiness" Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:07:37 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_IRREGULAR-BLOGS-AND-DEFINITIONS/blog/5077020/31710.html WAP 2011-08-29T17:07:37Z AutoPro Workshop I recently deleted a blog post that was about ridiculous, or meaningless blogs. It was,  in it self, a ridiculous and meaningless blog to express my angst for reading what I considered blogs of the same caliber. This blog infuriated another fellow blogger, and a jousting match ensued. When criticizing anothers' blog posts it is much the same as walking out into a thunder storm weilding a lightning rod. As bloggers, we deliver our message in a blog post, and then wait to see the hit counts increase. Occasionally, we check to see if anyone has commented. For whatever reason, I feel compelled to post comments on quite a few posts. If I have offended anyone, please accept my sincere apology. To those of you I have not offended, and only irritated, I also apologize due to a momentary lapse of integrity that my 'deleted' blog seemingly evoked. Since Dennis Miller and Geroge Carlin are heroes of mine, I tend to rant. But somewhere within those rants and ramblings, there is a grain or 'spelt' of relevance, regardless of what a 'blowhard' I seem.    My Grandmother once told me 'to make apple butter, you've got to stir the pot.' Constructive dissenting comments will stir the pot for sure, but it also tends to heighten defense mechanisms to levels equal of DEFCON 1. For the record, I must end with this. The word 'spelt' is a basic irregular verb, and it's usage is largely regional, used in colloquial or informal conversation. The word itself has origins in the 1500's, and was common Old English dialect as well in liteary works such as Shakespeare. In the U.S., the usage of the word is common in the North East due largely to the high concentration of early English immigrants. 'Spelt' as a verb is not considered archaic, but in several dictionaries the primary definition of 'spelt' refers to a wheat-like grain. In Closing,   "Whilst ye mayest be right, thou thinkest thou is right herforetowith. Having learnt this, I hesitated, but I clapt with an irregular, bittersweet happiness" nonadult false IRREGULAR BLOGS AND DEFINITIONS text blog 868 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4753732&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_2598977_31710_4753732_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WV Summersville 26651 2 0 5077020 4753732 Member 250