Canadian Technician May 2011

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Total Vehicle Maintenance

Canadian Mail Sales Product Agreement #40063170 Registration 10833. Return postage guaranteed. Newcom Business Media Inc., 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, ON M9W 5C4

Why you need to steer clear of the breakdown/repair business model.

ALSO: ■ How to successfully sell service ■ Why Mercedes-Benz is driving some shop owners around the bend ■ Is your business suffering from too much clutter?

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contents

Canadian Technician • May 2011 • Vol. 16 No. 4

FEATURES

Total Vehicle Maintenance.................................. 18 Why you need to steer clear of the breakdown/repair business model.

Security Roadblock ............................................... 25 Mercedes-Benz is driving some shop owners around the bend.

Selling Service ....................................................... 29 Underperformed maintenance in Canada accounts for about $2.5 billion annually. Check out these tips on how to improve the customer service dynamic – and bolster your bottom line.

COLUMNISTS Management S.O.S. By Kelly Bennett ....................................................................16

DEPARTMENTS Editorial ......................................................................5 Service Notes.............................................................7

38 The Car Side

By Rick Cogbill

Letters ........................................................................8 Out & About .............................................................11 Reader Rides...........................................................11 EyeSpy......................................................................13 From Our Forum......................................................14 Products...................................................................35 Auto Puzzle ..............................................................36

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EDITORIAL

Evolve or evaporate

By David Menzies n interesting article landed on my desk recently. Entitled, “24 Things About to Become Extinct in America”, it had nothing to do with the plight of the California condor or any other unfortunate creature on the endangered species list. Rather, the article was a snapshot of industries, products, and professions that, once upon a time, were considered “bulletproof.” Alas, today, many on the list are about to join the eight-track tape player on the scrap heap of obsolescence.

In addition to being a fascinating read, the article also makes for a cautionary tale (more on that later.) For now, check out a smattering of those “things” that will soon be deader than disco: Yellow Pages. People still let their “fingers do the walking” when it comes to acquiring information. It’s just that those fingers are increasingly traversing across computer keyboards to access the Internet for info – not amber-hued newsprint.

Movie Rental Stores. Ma & pa video rental stores are almost entirely gone and soon once-mighty chains like Blockbuster will collapse due to relentless competition from Netflix, video on demand, and the illegal downloading of movies.

The Milkman. In 1950, more than 50% of milk delivered was to individual households in quart-sized bottles. By 1963, the volume had plunged to 33%; by 2001, home-delivered milk represented a meager 0.4% of production. Blame the milkman’s demise on the rise of the supermarket, better refrigeration and longerlasting milk.

Drive-in Theatres. The drive-in theatre peaked in 1958 when more than 4,000 drive-ins across the U.S. were screening such new releases that year as The Blob and I Married a Monster from Outer Space. By 2007, thanks to increasing land values and the ascension of home theatre, only 405 drive-in

A

theatres were still operating.

Ham Radio. Another victim of the Internet. In the U.S., from 2004-’09, the number of people holding ham radio licences dropped by more than 50,000.

The point? As the cliché goes, the only constant is change. And change is occurring in every sector at a faster rate than ever before.That leaves all of us with essentially two options: adapt and evolve to take advantage of those ongoing changes. Or foolishly ignore the obvious and end up as contemporary dinosaurs.

To this end, check out Canadian Technician contributor Rick Cogbill’s story on page 18. Cogbill’s feature focuses on total vehicle maintenance. As we all know, most automotive shops can no longer rely on the old breakdown/repair business model.Tow trucks showing up at the shop with a no-start vehicle dangling from the hoist is a far less frequent occurrence due to vehicles that are better manufactured.

As Cogbill notes: “When first introduced in the ’90s, transmission and brake fluid flushes had the perception (among shop owners and technicians, at least) of being the latest gimmick to make more money per work order. Now, given the cost and complexity of new vehicles and their systems, a former ‘gimmick’ has become the new reality, as regular maintenance procedures are a proven way of making vehicles last longer, perform better, and retain their resale value.”

Bottom line: getting the preventive maintenance formula right is truly a winwin proposition for both shops and customers given that the shop can increase sales while customers benefit from vehicles that perform and age better.

As with any entrepreneur with an eye to the future, you can either adapt to changing business conditions. Or you can keep the blinders on, do the same-old, same-old, and whither. The choice, as always, is yours to make.

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SERVICE NOTES

VOLUME 16

Where is OUR national conference?

NUMBER 4

The service sector of the aftermarket could learn a thing or two about networking from their suppliers.

By Allan Janssen

451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4 EDITOR David Menzies david@canadiantechnician.ca (416) 614-5824 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Allan Janssen ajanssen@newcom.ca (416) 614-5814 PUBLISHER Martyn Johns mjohns@newcom.ca (416) 614-5826 CIRCULATION MANAGER Lilianna Kantor lkantor@newcom.ca (416) 614-5815 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Tim Norton production@canadiantechnician.ca (416) 614-5810 DIRECTOR, QUEBEC OPERATIONS Joe Glionna PRESIDENT Jim Glionna PUBLISHED BY Newcom Business Media 451 Attwell Drive Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4 Canadian Technician is published monthly except for January and July by Newcom Business Media, Inc., 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4. The magazine serves the Canadian automotive repair and service industry. Subscriptions are free to those who meet the criteria. For others: single copy price: $5.30; one-year subscription in Canada: $42.00 ($40.00 plus applicable taxes); one-year subscription in U.S.: US$60; one-year subscription in all other countries: US$90. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher. The advertiser agrees to protect the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements, unauthorized use of photographs, or other material in connection with advertisements placed in Canadian Technician. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising which in his opinion is misleading, scatological, or in poor taste. Postmaster: Send address changes to Canadian Technician, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont., M9W 5C4. Printed in Canada. Second class mail: Postage paid at Toronto. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Agreement #40063170. ISSN 1710-7644.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

Kenneth R. Wilson Award Winner Member

Canadian Business Press

“Taxis or Tow Trucks”

by Will Enns Phone (205) 404-0411

I

t would have been hard to miss the symmetry at the Automotive Industries Association of Canada’s recent Young Executive Society event in Ottawa.

YES welcomed back a venerated leader in Larry Samuelson, honoured a rising star in Jeff VandeSande, and gave a platform to a quartet of students who are the young executives of tomorrow.

It’s an enlightened association indeed that takes such a holistic approach to programming its events. The choice of speakers reflects the value they place on hearing from members at all levels, and learning the lessons of business wherever they can be found.

Larry Samuelson, who headed up UAP Inc., and directed NAPA’s efforts in Canada from 2000 to 2004 before presiding over the NAPA business in the U.S. until 2009, is now a consultant and executive lecturer at Emory University in Atlanta. He was remarkably candid about some of the challenges he faced as he climbed the corporate ladder, and his comments were tailor-made for younger executives seeking career advice.

In particular, he spoke of the importance of finding a mentor – a suggestion that was echoed by this year’s Young Executive of the Year, Jeff VandeSande, president of Bestbuy Distributors Ltd. VandeSande told the audience he’d been fortunate to have had several great mentors and the advice they gave was invaluable.

But, in addition to the industry heavyhitters, there was also room on the podium during the YES event for a team of students from the Canadian Automotive Institute (CAI) at Georgian College in Barrie, Ont., who discussed “Missed Opportunities in the Automotive Aftermarket.”

Paul Santaera, Julian Nicosia, and Brian Walsh presented a report (prepared with David Pulla who could

not attend) on social networking. They represented a demographic that is closer to technological change, and more open to the opportunities it offers. Their enthusiasm for reaching consumers in new and unique ways was not only obvious, it was infectious.

And so AIA’s Young Executive Society heard from three different generations that day.

