Open Loop

I realized recently that in my 20-year career, one of the few 
constants in the local auto repair scene has been the jobber store. I can count on one hand the customers that were around "way back then" who are still in business. I started wondering what makes a business prosper or perish in a field as wide open as automotive repair. 

Frankly, I'm a bit mystified. Although there is more opportunity for repair work because the average age of vehicles and their owners is rising, shops are disappearing. Some shops have closed due to personal difficulties or retirement, but many of them have closed up simply because they were only good at one or two things.

Two local shops that have been around even longer than me provide some interesting insight into what makes a shop sink or sail in today's market. On the surface these two shops seem very different, but looks can be deceiving. Geographically, they are less than 10 miles apart, with one in a town centered on a small college with a population that fluctuates with the school year. The other is located in an ex-farming community that has become a bedroom community for the surrounding area. 

From the physical plant view, these shops are worlds apart. One is a modern four-bay shop with a separate alignment bay, customer waiting area, wrecker service, online parts ordering and lots of signage. The other is a small, two-bay shop that at one time was used as a combination body and mechanical repair facility. It's located behind a cluster of other buildings, and if you didn't know it was there, you might not notice it. At first glance, you might think it's a good place to bring your 4X4 pickup in for ball joints or a muffler, but not your '02 Saab for a drivability problem ?? but you would be wrong. Both shops get their fair share of the good and the not-so-good jobs, and both produce excellent results.

The common thread between these shops is that the owners have invested in their shops and their employees. They have kept up with the proper equipment and technical training for their employees by helping them continue to learn and by keeping up with current technology.
Compare them to the shop owners who decide what they know now is enough to carry them through to retirement. That moment will likely come early due to the fast-paced changes that are occurring in every aspect of automotive technology, from undercar to engine controls to collision repair. Because of these dramatic changes, the learning curve is quite steep for many repair sequences, which means learning must be a continual process. 

I know some people that make a living working on and selling parts strictly for Model ?A' Fords. Some of them were around when ?A's weren't all that uncommon to see. I can't believe, however, that they never moved beyond that technology. If they didn't, there must have been some long dry spells around the shop.

If you're not taking advantage of every opportunity to attend clinics or training seminars, you may be old news before long. Most manufacturers and sales reps are more than happy to assist with product training. The more you know about the parts you sell or replace, the more parts and repair work you will sell. Plus, you will have far fewer warranty problems, which benefits both you and your customers. That, in itself, is a worthwhile payoff.