Auto repair technicians and service advisors confront new challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving industry. We surveyed professionals to understand their views on technology, customer behaviour, and what they need to thrive in their careers

Auto repair technicians and service advisors are the lifeblood of the automotive service industry. As the technological and customer service landscape evolves, so too do their roles.

Today, they grapple with increasingly complex vehicle systems, the growing expectations of informed (and sometimes misinformed) customers and the pressure to continuously upskill.

Technicians and service advisors also see where the challenges lie in the business — by working day in and day out in the bays and at the service counter, they can see the unique issues holding the business back and the successes that need to be celebrated.

To understand their perspective, CARS magazine conducted a survey of these professionals to paint a detailed picture of the challenges they face, the aspects of their jobs that bring them satisfaction what they need from employers and partners to succeed and more. We asked general questions of both groups and also had some specific questions just for techs and advisors.

The hope here is that shop owners will be able to review the findings with the understanding that these responses were provided anonymously and possibly more honestly than if these questions were asked directly to their staff. Ideally, shop leaders can take it as direction for where improvements could be made and where they can build on things that work well.

Of note, we asked the same question we ask of shop owners, jobber store owners and counterpros: What’s most important in the jobber/shop relationship? Techs and advisors answered similarly as their shop owners: Availability (64 per cent).

They like their job

The overwhelming majority (82 per cent) of technicians and service advisors said they at least like their job. Most respondents (45.5 per cent) said they love their job.

“Great owner support, great hours. Most fulfilling is when rare parts are found and repairs are done on time and within quote,” one respondent highlighted.

“I get the relatively immediate satisfaction of knowing whether or not I was successful at a repair,” said another. “Doctors and lawyers may take years before achieving the same on a single case.”

And while others praised their employer for a great working environment, they also pointed to challenges in getting customers to understand the work they do.

“Educating people about their cars, the maintenance required to keep them going, explaining required repairs and what can wait,” one explained as an area that needs improvement.

One echoed this sentiment and noted that when customers have unrealistic expectations, rather than pushing back, shop leadership will add pressure on staff to get the job done in the customers’ desired, yet “unreasonable” time frame.

“What could improve is the customers’ understanding that the jobs take time and often we are booking several days out,” they added.

And for one, they summed up the job like this: “It’s a tough industry to stay with your whole life. It’s a roller coaster of emotions. Super highs and super lows. You have to ride with the punches, stay focused and remain calm. But grass is not greener on the other side. Every occupation has its hurdles.”

But things can change for the better. When asked what could be improved, the answers ranged from more respect from male customers towards female staff to heating in the winter and air conditioning and the summer, tool allowances and medical benefits.

They feel respected, too — more than 90 per cent said so.

“What I like about the employer is that he treats the crew fairly. When something goes wrong it is addressed, corrected and moved on,” one respondent explained. “The employer is good a creating work and ensuring there is a place to come to work to.”

Compensation

To hear some experts tell it, the automotive aftermarket is drastically underpaying technicians and service advisors. Low labour rates don’t allow for growth of the shop, nor attracting talent.

But when we put the question of compensation to our readers, 91 per cent said that they’re paid fairly for the work they do.

“I get paid flat rate. As my productivity is high, I can earn approximately 1.5 times my hourly wage on a regular basis, working overtime is available, and even more lucrative,” one respondent explained.

Another was more or less apathetic: “The pay is what it is. Yes, I would like to make more money but, at the end of the day, our wages are comparable with middle-class working jobs. We are not white-collar workers and should never and will never be compared with doctors or lawyers.”

Another felt they were paid fairly by their employer for the work they do, based on their ability to handle the load.

“The employer is open to change in the wage if needed. If the gap is present, they try to shorten the distance between expected wage and actual wage. If there is a large gap that cannot be closed, then a change may be needed,” they commented.

Service advisor insights

We asked a series of rapid-fire questions to service advisors to get their thoughts on certain topics.

All said they understand how to book the schedule for maximum productivity as well as how to gather the best information to ensure a technician can diagnose a vehicle effectively. All algo agreed that they have enough education on vehicle service to effectively advise clients.

One question where there wasn’t universal agreement was on booking the customer’s next service appointment. A minority (43 per cent) said they do while the rest (57 per cent) said they don’t.

Another was on effectively qualifying clients The majority here (57 per cent) said they have been given the education to do so while the rest said no.

When asked to further comment, advisors praised their shop.

“I feel we are generally doing well, we certainly have become more picky when choosing the work that comes in and the customers we want to work with,” one advisor explained.

Others highlighted that their customer service is tops, training courses have helped — along with years of experience doing the job — and they’ve implemented tools like reminders for appointments and for annual safety inspections.

Technician insights

A series of rapid-fire questions were given to technicians as well. And the results may come as a surprise as they go against what some may see as issues in the industry.

When asked if they have enough training to do their job effectively, more than seven in 10 (71 per cent) agreed with the remaining 29 per cent saying no.

The overwhelming majority (86 per cent) said they have the tools in place to do their job effectively.

“I have most of the tools needed to do the physical work, but access to OEM-level diagnostic systems is often prohibitively expensive for a tech, especially in an all-makes shop,” one technician commented. “A tech may need more than one diagnostic tool platform. Shops should bear some of that cost.”

And all agreed that their employer shares the expectations of the job with them.

The one area where there was some disagreement was when asked if they were given enough time to properly diagnose a vehicle — 57 said yes, 43 said no.

The job of a technician and the role of a shop owner is a tough balancing act, one pointed out.

“If we charged accordingly for our time and got paid what we as technicians are worth, we would have no work because the cost of keeping a used vehicle on the road would be far more costly than leasing or trading in every three years,” one tech observed.

They further explained that costs have to be down and wages suppressed for consumers to keep their cars as long as possible. “This way, we make more money over a longer period of time. It just is the way it is. We do not have to fix every repair on every make and model vehicle. We as technicians should be able to pick and choose our battles.”

Committed to the profession

For 82 per cent of respondents, both techs and advisors, they plan to stay in this industry for as long as they can.

For virtually all respondents, it would be a physical issue that would take them away from them job.

“Wear and tear on my body. The older I get the longer it takes to lumber up at the start of the day,” one pointed out.

Another said they would be pushed out because of the lack of respect shown by men to women. “Losing my patience with men who don’t respect a women in the automotive industry,” they wrote.

Another pointed to a variety of reasons. “There are many factors to consider such as employers, customers, the tools needed for basic jobs, the stress caused by the demands of the industry, the loss of the technicians in the field and that causes a vicious circle of overwork.”

Under pressure

For many technicians, the most fulfilling aspect of the job is solving difficult problems. One respondent shared, “I get immediate satisfaction when I see a repair succeed. It’s rewarding to know I’ve made a difference in someone’s day.”

But there’s mounting pressure on them. This is compounded by the rapid pace of technological change in the industry. Keeping up with technology (54.5 per cent) was picked as the top challenge for techs and advisors at work.

One lamented that they’re too far behind the learning curve at the start of each day and it’s difficult to learn as you go.

Another listed everything noted above plus module reprogramming and flashing, theft deterrent systems, CAN bus diagnostics as new tasks to learn.

“Every job is time-consuming, learning how systems work,” they said. “No one can know everything there is to know on every make and model car. It is impossible to get paid for the amount of time learning all this technology.”

Another noted that training is out there — it’s just a matter of finding the time.

“Specific issue I regularly notice is the amount of work to do,” they explained. We are consistently booked 3-4 days out and have more work to do in a day than what seems possible. This is a challenge to keep the jobs moving forward at times.

Concerns about the future

As more advanced systems like ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles enter the market, technicians must continuously learn and adapt. This is a concern for both groups.

While some are excited about the opportunities that new technologies bring, others worry about the costs associated with staying current. One technician predicted that “this spells the end of the mom-and-pop shop. You need to be at a certain size to afford the tooling and training required for the new technologies.”

Another said they just can’t keep up and they’re frustrated.

“All items will be slowly implemented. Don’t have to fix every repair out of the gate. By the time we figure out and get good at repairing something it’s no longer present and moving on to the next technology. This job is not easy and not for the faint at heart,” they said.

This article originally appeared in the October issue of CARS magazine.

The post <span style=color:#ff0000>From the Magazine:</span> Facing the future of auto repair appeared first on Auto Service World.

The latest issue of CARS magazine tries to pull back the curtain on how technicians and service advisors in your shops are feeling and what they’re thinking in their day-to-day activities.

The cover feature takes the pulse of those on the front lines as they balance the needs of the customers with the business and how they do their jobs. Technicians and service advisors share their thoughts on this rapidly changing field in a candid manner. Some of the answers may surprise you.

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We also have insights from Greg Aguilera who looks at the challenge of trying to do everything yourself and explores the powers of delegation and other ways to minimize the stress.

Erin Vaughan continues her series on the road to acquiring another shop. She looks at making sure your shop can run without you being there. Your attention will be divided with a second location so she explores how to make sure things continue to run smoothly.

Talent challenges are all prevalent in the automotive aftermarket but Zakari Krieger looks at proactive measures you can take to try and get ahead of the challenges before they become overwhelming.

We were On the Road for Automechankia in Frankfurt, Germany, and the AARO Trade Show and Symposium. We have highlights from both events.

And we have our usual sections, including Letters, News, Class Act By the Numbers and more. So grab your copy or hit this link for the digital edition.

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But what you do need is an all-round business plan that includes how to implement AI to achieve your goals

Over the past few years, the buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) has become hard to ignore, especially in the automotive industry. It’s no surprise. Recent reports have shown that businesses utilizing AI in their operations are reporting a 15-30 per cent increase in revenue.

Though the fundamentals of AI are over 70 years old, the recent release of large language models like ChatGPT has created an inflection point. This has transformed advanced uses of AI from conceptual ideas into key components of strategic planning sessions — from boardrooms to factory floors.

However, after spending the last year speaking about AI at industry conferences, it has become evident that many companies in the auto part industry are still grappling with how to fully harness the potential of AI-powered technology. Many indicate they are developing an “AI strategy,” but there is no such thing as an AI strategy. What companies need to be assessing are forward-thinking business strategies that AI supports.

Solving real business challenges

The automotive industry is a prime example of a sector that is often “data-rich but information-poor.” Challenges around managing large inventories, complex supply networks and vehicle fitment data have historically constrained companies, as analyzing such vast amounts of data often exceeds the capacity of even large organizations.

However, with the right tools matched to the right strategy, AI can thrive in this environment — especially when it comes to extracting key insights. Below are just a few key industry challenges where AI is bound to make a huge impact:

Inventory management

Auto parts businesses often face regular instances of poor inventory management due to a lack of data. By studying real-time information, market tendencies and seasonal changes, AI can enhance inventory control by processing and analyzing more data, improving accuracy, and reducing errors typical of manual forecasting methods.

Dynamic pricing strategies

Real-time overseeing of market trends and competitor prices is what AI does best. Therefore, companies can make instant adjustments that will keep them competitive as well as maximize profits. Properly integrated with other systems this allows businesses to overcome delays and errors inherent in conventional processes enabling them to capitalize on market opportunities.

Enhanced customer experience

AI can analyze real-time customer data to offer personalized recommendations and support. This proactive approach boosts satisfaction and loyalty by delivering tailored experiences that meet modern consumer expectations. By incorporating AI into customer experience strategies, businesses can swiftly adapt to changing preferences, outperforming traditional segmentation methods.

AI not only makes processing data easier and faster but also makes significant progress in detecting inefficiencies and preventing their costly consequences. For example, Predii uses the power of artificial intelligence to analyze service data for prediction of what might go wrong with a vehicle’s component. At my company, Tromml, we utilize AI to analyze large amounts of sales data in real time, uncovering insights that often go unnoticed through manual analysis.

However, with the right tools matched to the right strategy, AI can thrive in this environment — especially when it comes to extracting key insights.

AI needs a purpose

Tying AI to clear business objectives isn’t just critical for prioritization; it’s essential for the technology to function effectively. Many modern AI systems, particularly those that leverage machine or deep learning, rely on feedback loops to improve over time. It’s much like training an employee. Without ongoing refinement, AI can become outdated, delivering insights that no longer serve your business. A good AI system continuously learns, adapts and provides actionable insights aligned with your goals.

If an AI system is delivering irrelevant or outdated insights, it’s a signal to reassess why it’s not working. Often, this is due to factors like incomplete or poor-quality data or a lack of diversity in data sets. This is why collaborating with your vendor or technical team is key; rather than abandoning the system, work together to refine data inputs and objectives, ensuring the AI evolves to better meet your business needs.

In the end, AI’s true potential will only be unlocked when the right tools are thoughtfully integrated into your business strategy, where you can understand both its limits and its capabilities. This isn’t about chasing the latest tech trend; it’s about using AI to solve real challenges, streamline operations, and foster sustainable growth.

As you engage others around artificial intelligence at work, consider how best it might help us achieve particular targets instead of perceiving it as an end-all solution itself.

Critical thinking among employees should be encouraged so they may identify areas where maximum value addition may be achieved through the deployment of this technology. Every project undertaken under this banner must show clearly what impact it will have on overall performance within your enterprise.

By approaching AI with a strategic mindset, you can not only avoid costly missteps but also position your company as a thought leader, driving innovation and staying ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Lauren McCullough is the founder and CEO of Tromml, an AI-powered business intelligence platform specifically designed for the auto parts industry. She is actively involved with industry organizations including MEMA, Auto Care Association, SEMA and YANG.

This article originally appeared in the September issue of Jobber News

The post <span style=color:#ff0000>From the Magazine:</span> You don’t need an AI strategy appeared first on Auto Service World.

Building a strong team is essential in a jobber store because you can’t manage everything on your own. Here’s how to ensure success…

The true secret to success of a jobber store lies not in the parts we sell, but in the people who sell them.

When I was managing jobber stores, staffing was always my primary concern and focus on a day-to-day basis. The jobber business is highly competitive, requiring prompt phone responses, excellent service to support shop scheduling and workflow and consistent, accurate delivery of parts. All of these functions depend on the operations of the staff you rely on.

As the leader of the business, many operational aspects are beyond your direct control, with you relying on your staff to ensure the business’s sustainability and growth.

Many people ask how to develop staff to maximize their performance and provide the best service for clients, how to handle personal issues and recurring retention problems and how to avoid the pitfalls of running shorthanded.

Over a decade of running the jobber business, I found that the key to success in developing and driving staff performance was rooted in the business’s vision, mission, and values. On a daily basis, I consistently aligned actions with these guiding principles. Over time, this consistency resonated with the staff, fostering an understanding of our unwavering commitment to our clients and the crucial role our service played in maintaining client loyalty in a highly competitive market.

For jobbers and those in the automotive aftermarket, I always emphasized industry trends and market dynamics. Through effective communication, we cultivated a culture of accountability, where effort, actions and the business’s reputation reflected our staff’s performance.

My staff were crucial in executing for our clients, so I recommend that jobbers and owners maintain an open-door policy and encourage positive communication.

I advise today’s jobbers that as the industry consolidates and competition intensifies, the advantage entrepreneurs and jobbers have over corporate competitors is their passion for building a strong culture with their staff — one that resonates with clients.

On a more practical level, we invested heavily in staff training to ensure that our team was up to date on new products, supplier training refreshers, and operational processes. This commitment to continuous learning became part of our culture and enhanced our business execution and customer service.

Regarding recruitment and retention, given the competitive nature of the automotive aftermarket and parts distribution, we proactively focused on retaining our staff and recruiting individuals who fit the business culture and could deliver for the business and its clients. If issues arose, such as compensation disputes or interpersonal conflicts, they were personally addressed promptly, along with our HR functions. In a store environment, staff may leave for a difference of just  a dollar or two, given the general salary ranges and affordability challenges in Canada. I generally overpaid for driver and warehouse positions and addressed staff concerns on a case-by-case basis to minimize turnover and its impact on operations.

My staff were crucial in executing for our clients, so I recommend that jobbers and owners maintain an open-door policy and encourage positive communication. This approach helps prevent staff from seeking alternative employment and avoids the costly impacts of turnover.

Overall, these strategies were key to my success in managing staff and delivering exceptional service.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

This article originally appeared in the September issue of CARS magazine

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Online part sales have yet to catch up in our country

South of the border automotive parts e-commerce is on a tear.

According to a recent report by automotive aftermarket data specialists Lang Marketing, online parts sales increased by 50 per cent between 2019 and 2023 bringing the market to USD$35 billion. That represents about a 14 per cent share of the total aftermarket.

A big chunk of that growth came in the COVID years when the physical business hobbled and digital sales skyrocketed. The explosive growth has since tapered off but has remained strong enough to manifest solid year-over-year increases. Do-it-yourself (DIY) sales have traditionally buoyed the online market, but higher growth is coming from the business-to-business (B2B) segment now. Indeed, the B2B share of online sales has doubled since 2016, according to the Lang report. B2B growth is expected to continue to outpace DIY growth in e-commerce in the next five years.    

Given that the Canadian market often mirrors America, the e-commerce story would be similar here, right?

Wrong.

Before we get into it, I must note that data on online sales in the Canadian aftermarket is limited. My analysis — or theories — to follow are entirely based on my observations of the market and ongoing discussions with industry stakeholders.

Let’s start with the big picture. Compared to about 16 per cent in the U.S., Canada’s online share of overall retail sales was around 12 per cent in 2024, based on data from eMarketer. Not a huge gap, but things are different in automotive.

America has become an increasingly retail-driven market in the last couple of decades with the ascendance of the big four players: AutoZone, NAPA, Advance Auto Parts and O’Reilly. All these retailers have a substantial presence in online sales. Then there are marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, along with highly successful pure players such as Rock Auto, Jegs, Summit Racing and others. All of these competitors report substantial revenue.

Canada does have NAPA and Canadian Tire/PartSource, but its other key players are distributors such as Uni-Select and Lordco, which do not have a direct e-commerce presence. It does have the tire retailers and Amazon, but other pure players such as PartsAvatar and Tdot are either too small or too niche. We are also a largely DIFM market that does not lend itself to consumer e-commerce.

E-commerce is also a great source for understanding your market position. Do you have the right products? Are you positioned correctly in the market?

According to a survey by the Automotive Industries Association of Canada, only 12 per cent of respondents purchased online parts in Canada. Top purchase categories included motor oil, washer fluid and wipers. While the AIA Canada data paints a positive picture, other anecdotal evidence suggests that online penetration is well below 10 per cent.

Suppose we assume the Canadian parts aftermarket to be about USD$11-12 billion (based on the Auto Care Factbook, service and parts estimate at about USD$24 billion). In that case, online sales will account for less than USD$1 billion overall.

So, the big question is: Does parts e-commerce matter in our market?

If you are simply thinking about revenue, probably not for most stakeholders. Unless you are selling wipers and tires, the market is still too small to have a major impact on your topline.

But there are other things to consider here. Canada has enough online pure players and traditional retailers to create price transparency for customers. Twenty-one percent of Canadians browsed for parts online before making a purchase decision, as per the AIA Canada report. My assumption would be that number is far higher when Canadians make a repair decision; that is, when they are not looking to buy a part but would simply like to know if they are being charged fairly for parts and labour.

Part websites may not generate a lot of sales, but they influence purchase decisions creating product and pricing transparency. A customer might request a garage for a specific brand if it fits their budget and quality needs. If a product is available across multiple websites, a customer might attribute availability to popularity. Therefore, a brand without an online presence may as well be operating in the dark.

E-commerce is also a great source for understanding your market position. Do you have the right products? Are you positioned correctly in the market? Industry stakeholders regularly use online data to benchmark their products and pricing strategies against their competitors.

It might be a while before Canada sees any substantial revenue from online platforms, but e-commerce is still a worthwhile pursuit.

Kumar Saha is vice president (U.S.)/managing director (Canada) of global automotive data firm Eucon. He has been advising the North American automotive industry for over a decade and is a frequent conference speaker and media commentator. He is based out of Toronto.

This article originally appeared in the September issue of CARS magazine

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Things have changed in the auto parts distribution scene over the last few years. Jobber stores have been hit by mass amounts of disruption to the way business has traditionally been done, faced supply challenges and are looking ahead at a pathway that leads to more e-commerce.

And facing the brunt of all these changes are the store’s counter professionals, the unsung heroes. They are the first point of contact for customers, the ones who navigate the complexity of an inventory that is only growing to find that elusive par. They are the faces that represent the store’s brand. Yet, despite their pivotal role, those in such positions are at risk of their voices going unheard.

This oversight can be a costly mistake for jobber store owners.

Listening to front-line staff, particularly counter professionals, is not just a matter of courtesy — it’s a strategic imperative. These employees have a unique vantage point, seeing firsthand what works and what doesn’t. They understand customer pain points, the inefficiencies in the system and where the gaps are.

So Jobber News decided to get their opinions on where the issues are — and where things are working well. The goal here is to tap into the wealth of insights that can help jobbers drive operational improvements and enhance customer satisfaction.

In essence, the act of listening to front-line staff is a powerful tool for continuous improvement. It fosters a culture of inclusivity and respect, one where employees feel their contributions matter. This, in turn, can lead to lower turnover rates, higher productivity and a more loyal customer base.

So let’s dive into what our survey found…

Counter pros love their job

The vast majority of counter professionals are happy with the position they’re in — 92 per cent said that their job is at least good. Breaking that down, 54 per cent said they love their job. Only 8 per cent believe improvement is needed.

“I enjoy learning about new technology in vehicles, the new EV vehicles [are] exciting,” one respondent wrote when given the opportunity to explain their answer.

They admitted that they’ve had challenges being good at customer service but have grown into the role.

“I think I would like to see more training for products we sell in order to better explain the benefits to customers,” they noted as something that could use improvement.

When looking at the other responses, most pointed to the joy of working with customers to find the part they need or otherwise helping a customer resolve the issue they’re facing.

“Love being able to find parts to fit our customers’ needs,” one respondent said.

“Interesting field of work. Making customers happy is satisfying,” another said.

One pointed to enjoying the challenge of the work because there’s a new one popping up all the time. “It feels good to help people solve their problems or just give them helpful advice,” they added.

When it comes to the bad, some pointed to demands of some customers as taking the wind out of them.

“The mental demand to fill the needs of the consumers and installers can be taxing,” one noted.

Another pointed to the lack of pay for a position that requires them to be at least a semi-expert in the field. This respondent prefers to work with pros who know what they’re talking about. “Fulfillment comes from my shop and fleet customers. I help them get what they need without having to explain how to do [a] brake job,” they explained.

Great work environment

The vast majority of counter pros (85 per cent) said they love their work environment and feel supported by their employer and superiors.

“They are constantly trying for improvements, internal, inventory, delivery,” one person noted.

“My employer allows me flexibility to take care of the customer and make the situation right if something goes wrong,” another wrote. “They provide just enough pressure to ensure that we are on the right track, and doesn’t micromanage.”

Many responses were similar, noting that the store feels like a family environment.

“We laugh. We cry. We fight. We make up.  It’s like family and we all care,” one commented.

However, another pointed out that even though they feel like a number to the owner, they get along great with their immediate manager.

“The employer is good at providing for employees in pay and benefits,” another respondent said. “Communication from the top down could use improvement.”

Top customer issues

Dealing with customers can be a challenge. They come from all walks of life and armed with different demands and expectations.

Given the digital age in which we live, that can help — and hurt.

“I find the retail customer is more informed these days but not with the best information most times,” one counter pro mentioned.

Sometimes, the customer doesn’t even know the type of vehicle they’re driving. That doesn’t help when trying to find the parts they’re looking for, one answer pointed out.

But it’s not just the retail customer giving headaches — shops are often making things more difficult on jobber store staff. Many pointed to the lack of information provided about the vehicle being worked on.

“More shops need to use VIN scanning and decoding to get accurate parts,” one respondent commented.

Others noted that their customers often “have no idea” what they’re looking for. The counter pro is left asking many questions about what they’re looking for.

“Providing full information has always been the weaker point for installers and consumers. Lack of knowledge of part needed is also a challenge since OEM manufacturers are creating new part names for their components,” one observed.

Supply issues easing but some complaints

We’ve come a long way from the times of shelves being relatively empty. Jobbers reported selling out of many products; quality wasn’t a question because shops wanted to get their hands on whatever they could to service customers’ vehicles.

Recovery has taken place as 85 per cent of respondents reported that they have most items back in stock or can quickly get what’s needed.

But when asked to comment on how things are, rather than singing praises, counter pros noted there are still challenges they’re facing.

“Still problems with getting basic maintenance parts. Our warehouses need to do a better job of stocking really common maintenance parts,” noted one respondent.

“Our supply chain is good but being NAPA, it should be second to none but [that’s not] not the case. I often have to go outside our company to find product for my customers,” another explained.

A pair of comments pointed to the need for better data when looking up parts online, from fitment data to inventory levels.

One noted that manufacturers are putting products online to be purchased at a lower cost.

“Manufacturers should be more proactively protecting the integrity of the authorized supply chain and authorized reseller network,” they said.

Dealing with online retailers

Speaking of selling online, a common issue jobbers face is when a customer pulls out their phone and sees the same part available through an online retailer for a lower cost. How do they deal with this?

One survey participant noted that they lose many customers to online retailers. But they’re mostly retail customers — shops need reliable parts and service right away.

“We lose lots of customers to online. Retail mostly, Jobber shops need service now.”

“Customers need to realize that there is more than price involved. We offer knowledge and a genuine attempt to help solve problems and issues that seem to happen regularly,” one professional explained.

That answer was the general theme of many others.

“We discuss the warranty issue with buying parts online and how it may cause extended downtime if there is an issue. We don’t try to price match. I don’t feel we need to do anything different,” one said.

“If online they don’t care about quality or brand as much so it is a hard sell but possible if we have time to explain the benefits of our products, service and warranty,” echoed another.

“We warn them that online has negative implications for warranty, support, and accuracy of parts fitment,” one respondent noted. “Online can be counterfeit, used, bait & switch, or other sub-par performing parts.”

Vendor support

Vendors are key to the jobber business. Not only do they supply the product, but they also train staff on the features and benefits. So when the shop calls or a customer walks in looking for advice, the counter pro is ready to serve.

However, responses were hit or miss when it came to what value the vendors provided.

“Reps are thing of past,” one observed. “Most lack technical skill and most have never worked inside a shop.”

There was also biting comment about the lack of training provided, with one in particular saying it was lacking from even just five years ago. Another noted that visits from reps have trailed off since the pandemic era and haven’t rebounded.

“Training is woeful, both from our company and our supplies,” said another.

Transitioning to the more positive remarks, one noted that training was limited, but “most supplier partners have good local representation.”

Others noted that reps do still come by nut as often anymore.

And there were several kudos given as well.

“Local suppliers have done an excellent job keeping up with the changes in our industry, especially during the COVID recovery days,” one said.

“Our suppliers are top-shelf,” another commented.

The challenges

The lack of staff and talent shortages were the clear-cut top challenges for counter professionals (62 per cent)

E-commerce (23 per cent) and supply chain (15 per cent) rounded out the top three

“Automotive aftermarket has done a poor job recruiting youth. HR does not work with schools,” said one respondent who added that there’s a lack of part time jobs at companies because they’re cutting back a lot.

While some noted that they’re bringing people in, they often have little experience applicable to the parts selling business.

“Hard to find good help. Nobody wants to work or do things right,” lamented one professional.

And the need to find people is getting stronger by the day. “We have a lot of experienced talent that are coming to the end of their careers. The new talent coming is coming along but is currently not learning at a rate needed to replace the retiring talent,” one respondent said.

Other challenges noted included online shopping and competing with those retailers.

“People shop online. Online stores don’t have to deal with support and warranty. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar presence with staff and technical support (overhead). You can’t walk into your local Amazon or Rock Auto and show someone the part you need or compare parts for accuracy,” they wrote.

Another noted the online competition as a challenge but also parts proliferation as another.

What’s most important

When Jobber News and sister magazine CARS run surveys to shop owners and jobbers, we ask them about what they see as the most important aspect of their relationship. There is no outright consensus — 45 per cent of shops told the 2024 Annual Shop Survey that availability and inventory are the most important factor. Jobbers placed the relationship at the top with 52 per cent saying so.

We decided to ask counter staff the same question. Surprisingly or not, they answered similarly to their bosses — 54 per cent said relationship was tops. A third (31 per cent) picked availability and inventory.

And when given the opportunity to speak to shops, counter pros had plenty of advice to share that would make their jobs easier.

“Acquire and train good front-line talent to handle customer workflow. This will allow your technicians to focus on doing what they do best,” recommended one counter pro.

“Have proper planning and scheduling. Pre-order deferred work parts in advance,” another suggested.

Others noted to be better communicators, support local business and to call the store if you don’t see the product online.

One respondent urged shops to use better parts. “Saves us all time in the long run,” they said.

This article originally appeared in the September issue of CARS magazine

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The September issue of Jobber News is focused on what’s on the minds of the professionals who keep jobber stores running across the country.

The cover story features the results of our survey of counter professionals from Canadian jobber stores, asking them various questions, ranging from how they like their job to how they deal with customers to the challenges they face to how they deal with customers.

It’s insight that you can’t find anywhere else, giving you a pulse on how frontline staff are feeling behind the counter.

Elsewhere, we have Kumar Saha looking at e-commerce in Canada. We hear about its growth in the U.S. Is it the same in Canada? He examines the trends.

Zakari Krieger draws on his experience as a jobber store owner in taking care of staff. He offers his expertise on how your store can succeed and meet the needs of your staff.

Lauren McCullough is dedicated to helping the aftermarket properly use artificial intelligence successfully — but that doesn’t mean you need an AI strategy. She explains what you do need instead.