My question is where is that kind of introspection and leadership development in the service side of our industry?

The manufacturing and distribution arms of the automotive aftermarket are well served by an effective national association that can organize events like this to educate and encourage its membership base. Unfortunately, the associations for shop owners, managers, and technicians seem to be far less successful at attracting large numbers of members, volunteers, and participants.

What accounts for the apathy of shop owners when it comes to raising their collective voice? Why the disinterest? Or is it fatalism?

Unfortunately, shop owners tend to be isolationist by nature. They don’t like to band together. They don’t like to be told what to do. And they don’t like to reveal too much about their operations.

Regional associations have found out the hard way that participation remains woefully low despite intense effort to draw them in.

This is a real shame, because a lot of good would come from getting our service dealers together in a large room to discuss the issues of the day. God knows there’s no shortage of issues facing our industry!

The value of meeting together with like-minded people is undeniable. There is not only strength in numbers, there is comfort, encouragement, and a lot of good ideas.

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LETTERS

TECHNICIANS AND MECHANICS

MYSTERY SHOPPER BLUES

Re: “Splitting the Difference” by Allan Janssen (March 2011).

Good comments, Alan, in terms of separating job descriptions and training for “technicians” versus “mechanics.”

As vehicles become more electronically complex and vehicle security systems take over more onboard modules, the need to segregate the functions of staff becomes more critical.

Just as MTCU set up a trade category of Electronics Accessory installer as being separate from AST. Diagnostic time also means expensive equipment and more training that equates to higher labour rate charges. The deciding factor in the marketplace will be when shops (both collision and mechanical) start marketing their particular car brand capacity (i.e., Joe’s Auto Garage specializing in Subaru vehicles.) Perhaps a trade licensing endorsement could be first.

After watching the W5 mystery shopper segment, I’m disappointed in the methods employed by CTV to entrap service facilities. However I’m disgusted by some of the findings and responses (or lack of responses) from the responsible parties.

I wanted to cry with the Fountain Tire manager. But here are the facts: business isn’t like it was; vehicles don’t break down like they did; and every vehicle should be treated as though it belongs to a “mystery shopper.”

Our #1 rule since I was on the bench: start with the basics.

We’ve built our business on trust. Simply tightening and cleaning someone’s battery connection is a great trust builder.

My suggestion: call a staff meeting, watch the W5 video as a group, and have an open and honest dialogue. Ask yourself: Could we have been caught? We all know the answer!

I’m not sure which upsets me most – CTV’s methods or the results. But there’s a simple way to solve this problem: eliminate the flat rate. Eliminate any bonus systems involving parts and labour sales. Eliminate bullshit lost leaders ($19.95 L.O.F.) which already starts the deception.

Earn correct margins on parts sold – don’t give them away.

Make money on tires! Raise door rates to where they should be (which is likely almost double of what we’re currently charging.) Pay proper wages to a good technician – at least match the guy installing fenders at Toyota or sweeping the floor.

To transform our trade into a profession it starts with training and educating staff. But will it happen? Not until the bean counters and big wheels get out of their offices and into the battlefield.

Just my opinion, but after 37 years nothing has changed!

Thanks to many of you folks for trying.

John Norris, Executive Director HARA\CIIA, Hamilton, Ont.

MORE SHOCK TALK It’s not too often I get involved with an article, but Mohammad (Shah) Shahzad got it wrong regarding shock absorbers in his November 2010 story. And to make the situation worse, he tries to justify the error by talking in circles when Kevin Bell attempts to correct him (Letters to the Editor, March 2011.)

Perhaps, since I’m a licenced mechanic in British Columbia and a vehicle inspector I can set the facts straight.

Tires on steering axles come back to centre because of the Ackerman steering principal. Also, steering axis inclination plays a large role. Shock absorbers have nothing to do with the height of a vehicle (that’s the job of the springs.) Also, tire pressures and/or mixed tires will have an effect.

The job of a shock absorber is what the name implies: it takes the unevenness of the road and makes it possible to drive a car safely. Remember, check a shock by testing for no more than one rebound. We’re also looking for leaking and corrosion, and rotted rubber mounts as well as the attachments to the vehicle.

Stick to the basics and don’t get carried away with technical stuff or you’ll miss the meat of the problem every time – K.I.S.S. Ken C. Hart Hartech Automotive, Kaslo, B.C.

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN MAY 2011

Bruce Eccles Eccles Auto Service, Dundas, Ont.

How to reach us We love to hear from our readers. Please send along your opinions to editor David Menzies at david@canadiantechnician.ca.

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OUT & ABOUT

Ontario’s Drive Clean program getting an overhaul Another sure sign that an election is in the offing in Ontario later this year: the province’s emissions-testing program, Drive Clean, is getting a tune-up.

Ontario Environment Minister John Wilkinson recently announced that cars and light trucks would not require a Drive Clean test until they are seven years old instead of the currentlymandated five years.

Wilkinson believes the technology has improved (in both vehicles and emissionstesting equipment) to the point that testing at the seven year point will be just as effective as five years.

In addition to pushing back the timeline for a vehicle’s first test, the provincial government intends to eliminate the requirement that vehicles must be tested for lease buyouts and family transfers.

Wilkinson denied that the revamp is a pre-election goody from a government that has already announced a 10% break on electricity rates.

Drive Clean, introduced under the Mike Harris government in 1999, was

meant to encourage vehicle manufacturers to improve emissions standards and to get smoke-spewing beaters off Ontario’s roads. A Drive Clean test costs about $30 plus HST. If a vehicle fails its emissions test, the owner can be required to make repairs up to $450.

However, PC leader Tim Hudak believes Drive Clean has outlived its usefulness and he’d like to see it scrapped entirely.

“Instead of picking an arbitrary number out of the air like seven years, let's put a plan in place to phase out the program altogether,” he says. “It's achieved its purpose, but now it’s time to move it off into the sunset.”

However, the provincial government is against scrapping the program. They claim Drive Clean reduced greenhouse gases by 260,000 tonnes between 1999 and 2008, and eliminating the program entirely would increase vehicle emissions in the province by 36,000 tonnes per year.

Takeshi Takaki, who heads up Takaki

Automotive Corp. (an Ottawa shop that has been conducting Drive Clean tests since 2001), says he opposes the changes.

“From my experience, the failure rate of a five-year-old car is very small but not unheard of,” he says. “I feel that seven years is too late for a ‘new’ car’s first emissions test – most car manufacturers have a five-year,100,000-km emissions warranty, so a test [at five years] makes sense.”

Takaki also notes that the lifespan on oxygen sensors can be as low as 60,000 to 80,000-km. Most average motorists rack up this amount of mileage before their vehicles turn five.

“Usually when there’s an emissions problem cars can consume more fuel on top of harming the environment,” he says. “There’s also the question of what if a car fails emissions where the required repair is covered under warranty? Wouldn’t this help the car owner as well as the environment?”

As for scrapping the program entirely, Takeshi says such a proposal is “definitely out of the question. The program is already in place at minimal cost to the government. Lots of bad cars have been taken off the road but…[emissions] still need to be regulated.”

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“Retro Electro” is a fully-restored 1958 Chevy Apache Pickup 1/2 ton short box. But check out what’s lurking under the hood: a high-efficiency, emissions-free, AC motor capable of generating 465 foot-pounds of torque – power that’s on par with a gas-propelled muscle car. And this truck is no “trailer queen” – Retro Electro is used as a beer-hauling workhorse and daily ride for Steam Whistle’s resident manager, Mike Kiraly, the brains behind the project.

You can see more Reader Rides on our website at www.canadiantechnician.ca. And if you have a photo of a hot or unusual ride, feel free to send it in. We’ll publish it up for all to enjoy! Send a pic of your ride to david@canadiantechnician.ca.

