Thanks in advance

Scott.

We used to get paid for used motor oil (pre-COVID19). However, lately we are being charged for pick up and transport. We go through approximately 500-700 gallons per month. 

Do you guys currently get paid or are paying for used motor oil and oil filter pick up? Our shop is located in Texas. 

1- How was your shop doing in early March - pre-pandemic? Were your numbers better, worse or about the same as last year.

2- What’s the biggest challenge you faced when the pandemic spread?

3- What’s your forecast for your shop moving forward?
Is business getting better? About the same - like nothing has happened? Or are you struggling to get customers through the door? 

Look forward to hearing your BEFORE-DURING-AND AFTER to understand where the industry is at. Hope this generates a better “picture” of what’s going on. 

Matthew
“The Car Count Fixer”

P.S.: Join my on YouTube at Car Count Hackers

Grabbed this shot of a crazy 68 Camaro (with wild Mickey Thompsons!) at a car show last week! Thought I would share it to help you remember "where we came from!" - Enjoy!

Some things to consider:

• Do you have a plan in place should you or one of your employees become ill?
• With school, event, and business closures, how will this affect your shop?
• Are you sending anything to your customers in terms of sharing your plans around keeping your customer and employees healthy and doing your part in your community? Many small and large businesses have been sending email communications to their customers.
• Are you marketing to your customers in terms of not delaying car repair, should there be a need to temporarily close?
• Are your parts suppliers sharing their plans, should the pandemic affect supply chains? 
• Are you stocking up on business and shop necessities?

Please share your experience in this topic and stay healthy!

In the media:

The coronavirus and its growing tally of sick and dead victims around the world have been roiling financial markets, prompting countless hand-washing reminders and ruining more than a few vacations, and that’s before anyone knows exactly how widespread the effect will be on the automotive industry, including your local repair shop. Source

“By mid-March, the shortage of supplies will be felt and members are projecting they’ll experience disruption through May or June,” even if operations in China soon get back to normal, said Stacey Miller, senior director of communications at the Auto Care Association, a trade group representing 150,000 auto aftermarket and service businesses. Source

Is anyone else seeing an uptick yet?  We should start reporting upticks on this thread so that we can see how it spreads across the nation.  That way we can be prepared to bring staff back asap and get our marketing rolling again.  I know it takes 2 weeks between when I order postcards and they land.

Let's help each other get ahead of this thing.

You probably have more time available to spend with your customers. It’s the perfect time to build or cement a great relationship, to create that illusive trust with your customer, that’s mentioned in just about every trade magazine, but they never tell you how. May I suggest “The How” that I’ve been using for years? This will be handy now and in the future when this is over.

Learn more about your customers. Become “friends.”  Talk about everything: the lousy situation we’re in, ask about their job, their kids, their past vacation, their future vacations, their weekend jaunts. Exchange good news. Exchange not-so-good news. Listen. Talk about what comes up.

I treat our customers like friends, like former high school friends. And these friends know we have to make a profit (EVERYBODY knows that!)

For me, it’s a given that we’re going to take care of their car. If they tell me their dad just went into the hospital or nursing home, we’re done talking about their car.  I ask, “How’s dad?”

But still do your (digital) inspections. And write down everything, even the stuff that can wait six to nine months. This may affect the service writer or shop’s approval percentage, but so what! Your percentage will be lower, but you will do more work on the car this way. (Notice that I didn’t say you would sell more work. I don’t “sell.”) No decision now on the future stuff, it can wait.

If their car came in with a problem, this is what will fix it (there’s no selling: this is the solution). I point out the other thing that needs attention now. There will be some explanation, but no selling: it needs it. No decision for the customer, actually.  Their car needs it.

Next I say, “Here are the things that can wait six to nine months, but I want you to be aware so there are fewer surprises.” No selling, no decisions on their part. Plus, I’m the trustworthy guy who’s telling them they don’t need everything now.

“Now let’s come up with a plan for these other things I found about your car.” I’m explaining, not selling. “You can do these now or in two or three months.” NOBODY wants to come back in two or three months so they are leaning in that direction, but no pressure from you.  They will probably ask; “What would you do?” I say, “If you hate bringing your car in, do it now.” (this is where you would bring in a little value, benefits and safety) Again, not selling, suggesting; letting them make the decision.  Notice that the first two issues didn’t involve them making a dreaded decision:  It needs this, doesn’t need that.

If your inspection has 5 things, they will do 2 to 4. If the inspection has 8 things, they will do 3 to 5 – with no selling. You are their friend, you are advising. List everything!

Now think about that phone call. There is only a little selling value or benefits: maybe some safety. So there’s no pressure on you, no bad news. You are the car detective, reading the cars clues and helping your friend thru this.

When you take care of the customer in this fashion, you come from a place of trust, like taking care of a high school friend.

You will be happier because that call back won’t be stressful, you will have more work, and they are more likely to refer your trustworthy, easy-to-work-with shop, which means even more work.

Going on the third month that we raised our rates. Our best customers have stayed, trouble nickle and dime customers seem to have disappeared. ARO from 380 to 628.

Over the last couple of weeks, I started working with 50 shop owners inside my private “Drive to $100K” Facebook group (where I'm showing them how to take their personal take-home incomes to $100,000.00 or more), and,