And we have our usual sections like Letters, News, By the Numbers, the CAR-toon in the back.

Grab your copy or click here to read the digital edition.

The post Giving a voice to the counter pros in Jobber News appeared first on Auto Service World.

Oil changes are the top maintenance procedure ignored by many drivers.

The Automotive Industries Association of Canada’s latest Consumer Behaviour Series report, Canadian vehicle owner’s attitudes towards maintenance and repair, found that the most ignored maintenance item was related to engine oil with 25 per cent of respondents saying they let oil changes, flushes and checks slide.

Many individuals feel they are too busy, that oil changes are too expensive or that it doesn’t affect their car’s performance. As auto industry professionals, it’s important to reiterate the importance of regular oil changes to consumers. The risk being that, if they don’t, they may run into more time-consuming and expensive problems with their cars down the road.

Below are a few tips on how to drive home messaging to ensure your customers are not overlooking their oil changes.

Educate Consumers

Education and awareness are key when it comes to convincing customers to not delay oil changes. Lack of knowledge on when to change oil and the cost of actually getting an oil change are two of the main reasons why this service goes ignored.

Spreading awareness to your customers through visual aids, demonstrating how to check their engine oil level and breaking down the cost of an oil change compared to the cost of fixing major engine damage due to ignored oil changes can be great tools to encourage customers to come in for regular changes.

Getting back to the basics of understanding a vehicle can also be a great way to educate customers. Breaking down why oil is actually necessary for an engine as well as how fresh oil reduces friction and prevents engine wear and tear can be a helpful tool in spreading awareness on not ignoring oil changes. Many people are also unaware of what each light on their dashboard means, so they may not even realize their car needs maintenance.

Hanging signs with descriptions of what each dashboard light means can be an extremely helpful resource for customers to recognize when it might be time for maintenance.

If the experience is unpleasant and a burdensome task, the more likely the customer is to delay getting their oil changed — or go elsewhere when they finally decide to get the work done.

Be Transparent

Every vehicle make and model is different and it is important that customers understand how often their oil should be changed based on the car they drive. Clearly breaking down all of the factors that go into the frequency of oil changes helps to reiterate why it is important to not delay an oil change.

When meeting with customers, provide personalized recommendations based on the make and model of their vehicle, their driving habits and their environment. Sending them emails with personalized breakdowns of what their specific oil change routine should look like can also serve as a friendly reminder.

This won’t only help the customer understand how often they need to get an oil change, but it will help to strengthen your relationship with them.

Positive Customer Experience

There is often a stigma around the auto care industry. Delivering exceptional customer service during each oil change, ensuring your staff is well-equipped with knowledge to answer any questions and are attentive, will motivate customers to continue coming back for oil changes.

If the experience is unpleasant and a burdensome task, the more likely the customer is to delay getting their oil changed — or go elsewhere when they finally decide to get the work done. Investing in high-quality tools and technology to make the oil change process more efficient will also encourage customers to continue coming in routinely.

Staying engaged with your customers after their visit is another way to ensure they don’t delay their next oil change. After each oil change, it’s a basic practice to place a sticker on the car’s windshield with the mileage that they should come in for their next change.

But there’s more you can do. Sending out reminders via text message or email isn’t only a friendly way for customers to be aware of when their next oil change is coming up but can help keep them engaged with your business.

Motivating customers to make routine oil changes part of their regular car upkeep can help enhance the performance of their vehicles and ultimately extend their vehicle’s life. It can also help to strengthen the trust that they have in you, their auto care professional.

By embracing education, transparent communication and the enhancement of the customer experience, ignored oil changes can become a thing of the past.

Brian Michel is the vice president of operations at Grease Monkey

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS magazine

The post From the Magazine: Driving home success appeared first on Auto Service World.

Unlocking the secret to hiring the perfect candidate

In the fast-paced world of automotive repair, finding the right candidate for your shop can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The key lies not only in the qualifications on paper but also in the intangible qualities that make someone a great fit for your team. Let’s delve into the art of hiring the perfect candidate, one who not only possesses the necessary skills but also embodies the values and culture of your shop.

A compelling advertisement

In the words of Steve Jobs, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” When drafting your job advertisement, remember that it’s not just about listing qualifications. It’s an opportunity to paint a picture of what makes your shop special in order to draw forward people with an affinity for the unique culture of your shop as well as the role itself.

Therefore, take your time to craft an ad that showcases the unique opportunities and supportive environment your shop offers.

Consider this approach: “Join our team at XYZ Auto Repair, where we’re not just fixing cars; we’re building relationships. Our shop is a place where teamwork thrives and every team member plays a vital role in delivering top-notch service to our customers. If you’re passionate about cars and value a supportive work environment where growth and development are encouraged, we want to hear from you.”

By highlighting the positive aspects of your shop and appealing to candidates who share your values, you can increase the likelihood of attracting the right talent.

Hiring the perfect candidate for your automotive shop requires time, effort and careful consideration.

Structured selection process

Once you’ve received responses to your job advertisement, it’s time to put your selection process into action. Remember, hiring is not just about finding someone with the right skills; it’s about finding someone who will fit in seamlessly with your team and contribute positively to your shop’s culture.

As the famous quote goes, “Slow to hire, quick to fire.” So, take your time to evaluate candidates thoroughly before making a decision.

Consider the following factors:

1. Personal Connection: During the interview process, pay attention to how the candidate makes you feel. The interview is a microcosm of their interpersonal skills and demeanour in general. Would you want to be reliant on this individual if you found yourself in a crisis because your vehicle unexpectedly broke down? Do they exhibit qualities that align with your shop’s values? Imagine how they would interact not only with customers but also with other team members. You are not just hiring a new employee, you are inviting a new member into your existing “work family.” If possible, schedule a trial day to observe their performance in a real-world setting.
2. Reference checks: Don’t underestimate the power of checking references. Reach out to previous employers and ask a simple yet insightful question: “Would you rehire this candidate?” Their response can provide valuable insights into the candidate’s work ethic, reliability and suitability for the role.
3. Personality profile testing: Consider incorporating personality profile testing into your hiring process to gain deeper insights into the candidate’s personality traits and characteristics. These tests can uncover valuable information that may not be immediately apparent during an interview.

Final Steps

Before extending an offer to a candidate, ensure that you have an employment contract in place. This document outlines the terms of employment, including job responsibilities, compensation and other important details. Having a clear contract not only protects both parties but also sets expectations from the outset.

Hiring the perfect candidate for your automotive shop requires time, effort and careful consideration. While the process may be challenging, finding the right person can transform both your business and your life for the better.

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS magazine

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If you want to take your auto repair business and life to the next level and if you’re eager to learn how to make significant changes, rest assured that it can be done. But I’m not going to tell you the path to getting there is easy.

In the May/June issue, we explored the concept of expansion to reduce stress and boost profitability in your business. This idea might resonate differently with various readers. Some of you might be completely satisfied with your current situation and that’s wonderful. I’m genuinely happy for you.

Others will feel that I don’t understand their struggles. They will feel the sentiments in the article are great but they simply don’t have time for this — life is just a constant struggle that you must put up with and nothing can be done. For you, I hope you take something out of this piece.

But for those I mentioned off the top, I understand the frustration of feeling like your efforts aren’t yielding the desired rewards or profits. This can be soul-crushing and quickly lead to a negative spiral, impacting multiple areas of your life.

It’s a tough reality. But the good news is that it’s not permanent. You can choose to change your situation, either on your own or with the help of coaching.

Here are the crucial questions to ask yourself:

1. What kind of business do I want to own? Will it be a community-serving business catering to all makes and models, or will you specialize in a specific type of vehicle?
2. What kind of services will we offer? Will you provide air conditioning, alignments or other specialized services?

Once you have clear answers to these questions, you’ve taken a significant step toward defining your future.

To build a scalable and repeatable business that grows, you’ll need to put in hard work in the short term. This might mean working evenings and weekends, working to reshape how you operate, rather than finishing jobs in the bay. This effort is about implementing measures to reduce unpaid work, increase productivity and build a sustainable business for the future. It’s about creating a legacy that will hold value when you retire.

There will be aspects of your business that you’re doing right, but there will also be gaps that need attention. Some areas might need immediate improvement, while others might be causing significant longer-term issues.

This is where the role of a coach becomes invaluable. A coach helps you see your business from a macro perspective, identifying what’s missing and providing tools and systems to get you moving forward. Remember, business change isn’t just about planning; it’s about taking action. It’s not about knowing what needs to be done, it’s doing it that is the hard part. That’s why sometimes we need a bit of a kick from an external source.

To illustrate, let’s go through several questions to ask yourself to assess where proactive changes can make a significant difference in your shop. One of the first steps to boosting productivity is evaluating your current processes.

It’s not about knowing what needs to be done, it’s doing it that is the hard part. That’s why sometimes we need a bit of a kick from an external source.

Improving Efficiency

• Are there tasks that can be automated or streamlined?
• What does your re-booking process and scheduling system look like?
• How are you preparing for the arrival of vehicles into your shop?

Enhancing Customer Experience

• Are you consistently receiving feedback from your customers with the sole intention of making your business better?
• Are you chasing a Google score but doing nothing to implement change inside your operation?

Expanding Services

• Are you offering additional services to add value and increase your revenue streams?
• Are you currently focusing only on mechanical repairs without considering adding services like detailing or sublets?

Training And Development

• Are you equally investing in both hard and soft skills for the team?
• Are you investing in strategic learning for yourself?
• Are you more ‘employee’ than ‘leader’ in your business?

Marketing and outreach

• What marketing are you carrying out?
• Does your daily process lead you toward or away from captive marketing with your existing customers?
• Are you involved in the local community?
• Are you ensuring that your marketing messages highlight what sets you apart from the competition?

Adapting to change

• The business landscape is continually evolving. How are you staying up to date with trends in the industry?
• How are you planning for upcoming new technology?
• What is your investment plan for the next three years?

Opening new locations

• Are you looking to expand into new locations?
• Can your existing location run without you for a week or two with no intervention? If the answer is no, then you should seek advice on your gaps.

Expanding your business involves a combination of strategic planning and proactive actions. You can create a thriving, profitable business by addressing the areas that need improvement and capitalizing on your strengths.

Whether you choose to do this on your own or seek the guidance of a coach, the key is to start making changes today. The journey might be challenging, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS magazine

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Opening another shop has been something that I have been thinking about very seriously over the past year and I’ve recently decided to take the plunge.

Truthfully, as a technician, I had never thought that I would ever have my own shop, let alone multiple shops. But over the years, I have grown as a person, as a team leader and as a member of our automotive community. This growth has inspired me to do everything in my power to improve our industry and the careers of the people in it — what better way to do that than multiply?

That being said, multiplying is a daunting task with many variables to think about: Can my city provide enough revenue for another shop? Where will it be located? Would I want to open one in a different city? Will I buy one that is already running or start from scratch? How many staff will I need? Where will I find the staff members?

These are just a few of the questions swirling around in my head, with many more popping up every day. The first question I need to answer is: Am I ready? To answer that question, I need to take a look at my numbers to determine if my current shop is profitable, running efficiently and producing close to capacity, without requiring me to work in the shop on a day-to-day basis.

My numbers indicate that my shop is profitable — it can pay all of its expenses (including a salary for me), while still having a very healthy net profit. To achieve this profit, I have hired coaches to educate me and my staff on how to market to the right clients, price my labour and parts for profitability and strategies to implement systems and processes that streamline our day.

The most important thing that I have learned is that someone must be managing the business. That may not be you — you may want to stay in the bays as a tech — but that means you need to hire a manager.

The most important thing that I have learned is that someone must be managing the business. That may not be you — you may want to stay in the bays as a tech — but that means you need to hire a manager. This manager should understand the business side of operations, be able to lead your team and have the confidence to manage you. Yes, this means giving up control, which I have found challenging at times, but it allows me to focus my energy on what I do best.

My shop is run very efficiently. We are constantly discussing ways to save time without sacrificing the quality of our services or the client’s experience at our shop. In my opinion, a second shop should only be considered when the first shop is no longer capable of increasing productivity; each tech is billing all of their available hours in a day and your building will not support another tech.

To improve productivity, take a look around your building and watch your staff doing their work (both techs and advisors), so you can determine where they are losing time. Is there a process at the counter that could be automated? Do you need to purchase a tool that makes a common repair happen quicker? Is your specialty tool cabinet organized, labelled and in a centralized location? Is your inventory organized? How do you organize incoming parts and outgoing returns?

When you are doing this, take into consideration that your staff do these jobs every day and they probably know what changes will improve their efficiency, so ask them what should be done, they’ll appreciate the fact that you value their opinion.

A profitable and productive first location is necessary to open a second location. But just as important is the ability for the first location to operate without you. In part two, I’ll discuss the steps I’ve taken to remove myself from day-to-day operations.

Erin Vaughan is the owner of Kinetic Auto Service in Regina.

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS magazine

The post From the Magazine: So you’re thinking about opening a second location… appeared first on Auto Service World.

When a corporate entity acquires an entrepreneurial jobber business, the most profound impact on shops often stems from the shift in accountability and the loss of the personal, entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur relationships that once thrived.

The pressures facing jobbers today are certainly real. Parts proliferating requires more and more working capital for inventory, high capital expenditure costs with constant requirements for fleet replacement and high servicing costs eating into profitability from fuel to fleet maintenance. Generational jobber businesses more and more are looking for exit strategies and to capitalize on the demand from consolidators.

My family’s journey in the automotive parts business began in 1953 when my great-grandfather founded an independent jobber business. Through three generations of family leadership until, fresh out of university, I assumed leadership, acquired the business and eventually divested it. With over a decade at the helm, I’ve navigated the challenges of owning and operating an auto parts business. Running and owning the business made me aware of just how tough it is for my peers.

And now I have experience in selling a generational family business to a large corporation. Drawing from this, it’s clear that understanding these transitions is crucial for the industry.

In my executive role at Fix Network, overseeing our franchise network with mechanical and auto glass services, I’ve witnessed the profitability and growth opportunities for small business owners. This comes as changing trends emerged during the pandemic, forcing a decline in the number of shops in the Canadian market and reduced profitability among service centres in recent years. Shops employing strategic management techniques have been able to thrive, even amid macroeconomic challenges that impacted OEM vehicle sales like supply chain disruptions, inflation and rising interest rates.

As such, there has not been a consolidation within the service side of the business with the mechanical or glass service in comparison to what we have seen on the parts and distribution side of the automotive aftermarket in Canada.

However, industry consolidation of legacy businesses and jobbers on the distribution side of things is not at all a bad thing. Shops often benefit from increased inventory at the store level, access to more aggressive pricing programs in some cases and benefits that go with economies of scale.

The owners of the shops who were our best clients became great personal friends and those bonds went well beyond the walls of the parts stores and the shops. This cannot be taken lightly for shops.

The biggest impact from the shop perspective that I have experienced is the transition of accountability when a corporate entity does buy an entrepreneurial business. There is a real aftershock that takes place in the relationship the corporate staff then have with the shop compared to the entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur relationship the shops and jobbers often build in their respective markets.

The owners of the shops who were our best clients became great personal friends and those bonds went well beyond the walls of the parts stores and the shops. This cannot be taken lightly for shops. These relationships can’t be modelled into a business plan after a jobber has been purchased by one of the big distribution corporations.

In other words, these relationships can’t be easily replicated by corporate integration plans. While merger and acquisition growth delivers shareholder value and revenue targets, it sometimes drives shops to switch to another local jobber rather than endure the changes brought by a corporate acquisition.

So while the acquiring company believed the current clientele would stay with the new ownership, some shops may no longer consider the jobber their first call anymore and will move others up the list instead.

Overall, there is great value for shops in the power of the entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur relationship. The model of the traditional jobber store in Canada is certainly changing with the continued evolution of the industry landscape. However, there is a great opportunity for shops to build experience within their business seeing both the positive and negatives of these industry changes and providing perspective on how they perceive value out of their parts supplier.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS magazine

The post From the Magazine: Losing the personal touch appeared first on Auto Service World.

Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) have been on the market for close to two decades, but the ‘new’ technology continues to pose challenges for several shops and tire stores.

So much so that several TPMS manufacturers have come together to urge shops across North America to make sure their tools are up to date. At AAPEX 2023, representatives from Continental, Schrader TPMS Solutions, Bartec TPMS and ATEQ TPMS Tools held a press conference to raise awareness about the lack of software updates being performed by shops. The urgency behind the call revolved around ensuring vehicle safety, maintaining vehicle performance and boosting a shop’s bottom line.

As Yanick Leduc, head of training and tech support at Schrader, pointed out, current TPMS technology is becoming quite advanced, offering Bluetooth low energy (BLE) transmission capabilities, high-pressure and high-temperature warnings and even tire burst detection warnings.

“These advancements are crucial because maintaining proper tire air pressure is directly linked to vehicle handling and braking performance,” said Leduc. “The more sophisticated our TPMS systems are, the safer our roads become.”

Scot Holloway, CEO of Bartec, said that although the introduction of TPMS presented significant challenges to tire service companies, it is vital that shops do what they can to maximize their return on investment.

“If your TPMS tool is not up to date, you are certainly missing out on vehicle coverage which leads to lost sales,” said Holloway. “If you use programmable sensors, you could be missing sensor coverage as well. If you don’t have the coverage, you cannot fix the vehicle and that is a lost sale, or worse, a TPMS that is not functional.”

One of the keys to ensuring shops are getting the most out of their TPMS tools is making sure the software is up to date.

“The best-case scenario is to have the tool update itself during off-hours so as not to interfere with business,” said Holloway, adding that his company will soon be launching the ability for its TPMS tools to power on, download the update over Wi-Fi and automatically install the update. “This new feature will go a long way in making sure our customers are always up to date and enjoying the latest features and best coverage.”

Mike Rose, OEM and industrial TPMS sales manager with ATEQ, says most shops and owners don’t realize how simple it is to keep their TPMS software up to date — the latest generation of tools have Wi-Fi included for easier updating.

“Some users think TPMS doesn’t change, and don’t understand the importance of proper coverage until they can’t fix the car and end up calling support, only for it to be fixed by updating the tool,” said Rose. “If you are not updating regularly, you are missing out on features and coverage, and that could be costing you money in vehicles you could service or having to update while the vehicle is tying up a bay.”

Leduc also stressed the importance of not just having a TPMS tool with Wi-Fi connectivity, but for manufacturers to improve the updating process, making it faster and more efficient.

“Unfortunately, we see too many times users having to repeat the update multiple times because the Wi-Fi connection was lost or the update process failed at 70 or 80 per cent completion,” he said. “Getting notifications on tools when new software is available, or even a push software update, which is already available in some cases, would be the next step.”

Leduc says cost is rarely a factor when it comes to shops updating their TPMS tools, as many offer free software updates for three to five years. Instead, he says it’s a combination of factors.

“Not knowing how to do it or not receiving the training, being unaware that updates are available, not finding the time to do it, not registering the tool, or not downloading the computer program needed to execute the tool’s software updates, which again comes down to time,” said Leduc.

“Proper tire pressure has always played a role in stopping distance and other traction-related issues and is critical to having all the systems around braking to work as well as they were designed.”

Holloway agrees that awareness plays a role when it comes to software updates, but added that the notion of “free software” can be misguided.

“Tool software development is complicated and costly. Tool software development is engineering and research, it is vehicle and sensor testing and validation,” he said. “All of this is a huge undertaking that must be done in order to make sure the tool, the sensor and the vehicle are working according to specifications.

“My advice is always to be wary of ‘free software.’ If it’s free, do they really owe you anything? Bartec TPMS charges for software, and as a result, we produce three to five updates per year.”

Although he doubted that a standardized relearn procedure across all vehicle manufacturers will happen in his lifetime, Leduc noted that BLE technology looks promising.

“BLE TPMS offers so much more: Stronger communication between the vehicle and the sensors, more flexibility for advanced security features and more data can be exchanged between the vehicle and the sensors through bidirectional communication,” he said. “This allows the sensor to be updated with new software and features without the need to dismount the tire or reprogram the sensor with a TPMS tool.”

While TPMS tools continue to evolve and shops try to keep up with recurrent changes and updates, the importance of maintaining correct tire pressure cannot be overlooked, from both an efficiency standpoint and safety.

“Proper tire pressure has always played a role in stopping distance and other traction-related issues,” said Rose, “and is critical to having all the systems around braking to work as well as they were designed.”

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS magazine

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If you haven’t picked up your latest copy of CARS magazine, here’s what you’re missing out on.

TPMS manufacturers warn about the fact that shops are not updating their tools. They first raised concern during AAPEX in Las Vegas last year and we recently caught up with representatives from the companies to dive into the problem in this issue of CARS.

They speak to the challenges shops are facing when they don’t keep their tools up to date, from lost revenue to safety issues. We take a deeper dive into the issue.

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Many of us have been there — the jobber you were tight with has been bought out. There’s a new owner or it’s now a corporate location. Zakari Krieger explores the challenges of keeping that relationship.

Oil changes are one of the top maintenance procedures many drivers ignore. Brian Michel of Grease Monkey looks at how to turn that attitude around.

Want to grow? Want to add a second shop? Erin Vaughan lays out the challenges. But once you clear those hurdles, then you can really start to think about it.

Greg Aguilera offers some guidance on getting your shop where you want it to be. You need a pathway. Here’s how to get started.

We know finding talent is difficult. Alan Beech gives some insight into how your search process can be better to find the right person.

And there’s more like Letters, News, By The Numbers, Class Act and more!

So grab your copy today or read the digital edition here!

The post Overcoming TPMS trepidation in this issue of CARS appeared first on Auto Service World.

The transition to electrification is taking shape at different rates across North America.

In an IMR survey that interviewed 5,000 independent repair shops across the U.S., nearly all (96 per cent) of those automotive shops had seen an increase in EV servicing over the past two years. More than half (54.6 per cent) of those shops also indicated that a portion of their business was from servicing battery electric vehicles. In Canada specifically, zero-emission vehicles account for one in nine new vehicles registered.

Although shops are seeing an upward trend in EV servicing needs, about three in five (59 per cent) of shops have not invested in training that focuses on EVs, and only 43 per cent of shops surveyed have invested in the tools and equipment needed to specifically service electric and hybrid vehicles. Larger shops have made more investments in tools, equipment and training (57 per cent) than smaller shops have (10 per cent).

Shops that provide EV training and certification opportunities to their technicians and invest in the necessary equipment and tools to provide quality EV service will have greater business and profit potential as EVs continue to grow in popularity over the next decade.

EV education and training

Providing EV training and further education opportunities for shop staff is a crucial step to remain competitive in an ever-changing market. Younger generations of shop technicians will especially benefit from further EV education, as skills related to EV will prove essential to their careers.

Shops should immerse themselves in the diagnostic and repair techniques required to properly service EVs and gain hands-on experience to expand their skill sets. This can include inviting a professional trainer to the shop to discuss the fundamentals of electric vehicles, electric motor concepts, power electronics, maintenance and other troubleshooting topics.

When it comes to EVs, proper safety training is also important considering the higher voltage compared to ICE vehicles. To ensure shop owners are properly training their technicians in a safe environment, they should invest in training programs that offer virtual and in-person courses where attendees have access to specific training tools.

Once a shop’s staff is fully trained, it’s important the shop communicates and markets its EV service capabilities and certifications to returning and potential customers.

Providing EV training and further education opportunities for shop staff is a crucial step to remain competitive in an ever-changing market.

Tools and equipment

As shops begin to invest in EV equipment and tools, investing in safety equipment — like zero isolation gloves, warning signs and other protective gear — should be prioritized first. EVs bring new safety challenges that have not historically existed when servicing ICE vehicles, and it’s imperative that technicians and shops are equipped with the right tools and equipment to safely address customer needs.

Investing in the proper tools and equipment needed to diagnose and troubleshoot EVs is the next essential step toward growing a shop’s EV servicing capabilities. The most modern EVs have fully integrated software and control systems. Rather than individual controllers for each function, there may be one computer or zone controller that manages multiple systems.

Diagnostic scan tools that offer a wide range of vehicle coverage and scan for codes, read live vehicle data, run tests, view wiring diagrams and check battery charge are crucial to diagnosing issues in EVs — especially when considering the enhanced software.

Other essential pieces of equipment include ADAS calibration equipment, EV charging stations, CAT III or CAT IV Safety Rated Multimeters for working on high-voltage vehicles and a battery tester for checking on a vehicle’s battery and charging systems. For more advanced EV service, shops can invest in an insulation tester to perform insulation and high-voltage electrical tests.

There is a much higher level of powertrain integration in most EVs, with many powertrain components integrated into a single assembly. For servicing and changing integrated components, the full powertrain and suspension must be dropped. Powertrain lifts, easy rollers, car dollies and rescue hooks will be essential for expert EV service.

It’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, it’s still a vehicle. Filters are filters, brakes are brakes, so on and so forth. There is plenty of overlap between ICE and EV service, lowering the barrier to entry for shops interested in expanding into EV coverage.

Shop owners who are skeptical may have reservations about making large investments when they aren’t seeing enough EVs to make it worthwhile. That said, savvy shop owners can get ahead of the trend while limiting their risk by prioritizing what they can now.

Now is the time to invest for success

While provinces like British Columbia and Quebec host some of the highest numbers of vehicle registrations, EV sentiment and adoption have increased across the country. In fact, a recent study has revealed that 80 per cent of EV skeptics will consider purchasing an EV in the next ten years.

However, like many vehicle service trends and innovations, rural areas will be slower to adopt compared to major population centers. Shop owners who are skeptical may have reservations about making large investments when they aren’t seeing enough EVs to make it worthwhile. That said, savvy shop owners can get ahead of the trend while limiting their risk by prioritizing what they can now.

EVs have arrived — and are only becoming more prevalent. Investing in tools and equipment now that can be used when servicing both ICE and EVs will prepare shops for the inevitable influx of EVs in the future and offer a competitive edge in terms of service capabilities. Training is essential, yet only 3 per cent of technicians say they’re trained on servicing EVs.

Shops that prioritize training and preparation now will be in a better position to effectively and successfully address EV service needs in the long run.

Jeff Hudnut and Jennifer Grabowski are product managers at Bosch Mobility Aftermarket. The Bosch EV Training Tour features multiple training devices — including a training aid car that simulates diagnosing and repairing an EV battery and motor without exposure to a live, high-voltage battery.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of EV World

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I’m used to sharing insights with the independent repair shop community but I want to offer parts suppliers across Canada a deeper look into the world of independent shops. Understanding the origins and mindset of these shops can unlock opportunities for stronger partnerships and business growth.

These insights are not just theoretical but stem from real-world experiences and interactions with shop owners and technicians. By delving into their day-to-day challenges and aspirations, we can foster a more collaborative and supportive industry environment.

The mindset

Independent repair shops face numerous external pressures. They frequently voice frustrations about inaccessible information, rising tool costs, public parts sales and uncooperative dealers. While these challenges are significant, they reflect the changing landscape of the industry rather than insurmountable obstacles. It’s often easier for repair shops to blame external factors than to make internal changes, partly because there are few platforms for them to vent constructively.

As you read this, you might recognize some of your customers in these descriptions.

So, how can we move forward? The answer lies in balancing transactional needs with building strong relationships.

It’s often easier for repair shops to blame external factors than to make internal changes, partly because there are few platforms for them to vent constructively.

Practical tips for parts suppliers

Tip 1: Simplify returns and order policies

A simple, easy-to-understand returns and order policy can make a huge difference. Provide clear signage and parts bins for drop-offs and returns at the shop. This common understanding streamlines the process, making it slick and painless for both your team and theirs.

Tip 2: Consistency is key

Feedback from repair shops often highlights the inconsistency of reps’ visits.

Typically, a visit goes something like this: “Hey John, how’s it going? Any returns or problems for me? Bye!” This doesn’t build a relationship.

Establish a solid schedule for your reps and hold them accountable for growing the business. Equip them with tools to add value during their visits.

Tip 3: Address stock issues

Help independent repair shops manage their stock better. Report on stock turnover for their most-used items and discuss this during regular rep visits. This educates your customers about parts business dynamics and separates consumables from other items, allowing for focused conversations about bulk versus individual purchases.

Tip 4: Consider consignment

Consignment can be a game-changer for top-performing stores. By consigning their top lines to the store and having reps check and restock during visits, you not only ensure they have what they need but also give your reps a chance to manage obsolete or unused stock. This frees up capital for the shops and strengthens your relationship with them.

Independent repair shops want more parts in stock and faster delivery, while parts suppliers aim to build relationships. These goals may seem at odds, but they can be harmonized

Building relationships

Independent repair shops want more parts in stock and faster delivery. Meanwhile, parts suppliers aim to build relationships. These goals may seem at odds, but they can be harmonized. By addressing practical needs efficiently, you lay the groundwork for stronger, more collaborative relationships.

Consistency, clear communication, and proactive problem-solving are key. Understand your customers’ challenges and provide solutions that make their lives easier. This approach not only boosts their business but also strengthens your standing as a reliable partner.

Conclusion

The world of independent repair shops is filled with passionate, hardworking individuals who face unique challenges. By understanding their origins and mindset, parts suppliers can develop strategies that address their practical needs while building lasting relationships. Simplifying returns, maintaining consistency, managing stock effectively, and considering consignment are just a few ways to bridge the gap.

Ultimately, the success of your partnership with your repair shop hinges on your ability to balance transactional efficiency with relationship-building. Embrace this dual approach, and you’ll not only meet their immediate needs but also foster loyalty and mutual growth.