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OUT & ABOUT

SUPPLIER NEWS

Hey, hey – Mister Transmission is a friend of franchisees Mister Transmission was recently recognized by the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) as the top franchisor in the Automotive and Truck Services category.

The Richmond Hill, Ont.-based chain was honoured at the CFA’s inaugural Franchisees’ Choice Awards Gala in Niagara Falls, Ont. The CFA program is based on current franchisee feedback and is completed on a voluntary basis.

Franchisees are asked to rate their franchisor in key areas such as: selection process, franchisee information package, leadership, business planning and

marketing, training and support, ongoing operations and the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee.

Randall Moore, Mister Transmission’s president and CEO, said he was “absolutely honoured and humbled to accept this award on behalf of Mister Transmission International.We feel proud that our franchisees recognize the importance of guidance and encouragement from their head office team.”

Mister Transmission has more than 75 locations nationwide; each location is individually owned and operated.

DIY tragedy: Toronto man crushed when hoist gives way A 20-year-old Toronto man was tragically crushed to death beneath the weight of a car he was working on.

Toronto Police said the man was in the garage of his family’s home in the city’s west end when the vehicle crashed down on him.

“The car was up on a hoist and he was under the engine doing some work,” Const.Tony Vella said.

According to reports, the hoist appar-

ently let go, dropping the Honda on top of the young man. However,Vella said it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the car to fall off the hoist.

An ambulance transported the mortally wounded man to the trauma centre at Sunnybrook hospital but the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The deceased man’s family was too grief-stricken to talk about their loss.

Worldpac named Best Program Distributor for Replacement Parts Worldpac has received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan 2011 United States Automotive Technicians’ Choice Award for Best Program Distributor for Replacement Parts. Based on Frost & Sullivan’s independent research, Worldpac was lauded for its huge line of OE and quality aftermarket automotive replacement products; its easy-to-use online program (speedDIAL); competitive pricing; and consistent product availability.

Ross-Tech to Charge for Phone Support On July 19, 2011, Ross-Tech, LLC will begin charging for live telephone technical support of VW/Audi vehicle diagnostics. Two options will be available to registered users of Ross-Tech’s VCDS tool: 1. For the registered user who anticipates using Ross-Tech’s live telephone technical support for more than seven cases per year, there’s an unlimited $250 annual subscription plan. 2. For the registered user who expects to use RossTech’s live telephone support fewer than seven times per year, Ross-Tech offers individual support tickets at $35 per case. Each support ticket is good for one VIN, one problem, and must be closed within five days. Multiple calls for support on this problem are permitted under the ticket. Calls after the five-day period require a new ticket even if the same problem is still being addressed.

Holmes new Business Analyst at Mevotech

EYE SPY

Time to Vent “What do you do if your defrost doesn’t work?” ponders Pat Corbin of Southside Service in Stonewall, Man. Well, here’s a duct tape “solution” that would make Red Green blush. And yes, this ventilation repair job is indeed a “customer-crafted” special, notes Pat.

Have an interesting picture to share? Please send it along to EyeSpy, c/o Canadian Technician, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4.

Or email your high-resolution image to the editor: david@canadiantechnician.ca

Mevotech Inc. has appointed Bill Holmes as Business Analyst. In this new position, Holmes will work with customers and act as a “Category Captain” for major customers by providing inventory recommendations, marketing strategies, and ongoing development of relationships with partners.

Morrison new Regional Sales Manager for Bosch Robert Bosch Inc. has appointment Doug Morrison in the newly created position of Regional Sales Manager - Western Canada and Product Development Manager.

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FROM OUR FORUM Recent postings on www.canadiantechnician.ca/forum

What Are We?

A Canadian Technician Forum member wonders what’s the best title to describe this profession – mechanic or technician.

Here’s how the discussion unfolded.

When I started in this trade we were mechanics. Now they call me a “tech.” I don’t wear glasses or use a pocket protector or carry a pen around.

Yes we do a lot of technical work, but what about all the hard physical mechanical stuff and all the dirty burning wet bleeding things we do inbetween? Mechanic? Technician? What are you – and why ?

Posted by motorhead

I’m little of both. I like to think that I’m pretty good with the technical stuff and can diagnose a problem with the best, so I’m a tech when it comes to that. The other side of the coin is the general work like brakes. For that, sometimes the most technical tool used is a hammer, so for that work I’m a mechanic.

Posted by canuck623

Perhaps we should be called Tech/Mechs. Generally it takes the diagnostic skills of a “technician” to pinpoint the problem, then the mechanical skills of a “mechanic” to deal with the nuts and bolts of the repair. Both skill-sets are required to get the job done efficiently. Because most of what we deal with on modern vehicles is more electronic and less mechanical. I think technician may fit better.Also because so many people still have a negative image of mechanics, the term technician may better describe the increasingly more technical work we do every day. We need to educate consumers so they understand the vehicle they’re driving today is more electronic and less mechanical.

Posted by Allan Haberman

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN MAY 2011

I used to be a motor vehicle mechanic, then they turned me into an automotive service technician/truck and coach technician and charged me twice as much for my licence. Pay never changed much. Benefits? Ha. So you can call me whatever you want, even grease monkey, knuckle skinner, blacksmith – it’s OK by me. Just pay me on Thursday and I’m good. I can do the diagnostic work as good as most, better than some.

client. When a client thinks of a mechanic, they see a “grease monkey” – a dirty guy in torn jeans and a ripped sweatshirt with a hammer in one hand and vice grips in the other. When a client thinks of a professional technician they see a well dressed guy in a clean uniform with clean hands and a computer on his tool box and lots of high tech tools and equipment to repair vehicles professionally and correctly.

Posted by dantheman

Posted by Cooter

I'm just a dumbass country redneck mechanical-technical fixer kinda girl… Maybe it's age, but I much prefer to be called a mechanic. This conversation reminds of times when I went looking for work as a mechanic.

Some of you may remember: you got up in the morning and went out physically to places you may want to work at, went in and spoke to the person hiring, filled out an employment application (or not), had eye contact and we never used the word “technician.” Now you sit in front a computer, in your underwear with your face full of piercings and tattoos and your Timmys filling out some sort of “RESUME.” You fill it full of bullshit words like “teamwork” and fire off an email saying you want to start at $25/hour and you never worked on a car but your friend does. When your “resume” gets to my desk I toss it in the garbage cause being a mechanic I like to look at your hands.

Guess I just don’t like change.

Posted by Fat Chuck

I think we owe it to ourselves to be referred to as a professional technician for the perception of the

This topic has been one of contention for me for a long time.

Does calling a garbage man a “waste transfer technician” glorify the job any?

One other observation: how many new technicians do you see today that are as successful as the mechanics of years gone by? I know a few mechanics with paid shops and homes and cottages while the technicians of today are going broke on flat rate or running their shops knowing well the easy times are over. Seems a coincidence that the cost of doing business skyrocketed at about the same time the push for the technician badge change occurred. Yet in 1973 an L.O.F. done by a mechanic cost about $30.Today, it’s $24.95 done by a “Lube Technician”. Last but not least, as a mechanic I CAN fix anything; as a technician first I have to do a diagnostic testing procedure and then discuss the best repair choice for the customer and eventually get a mechanic to fix it. Ha.“Progress.”

Posted by saltech Join the discussion! Log on to www.canadiantechnician.ca/forum and see what everyone’s talking about.

If you’ve got an opinion to share, we want to hear it.

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Š 2009, Ashland Canada Corp. *Source: Thomas Penway Research Poll of ASE Mechanics in the United States

www.v a lv o li n e . c o m

Only one person works on his car.

And only one oil works in his engine.

