Now, It’s Your Turn

Where do YOU stand on the industry’s biggest issues?

For five months, we’ve presented some opinions from service professionals on topics that they’ve deemed important. This month, the Motor Age staff is going to take a short holiday and present a challenge to you: We want to know what issues are important to you -- the automotive service professional. And we want to hear what you have to say about them.

Actually, the process is very simple. You choose your topic. We’ve listed a few hot buttons here to get you started, but if we’ve missed something, by all means, chime in. We want to know what keeps you up at night.

Up For Discussion:

u What is your opinion on the recent OE/service industry agreement on information access?u Could unionization of the automotive service industry bring better working conditions?u If you were hiring a tech right out of a high-school program, what would you want him to be able to do?u What are the three most important things that should be taught in a high-school auto tech program?u What is your biggest challenge in running a successful service business?u Should technical training costs be paid by the shop or the technician?u Shop owners: What is the foremost quality you look for in a person when hiring?u Shop employees: Other than compensation, what is the most important thing to look for in a shop when seeking employment?u Other than a technician’s pay, what else do you consider important as part of the total compensation package?

Present your argument in about 200 to 250 words – your opinion, your conclusions, your ideas on a possible solution. And e-mail it to us at [email protected]; send it via mail to 100 W. Monroe St., Ste. 1100, Chicago, IL 60603; or by fax to (312) 553-8926.

In addition, we’ll need a photo, preferably high-resolution digital, as well as a short bio from you.

Don’t be shy. Don’t procrastinate. Your opinion counts. Resolve to join the community we have gathered here in these pages, and tell us your side of the story.