Please write in and comment on this article if it resonates with you. Your feedback is invaluable in continuing this important conversation.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

The post From the Magazine: A stronger partnership appeared first on Auto Service World.

Consumers have many concerns about electric vehicles. After the high cost to purchase, range and public charging infrastructure are the main holdbacks according to various surveys.

One of the most recent ones comes from the 2024 Mobility Trend Report from Volvo Car Canada. It reported that even though 64 per cent of Canadians are looking at an EV for their next vehicle purchase, 65 per cent are worried they will get stranded if they run out of charge. Furthermore, 59 per cent say there are not enough places to charge an EV.

On top of that, nearly four in five (78 per cent) agree there currently isn’t enough publicly available charging infrastructure to make EVs a good option for them.

As a result, industry leaders have repeatedly urged would-be shoppers to consider their daily use case — if they use a vehicle for their commute to work or short trips around town, an EV can generally fit seamlessly into their lives. But for those who prefer road trips of long distances, having a gas-powered vehicle at least as a secondary option is still recommended.

But can road trips still be done with an EV? EV World editor Adam Malik had the chance to find out. Vehicle sharing company Turo offered him the opportunity to use its services to try out an EV. He browsed through its offerings and found a Tesla Model Y. He booked it and had the vehicle delivered to him at his house.

He shared his experience of being on the road with an EV, what he encountered and what he learned.

EVW: Tell us about the trip you took

AM: I was heading to Detroit, Michigan, for the MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Vision Conference. Being in Toronto, it’s a relatively close trip — a 400-km drive. When Turo approached me to try out its service and vehicles, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to take an EV on an extended trip. I write a lot about the EV market. I talk a lot about EV trends. But other than test drives, I’ve never actually driven an EV for an extended period of time.

I ended up choosing a Tesla because it’s the most popular brand out there today. So I decided to give them a shot.

I got the vehicle early in the morning of the day of my trip. I took it for a short drive around my neighbourhood just to get used to it, especially the braking because that is a major difference from using an internal combustion engine vehicle. You take your foot off the pedal and it’s just the same as hitting the brakes. So, I got used to the feel of it and then I hit the road.

So I was mentally prepared for all scenarios. I didn’t know where I’d be stopping off to recharge, if the chargers would work, how long I’d wait.

EVW: Were you nervous about taking a road trip in an EV?

AM: Definitely. You hear both sides. You hear about the people who do it regularly without issue and how much they love the experience. I know people who’ve driven from Ottawa to Toronto regularly without a problem, which is about as far as Toronto to Detroit. Then you hear about those who are frustrated with having to stop to charge and the waiting around. You hear about broken charging stations. All of that.

So I was mentally prepared for all scenarios. I didn’t know where I’d be stopping to recharge, if the chargers would work, how long I’d wait.

But I have to hand it to my Turo host — he showed me how to navigate the system and put me at ease. I can only speak to the Tesla experience as well — but it was good at showing me where I needed to stop to charge up.

EVW: What were your first impressions?

AM: I had two main first impressions. One was just being in an electric vehicle and one was being in a Tesla. Being in an EV, it was cool. It really was a great experience. It was a fun car to drive. The feel of it is different. You don’t have the changing of the gears, which wasn’t new since I’ve noticed that in test drives, so I knew that was coming — but just having that constantly during my drive was interesting. Other than that, it was really just like driving a regular vehicle. You’re still turning a steering wheel. That doesn’t change.

The second impression was being in a Tesla, a non-traditional automaker, versus an EV that is built by a car company. It felt like being in a Tesla was being in something that was technology-focused with a car wrapped around it. And I wonder if being in say, a Ford Mach-E or a Hyundai Ionic 5, if it would feel like a car wrapped around technology, if that makes sense. It felt like the technology came first and the car was second in a Tesla, which led to some quirky user experiences.

EVW: What was the driving experience like?

AM: It was very fun, perhaps not dissimilar to a high-end sports car with the handling and the power, the speed. With the way the EVs hug a corner, the low centre of gravity, you do feel that when you’re taking those tight turns. You realize you can take them a little more aggressively than you would in a typical combustion engine vehicle.

Beyond that, it’s just like an ICE vehicle. There’s still a steering wheel, there’s still a switch for the blinker, there’s a ‘gas’ pedal.

But being a Tesla, the full self-driving was an option. And I got to use that and that really to me was the biggest eye-opener of being in a Tesla — not in an EV, but in a Tesla specifically.

It was incredibly cool but also incredibly scary at the same time when thinking about where the technology is at with self-driving. It was good in the sense that it acted like a very cautious driver. It took those turns very carefully. I tried it at a stoplight. I was turning left and the car coming in the other direction was also turning left with no other vehicles. Under normal circumstances with human drivers, I would go left, the other driver would go left at the same time and we go on our way. What the Tesla did was make sure that car turned left and then it proceeded to make the left turn. So it was very careful. It was an interesting experience.

EVW: You mentioned quirky Tesla interactions. What were those?

AM: Like I said, a Tesla felt like technology wrapped around a car. Like the wipers — they were completely not in tune with the weather most of the time. It was sprinkling rain and the auto-sensor thought it was a hurricane. The wipers were just going back and forth so fast.

How a typical car puts your vehicle info in the dashboard in front of you, Tesla puts it in the centre. So you have to look away from the road to see their giant tablet of info. With the self-driving mode, it would ask you to tug on the wheel slightly so that it knows you’re there. But to see the notification, you have to turn your head slightly. There are also cameras inside the car to make sure you’re not falling asleep. So look away at the screen long enough and it sends a warning that you’re not looking at the road. So what is it? What do you want from me? You’re in this circle of trying to look at the road while also trying to peek at the notification, only to be told to pay attention to the road.

So quirky things like that of being in the Tesla where I wonder how it is in other EVs by traditional automakers who have a long history of making cars and know what drivers like.

The second impression was being in a Tesla, a non-traditional automaker, versus an EV that is built by a car company.

EVW: What was the charging experience like?

AM: I had no issues with charging. That was obviously my biggest fear because that’s all everybody seems to be scared about — is there charging infrastructure, what if I can’t find a charger, what if chargers are broken?

But I had no issues at all. I put my destination in as I went from Toronto to The Henry in Dearborn, Michigan. It gave me my route and said, ‘Here’s the route we’re going to take along the way. You’re going to stop off in London, Ontario, to recharge.” It showed me how long the charge would take. I could charge up enough to make it to my destination or I could do a full charge. Since I didn’t expect the hotel to have a charging station, I charged up as much as I could.

All three times I stopped to charge, the stations were in a plaza or mall parking lots. It took about a half hour each time to take the battery from a low state to that 80-90  per cent state. And a half-hour stop on a four-hour drive each way isn’t all that inconvenient. I stopped off, stretched my legs, grabbed a snack and away I went. I can see how on a multi-day trip, stopping every couple of hours can add a bunch of extra time to the journey. But a four-hour trip becoming four-and-a-half hours isn’t that big a deal.

Chargers were available and worked when the vehicle needed to be charged

EVW: Were the charging stations accommodating?

AM: Absolutely. Like I said, the stations were in centres where there was something to do. Funny enough, I think every other person who was charging was just hanging out in their cars, scrolling through their phones. Me being in the car for a couple of hours, I wanted to move around and so having the fast food restaurant, grocery store or coffee shop was great.

It makes me wonder about turning gas stations into charging stations. If someone is stopping for a half hour or even 15 minutes for a top-up, there needs to be something there to keep them or the kids entertained. Because that half hour can feel like an eternity with cranky kids in the back seat.

But for me, the stations were conveniently placed. I could see where maybe if you went to a remote area — I’m not sure how the charging infrastructure is if you’re going to northern Ontario or northern Michigan, or wherever it may be, how the infrastructure is up there. So I see how it could be tougher if that’s the case. But we certainly need more public infrastructure for those remote areas and those who don’t have charging at their home or in their condo buildings.

Home charging is also such an important piece of the discussion.

But the importance of home charging can’t be ignored. That way there’s less reliance on public infrastructure. If you have a house with a driveway, you should have a charger.

EVW: Why is home charging important?

AM: It ties into public charging. There’s talk of urging more grocery retailers, for example, to install charging stations because many people take their car there and they can charge up while shopping. But if you live in a condo or for whatever reason can’t install a home charger, those public stations being conveniently placed is essential.

For me, my trip could have been quicker if I had a charger at home. And cheaper — I spent probably $80 for all charging I think that will be essential going forward. If you want to have an EV but not a home charger, you’re depending on these public chargers to do the job for you. When you want to get home, you don’t want to worry about having to stop somewhere for however long to charge up — and pay a higher rate — and then go home.

But the importance of home charging can’t be ignored. That way there’s less reliance on public infrastructure. If you have a house with a driveway, you should have a charger. You don’t need to worry about finding a place to charge on your way home so you don’t have to find a spot the next time you head out.

But what about people in apartments and condos? They need a “home” charger. If not in their building, there needs to be a central spot close by where people can recharge. If you’re a daily commuter, you’re not going to need the charger every day. But you need easy access.

EVW: What do you see for the future of the EV discussion?

AM: I think the negative histrionics around EVs need to tone down. People are absolutely right — EVs in their current state are not ready for the mass market. But it certainly works for a solid portion. And the current costs of a new EV are hard to justify for most.

Still, it feels like many people are expecting EVs to be everything to all people and perfectly operational out of the womb. Nothing in the history of mankind has ever been produced like that. As with everything — microwaves, DVD players, smartphones — the costs, the user-friendliness, the capabilities are limited in the early stages. As time goes on, technology improves, costs calm down and more options become available.

I love a line someone used to describe EVs: Toddlers. We’re in the young stage of the evolution of EVs. There’s much room for improvement. Hopefully, as we get closer to the EV mandate years, we’ve improved a lot. Yeah, they’re not great for all kinds of road trips. But they do work for some, like the one I just took. It was extremely convenient. They’re good for your daily trips but not cross-country ones. And if you don’t have a convenient place to charge, then it’s not a great fit.

I think there’s reason to be excited for it. But we have to temper expectations and manage those expectations and see where we are now and match it to our needs. It’s still early.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of EV World

The post EV World: Road tripping with an EV appeared first on Auto Service World.

In the competitive realm of the automotive aftermarket, the role of an entrepreneurial jobber is multifaceted, requiring a delicate balance between catering to core clients and strategically expanding the customer base.

Whether you own a single auto parts jobber location or manage a network of stores, success hinges on understanding the market dynamics and effectively prospecting new clients while nurturing enduring relationships.

In the pursuit of growth and diversifying your customer base to manage risk, it is crucial to identify potential clients who align with your business values and objectives. Look for characteristics such as growth potential, compatibility with your product offerings, and a willingness to collaborate for mutual benefit.

Many jobbers look to land business from the most established shops in their market. But there is also opportunity in working with emerging shops and working as a partner with them to build their business through coaching, technology, branding and overall shop experience to help that location grow and expand into the next top professional automotive shop in their trading area.

In the pursuit of growth and diversifying your customer base to manage risk, it is crucial to identify potential clients who align with your business values and objectives.

Recent data suggest that the number of automotive shops in Canada has shrunk over the last two years — by close to 20% — due to the impacts of rising interest rates, cost inflation driving up wages, rents and business services and increasing parts costs squeezing the price thresholds shops can charge to consumers.

In this environment, it has become ever more challenging in a trading area to think outside the box. It is increasingly difficult to develop effective strategies to grow sustainably and efficiently to avoid the desperation of selling into customers that do not align with the business’s values or using short-term programs to win business with unsustainable pricing methods. And other short-term strategies can drag a jobber down.

In addition to targeting mainstream markets, exploring niche segments within the automotive industry can be fruitful. Whether it’s catering to performance enthusiasts, light industrial & fleet segments, import or EV specialists, tailoring your marketing efforts and product offerings to meet their specific needs can unlock new avenues for growth.

Our parts business was successful in having various facets to the business where we were able to diversify our revenue streams. At one point, we serviced the traditional ASPs, import specialists, light industrial and fleet, paint and body and tools and equipment sectors. Many jobbers are habitual in servicing a core area of the aftermarket, but diversifying product segments as well as sectors can be an effective way to drive diversification.

In addition to targeting mainstream markets, exploring niche segments within the automotive industry can be fruitful.

Looking back at some time periods when the traditional repair business had slowed, our business was diverse and was supported by recurring revenue from industrial, fleet clients, and paint and body contracts we held.

Furthermore, offering value-added services can set your business apart from the competition. Whether it’s providing technical support, product customization, flexible payment options or going the extra mile to enhance the customer experience can foster loyalty and differentiate your brand.

Additionally, staying agile and adaptable in response to evolving market needs and consumer preferences is crucial. By continuously monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and soliciting feedback from clients and employees, you can identify areas for improvement and innovation, positioning your business for sustained success.

Successfully managing a jobber business requires a holistic approach that balances the needs of core clients with the imperative of diversifying the customer base. By understanding market dynamics, prospecting new clients strategically and nurturing enduring relationships based on trust, communication and quality, you can navigate the complexities of the industry landscape and position your business for sustainable growth and resilience.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

This article originally appeared in the July issue of Jobber News

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What’s it like to take a road trip with an electric vehicle? We hit the road to find out in the latest issue of EV World.

With concerns about range, charging infrastructure and general anxiety, EV World editor Adam Malik decided to take an EV for a road trip to Detroit to see what it’s really like. He details his experience, what he learned, the issues he ran into and whether the trip was full of anxiety or adventure.

Elsewhere, we have experts from Bosch looking at the shop of the future that will serve EVs. While bog moves may not be needed now, it’s always good to start thinking about preparing.

 

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After attending the EV & Charging Expo in Toronto, long-time aftermarket executive Martyn Johns wonders why the aftermarket isn’t at the table to help drive the narrative around what’s important in the electrification transition.

This is a digital-only magazine, so click here to read the Summer edition of EV World.

The post We take an EV on a road trip in EV World appeared first on Auto Service World.

Within the automotive aftermarket, there are several misconceptions about sustainability. While some may dismiss sustainability as an industry buzzword or an effort replaced by profits or customer demand, nothing is further from the truth.

In fact, finding new ways to be sustainable for environmental stewardship, the betterment of the business and a growing number of customers looking for companies that embrace these practices has never been more prominent in the auto care industry than it is now.

“The automotive and commercial vehicle aftermarket has a long history of helping society meet its need for transportation,” said John Chalifoux, chief sustainability officer and Chief operating officer of aftermarket suppliers for the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). “With today’s increased focus on sustainability, more can be done to show the strides our industry is taking to do the right thing — now and for generations to come.”

And more is being done. Launched just last year, MEMA was formed to meet the needs of its members given the rise in the importance of sustainability and ESG — environmental, social and governance. It focuses on education, advocacy and problem-solving.

“The centre offers education and peer-sharing programming for members. With the help of our affiliate members, we initiated Sustainability Hour — virtual one-hour sessions that focus on a specific topic or point of view,” Chalifoux explained. “Currently, we are hosting one session per month. We also offer sustainability workshops, where members can roll up their sleeves and spend time learning and sharing on topics related to compliance, value creation and building advantage.”

Learning and sharing this knowledge is key, Chalifoux said, to shedding a perception of the automotive aftermarket industry that does not always match reality.

“Sustainability is about being responsible to people, the planet and your business. Every aftermarket company has an opportunity to identify what they’re good at and establish a business case for sustainability,” he said. “Show what your company or shop is doing to make a difference for the environment and the people you serve. Highlight everything from battery and oil recycling and reduced energy usage to water conservation and thoughtful community programs.”

One of the biggest challenges in the automotive aftermarket industry and an area that increases the industry’s sustainability revolves around remanufactured products.

“One key challenge is helping the market understand that the quality of a remanufactured product is as good as new,” said Ben Smart, vice-president of the North America region with ZF Aftermarket. “There is a lingering perception that remanufactured products are lower quality because their core is a used part. In reality, the castings and other materials on a remanufactured part are generally better quality than those of today’s reverse-engineered products.”

“One key challenge is helping the market understand that the quality of a remanufactured product is as good as new.”

Smart adds that the other benefit of a remanufactured product is its sustainability. At ZF Aftermarket, products are not thrown away after a single use but are instead shared, repaired, refurbished, reused and recycled.

“This approach not only reduces resource consumption, emissions and waste, but also lowers material costs,” Smart said. “It makes it possible for products to have multiple lifecycles and offers significant time, material and cost savings when compared to creating a replacement product completely from scratch.”

Through its North American reman operations, ZF Aftermarket has reduced its CO2 emissions by an estimated 8,874 tonnes, lowered energy use by 12.3 million kWh and salvaged 2,823 tonnes of material.

In addition to creating superior products and keeping the automotive aftermarket supply chain stocked with quality parts, remanufacturing also reduces the need for new materials.

“Just as we have learned to use recycled paper products, we should apply the same principles to parts,” Houman Kashanipour, CEO and president of Alliant Power, a diesel engine parts, service and repair company explained. “The extraction of materials from the earth at our current rate is unsustainable. The fresh water required to process new materials is becoming increasingly scarce, making it crucial to rebuild and reuse older products.”

Quality products, whether new or remanufactured, help the industry reach sustainability goals.

“High-quality products reduce the need for new ones, conserving energy and natural resources,” Kashanipour added. “The costs and resources required to build new products are not well understood, presenting an opportunity to highlight the benefits of sustainable practices.”

South of the border, the U.S. International Trade Commission and MEMA are aligned when it comes to the definition of remanufacturing — an industrial process that restores end-of-life goods to original working conditions or better.

“That leads to remanufactured products that are indistinguishable from new products in terms of quality, performance, appearance, functionality and warranty and, in some cases, they are better than new products,” Chalifoux said.

It’s also important, however, that companies are transparent about the products they remanufacture.

“One problem is the term ‘remanufactured’ can be misused by companies and individuals to refer to products that are not truly remanufactured,” Chalifoux said. “In addition to knowing the source of remanufactured goods, customers can also rely on an industry certification. MEMA and its members are behind a quality process certification named Manufactured Again, which holds remanufacturers to the same international quality standards as new manufacturers.”

Wants and needs of customers

More than ever, customers in the automotive aftermarket sector are looking at the sustainability of the companies they do business with and getting that message out is important for future success.

“When it comes to ESG data, think of five action verbs: Collect, analyze, validate, report and communicate,” Chalifoux said. “Validate and communicate are so important; make sure you tell your true story.”

Smart is not shy when it comes to getting his company’s message out on its sustainability efforts, both to its customers and employees. In addition to embracing such elements as employee development and diversity, safety, human rights and responsible corporate behaviour, ZF Aftermarket has helped its customers through the transition from being defined by the internal combustion engine to one more defined by CASES —connected, automated, sustainable, electrified and shared.

“We’re making it clear that ZF Aftermarket’s goal is to be the green and sustainable aftermarket leader. ZF has committed to being carbon-neutral across all emission categories by 2040, 10 years ahead of what is required by the Paris Climate Agreement,” he said. “A significant part of meeting our climate goals will be achieved by powering our manufacturing sites and offices with more ‘green electricity’ from renewable sources.”

Smart’s goal is for ZF to switch completely to green electricity by 2030 and to reach 40 per cent next year.

“Investing more in technologies that help us reclaim and upgrade products, rather than constantly building new ones, is essential.”

Overcoming challenges

In addition to the perception of remanufactured products, Smart says some of the hurdles when it comes to increasing sustainability in the automotive aftermarket include building strong relationships, embracing digitization and attracting new talent.

“Ten or 15 years ago, workshops competed with each other for the best mechanics. Today, they must compete with many different types of industries for the best software and data analytics experts,” he said, adding that Gen Z is a digital-first generation of workers. “They’re tech-savvy and eco-conscious, but these potential employees are often unfamiliar with the aftermarket and its broad field of activities. They often don’t realize the profound ways vehicle maintenance has changed; what used to be managed with a wrench and oil is now proactively handled through software and electronics.”

Kashanipour agreed, saying the need for a skilled workforce capable of performing increasingly technical and complicated repairs is vital for continued sustainability in the sector.

“Collaboration between OEMs and the aftermarket is essential to provide access to the information required for repairs,” he said, “which is why the ‘right to repair’ is so critical and a must.”

For those in the automotive aftermarket, sustainability is not a simple buzzword; it’s a way to streamline operations, improve their bottom line, create a quality workplace, improve customer relations and, ultimately, minimize their environmental impact.

But, as Kashanipour points out, the industry needs to continue to advocate for sustainable practices and people need to be aware of what businesses are doing for the momentum to keep rolling.

“Investing more in technologies that help us reclaim and upgrade products, rather than constantly building new ones, is essential,” he said. “Remanufacturing is green and sustainable and we must emphasize its importance and benefits.”

The post From the Magazine: Changing the perception appeared first on Auto Service World.

The latest issue of Jobber News is here and putting a focus on remanufactured parts and sustainability in the automotive aftermarket.

The cover story looks at changing the perception of reman parts, breaking down stereotypes and not just how they help the environment, but the industry in different ways.

We also take a look at a pair of recent industry reports that outline how the dealer is still the top choice for consumers. We see where dealers are seen as better and how independents can improve.

Canada’s average vehicle age is much lower than in the U.S. Why? There are a few factors that we explore in another magazine feature.

 

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Long-time former jobber owner Zakari Krieger lays down some advice for his former peers on how they can effectively grow their businesses.

We welcome Greg Aguilera to Jobber News to share his shop-side experience on how jobbers can create better partnerships with their shop partners.

Catch highlights from AIA Canada’s National Conference and the Worldpac Supplier & Training Expo in our On The Road section.

Don’t miss our usual departments like Letters, News, Numbers, Car-toon the back and much more.

Grab your copy to read it all or head to this link for the digital edition.

The post Learning about industry sustainability in this issue of Jobber News appeared first on Auto Service World.

If there’s one thing shop owners used to be able to count on to keep them busy, it was the weather. When we see extremes on either end of the thermometer, it typically can signal a busy time.

Winter is coming: Are you ready for whatever weather it throws at you?

If you think that this conversation is premature, ask yourself if you were prepared for the extremely unusually warm winter we had last year. I know I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I will be this year.

There are many tools available for us to use that are designed to prevent the uncontrollable downturns or upturns that can happen in business. The most important tool is planning. You must know how much revenue and gross profit you need to be able to pay your bills, pay your staff, pay yourself and make a profit.

Once you know these numbers, you need to find a strategy to achieve them. How are you going to fill the bays — consistently — with profitable work instead of waiting for breakdowns?

That’s a stressful way to operate. For shop owners last year, expecting cold weather revenue on blown power steering hoses, dead batteries and coolant leaks never came was surely worrying.

Breakdowns are stressful for everyone:

• Our clients are not prepared to be without their vehicle or spend money that wasn’t in their budget
• Our service advisors must deal with the emotions of these client’s unexpected breakdowns
• Our technicians feel the pressure to get the repairs done quickly so they can move onto the next breakdown

Utilizing our marketing tools effectively and choosing consistent messaging will drive clients into our shops in a more manageable way. Early last year, we started discussing the benefits of preventative maintenance in our TV commercials, email blasts and during conversations with our clients.

“Once you know these numbers, you need to find a strategy to achieve them. How are you going to fill the bays — consistently — with profitable work instead of waiting for breakdowns?”

When new clients booked an appointment, we sent them a list of maintenance “Reminder Items” and asked them to check their records to see if they were due for any of these services.

On the day of the appointment, we performed a DVI and marked maintenance items as “Check Vehicle History” so the client was reminded to look into this.

Once their appointment was over, we would book the next appointment and include one or two of the reminder items that the client had determined they were due for, ensuring that we were discussing the importance of staying on top of these important services.

By the end of the year, we were booking all of these appointments for February, hoping to fill up a notoriously slow month with pre-booked work. Did all of these appointments show up? Nope. But we had more clients show up than if we hadn’t been following this process.

As well, instead of relying on weather-related breakdowns for revenue, we were billing more hours performing preventative maintenance services, due to the fact that our messaging was bringing in more maintenance-minded clients. February’s sales still sucked but it would have been unbearable if we hadn’t implemented the systems and processes required to create this flow of revenue.

One of our greatest tools are our teams. In the CARS February edition, I wrote about our “Kinetic Coffee Talk Tuesday” meetings, where my team sits down to discuss the previous week’s performance and the goals for the coming week. By sharing with them the business’s financial challenges, achievements and future goals, each team member is able to make educated suggestions about what improvements could be made that are not obvious to myself or my manager.

If our team’s goal is to have consistent revenue from week to week, with a healthy profit margin that will afford us the ability to pay great wages and stay up to date with tooling, we will work as a team to prevent weather from getting in our way.

For your shop to fight off unseasonably warm weather, economic uncertainty or a labour shortage, the best tools you can utilize are systems and processes that will prevent you from having to react to these situations, and instead be ready to face them head on.

Erin Vaughan is the owner of Kinetic Auto Service in Regina

This article originally appeared in the June issue of CARS

The post From the Magazine: Planning for the unexpected slowdown appeared first on Auto Service World.

In the automotive aftermarket, there’s an ongoing debate between shops and distributors about the adoption of the 80/20 rule.

This principle aims to enhance service and provide more value beyond just selling parts. It focuses on maximizing relationships with specific jobber partners to drive business value, extending beyond the core function of part sales and can better serve clients and create a more constructive value proposition.

Shop owners often express concerns about the perceived value of their relationship with jobber partners, feeling undervalued despite their loyalty. However, this perspective might overlook key factors.

While corporate initiatives influence some decisions, the primary reason lies in the necessity for a diversified customer base. Relying heavily on a few shops is risky business; jobbers need to spread their engagements across a wide range of clients to mitigate risk and ensure long-term stability. Let’s explore the thinking that goes on behind the scenes.

My experience as a distributor owner has shown that fostering loyalty and collaboration with suppliers can lead to more open discussions on continuous improvement efforts, ultimately benefiting both parties.

In the past, we operated under a certain-model approach, competing to serve a wide range of shops. This strategy required us to cater to a diverse client base, each with varying needs and expectations.

However, when we transitioned to working with NAPA, we noticed a significant shift in our business dynamics. The service-based model that NAPA promotes proved to be more aligned with the needs of our core clients, rather than entry-level shops.

However, this shift also presented challenges, particularly in terms of market pressures dictating pricing.

The NAPA program emphasized service and quality over pricing, which initially seemed like a disadvantage for shops operating on tighter margins. However, this focus on service enabled us to establish stronger, more meaningful relationships with our clients. We were able to engage in more substantive conversations about continuous improvement and long-term collaboration, rather than just negotiating prices.

Adopting the 80/20 rule — focusing on the 20 per cent of clients that bring in 80 per cent of the business — allowed us to become more efficient and profitable. This approach streamlined our operations, enabling us to allocate resources more effectively and prioritize our most valuable clients. However, this shift also presented challenges, particularly in terms of market pressures dictating pricing.

While focusing on our top clients made us more efficient, it sometimes came at the expense of our core shops. Market dynamics, especially competitive pricing pressures, made it difficult to maintain a balanced approach. The 80/20 strategy can lead to vulnerabilities, particularly if issues arise with a major account. Over-reliance on a few key clients can threaten diversification, which is essential for long-term stability in distribution.

In today’s environment, scale is crucial. Distributors must navigate the delicate balance between efficiency and diversification. Leaning too heavily on the 80/20 principle can streamline operations but can also make a business susceptible to significant risks if a large account is lost or if market conditions change unfavourably.

To mitigate these risks, distributors need to maintain a diversified client base. While prioritizing top clients is essential for profitability and operational efficiency, nurturing relationships with smaller, entry-level shops can provide a buffer against market volatility. This dual approach can ensure a steady flow of business while safeguarding against the potential pitfalls of over-reliance on a few major accounts.

Collaboration is key. By working closely with suppliers and clients alike, distributors can foster an environment of mutual growth and continuous improvement. Open communication channels allow for the identification of areas for improvement, the implementation of best practices, and the development of innovative solutions to common challenges.

In conclusion, I believe in the need at both the shop and the jobber level to harvest collaboration and continuous improvement efforts together creating a system of both loyalty and trust that maximizes the profitability of the relationship for both parties.

Our business was built and rebuilt on that premise. I believe there sometimes needs to be a reminder to both shops and the jobbers about how strategies from the 80/20 rule can create a stronger ecosystem together learning from each other on how to become more successful in their own crafts.

Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance that leverages the strengths of both the 80/20 rule and a diversified client base in terms of business strategy. This, however, is often what comes in the way of really developing collaborative business strategy together above the transactional relationship.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

This article originally appeared in the June issue of CARS

The post From the Magazine: Going beyond the transaction appeared first on Auto Service World.

In the entrepreneurial landscape, the sight of a one-person operation thriving speaks volumes about determination and adaptability.

Great news: If you’re paying the bills and keeping the doors open, then you are doing OK.

But — and this is a big ‘but’ — as a one-person show, you are in an all-eggs-in-one-basket situation. That includes if you have the support of a partner or family member in the business — the rise and fall of the shop rests on your shoulders.

This is a constant source of stress many of my clients face. They’ll also tell me early on in our meetings that this is not what they signed up for.

Here’s the truth of the matter: It’s simple economics. You have complete volatility in your business. If you close for the week — whether you want to go off for training or you get sick — there is no revenue. And there’s nothing worse. We all know what it’s like to work through injuries because the work has to get done.

If the above sounds familiar, consider that it’s time to think about moving to the next phase of your business: Expansion.

It’s not an easy road to travel. But by undertaking a few practical strategies for scaling up your solo business and unlocking new levels for you and your family, there is a path towards success.

Evaluation

The first step is to evaluate your time during a typical month. What adds money to your bottom line but you’re not very good at doing and spending more time than necessary?