More ASE-certified top mechanics use Valvoline in their own cars.* <TRWP]XRb RP] dbT P]h ^X[ cWTh fP]c CWTh RW^^bT cWT ^]T fXcW P _a^eT] aT_dcPcX^] U^a `dP[Xch _a^cTRcX^] P]S P WXbc^ah ^U X]]^ePcX^] EP[e^[X]T

100 YEARS UNDER THE HOOD.

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MANAGEMENT S.O.S. IN THIS SERIES OF FICTIONAL LETTERS FROM A NEW SHOP OWNER TO HIS FORMER BOSS, MANAGEMENT TRAINER KELLY BENNETT DISCUSSES BASIC BUSINESS PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY TO THE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR INDUSTRY.

CLAMPING DOWN ON CLUTTER

BY REDUCING CLUTTER, YOU’LL REDUCE STRESS – AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY.

By Kelly Bennett

DEAR KELLY: I had the management group at my shop this week for 54 pages’ worth of on-site evaluation.

Whew! Say, why didn’t you warn me this would be such a bittersweet experience? Sure, there were many compliments and each member said they were going to borrow several of my ideas and systems (which made me feel great!) However, they gave me really low marks re: organization and clutter. Remember when I worked for you? You called me a “pack rat.” I thought I had reformed my ways but it turns out I’m worse now.

In fact, I now have a whole shop to keep my stuff rather than just my bay! The management group members took photos, of course, and those images were displayed via a power point presentation. I was shocked. So now I have a huge project ahead of me. Quite frankly I find it so overwhelming that I’m not sure where to start! Help!

-Erol

DEAR EROL: If I was to use just one word to describe a major bugaboo inherent to our industry, that word would be “clutter.” In the past 24 years, I’ve been in hundreds of shops as a management trainer and group facilitator and I’ve noticed that a common

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problem is clutter. Ask any parts salesperson about their experiences visiting shops and I’m sure they’ll concur.

I do understand the clutter mindset.

After all, I was a huge pack rack as a kid and carried this habit well into adult life.

It took years for me to break free.

These days, I no longer buy into that old chestnut, “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.” I think the person with the most toys is also the person who has the biggest burdens to carry. I now believe that whoever travels light and has the least toys at the end wins; my experience is that too much clutter results in too much unnecessary stress.

Indeed, visual clutter makes for a huge distraction and clutter also makes it very hard to focus on any task at hand. These were some of the life lessons I learned by reading the books The Power of Less by Leo Babauta and The Paradox of Choice – Why Less is More by Barry Schwartz.

Over the years, I noticed that much of the clutter in our shops is in the form of certificates, signs, posters, flyers on the walls, and so on.

But I’ve also come across a terrific solution for such clutter. I was in a shop that used a flat screen monitor hooked up to an old computer with power point.

The shop scanned the majority of its

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confident seeing those files. If you want to see a photo, just email me at btiexecassistant@aol.com.

Work area organization is incredibly helpful as well. A cluttered desk creates a huge amount of distraction from getting anything done. I used to have piles on my desk that I’d have to push out of the way in order to free up space for work.What a timewaster that was.

I’ve also learned that a tidy desk made me at least twice as productive.

Paper is never allowed to stay on my desk. I have a file folder with my daily Action Plan list clipped to it and each paper that needs attention that day is in

professional and far less stressful.

We also use the same system that a doctor’s office would use for filing patient files. Each vehicle has a file and every piece of paper we need for that “patient” is in that file. We have a section off to the left of the service advisor area that is easily accessible. We receive compliments every day from customers – they feel secure and

it. A clean desk allows me to concentrate on the task at hand.

I find walking into a cluttered waiting area, office, parts room, break room, and bay creates “brain chaos”. We were conducting an on-site evaluation for a shop recently that wanted to test drive one of our management groups. From the parking lot to the bays, it was so outrageously cluttered. In fact, we were

Larry Dickison

papers, and now this paper trial scrolls down on the screen as visual images.The inventory includes training/accomplishment certificates, licences, plaques, thank you cards and letters from customers/organizations, the current specials, and the benefits of maintenance and pre-booking appointments.There are also photos of employees, pets, and cars.

The end result: putting these images on the flat screen monitor meant that the walls, shelves, counters and tables were devoid of paper clutter.What a difference!

Indeed, I implemented this idea at my shop last year and I think the shop environment now looks far more

all so overwhelmed that we ended up leaving early. Besides, the bays and parts rooms weren’t even safe to walk in. We suggested they set aside a few weekends and/or evenings and go through one area at a time to de-clutter the shop.

Parts rooms can get really bad. We tend to keep everything, just in case we need it one day. The next thing you know, the room is so jam-packed with clutter that we won’t spend the time looking – we just order a new one. This all results in thousands of dollars in wasted time. When we heard our technician’s time was worth $3.97 per minute, we loaded up several large bins and sold the contents as scrap metal. We used the money we earned to have a party and celebrate a tidy and useable parts room. It was one of the best teambuilding exercises we’ve ever carried out.

Thanks to reducing stress-causing clutter and revamping our scheduling system (building-in 30% reserve time and not overbooking), the end result is that the overall appearance of our shop’s exterior has improved enormously.

I find all of this applies to the homestead as well. According to Dr. Richard Swenson, we only use 13% of what we have in our homes, yet we have to maintain almost all of it. We have a rule at Casa Bennett: whenever something comes into the house, something has gotta go! Thus, if new clothes are purchased, some old togs must be jettisoned. It truly makes all the difference in maintaining a clutter-free home.

As always, Erol, I’m only an email away.

Kelly Kelly Bennett is a certified management trainer and has been coaching automotive repair shop owners since 1990.

You can reach him at kellythecoach@aol.com.

MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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The Rise of

Total Vehicle Maintenance Taxis or tow trucks? Or why it often makes perfect sense to transform a breakdown shop into a preventive maintenance facility. By Rick Cogbill A good gimmick can be a salesman’s dream and a customer’s downfall. But what sometimes starts out as a gimmick may one day morph into accepted practice. It might even evolve into a very good idea.

In the early days of motion pictures, the introduction of colour and sound were hailed as meaningless additions to the movie industry. In 1929, a commentator with the Guardian confessed: “I view the prospect of colour with more alarm that I ever did the advent of sound... There will be so little left to imagine.” Yet today we can’t imagine movies any other way.

It was in the early ‘90s when tool companies and parts suppliers began promoting transmission and brake fluid flushes at regular mileage intervals. It was the early beginnings of “Total Vehicle Maintenance” and the science was sound. As a shop owner and technician, I knew the value of regular oil changes. My father used to change the oil in his 1970 Chevy truck every 1,000 miles. When we finally pulled the heads off at 100,000 miles to repair a burnt valve, there was no discernible ridge on the cylinder walls. Clean oil had done its job.

The problem was that fluid flushes were perceived as the latest gimmick to assault the already battered image of the automotive repair industry. A new term was coined: the “wallet flush,” partly due to the overzealous way some fast-lube shops pushed their flushing programs.

But given the cost and complexity of new vehicles and their systems, a former “gimmick” is the new reality. More than just fluid flushes, regular maintenance 18

CANADIAN TECHNICIAN MAY 2011

procedures are a proven way of helping vehicles last longer, perform better, and retain resale value. Today’s modern automobile is not what it once was: wheel bearings don’t need greasing, spark plugs last more than 150,000 km, and exhaust systems often survive the life of the vehicle.

The truth is, if an owner adheres to all of the maintenance recommendations listed in the owner’s manual, his vehicle will last and perform superbly for many years to come. What’s more, studies in the U.S. show that in fleet situations, even the most aggressive preventive maintenance programs are cheaper in the end than waiting for vehicle breakdowns to actually occur.