There will be lots of “experts” telling you to analyze your business from all sorts of metrics and make business plans out of your ears.

From experience, by the time you get home after serving your customers all day, the last thing that you want to do is build a plan or stare at numbers that nobody ever taught you how to understand.

My advice is to not worry about any of that. Just look at the hours sold per day and the gross profit that you are making. That’s the start. As a single operator, if you’re not making 8 hours per day minimum, then you are spinning your wheels on other stuff. It’s time to change what you are doing.

“You don’t have to do it all yourself. Your existing customer base constitutes a priceless asset that can propel sustained growth.”

Path

The first step created a gap analysis. In its simplest form, it shows where the path to expansion might be. Look at the potential for replacing you for the tasks that waste time so that you can focus on what you do for the business. What are those roles? What are the tasks associated with it? This will tell you the type of person you need in your shop.

So that means you need to find someone with experience in that role. Emphasis on ‘experience in that role.’ Simply put, you don’t have the time to train a new person in what they need to do.

But remember, you are going to need to train them on your way of doing business. This means daily communication to go over the operating processes you already know in your head. People are not mind readers.

Upgrades

As your solo venture expands, so must your facility and resources. Invest in upgrading equipment and tools to support heightened demand and production capacity. But equipment purchases must make business sense. Don’t go all-in for a piece of equipment that you are going to use once.

You might need to enlarge your physical space by leasing a larger garage or new commercial property to accommodate your growing operations. It also might be as simple as taking a good look at your facility and giving it a coat of paint to elevate the look and feel for your upcoming larger customer base. As a first step, this makes a world of difference.

In order to pay for this, you need to upgrade and broaden your customer base. Extend your market to propel growth.

Invest in targeted marketing and advertising endeavours to reach your demographics and generate leads. This can be done on social media channels such as Instagram or Facebook. It might be pairing up with local businesses to offer your services to them and their customers.

You don’t have to do it all yourself. Your existing customer base constitutes a priceless asset that can propel sustained growth. Foster customer loyalty by delivering exceptional products, services and experiences. Nurturing robust relationships with your customers cultivates brand loyalty and advocacy, aiding long-term growth and profitability.

Have your customers be your promoters by posting about their experience on Facebook and tag you, for example. Google Reviews are also important. Do not underestimate the power of this step.

This is a very look at a complex subject. But if you’re struggling with your current business, then looking to expand could give you more of that satisfaction you desired when first starting out.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of  repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

This article originally appeared in the June issue of CARS

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The livelihood of independent automotive repair shops is facing threats from multiple fronts. As vehicles continue on a path of technological advancement, threats like right to repair and dealer growth in traditional aftermarket circles put added pressure on the independent aftermarket to ensure it’s at the top of its game.

But from the point of view of jobbers, many of their automotive service provider partners — those of you who are reading this very magazine — are not putting in the effort to stay ahead and fend off the many risks at play.

The aftermarket can sell itself as being superior to the dealer experience in many ways but the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Customer Service Index Study found that consumers aren’t concerned enough to be moved. Even as parts supply became delayed, technician shortages took a toll and wait times increased, customer satisfaction with dealership service experiences showed improvement this year.

“Dealers’ DIFM share bottomed in 2014, and they are now rebuilding their repair market strength,” said the report, DIFM Battle: Independents vs. Dealers from Lang Marketing.

Dealers have put a focus on the do-it-for-me segment of the automotive aftermarket. In a separate report, Lang Marketing further noted that service station and garage market share has been on the decline.

“Their evolving service bay strategy included the addition of quick service lanes by many dealers and a growing dealer focus on used vehicles, which have boosted their DIFM volume,” Lang noted in its report, SS & Garage Spinout Alters the DIFM Market.

As many industry observers and coaches have observed, the aftermarket is in need of greater training to keep up with the rapidly evolving advancements in current vehicles. Failure to do so will push vehicle owners into the dealership’s waiting bays.

That sentiment was echoed by jobbers who called out the lack of business management skills and interest in training among their ASP partners in the CARS Annual Jobber Survey.

“Most shop owners are excellent mechanics, but many have never had any formal training in business management,” noted one survey participant.

The survey was sent out to jobbers made up of readers from Jobber News, the sister publication of CARS. The first question asked about was the most common mistake their ASP partners make. Easily at the top with one-third of respondents agreeing, it was a lack of proper business management procedures.

Most respondents shared a similar feeling: This skills gap manifests in various ways, from misunderstanding margins to inefficient inventory management, which directly impacts both profitability and customer satisfaction.

This translated over to a lack of training among ASPs. While fewer than a quarter could count on the best of the best to show up to training seminars, three in five (62 per cent) reported that they’re rebuffed by their ASP partners who say they’re too busy to attend such events.

“The constantly evolving knowledge needed to complete the total repair isn’t being learned by all techs, which puts the shops at a disadvantage,” one respondent observed.

“Shops and employees are often not motivated to update and improve their skills. There’s a lot of apathy,” another noted.

A pair of respondents pointed out that many technicians are older, nearing retirement. Their interest in learning new skills is low.

“The average age for my techs is certainly getting older; not interested in learning new,” one of them said.

Others, however, sympathized with shop owners and technicians. One noted that if you’re in a rural area, it’s difficult to get training locally.

“For us, we are too remote for most in-person training and online just doesn’t seem to have the same draw,” one observed.

This was a concern for Mike Howard, manager of garage operations at 2023 Shop of the Year Art Turney’s Garage. Being in Peterborough, Ontario, about two hours outside of Toronto, he noted that it’s hard to get training while being so far out of a major centre.

Timing is another issue — and one where jobbers feel for shop owners.

“Staffing shortages are causing the current workforce to put in more time and after-hours training is not as important as being able to relax and unwind to many,” one respondent highlighted.

And while one respondent above noted that online training isn’t much of a draw, another pushed for more webcast training that can be done during convenient times throughout the workday.

So while jobbers are concerned about the lack of shop training taking place, they understand the barriers. That said, jobbers also want to see more initiative.

And that extends beyond technical training — shop owners need to get solid business training and understand more than just the basics.

“It is not easy to understand the difference between markup and gross profit,” one noted. “Many people get it wrong and think they are the same.”

Respondents called for shop owners to seek out opportunities. “They should take a course at college or online,” one suggested.

Parts quality

Shops have been regularly complaining about parts quality. The most recent complaints were outlined in the Jobber News Annual Shop Survey. So the question was put to jobbers: How are they ensuring parts meet the quality standards shops want?

Most answers matched a common theme: Jobbers only want to sell shops quality parts. They will push shops to buy better parts. But at the end of the day, what they sell depends on what shops want to buy.

“We always suggest and have a premium offering for all applications,” one respondent said before pointing out “We also have your price-conscience parts available.”

And it seems there’s a lot of price-consciousness taking place, according to jobbers.

“Shops do their best [and] use cheaper parts to keep customers [happy],” observed one respondent.

“It’s a fine line. Some shops like cheap, some like good parts,” said another.

For the majority, jobbers aim to keep good quality parts in stock, though it’s not easy.

“If we have a ‘white box’ line, it is top quality,” one jobber said. “If we don’t feel it is a premium, we don’t put it in. Additionally, we focus on stocking top quality premium brand name parts so we have less warranty. Getting well-priced premium parts is a challenge sometimes and a balancing act. Price does matter.”

Another did acknowledge the challenge of poor parts quality circulating these days.

“We have no way of sourcing ‘better’ parts. Aftermarket is certainly suspect quality. I have been in the jobber industry for 43 years and used to feel many lines we sold were an improvement to OE but I certainly can’t say that about the offshore product we sell today. With online pricing becoming the benchmark, the race to the bottom will likely ensure quality will keep sliding as well.”

Another pointed out that they’re always pushing their suppliers to not just make sure premium parts are meeting quality standards but also everything they provide.

“We’re offering parts that we know are of good quality first, then second line that we have a good record with,” explained another jobber. “Finally, only if price or availability dictates, we will offer a brand we don’t have a history with. Sometimes if we have a bad history with a brand and there is not an available alternative, we will opt not to sell the part at all. In doing so, we save the ASP, vehicle owner and ourselves a lot of trouble.”

Regular meetings

Shops should feel that they have the opportunity to raise concerns with their jobber partners, especially when many are making an effort to meet regularly.

However, jobbers pointed out that it’s often difficult to meet with their ASPs because of limited availability on the shop’s side.

“The time and interest on their part is often lacking,” one respondent pointed out. “We should be discussing their shop needs (equipment and training), as well as ways in which we can both work to improve our relationship and help each other.”

Another would like the opportunity to talk about service, features and program benefits. But “Availability is probably the main stumbling block currently,” they said. “Everybody is busy.”

Some jobbers will try to have their outside sales team talk to shop owners. But that can prove difficult. Indeed, shop owners are busy during the day and too tired after, one jobber noted. “The motivation is not there to schedule a meeting that works. Only when there is a problem does the motivation to meet arise.”

Most jobbers (33 per cent) said they get out to their shop customers quarterly, while quarterly and monthly meetings were each the preference of about a quarter. Fewer than one-in-five said they do so annually.

They would like to talk to their shop partners more about their business goals and strategies to make sure they’re offering a valuable service that matches their needs. “And I’d like to know before any misalignments become a problem or an opening for my competition,” one noted.

Jobbers are also open to talking about training, products offered, margins, prices, competition and more.

But, as one respondent highlighted, they find the shop owner without the technician background to be more receptive to not just meetings but being receptive to new ideas.

“The non-tech owner is more receptive to info and new ways to grow and get better,” they said.

Selling to the DIYer

A common and ongoing gripe from shop owners has been the fact that a consumer can walk into a retailer and buy a part for the same price as the shop. But the shop will buy it, charge a mark up and get negative feedback from the customer.

We asked jobbers to address this area of concern. One emphasized that there’s no simple answer.

“Starts with manufacturers and the very different deals that they make with different groups and different price sheets in different regions and countries. Speaks to different business models [that] are marketing the products,” they said.

And while the manufacturer will say they don’t dictate at what price the product is sold, “I have been told that my online site will never work because I do not sell wholesale online and offer free shipping,” the jobber said. “I also make sure that my wholesale customers can make a decent margin if they sold it for the same as my counter price.”

That means figuring out if a jobber wants to be an online seller, a brick-and-mortar wholesaler or a retailer. This respondent called on manufacturers to protect jobbers that service local shops “by not selling to outfits that destroy traditional marketing chains.”

This respondent said they have dropped manufacturers where online prices are cheaper than what they have on their shelves.

“Manufacturers have to decide who they sell to based on how their products are represented. The playing field is not really fair if a jobber has to compete with a large WD or online reseller who is marketing directly into any market. It will eventually kill local brick and mortar stores.”

Nevertheless, there are jobbers out there committed to making sure their shop customers get the best price.

“We strive to protect our relationship with our shops as they are the most valuable customers we have in terms of purchasing and future growth,” said one respondent who noted that it’s rare for a customer to get the same price as a shop customer.

Another said they have a retail price and one for the pros. “The shop is still my first concern,” they said.

One respondent pointed out they wouldn’t do this and if they did, they’d certainly hear about it.

“Doing this is a big no-no. We have proper pricing structures in place so this does not happen, or at least never happens,” they said, “Yes we have been caught before but usually there is a reasonable explanation for the sale. Our top 300 customers should never run into this happening.”

Blocking customers from bringing in their own parts — presumably one they purchased from the local store — would curb retail sales on its own, one respondent noted.

However, “there is a market for DIY,” another jobber pointed out. “Not a fan of customer buying parts [and] taking [them ] to ASP’s place to get installed but garage management consultants are now recommending a 60 per cent margin instead of getting labour rates up. Cannot buy labour at a parts supplier or online.”

That all said, one respondent simply commented, “Why not if they want to buy them?”

Challenges

Jobbers have seen positive gains in their issues from a year ago. Unfortunately, a new one in particular has jumped to the forefront.

In 2023, 53 per cent of jobbers reported that parts availability and the supply chain were their biggest issues. This year, that has dropped to 38 per cent. Staffing concerns also fell — what was a top challenge for 35 per cent last year, that has dropped to a top concern for 19 per cent of jobbers.

On the flip side, parts price challenges have grown, matching parts availability at 38 per cent, growing six-fold in concern over the last year.

That was something jobbers saw coming. When asked last year to predict their top challenge going forward, parts prices (35 per cent) was the top pick. And that’s a concern that is only going to grow this year — nearly half (48 per cent) predict prices will be the top concern.

“Trying to compete with the online discounters is going to get more challenging as time goes on,” observed a respondent.

“Prices need to stabilize and be more consistent to regain customer confidence,” said another.

Meanwhile, they expect parts supply to continue to ease with 24 per cent expecting it to be a top issue going forward.

Indeed, 81 per cent reported that their inventory levels have sufficiently recovered and they’re able to meet customer needs.

“For the most part [customers have] understood, but there have been numerous discussions to make sure we both understand each other’s perspective on the matter,” one respondent said.

They want you to know…

There’s much to the jobber business that store owners feel that are missed by their ASP partners.

When evaluating your jobber, look at the whole package, one urged. “Don’t look just at price, look at service as well — time of deliveries, credits done efficiently, etc.”

Many noted that they have little control over prices, so don’t take it out on them or, especially, counter staff.

“We get very little say in the prices that are set. We are constantly working to see improvements for them,” one said.

“We all need to make a profit all costs are going up. ASPs do not like their customers shopping around but they do it constantly,” said another.

“We are not trying to gouge them on pricing — we need profit also,” one responded. “We are going as fast as we can on our deliveries while still trying to be efficient.”

And each shop is unique. Your jobber is trying to meet the demands of various clients. “We spend a lot of valuable time trying to keep on top of each and everyone’s specific needs, maintain a good relationship with all. Service and relationship goes along way,” one pointed out.

One thing that can’t be lost: Everyone is a partner and needs to act as such.

“We want and need you to succeed and we need you to want us to succeed,” a jobber said. “It is definitely a two-way street. And if it isn’t then the business will not last.”

And when you need help, ask for it, one jobber urged. “The thing that customers are often good at, but could be better, is letting us know when they face challenges. We’re here to help. But we can’t if we don’t know there’s a problem. Speak up. We’re listening.”

This article originally appeared in the June issue of CARS

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Canadian jobbers had their turn to voice their thoughts about how shop owners are running their businesses. And they have concerns.

It’s all laid out in the latest issue of CARS magazine.

In the Annual Jobber Survey, jobbers overwhelmingly raised red flags around the training — or lack thereof — taking place with many of their shop partners. That includes management training for owners and technical training for staff.

Flip through the feature to see how high their level of concern is. Plus check out their responses when asked about key shop pain points like parts quality and selling parts at the same price to retail consumers.

We have columnist Greg Aguilera talking about the right time to take your shop from a one-person operation to a multi-employee venture.

Zakari Krieger examines the 80/20 rule system and why it may be a great idea in theory, your jobber parts are actually putting themselves at risk if they keep to that plan.

After an unseasonably warm winter for much of Canada, Erin Vaughan writes about how the weather shouldn’t dictate your business. If you’re planning things right, you should have a steady stream of customers, no matter the season.

Then check out our On The Road sections where we visited the Worldpac STX event in Nashville and Lordco Trade Show in Vancouver.

And there’s more, like Letter, News, Class Act, By the Number and more. Check out the issue today!

The post Jobbers offer advice in this issue of CARS appeared first on Auto Service World.

In the fast-paced world of automotive parts aftermarket, staying ahead means more than just knowing your inventory inside and out. It’s about understanding the intricate dance between suppliers, shop owners, and consumers – a dance that’s often overlooked in the rush to educate on the latest products and technologies.

As someone who has spent considerable time organizing and participating in parts training evenings, I’ve come to question the true impact of these efforts as a strategic sales tactic. While educating clients on the technical aspects of products is important, it often fails to address the underlying relationship dynamics that can make or break a business, evolving past that transactional relationship.

Reflecting on my experience running a national retail network, I’ve come to appreciate the paramount importance of customer health. It’s a timeless principle, yet one that is sometimes overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of product knowledge.

Jobbers looking to grow their businesses would do well to shift their focus towards enhancing the overall customer experience. This means investing in marketing strategies, understanding key performance indicators (KPIs), and most importantly, nurturing the relationship between shop owners and their clientele.

Ultimately, being a jobber means that our relationship with the shops is transactional. However, for years, we focused on organizing coaching performance groups for our clients as a proxy for the type of services a network would provide focusing on building profitability and operational performance. The shops would meet monthly, and we would come in at some point during the meeting for a short update on some product or business-related updates.

This created quite an effective bridge with product-related communication. However, this was done in a setting where such a topic wasn’t the main focus.

The shops had the obligation monthly to pull their numbers from their operating system and do inputs into a centralized file based on some of the core KPIs, that shops can use to pull value levers within the business.

Some key focuses include inspections performed, average estimates and labour hours billed. Additionally, the shops would focus on more quantitative items like shop image, customer service and coaching service advisors for performance and customer experience.

Ultimately, the health of the jobber is the health of the shop, thus creating an environment and relationship past selling parts and honing in on supporting the shop in a different way was a key focus to our success with our clients as a jobber.

In today’s landscape, it’s not just about selling parts — it’s about fostering an environment where customers feel valued and supported throughout their automotive journey. This entails offering personalized solutions, providing expert guidance, and going above and beyond to ensure satisfaction at every turn.

I firmly believe that by prioritizing the health of the customer, jobbers can unlock new avenues for growth and success. By coaching their clients on broader business strategies and helping them optimize their operations, jobbers can position themselves as invaluable partners in the quest for excellence.

Ultimately, the success of a parts store hinges not just on the quality of its products, but on the strength of its relationships. This example highlights the transformative power of prioritizing customer health and relationship-building in the automotive parts industry. By focusing on enhancing the overall customer experience and fostering meaningful connections with clients, jobbers and shop owners alike can unlock new opportunities for growth and success in an increasingly competitive market.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

The article originally appeared in the May issue of Jobber News

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These days, it is hard to escape artificial intelligence (AI). From search bars to Facebook, AI tools are being increasingly integrated into our daily lives and activities.

Parts pricing — or any pricing for that matter — is not immune to AI. The topic often comes up in my conversations with clients. One client even pointed out that they have started to use AI in their pricing decisions. Since AI applications are at a nascent stage across most organizations, I was curious about how this company was using AI in their pricing decisions. On more probing, it was clear that they were not using AI at all. They were automating some processes and actions, which they conflated with AI implementation.

True AI — one that can provide generative decisions and actions based on complex variables — is still far from reality in pricing action. Large retail companies are now beginning to explore the possibilities of AI in their revenue growth strategy. But it is still early days.

As far as I know, AI has yet to meaningfully penetrate the realm of parts pricing. But where does the practice stand today? How can professionals adopt AI in their tool kit? What will be the ROI?

The state of AI in parts pricing

Today, at its best, aftersales pricing actions hover between rules-based pricing and quasi-automation, the latter generally actioned through pricing software. At its worst, there is no strategy with outcomes determined by experience, instinct and Excel. Shockingly, the latter makes up most of the industry and is rampant even among large-sized companies.

Retailers are the furthest ahead in the game. They are utilizing some of the advanced automation tools that good software can offer. Their pricing actions are driven by multiple factors: Economic, customer, financial, competitive and volumetric. But the outcomes are still driven by rules created by pricing teams.

In other words, a price change is still dependent on logic developed, built and altered by human input.

In a true AI environment, pricing action will be autonomous and self-sustaining. The tool/software will be learning, correcting and optimizing itself along the way without human intervention.

Here’s an example: Currently, pricing professionals put caps on price increases and decreases in their rule sets to ensure that prices do not go beyond a certain threshold that could potentially undermine competitiveness and margin targets. These caps must be tweaked periodically to ensure alignment with market requirements. AI would eliminate the need for these manual adjustments. It will automatically consider the business imperatives acquired through training models and adjust these thresholds on its own.

Using AI in parts pricing

AI opens up various possibilities for pricing strategy. Even with automation, custom pricing for individual parts in a portfolio is nearly impossible. AI will enable companies to target the individual nuances of each SKU and price those products accordingly to maximize not just revenue, but also customer value. For instance, certain high-moving SKUs can be autonomously monitored for seasonality, competition and economy. The prices for these SKUs can be reliably adjusted when one or more of these factors change without human intervention.

Similar things can be done in another context. If a supplier or retailer has ‘good, better, best’ portfolio, AI can be set up to self-adjust, while keeping the relative price distance between these products required to maintain value perception. Companies can also automatically price according to sales channels.

AI can also help users implement automatic geo-pricing — that is, creating specific prices based on region, city or postal codes. Some U.S. parts retailers have already begun to action them but, as AI improves, these actions will become more dynamic, leveraging factors such as real-time demand and inventory.

Benefits and costs

The key benefits of AI are self-evident. The most critical one is the ability to find micro-opportunities that are mostly likely missed by both manual analysis and automation. Another key advantage would be predictive analysis. Current tools rely on historical data to guide decisions. Of course, complex statistics are used to make forecasts, but they’re limited by human and software capabilities. AI will allow companies to anticipate price changes and take actions automatically.

While there is little doubt about the ROI of AI, many companies may balk at costs. First, there is the cost of technology. Companies such as Microsoft and Google have already made waves with their decisions to charge business-to-business customers for their AI tools. When pricing software companies start fully integrating into their products, costs will go up.

But the AI bill does not end there. AI specialists are in high demand and are extremely expensive to hire. While user companies will not lead large AI teams, they will still need professionals who have a strong knowledge of implementing and running AI tools. AI will also require data — tons of it. Companies can also expect their information costs to soar in their AI journey.

But these investments will be critical, as they will separate the winners from the losers.

Kumar Saha is vice president (U.S.)/managing director (Canada) of global automotive data firm Eucon. He has been advising the North American automotive industry for over a decade and is a frequent conference speaker and media commentator. He is based out of Toronto.

The article originally appeared in the May issue of Jobber News

The post From the Magazine: Is pricing ready for artificial intelligence? appeared first on Auto Service World.

Many companies across various sectors will boast about why they offer the best service, focusing on the quality of the products they sell.

But if you were to ask shop owners, they might suggest that the automotive aftermarket is falling behind in this area.

The Jobber News Annual Shop Survey was sent out to readers of this magazine’s sister publication CARS to find out what has changed in the opinions of shop leaders over the last 12 months as some level of normalcy and consistency has settled into the industry.

Two years ago, availability was by far the top concern with it being highlighted in nearly 94 per cent of responses. Last year, it dropped to the mid-80s per cent range.

The narrative over those two years focused on the importance of relationships and its relegation to the back burner in 2022 before it returned as a top-three factor of importance.

Inventory seems to have improved but one thing is for certain — if you want to be a first-call jobber, having products in stock will be your bread and butter.

However, this alone can’t guarantee success. From the responses we received from shop leaders, it’s clear they expect more than just availability — price and quality are equally crucial.

Indeed, following availability, quality was the most frequently mentioned factor when respondents had the chance to comment.

Moreover, some are willing to overlook price concerns if their jobber provides high-quality auto parts and components.

“Having a relationship where my needs are prioritized and high-quality parts are available is worth way more to me than a few dollars of savings on parts,” one respondent wrote. “I sell time, which means I need good parts in a reasonable amount of time, so I can keep my techs moving and not have to do a bunch of warranty work.”

Indeed, this type of comment was common throughout responses. By having quality products, shops can’t use their time effectively. There is less worry about comebacks if they know what is being installed on the customers’ cars is a quality part.

“We want to be able to order our parts online and have quality parts available at a reasonable price,” observed one responder. “We want the parts quickly to keep jobs moving and the program system is just an added bonus.”

Availability

The survey was modified a touch from years past. Rather than being asked to pick all of the top reasons they consider when they call a jobber, they were asked to list the top one and then separately list other factors.

Availability/inventory reigned supreme on both counts. About 45 per cent picked that as their top reason with relationship trailing well behind at 26 per cent. Price rounded out the top three at 11 per cent.

When asked to pick the other factors, availability was selected by 65 per cent of respondents with price much closer at 58 per cent. Relationship placed third at 46 per cent.

Naturally, shops want their jobber to have every part readily available so they can get the work for the vehicle sitting in their shop completed. Easier said than done, it appears in some cases.

“We need parts today,” one respondent said, simply.

“We need availability and prompt delivery at a competitive price,” another said.

“You can’t sell/install what you don’t have,” read another response. “And if the supplier is ‘difficult’ then ‘everything’ is difficult. If inventory and relationship is good, all of the other factors mentioned can be worked out.”

One respondent outlined the importance to getting parts delivered to their shop quickly.

“We want to be able to get the job done as soon as possible to limit inconvenience,” they wrote. “We want prices to be competitive. We like to look up parts ourselves to make sure that we can ensure accuracy. I like to buy from people that care about succeeding (us and them).”

If a jobber can’t recognize the importance of a shop’s time, then the partnership is not worth having, outlined one response.

“I would like a jobber to be able to get me the proper parts, good brand selection and stand behind legitimate issues,” they added, before noting a common complaint that has been around for a long time.

“I also don’t want clients to tell me (and prove it) that they can get the same part at the same or lower price. All my time, as well as that of the jobber, has been lost/wasted and, therefore, lost revenue.”

Relationships

The shop-jobber relationship may be one the most dynamic ones going. Few, if any, industries can say they can call a store, order a part and have it show up the same day, even within an hour.

But that doesn’t mean shops are dancing through fields of rainbows and lollipops over their relationship with their jobber. There are key issues they say often need to be addressed to enhance service levels.

“A knowledgeable counterperson and someone who can think out of the box is important,” explained one respondent. “Relationships help with preferences to brands.”

Another complained about the lack of specialized local knowledge. They would rather have someone with boots on the ground telling them what they need, rather than someone in an office who may be in another part of the country.

“The level of top-down corporate management is staggering,” they lamented. “They should put more faith in their local managers to decide what is and isn’t viable to stock locally. They know us better than anyone.”

For some, price isn’t as important when they know they have a solid relationship with their jobber. “Price is not always important as long as they have the parts. And intelligent counter employees are often few and far between,” one said.

On the topic of counter staff, even though talent options are limited, shops don’t have time to waste with someone who isn’t interested in the business.

“If you have a counterperson that does not know anything about vehicles, then that makes that business worthless. Then they should leave us as clients to look up our own parts by opening up their catalogues to us,” one respondent said.

They then went on to explain their frustrating process: “So many times I am looking for a certain part and know that they should have a listing. But the counterman has no clue where to look. Then I need to source a different shop that gives me a part number, then reach back out to the same person I originally spoke with but now giving a part number, who then does in fact have inventory for the original search.

“This leaves an enormous concern from these so-called questionable suppliers.”

Why they leave

Shops are pretty consistent with their reasonings for why they give up their first-call jobber. The top two most common phrases used to describe their desire to leave were product availability and quality of products.

One put the issue squarely on the shoulders of the counterperson.

“Counterperson ignorance. No other reason. Total ignorance of my time and time spent trying to get them to understand what I am looking for,” they complained.

They called on jobbers to be more thorough in their hiring practices to make sure they’re qualified to handle the job.

“Then add some training also. Don’t hire someone and leave him to answer calls knowing this individual knows absolutely nothing about the job,” they added. “That tells me this jobber has no interest in helping a clientele that took years to build up.”

Another hammered home issue on pricing, saying their jobber refused to believe their competitor was selling the same parts for less. And when confronted with data, brushed them aside.

Here’s what they told us: “Steadfastly refused to believe that their competition was considerably less than they were on identical parts, even after printing off months of proof, given to the rep to show the branch and regional reps. They cherry-picked one or two they were slightly better on and called it done. But just flat-out refused to believe they were on average 25-30 per cent higher cost.”

So this shop walked away from the relationship because of the frustrating experience, pointing the blame on the jobber becoming part of a larger entity.

“Too bad because we loved dealing with the rep and the branch. Great people, working under corporate myopia. This happened when they merged and became the largest jobber in North America,” they said. “Years later, we still price-check them on a regular basis but nothing has changed. They miss out on a share of my annual $400k-550k parts purchases”

Who you gonna call?

It seems these grievances are impacting how many options shops are adding to their list of calls for parts.

Last year, 41 per cent of respondents said they contact just one or two jobbers for all their needs every month. That number is down to 35 per cent. Half of respondents said they’re calling three or four different jobbers per month. About 10 per cent are reaching out to five or six stores.

However, shops have not increased their reliance on dealers, compared to last year. Nearly half (46 per cent) said about one in 10 products they order are from dealers; 37 per cent said they get 11-25 per cent of product for dealers. Combined, 83 per cent said they get upwards of a quarter of their products from dealers.

That’s more or less in line with last year when 84 per cent said so.

Still, shops said they’re turning to dealers in part because of product availability and also quality.

“Slightly more due to availability and reliability of the parts,” one respondent said when asked if they were increasing their orders from dealers.

“Not sure of percentage but the increase has come from a complete lack of quality in many aftermarket parts,” noted a respondent.

Dealers are also being more competitively priced, one response noted. “Availability — some parts are not available from jobbers, parts that work. More and more aftermarket parts have too many failures,” they added.

One specifically pointed out oxygen sensors as an issue in the aftermarket. “Aftermarket just cant get it right. Have to continually price shop with dealer parts because a lot of times dealer prices are less than the aftermarket,” they said. “Unfortunately, you have to do what is best for the customer even if it means I lose my margins.”

Another complained about quality as a reason for turning more to the dealer for parts.

“I’ve been in business for 40 years and I am seeing too much white-boxing happening in the aftermarket,” they wrote. “Checking prices, dealerships are still in line and sometimes cheaper and better quality.”