“The cost of repair is 10 times greater than the cost of preventive maintenance,” cites a city of Portland fleet management case study.

Extolling the value of total vehicle maintenance isn’t hard when it comes to technicians and shop owners. The difficulty comes in helping vehicle owners realize the benefits of a good maintenance program.

The reality is that many shops are seeing fewer tow trucks arriving with their burdens of woe. In their place are more taxis transporting calm customers back and forth as their smooth-running vehicles are being maintained. Is your shop embracing such a business model?

Retraining your customers

In some instances, the public has been slow to warm up to the idea of flushing the brake fluid when it’s not time for a brake job. They don’t understand the close tolerances involved in anti-lock

braking system controllers, and how much grief a small particle of dirt can cause. But these things can be explained.

“It’s an educational process,” points out Murray Stromberg, owner of Thunder & Lightning Auto Service in Yorkton, Sask. “In the beginning they look at you funny. But once they’re educated, they really seem to appreciate the service.”

Brian Richard agrees. As owner of Richard Automotive in Three Hills, Alta., (population less than 4,000), he has been in business for more than 15 years and recently became a NAPA Autopro shop.

“We’re still running 65%-70% in breakdown repairs right now, but we’re going to try and change the trend a little

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For more than 13 years, Erol’s has made a point of giving local customers priority over tourist traffic.

“That’s why we’re always booked three weeks in advance,” says Erol.

However, a transition to the preventative maintenance model rarely happens overnight – it requires planning and the will to see it through.

“If you’ve gained their trust already, that transition is almost there,” says Richard.

But customer demographics may play a bigger role than the population base when it comes to a successful shop conversion.

“I think the biggest thing that makes a difference is the age of the clientele,” says Kevan Springford of Fifth Avenue Auto in West Kelowna, B.C. “If you’ve got a really older clientele, and they’re men, they’re thinking along the lines of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ But [that mindset] is changing.”

Transitioning into a maintenance shop has proved much easier in his main store than in a second outlet in nearby Penticton, a more retirement-oriented community.Women vehicle owners also appear more willing to maintain their cars on a regular basis by taking part in well-organized reminder programs.

A new view of the trade

bit,” says Richard.

The changes are small, but significant – things like pre-booking the next appointment for the customer and performing a 75-point vehicle maintenance inspection on every vehicle at no extra charge.

Still, small towns are probably the most difficult locations in which to change one’s business practices.

“In a small town, word of mouth is a massive thing,” says Erol Yersel of Erol’s Automotive in Cochrane, Alta., noting that if not handled properly, changing your business style can be misconstrued as simply a way for the shop to make more money.

The key is that crucial bond of trust a shop needs to build with its client base.

But customers aren’t the only ones in need of retraining. While scheduling preventive maintenance – much like having dental checkups twice a year – might be a new concept to some drivers, it’s an equally new way of viewing business for many shop owners.

According to Stromberg, it’s a matter of perception.

“The biggest difference is that once you’ve made the transition, you’ve established a base of clients instead of customers.That should be your focus.”

In his view, these are no longer just shoppers standing at your till, but individual people you focus on as you work together in managing their transportation needs.

Springford maintains that becoming a maintenance shop means you’re transitioning the responsibility of vehicle maintenance from the customer to yourself.

“You have to convince them that

you know what you’re doing, that you have the ability to schedule their servicing, and look after their car needs for them,” he says.

And focusing on people translates into less is more.

“Limit your customer base so that you can service your customers better; that’s the premise behind going to a maintenance shop,” explains Richard, noting that could mean turning some work away – not an easy task for most shop owners.

For Erol’s Automotive, taking care of regular customers is the key to success.

That might explain why Erol’s database boasts more than 5,500 customers, including some important fleet accounts.

Benefits

If retooling your shop to become a total maintenance facility involves a new way of thinking for both the customer and the shop, then is it really worth it? To those who have successfully made the transition, the answer is yes. They point to service bays booked up weeks or months in advance, customers happier because they know ahead of time what the costs will be, and profit margins rising as non-chargeable hours drop.

After years of refining the process, Fifth Avenue Auto is now seeing profitability numbers of close to 90% per technician.

Richard highlights the fact that breakdown work creates peaks and valleys in a shop’s booking schedule, making it difficult to govern workflow and productivity. That volatile schedule is what prompted Springford and his partners to move to the preventive maintenance model in the first place.

“If you rely on breakdown, emergency work, then you’re overlooking stuff because you’re in a hurry to get the car out the door,” says Stromberg.

Moving away from such stressful conditions should be motivation enough for most shops to make the change.

“There’s no doubt that you absorb a lot of stress from your customer’s stress,” says Springford. “Timelines, parts availability, all that kind of stuff. It all weighs on you.”

The stress level in his own business dropped dramatically once the transition MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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although proven to extend vehicle life and reduce operating costs over time, may not be for every customer or every shop.

Cautions

Erol Yersel of Erol’s Automotive actively promotes spring and fall inspections.

was made. His customers now arrive in a good mood because their vehicles are working great, they know what’s going to be done, and they know in advance how much it will cost. And when the customer is happy, everyone is happy.

Stromberg has found that prebooking his clients “keeps things nice and consistent.We don’t pre-book more than four appointments a day – two in the morning, and two in the afternoon.”

At this point they are booked at least a week ahead with maintenance work, leaving lots of bay time open for the unexpected, last minute stuff that always shows up.

Notably, lowering stress levels is a key factor in having a healthy business.

Breakdowns still happen, but that’s okay according to Springford, “because you’re now ready to deal with it.”

Sound like heaven on earth? Yes and no. Pushing preventive maintenance,

For starters, not everyone agrees with the concept – at least not all aspects.

Yersel takes issue with shops being labeled one way of the other.

“I don’t like that name, ‘breakdown shop.’ Everything’s going to break down; you can’t predict everything.”

He also points to the fact that if not handled properly, some shops can give the preventive maintenance concept a bad name.

“Some have gone to an extreme where they won’t do an oil change without an inspection. Customers can’t leave the shop for under $150.”

In his experience, people leave dealerships to find an independent shop because they don’t like things constantly being pushed at them.

Yersel cites the case where Dodge recommends changing the differential oil in its trucks every 20,000 km – yet Ford uses the same oil but with a change interval of 200,000 km.

“I have issues trying to tell somebody to change diff oil when it’s perfectly clean,” he says.

He would rather have his technicians inspect the fluids on a regular basis and make recommendations from there. If it’s a service stipulated in the owners’ manual, customers are advised accordingly.

Erol’s Automotive operates on a variation of the total vehicle maintenance model by actively promoting a spring and fall inspection program, in which the shop will do a bumper-tobumper inspection that includes an oil change for just $109.95.

“We have three categories on our checklists,” says Yersel. “Green, yellow, and red. Red stuff we deal with now, yellow we give an estimate and timelines when needed. That way my customers can budget.”

Tailor made

Preventive maintenance is Job One for the techs at Fifth Avenue Automotive.

The key to a successful transition rests in a number of things. First, one size does not fit all. For the most part, maintenance schedules tailored to the customer and their driving habits are not only MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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preferable, but also lend credibility to the entire concept. (To illustrate, my wife is so diligent about cleaning her teeth, that our dentist finally advised her to come only once a year for cleaning, because when she came every six months there was nothing for the hygienist to do. You can bet we appreciated the honesty and personalization of that recommendation.)

“Every vehicle’s different,” says Springford. “I’ve got one fellow who comes in every three weeks, because that’s how many kilometres he’s putting on, and I’ve got other people that come in once a year.”

In his view, spring and fall checkups aren’t necessary if a vehicle is being maintained on a regular, owner-specific basis. But to do this, your tracking system must be accurate and leave little room for error.

It’s also important to recognize that things continue to change in our industry – even something as basic as an oil change. To be viewed as the professionals we are, we’ve also got to change. For example, as OEMs begin to extend oil life and therefore oil change intervals (Ford is advocating up to 10,000 miles with the new GF-5 oils) shops can no longer continue to insist that 5,000-km oil changes are the standard. On the other hand, using these new extended service times as the only inspection events may prove risky when it comes to catching underinflated tires or under-hood issues such as damaged belts.

Like others, Stromberg sets up his client’s future bookings on an individual basis. His shop follows the manufacturer’s recommendations as closely as possible, especially on the newer vehicles.

Ready to ride the wave?

Provided you’ve got a sustainable customer base to draw upon, it probably is indeed time to transition your business into a total vehicle maintenance facility, in whatever form that might take.

Granted, some shops simply do not lend themselves to such a transformation – a lonely one-bay repair facility in a remote mountain pass comes to mind – but as an industry, it’s time to take note of the times in which we live.

Most people today live stressful and incredibly busy lives, and more often

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then not they are looking for someone to make life easier. And when it comes to maintaining their vehicle (which they can’t live without), that someone could be you.

When Fifth Avenue first started the TVM process, staff members were nervous, taking great pains to explain the scheduling aspects to their customers and the reasons behind it.

What they found surprised them.

People would listen for a few minutes and then remark: “OK, I get it. Why weren’t you doing this before?”

Indeed, far from not wanting such a service, Springford found the precise opposite was true.

“We were wrong. Our customers actually did want this.”

Rick Cogbill is a licensed technician and former shop owner in Summerland, B.C.

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Security

ROADBLOCK

Mercedes-Benz is refusing to make certain parts available to the automotive aftermarket.

Itʼs a policy thatʼs driving some shop owners around the bend.

By David Menzies George Sofos is ready to blow a gasket.

Sofos, the owner of Universal Auto Techs in Richmond Hill, Ont. (pictured), is normally an easygoing technician who presides over a successful shop. But lately, his business has encountered a debilitating bump in the road. Almost 70% of the cars coming to Universal, notes Sofos, are MercedesBenz models. Under normal circumstances, that would be something to celebrate. After all, Sofos enjoys working on Mercedes vehicles. And Mercedes owners like how they’re treated at Universal. Indeed, Sofos can adroitly repair and maintain those Germanic luxury rides as good as any Mercedes dealership – albeit at a lower price.

But lately, Sofos says Toronto-based Mercedes-Benz Canada is economically penalizing him. That’s because Mercedes is preventing Sofos from accessing certain parts, especially so-called “theftrelevant parts” (TRP).

While Mercedes doesn’t want such theftrelevant parts getting into the wrong hands, Sofos notes: “Even if I offer to fax them [Mercedes] my customer’s ownership and driver’s licence info, they still won’t deal with me.”

Worse, the definition of a “theftrelevant part” seems to be increasingly far-reaching. For example, Sofos says he can’t obtain a Mercedes automatic shifter module because such a module is deemed to be a TRP. This has proven “quite a blow,” he says, given that until recently, he was doing numerous automatic shifter replacements on Mercedes cars. In fact, Sofos says his 2011 billings might nosedive by as much as 25% thanks to a lack of

cooperation from Mercedes.

Mercedes-Benz Canada spokeswoman JoAnne Caza says Mercedes isn’t trying to corner the market on certain repair jobs. Rather, the ostensible policy reason for withholding certain parts is to address car theft issues. She notes that since the introduction of MercedesBenz drive authorization systems, original keys have been used in the majority of reported Mercedes thefts.

“For that reason, and in the interest of more thorough protection, our parent company Daimler AG has modified the instructions for handling and ordering theft-relevant parts and vehicle keys,” says Caza. “Delivery of TRP to customers outside of the sales network, such as an independent garage, has been amended.”

Caza notes that in addition to electronic vehicle keys (including transponder keys), immobilizer components dating from 1995 (when electronic immobilizers were first implemented) “continue to be excluded for reasons of theft protection. This has been put in place to protect the customers and their vehicles and not to protect our service network. Our customers understand and respect this decision.”

Alas, the official explanation from Mercedes doesn’t pass muster with Sofos.

“I’m not some guy off the street,” he says. “I have a shop that’s been open for several years and I deal with legit Mercedes owners. They [Mercedes owners] like coming here.

We do good work for a good price.

But Mercedes is forcing them to go to

Mercedes dealerships.”

Sofos says he feels Mercedes is just using the security explanation “as an excuse” to clamp down on independent shops.

“And you watch – if Mercedes gets away with this [restricted access to theft-relevant parts], other [car manufacturers] are going to follow,” he says.

Sofos isn’t the only shop being stymied by Mercedes.

Rob Lang, who runs Richmond Motorworks in Richmond, B.C. (a shop specializing in Mercedes and BMW vehicles), has also experienced “issues” when working on late-model Mercedes vehicles.

Lang, who serves as president of the National Automotive Trades Association and chairman of the Mechanical Division of the Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia, has experienced ongoing problems in terms of obtaining coding and programming information from Mercedes.

“We replaced a transmission in a latemodel Mercedes as part of an insurance claim,” says Lang. “After replacing the transmission, the car started but it wouldn’t go into gear. It turned out the module in the cam body didn’t match the rest of the car. The only way for the shop to avoid taking the car or the valve body to Mercedes to get re-flashed and reprogrammed was to get the old valve body out of the smashed transmission and put it into the new transmission.”

That solution worked, but Lang says if the old valve body had been physically damaged, “there would be nothing we could do. For anybody who specializes in Mercedes, no doubt about it, a lot of stuff has to go back to the dealer.”

Even when working with older Mercedes cars, Lang’s shop sometimes MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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runs into roadblocks.

“With some of the older Mercedes cars, the key would wear and we would need to order a new key because the tumbler wouldn’t turn,” says Lang. “It used to be that in a week or two, we’d have a new key.That stopped about a year and a half ago. The local dealership said they couldn’t do something as simple as replacing a door key and an ignition key anymore – orders from head office.”

Still hope abounds that salvation may come in the form of the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS). According to AIA Canada, CASIS provides a framework for Canadian automobile manufacturers to share their service and repair information with the automotive aftermarket industry on a level equivalent to that of their authorized dealers. While the deal was completed last May, the SDRM (secure data release module) component is still to be signed off (a finalized deal may be in place as early as summer.)

“We have developed a plan for implementing and administrating our Canadian program that should satisfy all the parties involved,” notes AIA Canada.

“As far as we are aware other manufacturers have not been a problem with respect to the security release. It is up and running successfully in the U.S. and we have no reason to believe that it will not function equally as well for us.”

The SDRM component of the deal was delayed because during the development of the CASIS agreement, it was identified that some of the key components of the U.S. SDRM have no Canadian equivalent. For example, unlike the U.S., Canada has no national locksmith association. As well, Canadian privacy laws prohibit relaying any individual's personal information across the border into the U.S. And third parties cannot obtain a criminal record check on individuals in Canada. Thus, the vetting and registration of vehicle security professionals in Canada had to be a “uniquely Canadian” process.

Still, a question arises: even with such a deal in place, will it indeed be honoured by all manufacturers, including Mercedes?

For his part, Lang remains cautiously optimistic.

“I don’t think I would be quick to say

Page 27

that Mercedes is trying to run a monopoly on repair, but [their actions are] definitely affecting our business,” he says. “We’re still not sure how Mercedes is going to deal with this because if [an order to withhold certain parts] comes from head office in Germany, boy oh boy, that’s a hurdle.”

Indeed, Lang cautions that south of the border Mercedes USA has an agreement with NASTF (National Automotive Service Task Force) but Mercedes “isn’t

meeting that agreement.”