Another respondent pointed out their frustration with their local jobber. The dealer is more of a one-stop-shop and seems to have a better grasp on their needs than the jobber.

“No sense in getting frustrated from a local jobber with no knowledge and getting wrong parts and wrong estimates,” they said. “I just resort to dealer purchasing. Chances are one-stop-shop with proper estimates.”

Online ordering

It’s a tale of two ends of the spectrum when it comes to online ordering by shops. Just more than half (51.4 per cent) of respondents said they order at least 70 per cent of their products online. Drilling deeper, 20 per cent say they each do 80-90 per cent and 90-100 per cent of their orders online.

The exact same number, 20 per cent, say less than 10 per cent of their ordering is done online.

So there are equal numbers of those doing almost all their parts orders online as there are doing almost none.

What do shops enjoy about ordering online? It seems to come down to the ease.

“Minimal issues with online ordering,” said one.

“Online ordering is the best. You have control of your order and are eliminating the counter person who may not understand your query or order requirements,” highlighted another.

Another noted that they know exactly what they need, better than the jobber store’s staff, so they go ahead and order it themselves and avoid the middle man, so to speak.

“We definitely order more online each year over year. We can order directly through our software (which saves a step). It works for efficiency and record keeping but not if you have product or technical questions,” noted one response.

“Online ordering is pretty good. Idle chit chat wastes time. They could do better by identifying quality of the parts listed,” observed a respondent.

For one shop, the owner has their techs order the parts so the onus is on them to get it right.

“I like someone to be accountable if the parts are not correct. My technicians do not want to make a mistake,” they wrote.

One respondent noted that they order online begrudgingly. “Not happy about online ordering but at times looking after the client is more important than the opinion of the jobbers,” they said. “The jobber could pay more attention to what we are working on and what we are ordering. We know what we want. We don’t rely on the jobber to know.”

It’s not a perfect system and there is room for much improvement. In particular, accurate on-hands numbers as well as a way to track the progress of the order are top requests of shops.

“The biggest issues is lack of communication if there is a problem with a parts availability. And also the lack of information pertaining to where parts are. Information is key, any jobber should know this,” one answer read.

“Sometimes the sites are not very accurate with in-stock, and/or availability. Real-time updates are important,” noted another.

“Jobbers are doing a decent job but sometimes stock of parts is an issue,” stressed one response.

Inflation challenges

Inflation hasn’t been kind to general consumers and those shopping in the automotive aftermarket are no exception.

According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, vehicle maintenance and repair saw prices increase in 2023. Service and replacement parts jumped 5.3 per cent and 5.8 per cent, respectively.

For the most parts, shops are navigating as best they can. Most customers seem to expect the increased prices. Some shops note that low prices are certainly not the way to go in this business.

“Low price is not an advantage,” one respondent noted. “Customers want quality, installers want proper fit — not junk.”

Another respondent agreed. “Cost vs. quality is more important. First time fixed should be the priority so even the economy parts need better quality control.”

“We are very clear to customers that cheaper parts are not always the best choice,” echoed another.

But for the most part, shops are keeping their margins the same and passing on the higher costs to customers.

“Prices go up, up, up but we have to pass it on to the customer. They understand that it is the current economic situation that we are all in. Inflation has not impacted the parts we order. We continue to purchase what we (our customers) need. We try to always by ‘value’ (good quality at a fair price). The jobbers meet our needs and generally do a fantastic job of it,” one respondent said.

Another also noted the helpfulness of their jobber.

Consumers and all of us understand that prices on everything have gone up. As an independent shop, we need to make sure that we are current with our prices to stay in business. Our jobber sales reps help. I will not sacrifice quality over price,” they said.

But it’s hard to justify price increases when suppliers are not keeping up with quality, one respondent pointed out.

“It has to be noted that even ‘good’ name brands of the past have had a sharply noticeable increase in defective or poor fitting products over the last decade. Too many parts manufacturers are trading on their good name/solid reputations delivering poor product,” they said.

This is pushing shops to look at dealers for parts.

“Because we always want to sell only quality, hence we have to deal primarily in OEM parts. The aftermarket has failed miserably on the quality score,” they warned.

The article originally appeared in the May issue of Jobber News

The post From the Magazine: Quality control appeared first on Auto Service World.

Electric vehicles (EVs) provide environmental benefits, enhanced technology and lower fuel costs. But repair shops and fleet operators are facing a pivotal moment as EVs become increasingly prevalent.

Although some repair shops have successfully transitioned, many continue to struggle with effectively servicing EVs due to their unique requirements.

Unlike traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs are equipped with intricate electronic systems, high-voltage components and specialized battery technology. Addressing these challenges requires highly skilled technicians well-versed in EV diagnostics, repair procedures and safety protocols, alongside a developing supply network aimed at minimizing maintenance and repair delays.

Let’s review the various factors contributing to EV repair delays and the challenges faced by technicians, facility operators, manufacturers, and consumers.

Limited service infrastructure

Compared to traditional auto repair facilities, the infrastructure for servicing EVs is still evolving. Many repair shops may lack the specialized equipment, charging stations, proper location or certified technicians to effectively manage EV diagnostics and repairs. This can lead to longer wait times as owners travel to authorized service centers or wait for mobile technicians to become available, especially in areas with limited EV adoption.

EV repairs involve stringent safety protocols due to the high-voltage systems present in these vehicles. Technicians and repair facilities must adhere to strict safety guidelines to prevent accidents or damage to the vehicle and personnel.

Technicians require specialized training to diagnose and troubleshoot issues unique to electric vehicles. This includes handling electric components and following manufacturer-recommended procedures. Furthermore, technicians need an understanding of high-voltage systems, battery management, regenerative braking, electric motor operation, heating and cooling systems as well as using insulated tools and personal protective equipment.

Enhanced diagnostic skills can expedite the identification of problems, leading to faster repair turnaround, increased local billable hours and often lower cost as well as inconvenience to the customer.

Unlike traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs rely on specialized batteries, electric motors and electronic systems, which may not be readily available in local markets.

Supply chain challenges

One of the primary reasons for EV repair delays is the intricate supply chain involved in sourcing parts and components.

Unlike traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs rely on specialized batteries, electric motors and electronic systems, which may not be readily available in local markets. This can lead to extended wait times as repair shops and manufacturers struggle to procure the necessary parts, especially for less common models or older EVs.

As we know, this is not isolated to EV and hybrid vehicles as many new vehicles have experienced computer chip and other component delays leading to new vehicle delivery periods that can be as much as 24 months. The pandemic can’t only be blamed for these issues: I purchased a new 2019 Ram 1500 — although an excellent vehicle, I waited almost four months for a windshield and over six months for a replacement stereo system which is integrated with the navigation system, requiring the entire unit be replaced. This leads to our next factor.

Technical complexity

The advanced technology powering EVs presents a double-edged sword. While it offers superior performance and efficiency, it also increases the complexity of repairs.

Unlike conventional vehicles with familiar mechanical systems, EVs incorporate intricate electronic systems, software integration, and high-voltage components. This complexity can lead to increased potential for breakdown and increased time to repair. It also requires highly skilled technicians with specialized training and tools, leading to a shortage of qualified personnel capable of addressing EV-specific issues promptly.

As of writing, I have two EVs currently at the dealership or waiting for parts. My Kia Soul EV has had a high-voltage battery replaced under warranty but has been waiting off and on for almost six months for parts to complete the repair. My other EV, a Volvo XC90 T8, is currently at the dealership for repair of the electrical system and they have reached out to their technical support team.

Dealers or manufacturers often have the benefit of reaching out to their technical teams either in Canada or abroad to support diagnostic issues, like what we have seen with computer systems and advanced electronics. Unfortunately, independent repair facilities or fleet operators that have not prepared for EVs in their shop may not have this level of support, often needing to rely on the local dealership or manufacturer leading to delays, fewer billable hours and customer frustration.

As of writing, I have two EVs currently at the dealership or waiting for parts.

Manufacturer support and parts availability

The level of support and parts availability from EV manufacturers varies widely, impacting repair timelines significantly.

Manufacturers may have robust support networks with readily available parts and technical assistance, leading to faster repairs and minimized downtime. However, others may struggle to meet demand, especially for older models or discontinued components, resulting in extended wait times and frustration for owners and repair shops alike.

Like computer systems, the advancements in EV electrical and battery systems coupled with limited production have led to some parts not being available.

Software and firmware updates

Although not new in today’s world of computer monitoring and control, EVs rely heavily on software and firmware to control various systems, including battery management, regenerative braking and drive modes.

While over-the-air updates have simplified software maintenance to some extent, they can also introduce new issues or compatibility issues with older hardware. Technicians must stay updated with the latest software protocols and diagnostic tools, adding another layer of complexity to repair processes and potential delays.

Battery­specific concerns

The battery pack is a critical component of any electric vehicle, and its repair or replacement can significantly impact repair timelines. Battery issues such as degradation, cell imbalance or thermal management problems require careful diagnosis and often involve specialized procedures.

Moreover, the cost of replacing a damaged or worn-out battery pack can be prohibitively expensive, leading to longer repair times as owners explore alternative solutions or seek warranty coverage.

Insurance and warranty procedures

Insurance coverage and warranty policies for EVs can also influence repair delays and customer experiences.

Delays may occur as repair shops navigate insurance claims, obtain approvals for repairs, or negotiate warranty coverage with manufacturers. My Kia Soul waited several weeks for various approvals under warranty.

Additionally, limited coverage for certain components or aftermarket modifications can complicate repair processes and lead to longer wait times as owners explore alternative options or seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.

Despite the challenges, the EV industry is actively pursuing innovative solutions to streamline repairs and reduce downtime.

Seeking solutions

Despite the challenges, the EV industry is actively pursuing innovative solutions to streamline repairs and reduce downtime. This includes advancements in predictive maintenance algorithms, remote diagnostics and modular design approaches that simplify component replacements.

Additionally, collaborations between automakers, repair networks, and technology firms aim to standardize repair procedures, improve parts availability and enhance overall service efficiency for EV owners.

By investing in comprehensive training programs that cover these essential areas and prepare for EVs, repair shops can empower their technicians to deliver faster and more efficient electric vehicle repairs. Additionally, ongoing education and certification programs ensure that technicians stay abreast of evolving EV technologies and industry best practices, further enhancing their ability to reduce wait times and improve overall service quality.

In general, repair delays stem from a combination of technical complexity, supply chain challenges, limited training or knowledge and evolving industry dynamics. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration across the automotive ecosystem, including manufacturers, repair facilities, regulators and consumers.

By investing in training, infrastructure, and technological innovation, the industry can overcome these obstacles and deliver a more seamless ownership experience for EV enthusiasts worldwide.

David Mayers is chief executive officer at Environmental Motorworks, an innovative services company centred on providing hands-on EV and hybrid training to technicians and fleet operators in the automotive and heavy equipment sectors.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of EV World

The post EV World: Repair delays appeared first on Auto Service World.

Canadian automotive repair shops share significant qualms about quality auto parts in the latest Annual Shop Survey from Jobber News.

Shops were surveyed about their partnership with jobbers. While parts availability is always top of mind, parts quality was an often-mentioned issue among survey respondents.

This issue of Jobber News dives into the results of the survey, gathering feedback from shops about quality concerns, how the availability of parts has changed, what they value most in their partnership with jobbers and other challenges they’re facing.

Then check out our columnists in this issue. Kumar Saha explores the possibility of using artificial intelligence in parts pricing. He explores the current state, how it can be used and key barriers in the way.

 

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Zakari Krieger examines how the jobber-shop relationship needs to be one that evolves past being simply transactional. He offers insights on how to change that.

We were on the road at Lordco’s annual trade show in Vancouver and the MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Vision Conference in Detroit and you can check out the highlights.

And there are also our usual sections like Letters, News, By the Numbers and Car-toon in the back. So grab your copy or click here to see the digital edition.

The post Shops make voices heard in the latest Jobber News appeared first on Auto Service World.

Consumer interest in electric vehicles jumped in 2023. In fact, zero-emission vehicles overall saw a greater market share of new vehicle registrations last year.

Data from S&P Global Mobility’s fourth quarter and year-end Canadian Automotive Insights reported ZEVs accounted for 11.7 per cent of new vehicle registrations last year, up from 8.9 per cent in 2022. BEVs accounted for 8.8 per cent while plug-ins made up the remaining 2.8 per cent. Both sets increased form the year before. Hybrids were 10.7 per cent of the market last year, compared to 7 per cent in 2022.

That means internal combustion engines saw its share drop from 84.1 per cent in 2022 to 77.6 per cent last year.

So EVs and alternatives to ICE vehicles are continuing to resonate with buyers in Canada. But that doesn’t mean the path to becoming a fully electrified society is without its bumps.

Education gap

There is still a large knowledge gap between fact and fiction when it comes to electric vehicles in Canada.

“We still get questions about electric vehicles and battery degradation, range, cold weather operation,” said Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association. He was speaking at TalkAuto, a gathering of automotive professionals representing the dealer, OE and new vehicle supply segments of the industry.

“There’s still a lot of questions that people have legitimate questions,” he added. “So there’s more to be done on education to explain the technology and help many people make the switch.”

Representatives from several automakers agreed with this sentiment this recently. They acknowledged that consumer education is something they need to work on as electrification moves forward. At the Canadian International AutoShow this year, EV World spoke to representatives from Chevrolet, Stellantis, Ford and Volvo about electrifying the Canadian car parc.

Holly Broome, national marketing manager of Chevrolet cars and crossovers, emphasized the important role of education in overcoming range anxiety and other consumer concerns holding Canadians back from making the switch to electric.

“We have to do a lot more education to help customers understand what owning an EV is really like,” she said.

“There’s still a lot of questions that people have legitimate questions. So there’s more to be done on education to explain the technology and help many people make the switch.”

For example, most charging is done at home, reducing pressure on public infrastructure.

“Once folks realize that, it puts less pressure on needing to understand the infrastructure when they’re out and about on the road.”

Stellantis has put out its first fully electric vehicle, the Fiat 500e.

“Part of introducing that vehicle is definitely educating consumers on what it’s like to live with a battery electric vehicle,” explained Brad Horn, product communications manager at Stellantis Canada. “It’s even started with things like educating people on how the federal EV incentives or the provincial ones because that vehicle is going to be introduced in B.C. and in Quebec first.”

The company now plans to have half of its vehicle sales be electric by 2030.

“So while we will build the EVs and market them — we have six of them coming this year — there will still definitely be internal combustion, or PHEV vehicles in our lineup. It’s going to be sort of a mix, and it will have something that will address everybody’s wants.”

And there’s Volvo, which will fully electrify its fleet by 2030.

“Our purpose as a company [is to] provide freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way,” observed Matt Girgis, managing director of Volvo Car Canada. “And we just see the natural evolution of our safety DNA, transitioning into sustainability, which, of course, a big part of that is to reduce tailpipe emissions. So this is our ‘Ambition 2030.’ And we’re committed to that.”

As for the education concept, he noted that the early adopters have bought their EVs and now it’s time to attract the next group of buyers.

“We do see that there is a bit of anxiety still around range, around accessibility,” he said about the next group of buyers.

Over at Ford, they say they understand what the issues are and they’re working to address those concerns.

“So if we take range, for example, so we’re always working on our product to improve range,” said Alexa Desjardins, vehicle line manager for BEV and commercial vehicles, at Ford Motor Company of Canada. “So our engineers are so focused on driving every single kilometre of range that we can get in our vehicles, and we give it to our owners. It’s not just in the new products. We give it through over-the-air updates as soon as there are updates.”

She pointed to range concerns and consumers being so focused on how far a vehicle can go on a single charge rather than assessing daily use case where people will generally travel far less than the occasional road trip. Nevertheless, options are expanding for longer road trips,

“And now we just made a deal with Tesla, where we’re going to unlock 15,000 Superchargers in the spring for our customers,” Desjardins said. “And so we’re always looking at improving our customer experience from a charging perspective.”

“Part of introducing that vehicle is definitely educating consumers on what it´s like to live with a battery electric vehicle.”

Repair concerns

There is a shortage of automotive repair technicians. The industry knows this. But it seems other sectors are still wrapping their heads around it. And when there’s a shortage of technicians to meet the demands of he industry, repair costs escalate.

Take, for example, rental car company Hertz. It added Tesla vehicles to its fleet for its customers. But they recently announced they’re dumping many EVs, citing the high repair costs associated with the vehicle type.

“Collision and damage repairs on an EV can often run about twice that associated with a comparable combustion engine vehicle,” then-Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr said during an analyst call. He resigned from the company after this debacle.

The insurance industry is also realizing this. Owners of EVs are looking to face higher premiums to insure an EV. Morningstar DBRS warned this could happen if trends in the United Kingdom cross over to Canada.

Despite EVs typically having lower maintenance costs than their gas-powered counterparts, the expensive nature of repairs and a shortage of skilled technicians could elevate overall costs, subsequently impacting insurance claims and premiums. Insurance companies reassess premiums annually, taking into account factors such as repair costs, theft, inflation and claims experience.

This would be of no surprise to Kevin FitzPatrick, senior vice president at OPUS IVS. In an episode of Auto Service World Conversations, he explained the many issues plaguing EV repair. With the lack of talented industry professionals, those who can service and repair EVs are charging more for their time.

For better or for worse, “I think people are going to take advantage of that,” FitzPatrick said.

Girgis from Volvo noted that his company sees the same issue themselves.

“We see it in our industry like everybody else does. Everybody else [knows it’s] difficult to get technicians, difficult to get people in general,” he said. “So we’re working with our dealers on different clever ways to help support them to retain talent to get more technician all those kinds of things.”

A way for the market to correct itself is to have more of the aftermarket be a willing participant in the area. But the unwillingness of the industry to get involved is a concern for FitzPatrick.

“You know, if you take 100 shops, you’re probably going to find about 85 of them that are unwilling right now to work on EVs,” he said. “And that’s, that’s just a stark reality. It’s a bit of dedication, you have to get trained — I mean, these vehicles are no joke. They can hurt you. You have to take some extensive training in order in order to work on them. You have to tool your shop to work on them, you have to have a technician that spent multiple days in training. And it’s a bit of a commitment.”

Currently, high insurance premiums for EV owners have not become a widespread issue in Canada, thanks in part to the gradual adoption rate of electric vehicles, DBRS reported.

And the problem of repairability is common among other BEV brands. Chris Sutton , J.D. Power’s vice president of automotive retail, noted the subpar service experience for non-Tesla owners in his company’s 2024 U.S. Customer Service Index Study.

He emphasized the urgency for automakers and dealers to address these issues as the market shifts from early adopters to more typical consumers who are less forgiving of inadequate service.

“On the manufacturer side, a higher rate of BEV recalls is also contributing to an inconsistent experience,” he said. “This is an area that automakers and dealers need to address now to help make the transition to electrification as pain-free as possible for owners in the future.”

“We see it in our industry like everybody else does. Everybody else [knows it’s] difficult to get technicians, difficult to get people in general.”

Committed

Despite consumer concerns, repair issues and potentially higher insurance costs associated with EVs, automakers remain committed to providing solutions to consumers so that they can find the EV that fits their needs.

Even though the early adopters have generally bought their EVs, there’s the next segment of the market to capture, Chevrolet’s Broom pointed out. She recommended anyone unsure about an EV to try one before they decide.

“Try it. Call the dealership,” she said. “We have 400 Chevrolet dealerships across Canada that are eager and ready and waiting to talk about EVs.”

It’s a sentiment Desjardins from Ford echoed, calling EVs a “life changing” experience. She noted that the vast majority of EV owners wouldn’t go back to a gas-powered vehicle.

“So once you drive it and you understand what your day-to-day is — because it is a change in how you think about charging, range, what your next stop is — but once you understand that, and through education, it is such a great experience,” she said.

At Stellantis, Horn also touted the benefits of real life testing of EVs to win over the skeptics. Even sharing the experiences of those with an EV can be beneficial. For example, a colleague has been travelling back and forth to Michigan regularly with an EV. Despite initial concerns, the colleague has come around.

“I think there is definitely going to be some word of mouth from those early adopters that is going to comfort some of the concerns of people,” Horn said.

When people realize the reduced maintenance and ability to make repairs over-the-air, Volvo’s Girgis said that would be a big selling point.

“I would say that we’re evolving the product in line exactly with what the consumer demands are, which is less maintenance required more convenience, more accessibility,” he said.

“So as these BEVs come out — and they’re not niche and they start filling in these segments.”

Product variety will also help. Horn noted the several models his company will be releasing to give consumers more options that fit their lifestyle, from small vehicle to pick up trucks.

“So as these BEVs come out — and they’re not niche and they start filling in these segments — and, again, people start to purchase them and live with them and speak about the positive experience, it’s going be … a rising tide lifts all boats.”

And they emphasized their commitment.

“Our dealership network is committed to electric future and we’re excited for what it has to come,” Broom said.

Desjardins noted the challenges of balancing production, consumer demand and cost, “but one that we’re really committed to. It’s for its key priorities to build an enduring EV business.”

Volvo’s commitment may stand above the rest with their 2030 goal of full electrification.

“It sends the message that we’re living out our brand purpose. We’re committed to deliver on what we said,” Girgis said. “Of course, we understand that markets evolve. Consumer demands change. There’s many reasons for that. But for us, it’s important to keep our eye focused on the end goal managed through the peaks and troughs there and ultimately deliver, by 2030, fully electric cars to all of our consumers around the globe.”

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of EV World

The post EV World: Bridging the knowledge gap appeared first on Auto Service World.

In the latest issue of EV World, we hear from several leaders on the automaker side of the industry.

The cover story looks at what they see as necessary for the automotive sector to overcome as more consumers look to electrify their mdoe of transportation. And at the forefront of their concerns: Education. Read about what the industry leaders and carmaker executives have to say about bridging that knowledge gap, along with other concerns consumers that exist.

Elsewhere, David Mayers — a leading instructor in EV education — points out that it’s not all going great in the EV transition. He explores the key issues consumers are facing, especially around repair. Mayers himself is having troubles with getting his own EV repaired.

 

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Don’t forget to check out the news section for all the latest happenings, as well as By the Numbers for key stats.

Read the latest issue online by clicking here.

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The average age of vehicles has seen a sharp increase in recent years, a trend expected to continue.

This points to positive news for the automotive aftermarket. This trend is one of the ripple effects of the pandemic years — people were driving less, so mileage didn’t accumulate as quickly. So that vehicle that would normally last, say, 300,000 km will still reach that point but take longer to get there.

That means we can see average vehicle age continue to grow for the next few years, Todd Campau, aftermarket practice leader at S&P Global Mobility, said. He recently addressed this topic in two different presentations.

“Because the kilometres travelled paused for essentially a year or two, we could see another year or two on the average age of the vehicle,” he said during the webinar, Insights on Vehicle Miles (Kilometres) Travelled in Canada,

The average age of a vehicle in the United States is 12.5 years, the highest it’s ever been. No updates have been made for Canada since 2020. At that time, AIA Canada reported average age at 9.7 years. Industry experts believe that number is about 10.5 years today. That, too, would be a record high for this country.

“We’ve continued to set records,” Campau said during his presentation, Trends Impacting the North American Aftermarket at AAPEX 2023. “I think the real note in average age is the rate at which it’s been climbing. Average age typically does stay pretty consistent or climbs very slightly. The past few years, it’s been climbing pretty rapidly and it’s continuing to look like it’s going to climb pretty rapidly for a couple more years.”

“Because the kilometres travelled paused for essentially a year or two, we could see another year or two on the average age of the vehicle.”

The lack of vehicle use for those pandemic years is going to be the main driver of increased vehicle age. Instead of, say, 20,000 km most people would put on their vehicle, drivers only added, say, 5,000 km. And with the popularity of remote and hybrid work, people are not putting as much commuting travel on their vehicles.

That said, Canadians did return to normal driving levels, at least for a period of time. A report from the Automotive Industries Association of Canada noted that Canadians eagerly got behind the wheel in 2022 before tailing off and hitting a four-year quarterly low to close out 2023.

The Vehicle travel trends in Canada: Q1 2020 to Q4 2023 report explored the median kilometres travelled, number of trips and average distance travelled compared to a baseline, which was represented as a fraction of what would be expected without a global pandemic.

Kilometres travelled in the fourth quarter of 2023 were down 58 per cent from the same time the year before. Even the middle quarters, which cover the summer months, saw significant reduction in kilometres travelled compared to 2022.

The slowdown in vehicle travel was attributed to a weakening economy, impacted by higher interest rates, inflation, and rising energy costs, coupled with changes in work practices.

“Shorter trip durations compared to other quarters suggests a tendency for drivers to take more local journeys compared to longer drives, especially with work from home,” it added.

So fewer kilometres being added means a longer lifespan for vehicles, so long as those vehicles are being properly maintained — meaning greater opportunity for auto care professionals.

“It’s growing, it’s aging, people are keeping their vehicles on the road for a longer period of time,” Campau said of the car parc. “All that means more repairs coming to our bays, more tires that need to be replaced more brake jobs, more oil changes and everything. So good news, in general for the aftermarket.”

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of CARS

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If there’s one thing shop owners used to be able to count on to keep them busy, it was the weather. When we see extremes on either end of the thermometer, it typically can signal a busy time.

But what happens when the weather is relatively pleasant, as much of the country has experienced this winter season? Suddenly, those sales service centres are used to, from dead batteries to failures caused by factors such as rust, dry up. A shrug of the shoulders won’t cut it.

As we navigate through recent months, marked by unfavourable weather conditions for the automotive aftermarket, it’s become increasingly evident that service locations must adapt to the evolving landscape.

Simply relying on the weather to bring business into your location isn’t an option. No shop owner wants to have the feeling of panic when they look at their day and wonder if they’ll have enough work to not just keep technicians busy today but generate the money needed to keep the lights on tomorrow.

A proactive plan to counter the unexpected should be in the top drawer of every automotive service business. In fact, shouldn’t be dusted off only during times like this — a shop that has planned out its strategy well will have this plan in constant motion for the entire year.

With over a decade of ownership, management and immersion in the automotive parts industry, I’ve witnessed the cyclical nature of our business, particularly during the winter months of January and February. Year after year, our sales representatives would lament the sluggishness of shops, underscoring the impact on sales.

Fast forward to 2024, where I now oversee a national automotive service franchise network spanning Canada. Reflecting on those past discussions, I’m reminded of the brainstorming sessions we engaged in to support our clients and bolster their business amidst challenging conditions.

“Change is constant, and new challenges continually emerge, exerting different pressures on shop owners.”

While short- to medium-term prospects seem favourable for automotive shop owners due to various tailwinds — such as high interest rates, inflationary pressures, causing elevated costs of new vehicles, and supply chain disruptions from original equipment manufacturers (OEs) — it’s imperative to remain adaptable. Change is constant, and new challenges continually emerge, exerting different pressures on shop owners.

The recent winter’s adverse impact on industry parts sales and shop visits particularly underscored the significance of adapting strategies. Categories like electrical systems and weather-related breakdown items, including batteries and rotating electrical components, experienced noticeable downturns.

Drawing from past discussions within the parts business, it’s clear that shop owners must proactively implement best practices to enhance customer experience and communication.

Key practices include actively engaging with customers on deferred work and scheduled maintenance items, launching seasonal campaigns, conducting customer outreach efforts with service advisors and CRM programs and introducing complementary services to incentivize visits and inspections — such as auto-glass and calibration or undercoating services.

For success during unplanned slow times today, the seeds needed to have been planted yesterday. However, adept shop owners can begin to implement such processes now to avoid lulls in the future.

The automotive aftermarket is inherently a retail business, demanding a focus on streamlined processes, technological integration, and seamless online-to-offline customer experiences.

Shop owners must align their business strategies with prevailing macroeconomic trends to capitalize on opportunities while mitigating seasonal downturns. By embracing innovation, refining processes, and prioritizing customer engagement, automotive service locations can navigate through challenges and position themselves for sustained success in the future, regardless of the seasonal fluctuations that have historically characterized the industry.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of CARS

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If you’re an owner who is putting the blame for issues in your shop elsewhere rather than starting with yourself, you’re not alone.

I’m going to be sharing some experiences over the past years of being a business consultant and later a leadership coach in the automotive aftermarket.

I would estimate that in over 80 per cent of the cases when working with shops, the initial conversations are all about the problem being somewhere else other than the owner of the business itself. This can cause some deep-rooted problems and some businesses that end up being quite confused and dysfunctional.

“That’s not me,” many of you will say. Well, read on and then take an honest look at your situation.

In the relentless pursuit of business success, the role of an auto shop owner is paramount. True leadership involves shouldering the weight of both success and failure. Remember, you can’t be a mere spectator; you really are the commander-in-chief of your enterprise.

Let’s delve into some reasons why you as a business owner must unapologetically take responsibility for every facet of your venture.

Failure

Great news: Failure is inevitable in the world of entrepreneurship. However, when you deflect blame or make excuses you will hinder your ability to adapt and lead your team through adversity.

Taking responsibility for outcomes demonstrates decisive leadership. Your choices shape the destiny of your business. Whether those choices lead to triumph or tribulation, owning them fosters a culture of unwavering leadership that your team will feel and respond to.

Recognizing when you fail as an opportunity to learn and for growth is a lens that only the very successful do. Get this right. Sharing these lessons with the team means that you will all take a step toward your goals as a unit.

This mindset shift you take will encourage a culture of innovation where setbacks are seen as stepping stones to success, not roadblocks.

A small tip for you: Communicate setbacks as a part of a face-to-face meeting, not as a memo or e-mail. We want to support our teams through this and not just have them read the news.