For now, Lang says those who work on Mercedes cars in Canada have little choice other than to “wait and see what happens.” Yet Sofos remains upset that he continues to lose good customers to Mercedes dealerships.

“When I say I can’t do the repair, it looks bad on me – even though I can fix the car if Mercedes would let me,” he says. “What’s happening right now is completely unfair.”

MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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S

ELLING ERVICE

Underperformed maintenance in Canada accounts for about $2.5 billion annually. Here are some tips on how to improve the customer service dynamic – and bolster the bottom line.

By Mohammad (Shah) Shahzad S.A.E., D.M.P., Automotive Engineer/Doctor of Motors Whether you’re selling automotive products or providing automotive services, customer satisfaction is crucial for client retention, loyalty and business success. While this might not be earthshattering news, make no mistake: there’s so much unrealized potential to tap into. AIA Canada notes the revenue of underperformed maintenance adds up to about $2.5 billion annually.

Indeed, vehicles that are four to 12 years old are being underserviced by an average of $239 every time such vehicles are left at the shop.

However, the process of selling service is more challenging than just selling parts. Service, after all, is an intangible commodity.

Still, a vehicle’s safety, performance, and appearance (SPA) inspection serves as a master key for unlocking hidden potential regarding service and repair opportunities. The service provider has an obligation to identify worn-out and/or unsafe parts, and he should certainly recommend preventive maintenance to customers in order to ensure safe motoring. However, the final decision rests with the customer in terms of approving or declining recommended parts and services.

Cultivate Business Manners The average car owner returns to your

shop only if he’s convinced that you can take care of his service needs better than anyone else. He must feel confident in terms of your abilities. And this feeling of confidence results from you “selling” him a positive, professional impression of your shop. If you are able to sell him completely on the merits of your shop and its staff, he’ll actually do a selling job for you by recommending your shop to friends and colleagues.

Sell Yourself First Step one involves selling yourself and your shop by: 1. Ensuring the shop maintains a clean, orderly appearance; 2. Waiting on customers promptly and politely; 3. Listening carefully to the customer’s concerns in order to build rapport; 4. Delivering what you promise on time; 5. Showing that you’re still interested in his well-being when he calls for his car later in the day.

But you must also “sell” a feeling of confidence. Consider these four factors: Time Take the necessary time to wait on the customer. Assembly lines belong to factories, not service providers; customers

like to do business with people, not automatons. If a customer wants to go on a test drive to make certain the issue with brake noise has been corrected, by all means take him on a test drive. Besides, taking the time to interact with your customer convinces him you care.

Incidentally, customers like to speak with service advisors without enduring constant interruptions. Remember, time is his most important commodity, too. Uninterrupted time spent with a customer should never be looked upon as wasted time.

Personality Be impersonal yet friendly. This may seem like a paradox, but it isn’t. When discussing the customer’s concerns, do so in a friendly manner omitting all direct references to the customer himself. Instead of saying,“You need” or “You have to”, simply tell the customer that his car’s front brake pads are 80% worn and they should be replaced in order to avoid damaging the rotors and to ensure safe motoring. In other words, share with the customer the findings, safety features and the benefits – but discuss the outcome and difficultly using an impersonal tone.

There are two reasons for employing such a strategy. First, a remark such as, “You will have to have new brake pads” MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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sounds like guesswork on the part of the technician or service advisor because the statement lacks proof. Secondly, such a statement could arouse sales resistance and antagonism.

Also, be friendly – but not familiar.

The old adage, “Familiarity breeds contempt” truly resonates when it comes to the customer service dynamic.

It is far better to be too formal than too informal. The best practice is to address the customer by his surname (“Mr. X”) rather than his first name. And give the customer every chance to address you by your first name or nickname.This, by itself, lends much friendliness to your transaction. As well, a bond of confidence is established between you and your customer who will help enhance the service sales process.

Voice Use a calm tone of voice when engaging a customer. Don’t be shy when it comes to making eye contact.

He’ll be impressed with your interest in him and your calm, sure manner will be seen as confident and professional.

Also the customer will automatically fall in step with you. If your voice is calm and courteous, your customer’s voice will likely mimic your tone. He will also become interested in what you have to say because you’re showing you have an interest in him and his wellbeing.

Attitude A good attitude is essentially the sum total of opinions and impressions. You demonstrate your attitude chiefly by your manner of speech and your actions. In a professional environment, we must watch what we say and how we act. But a service advisor should not only strive to be successful, but happy as well. Nobody enjoys dealing with a sourpuss.

A service advisor should greet his customers with a sincere smile, which reflects an attitude of cheerfulness and friendliness, which, in turn, inspires confidence and trust. The greeting of a customer is your most important sale of the day.

The Repair Order: a Meeting of the Minds Although this may sound elementary,

Page 31

why do you write a repair order? A repair order is the most important legal document when it comes to a serviceorientated business. It’s a contract between the customer and the shop whereby the service dealer agrees that, for a fee, the car will be repaired to the customer’s satisfaction. The customer also authorizes repairs will be made on his car, noting that all the terms and conditions are agreed upon.

If a customer is in the shop for a driveability problem and the engine hesitates on acceleration, write down this (and any other information) that is relevant. Details are everything, so ask how the engine revs at slow or highway speeds, how it performs when loads are being carried; etc. It should be written in a way that the technician working on the car will know the complete story. If there’s a diagnostic charge, that should also be indicated on the repair order. As Holiday Inn’s marketing slogan used to go, “The best surprise is no surprise” and a clear, comprehensive repair order can serve as a superb selling tool.

Selling Repairs – and Extras On one hand you’d hate to have the reputation of overselling your customers. On the other hand, you’d hate to be known as just an order writer.

An order-writer is a floor–man who writes only what the customer thinks he needs. A service advisor knows what the car needs, and he attempts to sell such necessary services to the customer.

The best practice involves walking around the car with the customer to identify and recommend services such as new tires, wipers, lights, etc.

For example, when Mr. X asks for his brakes to be adjusted, an order-writer would merely jot down this request and let it go at that. But a smart service advisor would note Mr. X’s odometer reading and check it with the past service history or next service sticker.

He would mention this to Mr. X: “I noticed your car was serviced 6,000 km ago. Your engine should be lubricated every 5,000 km in order to improve performance, reduce emissions and achieve better gas mileage. Would you like to have your car’s scheduled maintenance taken care of for your safety and peace of mind while it’s in

the service bay? This will save you time and an extra trip and we now have a maintenance package at a special price that will fit all your needs including brake inspection/adjustment.”

When phrased this way, it has been my experience that most customers will approve the suggested services without hesitation based on the service advisor’s recommendations and confidence level.

The shop benefits too, because the service advisor has been able to add an extra $99.50 service to the repair order.

This could potentially be added to every car in for service. One hundred cars later, you’d have rung-up an additional $9,950. It all adds up, one car at a time.

Make that Final Sale The final sale is accomplished when the customer receives his car. The closing process will likely determine if the customer feels he made the right choice by bringing his car to your shop and whether he’ll be returning in the future.

The service advisor who wrote the order should perform a final predelivery quality assurance inspection and see that the customer receives his repair invoice promptly. The invoice should be double-checked to ensure it’s correct and the total is in line with the service estimate quote. Also, ensure that all concerns are resolved to the customer’s complete satisfaction. At this point that the customer will likely decide whether he’ll see you again – or visit a competitor.

Also – and this is important – make sure someone at the shop follows up with the customer after 48 hours. Ask for feedback regarding the service experience. Remember, feedback – good and bad – is valuable as you can analyze such information in order to improve quality control and enhance training.

Welcome all feedback; even complaints, if handled properly, can be transformed into selling opportunities.