Great news: Failure is inevitable in the world of entrepreneurship. However, when you deflect blame or make excuses you will hinder your ability to adapt and lead your team through adversity.

Trust

The lifeblood of any business is trust. Owners who admit to both success and failure earn the trust of their teams. Transparency and accountability build a reputation for reliability.

Successes become collective victories, and failures are viewed as challenges to overcome together.

This dynamic creates a cohesive and empowered workforce.

Vision

There is no success in your business without vision and direction.

Quite often, we are blinded by the daily operations and we forget to see the direction that we’re heading in. When you embrace a strategic vision, communicate it and actually live it, then you will see your team rally around you.

An automotive shop with no vision is like having a convenience store with its doors open and hoping for the best every day. Over the years of coaching, I’ve learned the world has changed. People want to belong to something. Give your team that something through your vision and show them the direction to get there.

Remember to make decisions that don’t focus solely on immediate wins, but on the enduring success of the business.

Work to be done

Let’s say the message of addressing accountability, failures, trust and vision has resonated. That’s great. But understanding the message and doing something about it are different things. There’s still work to be done.

So where do you go from here?

Keep this tip in mind: The way you do one thing is the way you will do everything. I say this for a very good reason — if you feel overwhelmed and frustrated at work, you are going to bring that into other areas of your life. Your stress will be felt by your loved ones. This is not what many of us signed up for.

It’s a simple piece of advice: Get a coach. In the same way that Wayne Gretzky had a coach for his entire playing career, so should you.

You need a coach with whom you resonate and able to be open and honest. That’s how you will get open and honest feedback to improve yourself and your business.

I demand full honesty from my clients because that is the only way that change happens. I refuse as many clients as I take on because I know that I can’t help everyone. Without this connection, true change doesn’t happen.

Don’t tell yourself the story that old dogs can’t learn new tricks. It’s only a case of how much you desire the outcome.

Conclusion

In the cutthroat world of business, ambiguity and challenges are constants. Auto shop owners who develop true vision and unflinchingly accept responsibility for the outcomes of their ventures not only demonstrate strength but also fortify the foundation of their enterprises.

True leaders don’t shy away from the tough moments. They confront them head-on, building a legacy of resilience and triumph in the face of adversity. Success or failure, business owners who embrace responsibility are the unwavering pillars upon which their businesses stand.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of  repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of CARS

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Oil background with air bubbles

Vehicles are getting older. And that’s not set to slow down for at least the next couple of years.

As average transaction prices reach around $53,000 and new vehicle supply improves yet remains below ideal levels, Canadians are retaining their vehicles for extended periods. As a result, jobbers must stock a broader range of parts, components and fluids to accommodate a wider age range of vehicles.

“Parts proliferation in the car and light truck aftermarket will soar for the foreseeable future, increasing inventories and the logistical burdens on manufacturers, distributors, retailers and installers,” noted Lang Marketing in its recent report, Aftermarket Parts Proliferation Explodes.

As average vehicle age grows, the vehicle age range is extended for which aftermarket inventories need to supply.

“The growth of older vehicles [is] shifting mileage from newer to older cars and light trucks,” Lang reported. “This increases the need for older-vehicle parts to remain in inventories for an extended time.”

But this situation isn’t only growing the number of parts needed to remain in inventories. It’s adding new ones, such as motor oil options that can handle older, higher-mileage vehicles.

“With consumers being price-conscious, they are keeping their vehicles longer,” explained Sean Nguyen, Pennzoil’s technical scientist and automotive lubricant specialist. “Thus, they are accumulating more miles in these vehicles. Shop owners need to have available synthetic high-mileage oils available for these high-mileage vehicles.”

Lenny Levac, vice president for sales in Canada for Liqui Moly, pointed to motor oil additives that can rejuvenate aging seals.

“This can be used with any new motor oil when doing a new oil change,” he told Jobber News. “Additionally, to this, regular oil changes will help this older vehicle, make it longer.”

Suppliers are committed to working with their distribution partners to ensure they’re up to date on the latest offerings. So when a shop calls looking for a recommendation or a specific product, the jobber will know what to give them.

“We are working closely with our distribution partners to foster an effective partnership that caters to the needs of customers.”

“We are working closely with our distribution partners to foster an effective partnership that caters to the needs of customers,” Nguyen told Jobber News. “We are committed to equipping our distribution partners not only with the correct range of products for their vehicles but also with essential knowledge and expertise in motor oil.”

Levac stressed the importance of listening to the market and keeping abreast of changes.

“Being so active in the market helps tremendously see where the DIY is going and the pros. With our offering we see both segments growing here,” he said.

One thing being seen is consumers in search of cost savings.

“Customers do have finances top of mind here in Canada,” Levac said. “With costs continuing to rise in so many aspects in Canada, we need the most value we can find out of the products we purchase.”

And oil service is one of the most important and basic needs for a vehicle. Customers may look to bypass this.

“While consumers may be tempted to extend their drain intervals to stretch their buying dollars, we advise against it,” Nguyen said.

Furthermore, Levac added, it’s important for jobbers and shops to also engage with their suppliers to ensure they’re getting what they need.

“The relationship between us and our customers and partners is so profound and sustainable that we only need to continue on the right path to be successful,” he said.

There is ongoing collaboration with the industry, noted Nguyen.

“In the upcoming months and year ahead, we have several opportunities to collaborate with our distribution and shop partners,” he said. “This includes ensuring that their counter staff is well-versed in essential motor oil information, providing education regarding the upcoming changes in 2025 with the new GF-7 specification, and gaining insights into consumer hesitancy and resistance towards their purchases.

This piece originally appeared in the March/April issue of Jobber News

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Along with 11 other female tradespeople last November, I was asked to speak at an event that aimed to educate trade organizations on how to better support women.

This event was organized by the Office to Advance Women Apprentices, an organization that I have been working with for several years and which has offices across Canada. They register both female apprentices and employers looking for tradespeople, with the intention to support women through apprenticeship to Red Seal Journeyperson status.

At this event, I was impressed to see the number of people who came out, wanting to learn about how to create supportive and inclusive spaces for women in the trades. I was also inspired by the stories that these women told. Some stories were hard to hear but showed resilience and some stories spoke to the progress we have seen over the years.

My story was somewhere in the middle; a woman who was fortunate to have men advocate for her, who advocated for herself, and who now advocates for other women.

My journey into the trades was a little unusual. I hadn’t been interested in auto repair in any way, but I saw it as an opportunity to work with my hands, be regularly challenged and be physically active. The first shop where I applied for a technician position offered me a job as a service advisor instead, as this would be a better position for a woman.

I turned this offer down.

Soon after, the shop owner called to tell me that I could work there for a week and if I liked it, I had the job. Well, I liked it, and I worked hard over the next two years to learn everything they were willing to teach me.

I found out years later that a man at that shop had advocated for me, telling the owner that it shouldn’t matter if I was male or female, just that I had the drive to learn.

I found out years later that a man at that shop had advocated for me, telling the owner that it shouldn’t matter if I was male or female, just that I had the drive to learn.

Once the level of education I was receiving at that shop plateaued, I accepted an interview from another shop owner who had been asking me to join his team. My interview went very well and we decided that a move to his shop would be a great opportunity for both of us.

Then came the conversation about compensation. I was offered $2 an hour less than one of their other male technicians, who I knew and had less education than I did. Luckily by this point, I knew my value. I countered his offer with $2 more than that less educated technician — he accepted that.

What I learned in this situation is that we women need to advocate for ourselves, as there are still shops that underestimate our abilities and assume that, because we are women, we are unable to be as productive and efficient as our male co-workers.

After another two years, I found myself in search of a new employer, so I decided it was time to start a shop of my own. I saw a need to provide the community with transparent, thorough service, inspiring trust in female clientele who have historically felt taken advantage of in our industry (whether warranted or not).

As well, I had hoped to be able to provide an inclusive work environment to anyone who wanted to work as a technician. Over the last 13 years, I’ve sought out the education I require through industry organizations, local business organizations and lots of reading. This taught me how to build a successful business, so I can continue advocating for myself, my staff, women in our trade and women in all trades.

What I’ve come to learn is that if we want this industry to not just survive but thrive, we need to recognize the strength that diversity brings to our shops. We have the opportunity to go out in our communities to speak with girls and young women, educating them on the bright future they could have in the automotive industry as technicians, service advisors and shop owners.

Let’s take that opportunity and make this industry thrive!

Erin Vaughan is the owner of Kinetic Auto Service in Regina. If you are a woman in this industry, please reach out to me at erin@kineticautoservice.ca and let me know what your experience has been.

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of CARS

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One of the core challenges facing jobbers today is how to enhance the business using strategies and tactics that improve their value proposition and set them apart from the competition in their market.

Over a lifetime of being around a family business and a group of large jobber stores, I came to see that the business, as many others like ours, had the right vision in terms of building relationships and offering great customer service. However, it needed to go through a complete digital transformation to really be able to use data and digital systems to drive actionable insights within the business.

Some key examples of this included setting up IP phone systems with advanced analytics and reporting to monitor customer service metrics when calling our jobber stores.

While online and parts ordering integrations are increasingly utilized within the value chain of the jobber store, a significant aspect of the business, particularly for non-application parts, still involves shops calling the store and speaking to the parts counter staff to source parts and supplies.

In my experience, leveraging an IP phone system with advanced reporting and monitoring capabilities enabled us to establish KPIs and operate at a high level of service. We regularly monitored metrics such as dropped calls, average answer times, calls handled by each counter person, inbound and outbound calls and so on. This enabled us to distinguish our service from the competition and uphold high levels of accountability and transparency within the business.

Another example was the implementation of SMS to CRM interfacing, allowing clients to text counter staff pictures and ask questions regarding service. One major complaint we identified was that when we experienced late deliveries, our dispatch would call the shops, which often aggravated them. Upon surveying our clients for service improvement ideas, the feedback overwhelmingly favoured text messaging as a better communication option. As a result, we built a system to streamline the process and enhance the customer experience.

For many jobbers, this dilemma arises: Should they wait for the warehouse distributor or their banner to provide support, corporate innovation or resources, or should they rely on their own entrepreneurial spirit to find solutions and drive these types of changes?

The dilemma

For many jobbers, this dilemma arises: Should they wait for the warehouse distributor or their banner to provide support, corporate innovation or resources, or should they rely on their own entrepreneurial spirit to find solutions and drive these types of changes?

At the shop level, there are many resources, including 20-groups — a group of shops that generally don’t operate in the same geographical region but work in the same industry — banners and franchise networks that provide these types of support mechanisms. At the jobber level, however, these types of support mechanisms are much more limited.

There are generic CEO groups that jobbers can join to network with other professionals. The jobber business, like many others, is complex. My advice is to find these support resources as it’s crucial to gain insights into the best business practices employed by other professionals within their respective industries.

Opportunities

I had the opportunity to spend close to a decade with UAP-NAPA as an associate member with my stores and can attest to the transformational shift and resources that NAPA provides jobbers, including accounting services, digital systems, and retail services.

While the banner and business system support were critical in helping us modernize our business, I still believe in the power of a 20-group for jobbers to address the isolationism that many face. Many operators spend the majority of their time managing from within the walls of the business.

This type of support mechanism can bring progressive ideas on various business topics, including human resources, insurance, tax, and succession planning from outside the confines of their business.

This piece originally appeared in the March/April issue of Jobber News

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Last year, I wrote about the impact of inflation on auto part sellers and workshops. At that time, technicians and shops were finding it difficult to source parts at reasonable costs, citing it as their top pain point in a research study conducted by U.S.-based firm IMR Inc. Repair professionals were also uncertain about the future and did not see price hikes going away any time soon.

Latest Eucon data from the U.S. market shows the tide may be turning for parts pricing. After a staggering 20-point increase in aftermarket prices (on a base index of 100, calculated from millions of data points tracked by Eucon) between 2019 and 2022, price hikes appeared to be easing off by the end of 2023. Price changes remained flat in the second half of last year — way lower than the historically expected one-half to 1 per cent price quarter-over-quarter growth. On the flip side, OE dealer prices were still climbing — moving up by nine points in 2023 alone.

Eucon expects aftermarket prices to remain flat — or even decline slightly — this year. OE prices will continue to see marginal increases in 2024, before evening out in the latter half of the year.

Many will sigh a breath of relief at this news, taking it as a sign that inflation is waning in the industry, the same way it is stabilizing across both the U.S. and Canadian economies.

But the flat numbers only paint half the picture of the pricing landscape. The devil is in the details.

As I have mentioned in earlier columns, the evolving retail landscape — along with the post-COVID experience — has completely changed how OEMs, retailers and suppliers price their parts. As unit growth begins to stall thanks to improving part quality and electric vehicle penetration, pricing has become a key lever in how industry players grow revenue and profit.

But customers will not tolerate constant price hikes. Companies have to balance their margin requirements with the market’s willingness to pay.  As a result, they are adopting new pricing strategies. These novel approaches will keep competitors on edge, despite the relative stability in overall price changes.

So, what are some of these new strategies? Let’s explore.

“But rest assured, prices are moving up and down deep within each portfolio, allowing market actors to optimize and grow their revenue.”

Increasing the frequency of price change

The most obvious change I see in the industry. The aftermarket — at all levels of distribution — has been traditionally slow in making price adjustments, beyond the typical promotions and sales offered by retailers.

At the top of chain (OEMs and suppliers), adjustments were — and, in many instances, still are — done once a year. Now, many competitors are moving to quarterly or monthly pricing action to make sure they are responding adequately to changing market conditions. Fast price actions also allow them to quickly roll back any downward or upward price changes that may impact sales and revenue.

The result? Infinite optimization. No profit opportunity or market share risk is missed.

Price actions deeper in the portfolio

Traditionally, aftersales pricing has been driven by A-parts — the big sellers.

Companies would monitor the top half of their portfolio and make any necessary changes. They would either leave the bottom half alone or simply extrapolate the changes downstream from A-parts, with some nuance added for category or market positioning.

But now pricing managers are digging into their B- and C-parts and making more targeted strategies for these products. For instance, B-parts (the mid-level sellers) can often be captive for OEMs, which means customers may be willing to pay higher prices for them as alternatives may not be readily available.

For aftermarket suppliers, these parts may not get much attention from rivals or customers. As a result, even small pricing changes could have a significant impact on volumes. While these revenue increments may be smaller than that generated by top-tier parts, they allow companies to get closer to their financial goals when minimizing changes to high-impact, volume sellers in a relatively flat market.

Adoption of value-based pricing strategy

For the longest time, aftersales pricing managers simply used a cost-plus approach — prices based on landed cost and internal margin targets. In recent times, stakeholders adopted a combination of cost-plus and market-based strategy, which married profit targets with competitive positioning considerations.

Many companies are now implementing value-based actions. This strategy considers multiple factors: Customer willingness to pay, price elasticity (the relationship between demand and cost), seasonal patterns, product type, channel to market and many others to create an ever-evolving price.

Increasing use of automation

Value-based pricing — along with the added speed and depth — is hard to do with spreadsheets. As a result, many aftermarket stakeholders are rapidly adopting pricing software that allows them to automate pricing with pre-set rules and logic.

Algorithmic approaches allow competitors to make constant micro changes across their products These small actions, when aggregated across many companies, may make the market appear sluggish or flat.

But rest assured, prices are moving up and down deep within each portfolio, allowing market actors to optimize and grow their revenue.

Kumar Saha is Vice President (U.S.)/managing director (Canada) of global automotive data firm Eucon. He has been advising the North American automotive industry for over a decade and is a frequent conference speaker and media commentator. He is based out of Toronto.

This piece originally appeared in the March/April issue of Jobber News

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Women take centre stage in the latest issue of CARS magazine.

The April issue comes out on the heels of Women’s History Month and we speak to three women in the auto care sector — Nhu Nguyen, a technician, Emily Chung, a technician and shop owner, and Josie Candito, a shop owner. Talk about their growth in a male-dominated industry, their views on how things have changed and where improvements are needed.

There’s a column from female shop owner Erin Vaughan. She talks about her journey to becoming a shop owner, the difficulties she faced in the beginning and the success she’s seeing now.

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Greg Aguilera tackles an issue that most shop owners may not want to admit: They are the biggest problem when it comes to issues in their business. He navigates how to take responsibility for what’s happening within your four walls.

Zakari Krieger explores best business practices for shop owners so that they’re not facing sluggish sales. New, unexpected pressures are always ready to emerge, so he helps you weather the storm.

CARS was on the road at the Midwest Auto Care Alliance’s Vision Hi-tech Training & Expo in Kansas City, as well as the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. Check out highlights from both events.

Then check out the impact of average vehicle age on the automotive aftermarket and why we can expect to see even more older vehicles.

As always, check out our usual departments like Letters, News, Class Act with Thompson Rivers University, By the Numbers and the Car-toon in the back.

You can view the digital edition by clicking the link here.

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From master technicians to shop owners, parts suppliers to educators, the role of women in the automotive industry has changed dramatically since the turn of the century.

In a traditionally male-dominated field, women are carving out space in ways that help the whole sector grow.

On the heels of International Women’s Day, CARS magazine got in touch with a number of women in the sector to assess how they see the industry adapting.

Nhu Nguyen is a Porsche Classic technician at Pfaff Tuning in Toronto. After a decade in other sectors, Nguyen decided to follow her passion and jump into automotive work in her 30s.

“When I was in high school I just fell in love with driving,” she explained. “And I spent a lot of time with my friends who were into cars and I wanted to learn.”

That blossomed into an enthusiasm that stuck with her even as her life took other turns. “So I asked all the questions and I hung out at garages … but I didn’t get into the trade until 12 years later when I was 30.”

A career as a technician wasn’t something that seemed realistic to her younger self.

“I didn’t fathom where I could take this, you know? I would enjoy tinkering — taking things apart and putting them back together,” Nguyen said. “But I didn’t imagine that I would get to the level that I’m at now to be able to do the work that I do now.”

After a year-and-a-half in the Porsche Classic technician training program, Nguyen joined the Porsche dealership and has been there ever since. She was the only female student in the first North American class Porsche held.

She says the industry has been extremely welcoming and credits the inherent diversity in the industry.

“The car community in itself is very exciting,” Nguyen said. “There are so many different aspects to the car community — different brands, different types and styles of driving. And then there’s the Porsche community.

“It’s this small but very large global community that’s very tight knit sometimes and others at odds with each other. I appreciate them all. And they’ve been incredibly welcoming to this girl who thought that she could join in on the fun. They’ve just been incredibly welcoming to me and my career so far.”

“The responsibility lies with us as shop owners to create environments that attract and retain women.”

Nguyen uses social media to normalize women in the trades. She can regularly be seen promoting other women working in automotive repair. It’s something that happened almost by accident.

“I enjoy what I do so much, and I think there’s so much beauty in what I do,” she said. “So I started out just posting pictures of parts that I thought were cool or interesting. It’s now growing into a platform where I encourage people to follow their dreams and inspire people.”

That’s an important role when you consider the current shortage of staff in the sector, something Nguyen says women can help with.

“We are 50 per cent of the workforce,” she observed. “If you’re only looking at the other 50 per cent of the population to fill these roles, you’re going to have a shortage.”

In school, working as a mechanic was not considered an option, Nguyen recalled.

“I had shop class, but it was kind of informational. It wasn’t a career choice. We were all guided towards university and these other white-collar jobs,” she said.

“I think that there’s been a shift. But women as 50 per cent of the population and of the workforce, we can definitely help fill that void.”

Josie Candito agreed with Nguyen. Candito is the owner of Master Mechanic High Park, in Toronto’s west end. She’s been with Master Mechanic since 1992, originally as an accountant in its head office, and as a franchise owner since 1999. Her shop was recognized as the CARS Shop of the Year Award winner in 2021.

“By actively involving women, the industry can significantly contribute to closing the [staffing] gap,” Candito says.

As a female shop owner, Candito has provided a sort of hub for young women interested in the automotive business around Toronto. “Young co-op students kind of ask us first, so we’ve gone through many here,” she said. “It’s incredible to have started their career as a service technician and it’s nice to see them grow and develop and choose that career.”

As for how other automotive entrepreneurs can help encourage more women into the industry, Candito says it all starts with the working environment.

“The responsibility lies with us as shop owners to create environments that attract and retain women,” she explained. “If more people, including women, came to the roles it would be a very good thing to solve the staff shortage.”

“My big message is that skilled trade is about skill. I don’t care what body parts you have. I don’t care what you identify as. I really don’t care. Can you fix this car? Yes or no?”

Meanwhile, at Auto Niche in Markham, Ontario, shop owner and technician Emily Chung is taking a multi-faceted approach to increasing participation in the trades. She’s also an educator at Centennial College, where she helps foster new talent in the automotive front lines.

Like Nguyen and Candito, Chung came to the automotive world later in life. After working in her family’s parts import company, Chung moved to her own business.

“I did it backwards, in that, a lot of techs, they’ve been industry for a while and then they opened up the shop,” she said. “I started the shop, built the business, then went back to trade school and wrote my ticket.”

Female sole proprietors are rare, and so are technicians.

“When I went to trade school for the pre-apprenticeship side, I was one of three females,” she said. “In between shop classes, I would run to the other side of Centennial and pump milk because I was still nursing at that time.”

There are now many more women in the classes Chung teaches. But the Auto Niche owner cautioned against an undue focus on ‘women in skilled trades.’

“There’s a fine line where the messaging gets to be almost like ‘you’re favoured’ or ‘you get bonus points’ or ‘had it not been for this initiative, you couldn’t have done this on your own’,” she noted.

“My big message is that skilled trade is about skill. I don’t care what body parts you have. I don’t care what you identify as. I really don’t care. Can you fix this car? Yes or no?”

She worries that a focus on gender differences can lead to division and sow resentment on the shop floor, especially if it gives people a reason to discredit women’s accomplishments and promotions. She calls for a focus on the job first and says that gender or identity should come second.

“When I step on the shop floor, when I go to training programs, even now I’m going to be one of the very few females for sure, guaranteed. I’m going to be one of the minority,” Chung said.

“But when I’m talking to high school students or college students, they’re not really formed yet or they’re not secure yet because they haven’t realized their full potential. So, the focus on them being different already is a lot of pressure and what they need is to be reminded that they’re here for the same reason that all the other straight, white men are.

“They need to be reminded that they’re here to learn the skilled trades and they’re here to get a good career out of it.”

“You know that there were many more struggles in the past, but I think today’s younger generation is more open-minded and inclusive.”

Yet despite the increase in women in the field — and the fact that women, including the three CARS spoke to — consistently earn top marks in the training phase of their careers, stigma around women in the industry is still a barrier.

“I’ve connected through social media with so many women throughout the trade, so I know that they’re out there,” Nguyen said. “All of my experiences through training, through school, have been incredibly supportive. My teachers were always supportive.”

But, she added, while there are more and more women graduating — sometimes top of their classes in these programs — it’s still now difficult for them to find jobs. Some places are hesitant to hire women.

Chung acknowledges this gap, but is optimistic about that going forward.

“You can’t solve ignorance,” she says. “I’ve had some crazy comments, and I’ve had many males and females tell me that I shouldn’t be fixing cars. So for the shop owners that say ‘I don’t want to hire a female’ because they’ve got a whole list of prejudices. I don’t know how much programming … will solve that.”

Instead, Chung sees the gradual shift coming from the groundswell of women in the industry, women like herself, Nguyen, and Candito, who are leading the way with their skills and commitment to the sector.

“You know, I have two boys that I’m raising. And from their perspective, a female technician is normal,” Chung says.

Candito over at Master Mechanic also sees the benefits of a shift in perception. “There’s a significant positive change around the acceptance of women in automotive from 1992 to now, for sure,” she said.

“You know that there were many more struggles in the past, but I think today’s younger generation is more open-minded and inclusive. So I think the shifts in attitude are welcoming women to the environment, paving the way to participation for the future in the industry.”

Nguyen says she hopes more women see an automotive career as a viable option for themselves.

“I wish I had known how welcoming the industry was. Or how many opportunities there are,” she said. “I might have started earlier.”

Nguyen encouraged anyone thinking about the sector to take the plunge.

“The first step to any change is scary, right?” she said. “You have to believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to learn. You have to take a chance on yourself.”

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of CARS

The post From the Magazine: Room for growth appeared first on Auto Service World.

CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Ronald Tremblay, ARA chairman  |  NATA president | Owner,  The Garage

What will change the most for auto service shops in 2024 is the need for a robust human resources plan to sustain a profitable business focused on customer experience.

Shops will need to retain skilled people in their service bays and complete the transition from having established employees to those from a much younger generation. This awesome younger generation has different values and expectations about their lifestyles. Mastering this transition will be crucial for remaining optimistic about the future growth of business in this industry.

Cost of living has gone way up in most provinces. Trades income levels are climbing fast and your business must be able to afford these increases to remain viable.

On the other side of the equation, businesses must remain diligent with their efforts to attract and retain great customers through their digital efforts and word-of-mouth marketing, as well as by maintaining the appearance of their premises, both inside and out. All these things work together to support a growing confident business and will lend well to maintaining the confidence your customers have in your business.

Have a trusted, knowledgeable and confident relationship with your business. Customers today are facing a challenging moment with EV adoption. Being a trusted company in their corner presents the greatest opportunity for growth. This is the year to really listen to your customers and help them face the next five years knowing they are making the right choices for themselves, no matter what those choices are.

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The latest issue of Jobber News is here and it features Ryan Bruno, the incoming chair of AIA Canada.

The feature explores Bruno’s life growing up in the collision sector of the automotive aftermarket and how his journey took him away to other industries before the magnetic pull of the aftermarket brought him back. He dove into his goals for the year ahead, how to refocus the challenges as opportunities and how he plans to lead through change.

Columnist Kumar Saha explores pricing trends in auto parts. Pricing strategies will continue to evolve, he observed as he explored the strategies companies need to enlist to stay competitive.

Zakari Kreiger draws on his experience as a jobber owner to offer insights on how jobbers can separate themselves from the competition by implementing a few pieces of technology.

 

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The issue also explores how the growing age of vehicles on our roads impacts motor oil needs, forcing jobbers to offer a wider range of product options.

Come on the road and revisit key industry events. Jobber News was at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto and the MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Conference in Florida.

Then check out Letters, News — including the names of many who have new jobs — Products and Car-toon in the back.

You can read the issue online or grab your print copy out of your mailbox. Not subscribed? Go here and you can sign up to get both the hard copy and the newsletter.

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If there ever was someone who grew up in the auto care industry, it’s Ryan Bruno. With a rich family history on the collision side of the automotive aftermarket, Bruno brings a unique perspective to his upcoming role as chair of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada.

His experience is deeply rooted in hands-on work from his formative years in the family shop to his broad experience across different sectors, such as banking, telecom and insurance, in areas that include policymaking and mergers and acquisitions advisory.

As the landscape of the automotive aftermarket continues to shift, Bruno is focused on leveraging his skills to foster change and innovation in this industry.

The journey

Bruno’s path to leadership in the automotive industry was anything but linear. Starting from humble beginnings in his family’s collision shop, which opened about 50 years ago, he learned the ropes of the business from a young age.

He got his first paycheque at eight years old. But he’ll admit that he wasn’t technically adept like the rest of his family.

“I have three brothers and a couple of them are a bit more technically oriented,” Bruno said. “They could fix a car — I couldn’t.”

He hung around the shop and helped out where he could. But he often found himself working in the office rather than on the shop floor. As time went on, Bruno learned how to negotiate with insurance companies and manage workflow. He found that side of the business more interesting than school. So he hit the pause button on education and actively started managing the family business.

Bruno’s father and three partners started CSN Collision Centres. He’s now the president of the company but he didn’t stick around for too long at first.

“I wasn’t a tradesperson,” Bruno said. “So I thought, ‘You know what, I should probably go back and finish my education.”

While he intended just to get a piece of paper saying he finished school and then return to CSN, he found all the things he’d learned in the collision business served him well in university, like working under pressure and with different stakeholder groups.

It turned out that he found the business world interesting. He had a stint with the Bank of Canada where he helped shape policy rate decisions and did M&A advisory in the banking world, working with private equity clients, and continuing in that area in the telecom industry. He then went to work for an insurer where he handled investor relations and broker investments.

Then Bruno got a call one day from one of CSN’s partners. They wanted to bring him back into the fold. For someone who grew up in the industry and being part of the company’s beginnings, he couldn’t say no to returning to his roots.

His journey underscores a theme prevalent in many aftermarket careers: The magnetic pull of the industry that often brings individuals back, enriched with broader experiences and new ideas.

“I think for a lot of people, when you’re part of this business, it’s part of you,” Bruno said.

It was always in his mind that he’d come back to the aftermarket — after all, that was his plan when he went back to school. He just didn’t think he’d go on a longer journey. And that journey is one that he’s thankful for.

“There was an opportunity to learn a bit more … before coming back,” Bruno said. “And it just had to be the right time and also the right opportunity and everything else.”

Addressing challenges and opportunities

Returning to the auto care sector, Bruno brought a wealth of knowledge and fresh perspectives with him. He aims to keep looking at things from a holistic, big picture point of view, especially being the first AIA Canada chair with a collision-focused background in about a decade.

He didn’t understand the role AIA Canada played in collision until he got more involved with the group. In fact, he at first didn’t think there was a national association representing the collision industry. Bruno now understands that there is and has been one for a long time. He wants to spread the awareness of AIA Canada further.

“My assumption that the collision industry didn’t have a national association was incorrect. And the problem wasn’t that it didn’t exist — the problem was that there was not enough engagement from the collision industry with AIA Canada,” Bruno said.

And that’s important because there are many lessons the collision side can share with the mechanical side. It’s the collision repairers who generally see newer vehicles before they hit the aftermarket sweet spot, which is when they leave dealership bays after the warranty period for independent shops for maintenance and service. And it’s not uncommon for a repairer to do, say, suspension work. So they can come across tasks, issues and information that can help other areas of the industry.

“The aptitude is similar, sometimes the work is similar, but the market environment is very different,” Bruno observed.

Under his guidance, Bruno aims to bridge the gap between the mechanical and collision sides of the industry, fostering a more integrated approach to automotive repair and service.

“Why can’t you take something that’s evolved over here organically but take that concept and bring it to the other side, or vice versa?” he asked.

Customers shouldn’t experience wildly different outcomes based on which shop they visit.

Talent and standards

One year in the grand scheme of things isn’t very long to affect change. Instead, it’s about building on what his predecessors have done and setting things up for the next person who fills the seat.

“It’s really just continuing down go down that path that we’ve been on,” Bruno said. “I would say not a ton of change but just continuing to make sure that things are continually progressing.”

Bruno is particularly passionate about tackling the industry-wide issue of labour shortage. He advocated for a strategic approach to attracting and retaining skilled labour, focusing not only on immediate solutions but also on addressing the root causes of the labour crisis.

“It’s a critical issue today — we’re not going to fix it today. But if we take the right steps today, we might be able to help it,” Bruno said.

It comes down to the ‘why’ of the issue. People say it’s not an attractive profession — why? Trades professionals are leaving the profession — why? And so on. By questioning the ‘why’ behind current challenges, he believes the industry could uncover deeper insights that can lead to more effective, long-term strategies.

For example, rather than looking at the ease of getting into the industry — there are programs, courses and training available — an issue might be the perceived standards of the industry that are turning people off.

“Maybe what we need to do is we need to raise the bar in terms of standards,” Bruno suggested, emphasizing the importance of standardization and certification to elevate professional standards across the industry, thus improving consumer trust and safety.

The vast majority are doing things by the book as they should be but there’s a pocket that is not, he suggested. They’re tarnishing the rest of the good apples.

“Is that what is causing the lack of people coming in?” Bruno wondered. “So I think spending a bit more time to get to the root cause and understand, ‘What is the root cause?’ And what we might find is that, as an industry, maybe we actually have more control than we think in improving that.”

Could that mean a greater effort toward industry standards set by the industry itself? Standardization, Bruno argued, across all repair sectors could boost consumer confidence through consistent quotes and work quality. Mandatory certification programs and skills assessments may help elevate baseline competencies.

“Customers shouldn’t experience wildly different outcomes based on which shop they visit,” he observed.

This is something AIA Canada has been working on with the collision side in recent years. And it’s important. If the industry doesn’t take hold of setting standards, it could be left to outside parties to set them instead, Bruno warned.

He used environmental sustainability as another example of an opportunity for the aftermarket to decide for itself what works best, rather than regulators stepping in and creating their own with disregard to how they may impact the aftermarket from top to bottom.

“If we lead the way on issues like reducing waste and energy use, we maintain control over our destiny,” Bruno explained.

This is where AIA Canada is well-positioned to provide guidance and best practices, allowing shops, distributors and jobbers to gradually implement profitable changes. Without co-ordinated industry action, Bruno warned external mandates could undermine competitiveness.

We often hear that, ‘Today, things are changing faster than they ever have.’ But my view is actually to look at it a bit differently and say, ‘Things are changing at a slower pace today than they ever will again.

Leading through change

Bruno admitted he wasn’t all that aware of AIA Canada and its purpose until he joined the association. How many others are currently in the same boat he was?

It comes down to awareness and asking the industry how the group can help them, Bruno said. Whether it’s creating awareness of an issue, helping them not feel overwhelmed or identifying a business opportunity, AIA Canada can play a role for its members. The message needs to get out.

“Sometimes we need to push people. Sometimes we need to push ourselves,” Bruno said.

And relevance will be important with so much change on the industry’s doorstep. Bruno doesn’t see change as a challenge though. He sees everything as an opportunity.

“We often hear that, ‘Today things are changing faster than they ever have,’” Bruno said. “But my view is actually to look at it a bit differently and say, ‘Things are changing at a slower pace today than they ever will again.’”

So the industry needs to embrace change. “Because if we’re not embracing that change, we’re resisting it,” Bruno said.

Take electric vehicles. Rather than dwell on the challenges they present, he sees the business opportunities that are being created, such as higher-margin jobs and cleaner work.

Even in gas-powered vehicles, he pointed to all the electronic components they have these days. “I don’t think there’s too many newer cars where you’re doing engine overhauls,” Bruno said. There’s opportunity to expand service offerings.

He brought up operational changes that can benefit a shop, such as cutting back on energy usage — if a shop can find ways to be more environmentally friendly, the return on investment can be great. Plus, to his earlier point, doing so would get the industry ahead of government requirements that come down the line.

“With all these changes, there’s new opportunity,” Bruno said. “And I think it’s an exciting time.”

This piece originally appeared in the March/April issue of Jobber News

The post From the Magazine: ‘When you’re part of this business, it’s part of you’ appeared first on Auto Service World.

CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Zakari Krieger, Vice President  |  Prime CarCare, Fix Network

In the ever-changing landscape of the automotive industry, 2024 brings forth a confluence of macro and micro trends that demand a keen understanding and strategic response. Current economic conditions are ever-evolving, prompting a holistic approach to ensure resilience and sustainability. While external factors remain unpredictable, we must remain committed to fortifying operational excellence and elevating the customer experience.

Harnessing the power of data and analytics is pivotal in optimizing our businesses. In a world inundated with information, the focus should be on extracting actionable insights to streamline operations, enhancing efficiency and elevating customer satisfaction. The road ahead is paved with informed decisions and strategic precision to improve our share of wallet.

As the automotive landscape shifts towards electric vehicles, standing at the forefront, we must prepare for the impending impacts. Our proactive strategies involve staying abreast of technological advancements, adapting our service offerings, and aligning our infrastructure to accommodate the evolving needs of the market.

Yet, even with these forward-looking initiatives, we must acknowledge the industry’s challenge: A shortage of skilled trade workers. Navigating through this labour scarcity requires innovative workforce strategies, investments in training programs and collaborative efforts to attract and retain talent.

In 2024, our commitment must extend beyond the bottom line; it’s about navigating industry trends with adaptability and foresight. Steering through economic currents, harnessing data-driven insights and preparing for the EV revolution, it is a steadfast dedication to operational excellence and talent cultivation that is the critical focus for our network.

The post CARS Executive Outlook 2024: Zakari Krieger appeared first on Auto Service World.

CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Martyn Johns, National Director,  |  NAPA Autopro and Emerging Technologies | NAPA

The most significant change in automotive repair shops is being seen in technology and customer expectations. The need for digital transformation within ASP locations can no longer be ignored. The need for shop owners to have the required tools to quickly analyze, communicate and manage the operations of their business is paramount.

Also, consumers will continue to have higher expectations with repair shops. Owners will need to adjust their business practices, invest in customer-facing technology and find ways to make it easier for their customers to do business with them.

Two major challenges automotive repair shops will need to overcome in 2024 are the retention of staff and the need for additional training throughout the entire business. Management training, electronic systems and electric vehicle training are very quickly becoming must-haves to adapt and overcome. The required investment in organizational training will not decrease moving forward. Shop owners need to plan accordingly.

The biggest opportunity out there is growth: Gaining market share and future-proofing the business at the same time. Many shop owners still don’t plan for growth each year or do not fully implement growth plans every month. The Canadian automotive aftermarket is rapidly changing due to macro factors including aging demographics and significant changes in technology.

Choosing to future-proof your business with electric vehicle preparedness does not only cater to a fast-growing new customer base but also will allow your business to be ready for sale when you are ready.

The post CARS Executive Outlook 2024: Martyn Johns appeared first on Auto Service World.

CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Mike Howard, 2023 Shop of the Year  |  Art Turney’s Garage

It seems that the best way to prepare for change is to accept that it is coming. Change is inevitable. Because we never know exactly what it will be or how it will affect us, we must invest in technicians, tools, equipment, software, training, etc. That way, when change hits, we are (hopefully) in a position to tackle it head on.

I think the biggest challenge we face is access to a qualified labour pool. It’s a systemic and lingering challenge. Labour is our biggest expense, but it’s also where the revenue comes from. It’s a balance to ensure staff compensation is good, but not inhibitive. We are fortunate to have some real good techs, so it is imperative to keep them. We must offer what’s important to our people above and beyond compensation.

As the saying goes, “Don’t count the cars — make the cars count.” We need to look at providing more service/sales to our customers. Techs must look beyond the reason for the customer’s visit. We don’t want to sell our customers something they don’t need or want, but the opposite — we want to point out to them the cost of not maintaining and repairing their vehicle and help them to make informed decisions. Not all shops, ours included, have been good at that but it’s a way to improve sales.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Zara Wishloff, President, CEO  |  Automotive Parts Distributors

I believe consumer spending will decline in 2024. The automotive aftermarket may witness a shift towards economy and value-driven product options. This adjustment is likely a response to the key year for mortgage renewals, where many Canadians will be grappling with substantial increases in their monthly payments. As households tighten their budgets, industry players may need to adapt to a market that prioritizes affordability over premium offerings.

The industry continues to see a trend toward mergers, coupled with a sense that some manufacturers might exit the marketplace. This evolution in the competitive landscape underscores the need for adaptability and strategic planning among jobbers and suppliers.

This year will bring the challenge of right-sizing our inventories and analyzing real demand. With the supply issues we experienced in the last 24 months, there was “artificial demand” in the marketplace. With shortages, many levels of the supply chain upped their inventory levels to have stock. This strategy paid off as even dealerships did not have product. Clients were buying inventory from any source available giving many aftermarket suppliers a boost in sales. As the supply chain normalizes, we need to analyze and adjust what was real and artificial demand and adjust our levels accordingly. Canada’s environmental regulations have also affected many chemicals. Proper solutions will need to be identified.

Average car prices are at an all-time high. The increased value of new and used vehicles makes the spend on parts and maintenance prudent. The ratios now make sense for investing in vehicles.

The post Jobber News Executive Outlook 2024: Zara Wishloff appeared first on Auto Service World.

CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Jason Herle, CEO  |  Fountain Tire

Like 2023, technology will be the biggest driver of change and we expect it will continue to come at a faster pace. On the customer service side, integrated CRM software, digital vehicle inspections and our ability to leverage big data will allow us to deliver an improved customer experience while growing sales. From advanced driver assistance systems to connected cars and EVs, technology within vehicles and the equipment we use to service them is quickly evolving. We need to be prepared with adequate training to ensure our teams remain knowledgeable, efficient and safe.

Attracting and retaining skilled labour will continue to be key to capitalize on the opportunities in the aftermarket space. Beyond attracting new talent, upskilling or retraining the existing workforce to work on newer vehicles is critical. To tackle it, shops will need to identify the required training, where to obtain it (in person or online) and manage associated costs. Partnering with national part suppliers or working with aftermarket associations can help.

I see two major opportunities to grow aftermarket business this year. One is capitalizing on the aging car count (an average of 12.5 years for cars and light trucks in the US). The longer vehicles are on the road, the longer they require our maintenance and repair services. On the flip side, new car sales are catching up to pre-pandemic levels, but still lag the demand for them. As sales increase, we can gain market share from OEMs by servicing new technology including EVs and everything ADAS presents.

The post CARS Executive Outlook 2024: Jason Herle appeared first on Auto Service World.

Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

David H. Williams, CEO  |  Opticat/JNP Soft

Expect 2024 to look a lot like 2023 — good customer demand, no major supply chain interruptions, no major economic issues, etc. A few notable M&A events will have an impact. I would expect a few big suppliers could be acquired, as well as distributors, resulting in further consolidation. New EV sales could cool, especially if the CARS Act is passed in the U.S. — I would expect the pace of aftermarket replacement part development to slow down for EVs and focus would shift back to hybrid and ICE powertrains.

Managing costs for jobbers/suppliers is going to be the most significant challenge. I don’t foresee relief in the cost of labour, freight, raw materials, etc. next year. Couple rising operations costs with increased pressure from customers and competitors and expect many jobbers/suppliers to feel the squeeze on profitability. They will seek to partner with third parties to outsource, automate and optimize critical functions to manage and scale costs.

Jobbers and suppliers must take full advantage of all the new and unique pathways for their products to get to market. There’s been an increase in the number of services provided to shop management systems to integrate parts ordering and catalogues. New players are all using jobber/supplier product information. This is the best way for suppliers to get their products directly in front of professionals to build the brand and make a sale. Those with the best content will win as it gives the repair shop confidence that they are ordering the right part to reduce the risk of a comeback or a return.

The post Jobber News Executive Outlook 2024: David H. Williams appeared first on Auto Service World.

CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Costa Haitas, President  |   The Mufflerman

We are enthusiastically looking forward to another year of growth for our shops in 2024. As economic conditions continue to put a strain on the cost of living for many Canadians, our customers continue to turn to our repair centres to assist them in extending the life of their vehicles while keeping them safe on the roads. It’s imperative that shops continue to provide complete inspections of their customers’ vehicles and present them with recommendations on repairs and preventative maintenance services that will keep them safe while avoiding unnecessary costs.

While the need for our services continues to increase, the biggest challenge in our industry is the recruitment and retention of employees. The increased cost of living is also negatively impacting our teams. So shop owners and operators must be running profitable operations to ensure that they can provide their employees with competitive wages.

The biggest opportunity for growth in 2024 will be capitalizing on growing car count through strategic marketing initiatives in your local markets. Shop owners and operators need to ensure that they’re continuously working on delivering best-in-class service to their customers while simultaneously providing a great culture in their shops for their teams. Also, now is the time to start planning and preparing for the future as the landscape of our industry and customer needs are changing.

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Jobber News editor Adam Malik sat down with Ryan Bruno to talk about his role as chair of AIA Canada. His one-year term will officially begin in April following the association’s AGM.

You can read the interview in the March issue of Jobber News. but tune into this special enhanced media segment for more, such as his views on how AIA Canada can help strengthen the industry, creating a standardized experience for customers and the opportunities out there for the automotive aftermarket.

Tune into the discussion by clicking the banner above or by visiting any of these links for the podcast and full Auto Service World Conversations library:

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CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Bruce Eccles, Vice Chair  |  Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO)

The high interest rates and elevated inflation that we’ve been seeing will have consumers keeping their vehicles longer than they planned.

Many EV models have been around for a decade. I predict shops in the Greater Toronto Area will see more of them in their bays than previous years. In areas where EVs are not as common, the boom will be with their own clients and an increase in the eight- to 10-year-old vehicles that would have traditionally been traded in. Furthermore, in Ontario, the new DriveOn digital vehicle safety and emissions inspection program is rolling out.

Shops will be busy. Efficiency and profitability will require proper service appointment scheduling systems to be put in place. All too often, repairs are deferred because of over-scheduling.

The biggest challenge will be the same one for many years: Staff, from the office to technicians. I would suggest shops create a “hire young and train them” strategy, utilizing all training available through manufacturers, jobbers, associations and government programs.

The biggest opportunity for 2024 is perhaps all of the above. Here is something to think about: Many independent shops have closed in the past five years, Dealers don’t have the facilities to service every vehicle they sell and consumers are keeping their vehicles longer.  This all adds up to an increase in business.

Shops that have good management systems in place will see sales and profits go up.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

J.C. Washbish, President  |  Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance

Biggest hope in the next year is the passage of C-244 by the Canadian Senate as well as the passage H.R. 906 – the REPAIR Act in the U.S. A secured win for right to repair in North America will be paramount in shaping the future of the automotive aftermarket.

Should the right to repair movement face setbacks, then winds of uncertainty will continue to blow throughout the industry. Uncertainty breeds other issues. This is a united effort — everyone should do their part. We are asking all independent jobbers, shop owners, retailers and distributors to reach out to their elected representatives and inform them on right to repair. We need as many people as possible on this. We need to do it; we cannot afford to sit on our hands and hope the heavy lifting will be done by our trade associations or someone else.

In the near future, this could be a challenging year for the Canadian economy, as high interest rates and inflation hit Canadians hard in 2023. On the upside, the general consumer will be repairing the vehicles they already own versus buying new vehicles. Now is the time for suppliers and jobbers to partner with repair shops and encourage vehicle owners to invest in their vehicles and maintain them with recommended service. A strong partnership between parts suppliers and customer repair shops is what wins the day, particularly with customer service, honest communication and parts availability.

To sum it up: Will 2024 have its challenges? Sure. And with these challenges will come great opportunities.

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CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

James Channer, Co-founder, COO  |  In Motion Brands Inc.

The 2024 forecast signifies a shift after a positive run. As the market slowed down in late 2023, repair shop owners faced heightened consumer caution amid rising household debt and economic uncertainties. To foster business growth in 2024, repair shops must comprehensively assess all business practices, emphasizing heightened productivity and fortifying their competitive edge.

While facing the difficulty of increasing operating costs, repair shops should prioritize achieving high levels of operational excellence. Enhancing efficiency, optimizing processes and managing costs becomes crucial in navigating a softer market. This underscores the necessity for streamlined operations, delivering an exceptional customer experience and deploying effective digital strategies to sustain competitiveness in a dynamic market environment.

A robust digital strategy emerges as a linchpin for success in 2024 and beyond. According to AIA Canada, 45% of consumers discover repair shop providers through online searches. Recognizing the expectations of digitally savvy consumers, repair shop owners must invest in a robust digital presence, incorporating e-commerce capabilities, user-friendly interfaces and data-driven marketing approaches to attract and retain customers.

Treat the digital strategy with the same importance as a shop management system. Measuring key performance indicators and using reporting tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console are crucial for monitoring digital KPIs and organic search performance. Proper setup and optimization of these tools are vital. Active collaboration with your digital marketing company can further enhance these reporting tools. Identifying collaborative partners in the industry will aid in navigating the evolving landscape and foster mutual growth in 2024.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Sean Stokes, VP of Auto Parts, GM  |  PartSource

The aftermarket will continue to grow (units and dollars) as consumers will continue to face macroeconomic pressures like inflation and high interest rates. The average consumer will continue to repair older vehicles versus purchase new (although I believe new vehicle sales for 2024 will be higher than they were in 2023 due to pent-up demand). Parts supply will be in a positive position versus the previous three years, so success will be driven by seamless customer service and a strong value proposition on quality parts for the DIY and DIFM channels. Right to repair will continue to be an important topic. We must support AIA Canada in its efforts to communicate this with key stakeholders.

Finding and retaining quality staff and technicians, while balancing a positive cash flow, will be the biggest challenge. Companies need to create and offer relevant training programs for staff and ensure recognition programs are in place. They must ensure an environment that respects diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace. The industry must work through AIA Canada to ensure the automotive aftermarket is seen as a positive career possibility by students.

The top opportunity is a three-pronged approach. First, invest in the right partner with the right inventory programs to support your business long-term growth. Secondly, stay on top of customer needs. Be proactive in communicating the jobs they need to have completed (strong warranties will become even more important in 2024). Lastly, ensure your teams embrace a growth mindset where team members look for new ways to do things and embrace setbacks as learning opportunities.

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CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

J.F. Champagne, President  |  Automotive Industries Association of Canada

The combination of lingering inflation, high interest rate with labour shortage will be challenging for auto repair shops in order to continue to service their customers while remaining profitable. How to properly price their services to remain competitive while being limited by the on-going staff shortage will likely remain front of mind.

This year will also provide opportunities for auto repair shops who are looking to grow and expand as some business operators seek to retire and sell their operations.

Labour shortage will continue to be the No. 1 challenge for auto repair shops. Business owners and managers looking to attract and retain high performing employees will need to offer competitive compensation that includes benefits and flexibility in a positive working environment that takes into consideration the needs of new Canadians likely to fill these positions.

Organizations who will make meaningful changes in order to create an environment welcoming to women will likely benefit as well.

I believe there will be opportunities for acquisitions for auto repair shops looking for growth as business owners look to retire in an environment that remains challenging.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Douglas Squires, President, CEO  |  Colonial Group (Colonial Auto Parts and APM Limited)

Consumers will continue to extend vehicle life due to challenges with new vehicle supply which presents opportunities for jobbers. EV sales will increase but market constraints will slow this pace and reduce adoption. The large U.S. chain coming to Canada and another selling off the stores will result in uncertainty about the future. Market consolidation will continue, and small jobbers and regional or small program groups will struggle to compete. The lack of industry succession planning will increase consolidation and the number of jobbers in Canada may shrink.

The global supply chain still has fill rate issues. Jobbers with strong inventory management will succeed whereas others will fail. Sourcing from nearshore will help timing but jobbers and suppliers need to increase their inventory safety stock, bulk order when supply is available and focus on improving their supply chain management. Finding and retaining knowledgeable staff will continue as an issue until a focus is placed on attracting and training staff in the industry.

Rising debt will result in M&A opportunities on a macro level and jobbers can grow at the micro level due to an aging ownership base with limited succession planning. Those who took advantage of recent strong years’ performance to improve their financial stability are positioned to capitalize on those struggling with high interest rates and debt loads. Dependable supply of inventory will be key in navigating these changes and those able to optimize and bulk up on inventory will succeed while others will struggle to compete.

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We are well into the first quarter of the year and hopefully everyone is hitting their goals. You have set goals, right?

If not, it’s never too late to sit down and start thinking about where you want this year to go and how you are going to get there. Before my shop opened for the new year, my manager and I sat down to decide what goals we were going to shoot for in a few different categories: Sales, client experience, training and leadership.

We first decided what our weekly sales goals would be based on available technician hours, labour mix and parts margin. These three important KPIs are monitored daily to ensure that the business is making the most out of every day and every vehicle. If we sell all our available hours, ensure our labour mix is 50-55 per cent and parts margin is 55-60 per cent, we’ve had a profitable day.

Once we determined the sales goal that we wanted to achieve, our next step was to figure out how we would get there.

First, having happy, engaged clients who believe in maintaining their vehicle are key to making this happen. Our client communication is excellent and is mentioned the most in our five-star reviews.

Over the years, we have left little gifts for our clients in their vehicles — branded coffee mugs, pens and gift cards to other local businesses. This year, we have decided to partner with a local nut-free bakery, which provides us with chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are placed in the client’s vehicle with a ‘thank you’ sticker, as a small token of our appreciation for the trust they put in us.

Second, we believe that the way to accomplish our goals is by engaging in ongoing training for each member of our team. The technicians and service advisors use an online training program, which feeds them daily training. This is curated for each person based on their skill level to provide them with guidance in areas where they are weaker. This helps them gain confidence in their roles, which ultimately helps the team accomplish what we’ve set out to achieve.

If not, it’s never too late to sit down and start thinking about where you want this year to go and how you are going to get there.

Our additional training goals will be to find higher-level technician training for our A-techs and high-level management training for my me and my manager.

Last, our leadership goals. The University of Regina offers leadership classes for business owners and their staff, which we will be enrolling in this year. By having our staff to gain this type of knowledge, it will not only help them professionally, but they will develop the skills needed to be leaders in their homes and the communities they live in.

We have also decided that if our staff want to be leaders in their professional roles, we need to include them in our strategic plans for the business in a more structured and organized way. We have staff meetings to talk about sales and operational plans, but we wanted to create the opportunity to build a culture of intention and purpose.

We have started “Kinetic Coffee Talk Tuesday” (we run a four-day workweek, so Tuesday is the beginning of our week), a 15-minute meeting where we talk about our intentions for the week, discuss personal and professional goals and share with the group our “Song of the Week”. This song is chosen by a different team member every week as their personal anthem, which is played at the beginning of the meeting for everyone to listen to (yes, this is as awkward as it sounds, but it’s fun-awkward). Their song choice tells us who they are, what they value and how they’re going to show up for the team that week.

(We hope a team member never chooses “Unloved” by Jann Arden; we want everyone to feel loved in our shop.)

By setting goals and sharing our wins, we can start the week in a positive upbeat way, allowing us to aim for the same targets and build strong relationships with each other.

You still have lots of time to make your own goals for the year, so if you haven’t sat down and written them out, personal or professional, please take the time to do so and you, too, can start every day with intention.

Erin Vaughan is the owner of Kinetic Auto Service in Regina

This article originally appeared in the February issue of CARS

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CARS reached out to leaders in the automotive repair and service sector of the automotive aftermarket to ask them about their thoughts about the industry over the next 12 months. We wanted to know how things will change this year, what’s the biggest challenge and how they can seize the biggest opportunity. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in the February 2024 issue.

Greg Aguilera, Director  |  IAC Canada

In 2024, there will be two major factors independent repair shops will need to contend with. Firstly, the normalizing of supply of new vehicles in dealers. This means that the likelihood of people buying a new car will increase, therefore customers repairing older cars may decline. Secondly, the mainstream plug-in hybrid vehicles of the first generation are now coming off emissions warranty so these will come in more often now for repair — not just servicing.

The challenge this year for shops is going to be attracting, retaining and training staff. Although we all are in the same situation from a market perspective, shops that develop a clear sense of vision and direction will be able to build a business that people want to be a part of and remain with.

The biggest opportunity for shops to grow is to capitalize on the work that is left on the table by those shops not investing in the future or admitting the change that is now at our doorstep.

As our industry evolves more quickly than ever before, it’s time to separate the leaders from those who are not willing to invest in themselves or their business in equal measure.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Chris Kinghorn, VP, Strategy and Growth  |  NAPA Auto Parts

People are still getting into the groove of going back to work. Expect kilometres driven to continue to climb, keeping the need for automotive service and repair going at a steady rate. Inflation will be an issue for consumers. They’ll be pressed with interest rates even with declines on the horizon. People have mortgages being renewed. Costs for people are going up. Typically, the automotive aftermarket is well positioned during times like this because people repair what they have. Prices of used vehicles are going to remain steady. People are going to invest in the vehicles that they have so that they can maintain mobility.

A challenge in the business is just attracting great people to our industry. The automotive aftermarket is under-recognized with the career paths and potential available within our business. We need to get people to recognize that you can start in a store and there are great career progression opportunities. How do we attract? People are on social media — be present. Show the culture and values of your company, your investment in the community and the things you do to create a place people want to work. Show your cause, passion and values that resonate with people. Finding a way to display that professionally is important.

The world is rapidly changing. There’s a lot of technology that can help you streamline your business to accomplish more with the people that you have and make people better. You can enhance your overall offering if you embrace those technologies and platforms. That’s exciting.

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Canadians are feeling the pinch when it comes to the economy and keeping more money in their pockets rather than spending it.

With many costs rising — led by increasing mortgage rates — Canadians are preferring not to dip into the savings they accumulated over the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So I think we are starting to see some pullback on the consumer side of things,” said Thomas Feltmate, senior economist at TD Bank, at the Canadian Black Book Talk Auto 2023 conference near Toronto. “This is exactly what the Bank of Canada ultimately wants to see. We need to see weaker consumer spending over the next year or so such that we have further disinflationary pressure coming through.”

Watching their dollars is something Lenny Levac, Canadian sales director Canada from Liqui Moly, has noticed.

“Customers do have finances top of mind here in Canada,” he told CARS. “With costs continuing to rise in so many aspects in Canada, we need the most value we can find out of the products we purchase.”

But that also means routine maintenance is being ignored, deferring work and setting themselves up for larger bills down the road. “In the past, most would have gone ahead with the recommended work,” Levac said.

However, oil services have not been ignored. “It’s still one of the most important services that can be done to keep your investment in good order,” he added. “With so many of us using our vehicles to go to work, pick up the kids, hockey, soccer, life, we can’t afford to not change the oil. It’s what powers where you go.”

Sean Nguyen, Pennzoil’s technical scientist and automotive lubricant specialist. agreed. “While consumers may be tempted to extend their drain intervals to stretch their buying dollars, we advise against it.”

He notes that premium products can better protect vehicles from larger repair bills down the road.

“Shop owners need to have available synthetic high-mileage oils available for these high-mileage vehicles.”

That makes the relationship between shop and supplier important. Levac encourages their shop partners to continue engaging with them to ensure their needs are being met.

“The relationship between us and our customers and partners is so profound and sustainable that we only need to continue on the right path to be successful,” he said.

The relationship is built on trust. Shops rely on suppliers providing them with innovative products to better serve customers as their needs evolve.

“The messaging we have consistently delivered over the years reaffirms our commitment to being a brand our partners can rely on,” Nguyen said.

And if shops don’t know where to look to keep up with what consumer behaviour changes may impact their business, they can turn to their supplier partners.

“We are proactively engaging with automotive technicians and shop owners, offering educational resources, and providing product suggestions to support informed decision-making and meet customer needs,” Nguyen said.

For example, consumers are holding on to their vehicles longer than normal.

“Thus, they are accumulating more miles in these vehicles. Shop owners need to have available synthetic high-mileage oils available for these high-mileage vehicles,” Nguyen said.

This article originally appeared in the February issue of CARS

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Social media is a vital tool for anyone in the automotive industry. DriveCentric reported in a LinkedIn whitepaper that 90 per cent of new-vehicle buyers who used social media in their decision process feel it influenced their decision.

The same is true for the automotive aftermarket, whether you’re a repair shop or jobber store. TikTok’s 2022 Automotive Playbook, “Driving in the Fun Lane”, reported that 70 per cent of users discovered new automotive brands and products directly as a result of the platform.

Research agency in the UK  found that more than half of internet users between the ages of 16 and 24 use social media as their primary form of brand research. And two-thirds of Facebook users check out local businesses every week.

All of this demonstrates the value of an active and engaged social media presence.