Mohammad Shahzad is the Manager, Customer Management Operations at The Brimell Group-Brimell Toyota/Scion/Paint & Collision Centre in Toronto. He welcomes your feedback and can be contacted at (416) 292-2241 ext.4110 or email at shah@brimelltoyota.com.

MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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Across 1. Brief pauses in racing action (3,5) 5. Octagonal-sign instruction 9. Wire-wheel component 10. Upmarket auto-upholstery material 11. City with double-deckers and black cabs 12. Triangular-sign command 14. Passenger-restraint system component (3,3) 16. Worrisome engine sounds 19. '09 Honda CR-V's bigger brother 21. Entered the interstate action 24. Movie with Hoffman, Cruise and '49 Buick (4,3) 25. GMC counterpart of 6-Down model 26. Snowbelt roof-rack cargo, sometimes 27. Words found in New Hampshire plate motto (4,4) Down 1. Fast-lane event 2. Auto-body style (3,4) 3. Tire section 4. Temporary traffic-control devices 6. Full-size '09 Chevy SUV 7. Meat Loaf's dashboard-light discovery 8. '09 GMC mid-size pickup 13. Salvage-yard offerings (3,5) 15. '09 Nissan sedan 17. Defunct maker of boxy yellow cabs 18. '09 Kia sedan 20. Fiat 500's name in '06 "Cars" film 22. Mr. Rolls' partner 23. UK princess fined for speeding

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN MAY 2011

to Casey Cats of Casey Cats Enterprises in McGregor, Ont., for solving our February 2011 puzzle.

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QUESTION OF THE MONTH What nicknames do you have for parts or procedures?

continued from page 38

The next morning Tooner was exceptionally quiet when he arrived for work.

“So, did you hear back from your financial guru?”

“Sort of. A package arrived at the post office, but I had to pay duty fees since it come outta the States. Inside was part of a training course…” His voice trailed off.

I coughed politely. “Part of?”

He grimaced. “Yeah, well, it seems that after reading Part One I’m supposed to send them $50 more to get Part Two.” Basil and I looked at each other. “So tell me,” said Basil, putting a hand on Tooner’s shoulder and using his best Dr. Phil’s voice. “How’s that working for you?”

Tooner glowered. “It ain’t. It’s like that stinking Jeep in the shop; I feel like I’m chasing smoke!”

Basil sighed. “I meant to talk to you about that as well. I think you’d better go back to the trouble codes and read the fine print.”

Tooner glanced up at him. “Whaddya mean?”

“If you recall, the definition for P1494 is ‘LEAK DETECTION PUMP SWITCH OR MECHANICAL FAULT’; it’s not a leak problem at all.”

Basil started drawing some diagrams on his clipboard.

“When the Leak Detection Pump, or LDP, is operating, the PCM expects to see the switch toggle as the diaphragm moves up and down. If the switch doesn’t move properly, it sets the code, meaning you have a wiring issue, a bad switch, or perhaps a vacuum line off or plugged.”

Basil looked up. “Most likely, you need a new LDP.” Tooner pulled out the repair history from his back pocket.

“But it says here that they already put a new LDP on this thing!”

Basil shrugged. “Won’t be the first new part that didn’t work right, now will it?”

After a few more tests in the right direction, Tooner wound up replacing the LDP, which solved the Jeep’s EVAP problem. Even though the LDP was new, it wasn’t performing up to expectations.

“Kind of like that hokey idea about becoming a new millionaire,”Tooner admitted later during a coffee break.

“So you didn’t send away the next $50?”

Tooner snorted. “Whaddya take me for, a fool?”

The room went quiet; some things don’t require a comment.

Suddenly Tooner got all excited as he noticed another classified ad in the newspaper.

“Hey, it says here that for only $500 I can take a mail-order course and become a brain surgeon in two years!” He stared at us. “I hear those guys make tons of money and they get to play golf all the time. I’m gotta check this out!”

Right then and there I decided to make a little smoke myself… by burning my newspaper subscription. There are some things that Tooner should never read.

Rick Cogbill is a licensed technician and former shop owner in Summerland, B.C. To read more about Slim and the gang, order your copy of Rick’s book, A Fine Day for a Drive at www.thecarside.com.

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Ross-Tech

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WORLDPAC

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Wrenchmasters

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MAY 2011 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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Page 38

The Car Side

By Rick Cogbill

Chasing Smoke You know the old saying, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire”?

Well, sometimes there’s just smoke…

“Look at this!” announced Tooner. He tossed a copy of the Slumberland Rebuttal onto the front counter, stabbing at a glitzy quarter page ad with his grease-stained finger. “You’re lookin’ at my ticket outta here.”

I picked up the local rag and read the advertisement out loud.

“You too can make $4,000 a week! Become one of tomorrow’s millionaires and kiss your old job goodbye. For only $25…”

There was more – a lot more – but I’d read enough.

“Tooner, wake up. This is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

I’m surprised that you of all people would buy into this junk.”

He poured himself a coffee and reached for a sugar cube.

The box was empty.

“It ain’t junk, Slim. I called the guy myself and got the lowdown. Only a limited number of folks in each city can buy in, and there’s one spot left in Slumberland.” He upended the box and poured the last of the loose granules into his cup.

“Besides, it’s only 25 bucks.”

Lately Tooner had been hinting that he was getting too old to be pulling wrenches. He wanted a change and I sympathized, but to be honest, fixing cars was what Tooner did best.

“All I’m saying, Toon, is watch out. And read the fine print before you send away any money.”

Tooner blinked a couple of times. “What fine print?”

Obviously my advice was too late. “Here, forget this nonsense and take a look at this 2000 Jeep Cherokee. The Johnsons are complaining about the MIL being on. From the old invoices they brought in, it looks like the whole town has had a crack at it.”

Tooner looked over the repair history. “Huh, code P1494 – Leak Detection Pump Switch or Mechanical Fault.” He rolled the papers up and stuffed them into his back pocket. “I hate these emission control problems. Whatever happened to the good old days when all you had to do was plug off the EGR valve to make a car run decent again?” He took the keys and headed for the door. “Can ya blame me for wantin’ out?”

I talked over Tooner’s discontentment issues with Basil.

“It’s the ‘grass is greener’ syndrome, but I honestly don’t think Tooner would be happier grazing anywhere else. Fixing cars is what he does.”

Basil took a bite of his Canadian Maple Dip donut – his “Thinking Food.”

“I’ll have a talk with him later,” he said.

Newspaper ads weren’t the only smoke show in Tooner’s day; the shop was full of fallout from the smoke machine he was using on the Jeep.

“Find anything?” I gasped, squinting through the haze.

Tooner pulled off a gas mask and turned off the machine “Nothin’! I’ve smoked every darn component of this system and I can’t find no leak!”

Convinced he was looking for a leak in the EVAP system, Tooner had gone over every inch of the vehicle and was coming up empty.

His next move was to remove the fuel tank and smoke it personally. I wasn’t an expert on these systems, so there was nothing I could do except leave him to his misery. Sooner or later he’d figure it out. continued on page 37

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You don’t repair just one vehicle make.

We don’t make parts for just one either.

IT’S TIME TO RETHINK WHAT DELPHI CAN DELIVER

Here’s just a glimpse. Ford. Fuel pumps. Nissan. Oxygen sensors. Toyota.

Ignition coils. Mini-Cooper. Compressors. Audi. Condensers. General Motors.

Radiators. Hyundai. MAF Sensors. Volkswagen. Common rail systems. Honda.

Fuel pressure regulators. Where we came from is only a part of where we’re going.

Delphi OE DNA. It’s inside every one of our parts.

FUEL MANAGEMENT

delphi.com/am

ENGINE MANAGEMEN T

HE AT I NG & C OOL I N G

©2011 Delphi Automotive Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.

DIESEL

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