Two Ontario shops come at the social media question from two different angles — with both are seeing success.

2021 Shop of the Year winner Master Mechanic, in Toronto’s High Park neighbourhood, uses Instagram to connect with its community and drive engagement, led by owner Josie Candito.

Candito started her shop’s Instagram account in 2017 just as a way to have fun and spread positivity. She said the Instagram account is an extension of who she is, who her team is and how they run their business.

“My community makes it very easy to love them, so it’s just natural for me to be on social media and let them know how much I appreciate them,” she said. “Social media lets people see who we are and represent our business and our team in a real and positive way.”

Candito didn’t come into the social media side of the business with a concrete plan. However, she has seen success just by being authentic and engaged.

“I guess I just have fun energy,” Candito said. “I do a lot of things that are probably different than what other shops do.”

“Social media lets people see who we are and represent our business and our team in a real and positive way.”

The store is known in the neighbourhood for the inspirational quotes on the signboard out front, and Candito uses those signs in her Instagram posts, as well as sharing both company and personal milestones. That helps connect the physical store to the social media account.

“I’m also very into animals and animal advocacy, so I kind of tie in my passions in life and things that inspire me, and things I find inspiring in the community and combine them as well,” she added.

Using the social media account for advocacy is one of the less intuitive tips shared by TikTok in its automotive marketing playbook.

According to TikTok, 63 per cent of social media users say it’s important that companies support causes important that are important to them.

The Playbook also reports that 58 per cent of users say it’s important companies are actively involved in their communities. That’s the key to Carlo Sabucco’s approach over at Sil’s Auto, in Oakville, Ontario.

“Really, we’re tying into the community and using Facebook ‘six-degrees of separation’ style content,” Sabucco explained.

Sil’s Auto doesn’t do any paid promotion on Facebook; their primary usage is as a member of local community groups. Sabucco said it took time for this approach to really reap results. They’ve been helping people in the community, talking to them, answering automotive questions for three years, he said.

“Throwing Facebook money and doing a paid campaign could work, but I’ve never had success with it because you’re basically just a blip on the radar for a 30-second impression. But if someone asks a question in their local community group and you answer it back, give them some guidance, then you’re a part of the conversation and you can really connect,” Sabucco explained.

“Now three years later, we measure our Facebook return and it’s top three in our company sales, and it’s cost nothing but my time.”

Answering questions, helping people solve their automotive questions, and being an active member of the local social media community has helped Sil’s Auto earn an army of community advocates.

“You know you have success too when the community answers for you. As an owner, I don’t have to be the guy that responds to questions like, ‘Hey, is there a local mechanic?’ because those people in the community are now answering on our behalf and saying, ‘Go to Sil’s Auto,’” he said.

“Even if people post comments and say, ‘Oh, Sil’s Auto is expensive,’ you get the community stepping in to defend us. That’s where the magic really starts to happen because the community does a lot of that work for you.”

Both Candito and Sabucco agree that the key to social media success is authentic results that show the integrity behind the business.

“You can’t hire a third-party company to do that,” Sabucco said.

Candito sums up her philosophy by reminding us that social media is supposed to be social. “I shy away from how-to videos and things because for us it’s more about just showing that we’re engaged with our community and our customers,” she said. “We stay involved in their life and keep them involved in ours.”

“Now we see people searching their groups for mechanics too, and they’re finding us just through the search too because we’ve been doing this for three years now, so we have a lot of posts and comments up there.”

Another tip is to use social media in conjunction with community outreach like contests, and in particular, charity work. Both Master Mechanic and Sil’s Auto use charity to help cement their roots in the community.

Sabucco has increased his investment in charity since seeing the way it amplifies his social media efforts, and vice versa. “During COVID, we did more charity because it helped with community engagement. Now we use social media and charity together to get better results,” he said.

“We went from $2,000 in charity work to $10,000 and because of the social media aspect we got a lot more conversation and benefit. And I can see that when I’m more engaged. For example, we’re doing a charity function, then I can see Facebook rise, so I know that the charity thing I did caused the engagement and drove in more customers.”

The time Sabucco put in is also paying off because his presence in the group has grown over time, and those posts don’t go away.

“Now we see people searching their groups for mechanics too, and they’re finding us just through the search too because we’ve been doing this for three years now, so we have a lot of posts and comments up there,” he said.

But, as with every tool businesses use, there are pitfalls, and social media can be especially fickle.

Candito said it’s important to stay organic, and not try to force a set number of posts per week or at specific times.

At Sil’s Auto, Sabucco said he learned early on that it’s important to manage his time. “There are some shops doing really great social media engagement, but I also know those owners are answering their phones at 8 a.m. on a Saturday, or they’re on vacation but not switching off. Social media is hungry — when it asks, you have to give.”

Both owners stress the importance of representing your business in the best possible light.

“Stay positive and keep it light,” Candito said. “You can still stand up for things you believe in, but it’s important to make sure you really think carefully about how what you’re saying can impact people.”

That was a lesson Sil’s Auto boss Sabucco admitted he learned the hard way. His advice: “Bite your tongue. People can pound the crap out of you online, and my instinct was to defend myself, but it’s not the place,” he said.

“So now I am careful about how I respond, and I might even encourage them to call me. Or I might even call the customer and address that complaint right with them. If you come back with an edge, people will make an assumption about your business.”

At the end of the day, Candito said, small business gets its best results by focusing on the customers in the community and having fun.

“I think social media is a big part of people’s lives, but it’s still a distraction. So, let’s engage them on that human level and let them know that this is a real business run by real people.”

This article originally appeared in the February issue of CARS

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Trevor Heinze, 2023 Jobber of the Year  |  Chieftain Auto Parts

I believe the automotive aftermarket will continue to be busy due to the rising cost of everything — inflation, interest rates, taxes and new vehicles, to name a few.

With these burdens, people will hold on to the vehicles they have and continue to repair and service them. This will be helpful to the whole aftermarket.

I think the biggest challenge for jobbers and suppliers will be employees. We can all see the many different opportunities in other industries and what they will pay.

We need to look after our biggest asset: Our people. We need to keep them happy. We do cross-training with employees. This helps with shortages and also gives staff the opportunity to advance up the ladder. They also have a better picture of how the whole organization runs.

The top opportunity for jobbers and suppliers will be diversification, I believe. To seize the opportunity we must listen to our customer base for products they asking for.

We should also look at products we have that each customer is not buying from us. Our suppliers should be doing the same. We as jobbers have to maintain our own knowledge base so that we can educate our customers on the changes that occur within the industry and the products and services that we provide.

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What do some of the top minds in the auto repair space think about the year ahead of us?

The latest February issue of CARS magazine features 10 top leaders from the automotive aftermarket sharing their views on what’s going to change in mechanical repair, the challenges in the way and how shops can capture the opportunities ahead of them.

You’ll find insights from shop coaches, industry observers, AIA Canada, industry associations, banner leaders and the 2023 Shop of the Year.

 

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We have a pair of news features: One looks at motor oil’s role as consumer habits change;  the other explores the benefits of social media and the necessity of having a presence.

Shop owner Erin Vaughan offers advice on setting goals for the year in her column. Haven’t started? Haven’t made any yet? It’s not too late. She guides you through key considerations.

And then check out Letters from industry readers, our News section with an EyeSpy spotlight, By the Numbers and Class Act featuring Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Don’t forget about the Car-toon in the back.

Grab your issue of CARS or check out the digital edition.

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Could this be a defining year for auto repair shops? After some interesting times over the last few years, reading between the lines of the thoughts of mechanical repair leaders, the actions shop owners take in 2024 could be the moves that set them up for success or left behind in a world that is stuck in its old ways.

There is much change ahead, these leaders say; to stay stagnant would appear to be an error in judgment. The auto repair market will continue to see alterations in the way consumers behave. As new vehicle prices continue to rise in Canada — to an average transaction price of nearly $53,000, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants — how will consumers react?

Some may shy away from driving to avoid vehicle wear and tear. However, more affluent Canadians may be using their vehicles more as they typically have jobs that allow them to work remotely. All data indicate that drivers are getting behind the wheel as often or more than pre-pandemic. The belief is that those working remotely are taking advantage of their ability to work from anywhere and hitting the road for extended weekends, flipping open their laptops in hotel rooms and spare bedrooms to deal with their work by day and enjoy their getaway by night.

That means you’re getting different customers to serve — if more affluent people are driving more, then that’s the clientele you’re more likely to see in your shop.

“It changes how you go to market as a brand or as a retailer,” advised Nathan Shipley, executive director of automotive industry analysis at market research firm Circana at AAPEX in the fall.

So that means offering them services to attract them to your shop. Think of the customer-facing technology you could be offering. To play off a famous quote, shops need to be where their customers are — and that’s online.

As you flip through the next few pages, you’ll read the many thoughts of those who specialize in the auto care sector. They were asked about the opportunities out there for shops, challenges and opportunities.

Talent was noted as a common issue. It remains as a top challenge for shops to overcome.

They touch on the need to future-proof your business and implementing technology in your shop. Owners will have competitors who will choose to not do this — that’s money being left on the table for the forward-thinkers to grab. Consumer expectations have changed and so this industry must adapt along with it. Forcing them to be where you are rather than moving to where they want to be is a strategy that can lead to failure, these leaders warned. It’s all about finding that competitive edge.

In alphabetical order over the coming weeks, we’ll present the analysis they provided in the January/February 2024 issue of CARS.

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In the ever-evolving landscape of the Canadian automotive aftermarket, jobber auto parts stores face a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

With a decade of experience managing and owning a group of auto parts stores, I’ve observed the industry undergo significant shifts, particularly in the realms of consolidation, technology adoption and parts proliferation.

Let’s explore both sides of the coin each area presents.

Consolidation

The golden age of change that the Canadian automotive aftermarket is currently witnessing could be termed the ‘golden age of consolidation.’ Major players, like O’Reilly’s acquisition of Vast Auto Distribution, UAP and LKQ/Uni-Select’s ongoing M&A efforts are reshaping the industry.

For jobbers, understanding the implications of these consolidation trends is crucial. Whether it’s capitalizing on exit strategies or strategically integrating with M&A activities, jobbers must recognize the changing dynamics.

As the focus shifts from price discussions to creating a unique selling proposition, the keys to thriving lie in maintaining a financially healthy business, optimizing staff performance, ensuring operational efficiencies, capital reinvestment, embracing technology, and securing access to inventory.

Technology

It’s time to embrace evolution for success. In an era where consumers and B2B clients are increasingly educated and demanding higher levels of service, technology becomes a cornerstone for success. The rise of services like Amazon Prime has made parts and supplies more accessible, transforming the business landscape.

Reflecting on experiences with UAP and my NAPA Auto Parts stores, investing in technology has been a pivotal strategy to capitalize on evolving consumer trends and enhance operational efficiencies.

Now, as an integral part of the service chain, the critical importance of innovation and efficiency in the partnership between shops and jobbers is evident. Jobber stores must prioritize forward-thinking technology adoption over traditional methods, emphasizing the significance of their “banner” in the context of their business rather than merely relying on creating specials and buying product lines.

Parts proliferation

There will be a need for balancing risk and evolution. Managing parts proliferation and the associated need for increased space and working capital presents a significant challenge for jobber stores. The continuous expansion of SKUs necessitates strategic decisions on inventory requirements and investments in space-saving technology.

While larger companies can easily reinvest in CAPEX, jobbers face a dilemma — whether to take on more risk with investments and allow their business to evolve or risk losing a competitive advantage. The key lies in finding the delicate balance between innovation and risk, ensuring that investments contribute to future success rather than becoming a financial burden.

As jobber auto parts stores navigate these challenges, a proactive approach is essential. By understanding the implications of industry consolidation, embracing technology for enhanced customer service, and strategically managing parts proliferation, jobbers can position themselves not only to survive but thrive in the dynamic Canadian automotive aftermarket.

The key is to remain adaptable, forward-thinking, and committed to evolving with the ever-changing industry landscape.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Jeff Coolen, Chief Information Officer  |  Lordco Auto Parts

Interest rates may decline but will continue to remain restrictive as governments work to address pandemic-induced inflation. The combination of inflation and interest will continue to put additional pressure on the consumer. Sustained high costs of new vehicles combined with current interest rates will continue to drive consumers to seek more cost-effective options for vehicle maintenance and upgrades. These market forces will collectively translate into a strong year for the aftermarket.

The upcoming year has many headwinds, including escalating costs, consolidation, rapid government policy changes and continually evolving technology. Effectively addressing these headwinds requires the right talent — talent that is increasingly in demand. Attracting and retaining talent has become the single biggest challenge for 2024, and there is no single simple action or easy button that can close this gap. Creating an inclusive environment that embraces a growth mindset will form a foundation in which team members can see their future. The path to success starts with developing a clear vision for the organization and its culture, supporting it with strategy, and delivering it through a planned roadmap for change.

From pandemics to supply chain chaos to inflation to an engineered economic slowdown to tame inflation, the only constant is change and the threats and opportunities it creates. Teams need insights to help them successfully navigate these changes. While experience, instincts and attitude are critical, facts and data provide clarity. Developing and harnessing data insights becomes crucial to swiftly comprehending an ever-changing business landscape and identifying how to adapt and thrive.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

J.F. Champagne, President  |  Automotive Industries Association of Canada

I believe that we will continue to experience some of the post-pandemic uncertainty. We can expect the combined effects of inflation and high interest rates that Canadians faced in 2023 to be felt in 2024 as some consumers curb expenses. This may slow the sales of new cars, which should have a positive impact on the auto care sector as consumers keep their cars longer. However, we will need to keep a close eye on this and see if it also reduces the number of kilometres driven by Canadian vehicle owners.

Labour will continue to be front and centre to the challenges the industry is experiencing. The aging population and lack of diversity in our sector will continue to negatively impact our capacity to attract and recruit new people. Going forward, we need to ensure our businesses are changing to be more attractive and welcoming to women and people from different backgrounds.

Newer vehicles are becoming increasingly electric and connected. While they are more complex to repair, they can create new opportunities for our sector. These new technologies can appeal to the next generation and are an opportunity to attract new talents. It is time to invest in knowledge, technology, and people to ensure we are part of the future of the maintenance and repair of tomorrow’s vehicles.

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Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks…

You can view the full feature in our January 2024 issue.

Nick Brunet, President, COO  |  Bestbuy Distributors Limited

The upcoming year presents a transformative phase for Canada’s automotive aftermarket, marked by both emerging challenges and opportunities.

A pivotal trend in 2024 is the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Canada. This shift necessitates an adaptation in the market, particularly for jobbers and suppliers. They must extend their expertise and inventory to include EV-related products and services, leveraging their strengths in customer service and local market insight to stay competitive.

Simultaneously, the Canadian automotive aftermarket is witnessing a notable phase of consolidation. This trend sees smaller players merging with larger entities, leading to a more concentrated market landscape. While this consolidation can lead to greater efficiencies and stronger market presence, it also poses challenges for smaller jobbers and suppliers striving to maintain their unique identity and customer base. Navigating this environment requires strategic planning, with a focus on niche markets, specialized services, or forming strategic alliances to retain competitiveness.

The persisting issue of supply chain disruptions remains a hurdle. To combat this, jobbers and suppliers must cultivate resilient and diversified supply chains and improve logistics management using the latest software systems.

Investing in staff training, especially in EV technology and sustainability, is another key to success in 2024. This investment will empower businesses to meet the evolving demands of the market.

2024 is a year of significant evolution for Canada’s automotive aftermarket. The sector’s potential lies in adeptly managing the market’s consolidation, embracing new technologies like EVs, and committing to sustainable practices. Those who adeptly navigate these changes will emerge as leaders in the evolving landscape.

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2023 saw a rejuvenated voice for Canada’s auto care sector, supported by bolstered advocacy efforts to address a top issue of concern: Legislated access to vehicle data, safeguarding the rights of consumers to secure mechanical and collision repair services in the automotive aftermarket — otherwise known as the right to repair.

Over the last 18 months, AIA Canada moved swiftly to generate a political plan of action, which involved key initiatives, such as the launch of a global right to repair position statement; a dedicated microsite, righttorepair.ca; and the execution of a targeted multi-partisan direct outreach campaign, including AIA Canada’s cornerstone advocacy event, Parliament Hill Day.

Thanks to the support of our members, AIA Canada and the industry have since seen several wins, including the first right to repair law (including vehicles) enacted in Canada in the province of Quebec; the unanimous passing of federal Bill C-244 in the House of Commons, and now being studied in the Senate; for the first time, a commitment in the 2023 Federal Budget to implement a right to repair framework; and, also for the first time, a further expanded commitment in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement in support of Canadians’ right to repair.

Each achievement plays a vital role in charging a path forward to achieving standalone national legislation. However, while we have moved the needle in the right direction, this work is only just beginning. And there is much more to be done.

As we hit the ground running in 2024, our focus will be centred around securing additional support and financial resources to assist in the roll-out of a continued and strengthened campaign and see the government through on its 2023 commitments in pursuit of a legislated solution.

Importantly, it is also imperative that the industry mobilize a strong opposing voice to counter the thinking that an outdated voluntary agreement is enough — a message that is constantly shared by the automakers in their pushback and continues to penetrate the thinking of federal decision-makers. The risk of inaction is too great to not alter this status quo mindset.

Our government advocacy and media work will continue; however, we will not be successful without engagement from industry at the local grassroots level. Indeed, grassroots communication of concerns has the greatest impact on political representatives.

With competition and affordability top of mind, newly announced Government of Canada electric vehicle sales regulations, and another federal election upon us before we know it, we cannot afford to wait.

The time is now, and we need your help. To support the future of vehicle right to repair, protect your business, customers and your bottom line and preserve consumer choice, we urge you to get involved by signing up to become a grassroots champion. Learn more and sign up today by visiting righttorepair.ca.

Successful legal recognition of vehicle right to repair will require a commitment from the entire industry, and a strong dose of perseverance. Remember: Members who speak up get heard by political decision-makers and can positively impact changes.

Alana Baker is vice president of government relations and research at the Automotive Industries Association of Canada. If you are in a position to make a financial contribution to directly support AIA Canada’s right to repair campaign, please contact her at alana.baker@aiacanada.com for more information.

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The latest issue of Jobber News features insights from top leaders in the Canadian automotive aftermarket.

The cover feature includes 10 industry leaders sharing their thoughts on the current state of the auto care sector, centring on the challenges, opportunities and changes for jobbers and suppliers. Checkout insights from leaders from Bestbuy Distributors, NAPA, AIA Canada, Lordco, PartSource, Colonial Group, the Automotive Aftermakret Parts Alliance, APD and Opticat/JNP Soft, plus the 2023 Jobber of the Year.

You’ll also find AIA Canada’s Alana Baker reviewing the current state of the right to repair fight and what’s needed from industry professionals to help make significant strides this year.

Zakari Krieger takes a look at what jobbers need to focus on in the year ahead, along with what will impact them the most, such as consolidation, technology and parts proliferation.

We have the usual sections like Letters, News, By the Numbers and Car-toon in the back. It’s a packed issue so grab yours today!

You can see the full digital issue here.

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Canadian jobbers and their supply partners appear to have an equal amount of hope and skepticism for the year ahead.

On the positive side, many of the factors that kept the aftermarket chugging along last year will continue in 2024.

Driving trends show that people are still driving. Data from the U.S. showed vehicle miles travelled didn’t drop as they were expected to through the first three quarters of 2023. In fact, miles travelled may be up compared to the year before. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants reported gas consumption in the summer of 2023 surpassed what was seen at the same time in 2019.

Supply constraints eased throughout 2023. Though port strikes and wildfires slowed down some goods movement, the situation improved overall. Suppliers were forced to enact better, or different, forecasting actions. Inventories were too high in some areas, forcing a correction. Distributors and jobbers should expect a smoother supply of product going forward.

On the consumer front, new vehicle prices and availability continue to work in the aftermarket’s favour. While new vehicle sales rebounded mightily in 2023 — up to 1.66 million from 1.49 in 2022 — prices have stayed elevated. Part of the problem is the wrong kind of inventory sits in dealerships. It’s the top-line, fully equipped vehicles that are not affordable to most of the buying population.

“That’s the kind of inventory we have right now. It’s not the stuff that is reasonable to most consumers; it’s not the kind of stuff that is affordable to most consumers,” said Guido Vildozo, senior manager of light vehicle sales forecasting for the Americas at S&P Global at Canadian Black Book’s Talk Auto 2023 event near Toronto in the fall.

“So yes, inventories from a larger picture perspective are starting to normalize … but it doesn’t mean that it’s the right product.”

And this leads into talk about the economy. Interest rates are up and staying there for now. Inflation was elevated but has come back down to more manageable levels — but consumers are still feelings its effects.

Times like these can lead to pessimism about certain industries. But not for the automotive aftermarket. Not entirely, anyway.

When times are tough and the price of a new vehicle seems too high — even in normal times — owners will opt to repair their vehicle rather than replace. These are not normal times, pushing greater emphasis on the advantages of consumers visiting the aftermarket to keep their vehicles in good shape. This was the case in 2023 and leaders across the industry expect it to continue in 2024.

But there are real challenges ahead. One can expect pressures of the economy to leak into consumer preferences in the aftermarket. Furthermore, the implementation of electric vehicles remains a question mark in terms of how it will progress. Goals are one thing, but will consumers respond to more affordable options and ones that better fit their lifestyle? Labour and talent issues will continue to pose challenges. Consolidation isn’t expected to slow down.

So we turned to the leaders of this industry to help shed some light on what can be expected going forward. We reached out to 10 of the top aftermarket minds and asked them: What will be different about 2024? What’s the biggest challenge the sector will face and how can it be tackled? What opportunity is out there for jobbers and suppliers to grab?

In alphabetical order over the coming weeks, we’ll present the analysis they provided in the January/February 2024 issue of Jobber News.

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Successful management transformation is not just about making a sale. Instead, it’s about the owner’s pivotal role in steering their business towards long-term growth and sustainability.

As the owner, you can lead your automotive repair shop through management transformation by emphasizing the importance of your personal growth and leadership in this process.

Lead by example

The first step is to lead by example. As the owner, your attitude, work ethic and approach to change set the tone for your team. It’s simply not possible to lead a team to success if you are working and leading from a place of scarcity — that means working on all aspects of your life, not just in the shop.

Your personal development is essential in driving your automotive repair business forward. Stay informed about industry trends, best practices and emerging technologies. Consider investing in your own development as an ongoing practice.

Delegation

Effective delegation is central to management transformation. Recognize that you can’t manage every aspect of your business single-handedly. The key to this is to stay within your zone of genius as a leader while empowering your employees to take ownership of their tasks, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability among your team.

Establishing clear goals and expectations for your shop is crucial. Define your vision, mission, and long-term objectives, and communicate these to your team.

Every team member must understand their role in achieving these goals. Regularly evaluate your progress and be prepared to adjust strategies to remain on track.

Be customer-centric

As an owner, your view should extend to fostering a customer-centric culture within your shop. Deeply understand your customers’ needs and expectations and encourage your team to prioritize exceptional customer service.

Lead by example through personal interactions with customers and actively seeking their feedback for improvement. Happy customers not only return but also recommend your services, which contributes to your business growth.

Financial management

Effective financial management is a fundamental aspect of running a successful repair shop, as we all know, it’s not easy to run a shop. So keep a tight ship.

Keep a watchful eye on your shop’s financial health, including expenses, revenue and profitability. Create and adhere to a budget including a marketing strategy while identifying opportunities for cost reduction. Make informed financial decisions that support the long-term sustainability and growth of your business based on data, not gut feelings.

Change

Embrace change. Be open to new technologies, processes and strategies. Too often, I hear owners maintain that their way of doing things has worked, so why change? They don’t believe customer habits will change — or anything, for that matter. History is rife with examples of companies holding on to this belief and then suddenly failing — think Blockbuster.

Encourage your team to share their ideas for improvement. Cultivate an environment where innovation and adaptation are celebrated, creating a shop that remains competitive and resilient in the ever-evolving automotive repair industry given the technology and ever-changing customer requirements.

As a shop owner, your personal transformation is the driving force behind your business’s success. By leading through example, investing in your education, empowering your team, setting clear goals, fostering a customer-centric culture, managing finances effectively and embracing change, you can position your business as a leader in the industry.

Your commitment to personal growth and your willingness to adapt, grow, and innovate will not only propel your shop forward but also inspire your team to do the same. Remember, your dedication to transformation is a powerful catalyst for positive change.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of CARS magazine

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The rapid push to decarbonize transportation is moving almost too swiftly.

While the electric vehicle market experiences growth and surging demand, it also faces significant pressure that could strain the entire supply chain.

Underscoring it all is nickel supply. Nickel is an essential component in EV batteries. But it’s at risk of running short. This could cause major disruption. Yet, despite the global push towards manufacturing, EVs remains in full gear with no signs of slowing down ahead.

A fragile EV supply chain

The shift towards an electric-everything future requires cohesion across key industries. Evidently, this has not been the case.

For governments and automakers, much of the focus has been on consumer buy-in. Now achieved, miners, who sit at the end of the supply chain pipeline, are finally being brought into the picture. This backward approach has the potential to cause major disruption.

This is because batteries are at the heart and center of electric vehicles. Made up of lithium, cobalt and 64 pounds of nickel, mining is the only way to get these materials. And according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), by 2025, nickel supply will be deemed critically low.

This leaves the domestic mining industry to quickly extract these essential metals. The problem is this process is not quick. On top of this, nickel miners face ongoing challenges from permit approvals to community pushback.

Looming threat to affordability, accessibility

With a limited supply of resources and heightened demand, the affordability and availability of EVs are threatened. At this rate, EVs will continue to maintain high price points and long wait times. The current wait time for an EV is anywhere from two months to three years.

As appetite picks up and more countries come on board, wait times will only stretch further if current issues stay unresolved.

Heavy reliance on Asia

With domestic nickel supply under intense strain, all fingers point to Asia. To avoid a complete supply chain breakdown, governments are depending on non-free-trade countries like Indonesia for supply.

To be contingent on another country for resources is not atypical. However, as the world’s largest supplier of nickel, Indonesia’s political hold on the resource leaves room for future supply risk. It also clashes with the global energy transition at its core, as Indonesian nickel output relies on coal-powered execution.

Navigating the energy transition

The challenges brought forward by EV popularity are significant, but they also present opportunities for innovation and growth.

The turn towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation stems from rising concern over climate change, air quality, high operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. To secure our energy future, we must refocus and reprioritize domestic nickel supply and mining.

By addressing these challenges within the broader EV ecosystem, we can pave the way for a greener and more sustainable future for all. Nickel will be at the heart of it all, powering the future of transportation.

Gregory Beischer is the CEO and President of Alaska Energy Metals

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of EV World

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In the ever-evolving landscape of the automotive industry in Canada, shop owners are facing a myriad of challenges that require strategic navigation.

From high interest rates and slowing economic activity to labour shortages and the impact of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) on repair dynamics, the road ahead is riddled with obstacles. However, within this uncertain environment, there are silver linings that savvy shop owners can leverage to not only survive but thrive.

Economic Headwinds

High interest rates and slowing economic activity: As interest rates climb and economic activity decelerates, consumers are feeling the pinch. The increase in mortgage costs has led to a reduction in consumer spending, creating a ripple effect across various industries, including automotive. The macro-output in Canada is becoming increasingly contentious, adding to the challenges faced by automotive businesses.

Contentious macro-output and labour shortages: The macro-output in the automotive sector is becoming more contentious, adding an extra layer of uncertainty. Coupled with labour shortages within the industry, finding skilled professionals has become a significant challenge for shop owners.

Impact of HEVs on repair outlook: The rise of HEVs is revolutionizing the automotive landscape. While environmentally friendly, HEVs pose a unique challenge to repair shops. Traditional maintenance practices are evolving, and technicians need to adapt to the changing repair outlook.

The rise of HEVs is revolutionizing the automotive landscape. While environmentally friendly, HEVs pose a unique challenge to repair shops.

Silver linings for shop owners

Labour is more profitable than selling parts: Amidst these challenges, shop owners can find solace in the fact that labour is often more profitable than selling parts. By focusing on enhancing the customer experience and boosting labour sales, automotive businesses can weather the storm more effectively. This could involve investing in training programs for technicians to keep them abreast of the latest technologies and trends.

Preparing your shop for improved customer experience: Enhancing the customer experience can lead to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. Simple strategies such as transparent communication, streamlined service processes and a customer-centric approach can make a significant difference.

EV preventative maintenance: With the growing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) and HEVs, shops can explore opportunities in EV preventative maintenance. Offering specialized services for these vehicles not only meets the changing needs of consumers but also positions the shop as a forward-thinking and adaptive business.

Expanding service categories: To diversify revenue streams and remain resilient in the face of economic uncertainties, shop owners can consider expanding service categories.

ADAS calibration and glass service: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) calibration is becoming increasingly crucial with the integration of technology in modern vehicles. Shops can capitalize on this trend by offering ADAS calibration services. Additionally, venturing into glass service, including repairs and replacements, can be a lucrative avenue for expansion.

While the automotive industry in Canada faces formidable challenges, astute shop owners can turn adversity into opportunity. By adapting to the evolving landscape, focusing on customer-centric strategies and diversifying service offerings, automotive businesses can not only weather the economic storms but emerge stronger on the other side.

The road ahead may be challenging, but with the right strategies, the destination is one of sustained success and profitability.

Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines

This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of CARS magazine

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Electric vehicles are increasing in popularity, and the automotive industry is going through an enormous transformation because of that. Being an auto care business owner or professional, knowledge about what will happen in the future of electric vehicles is crucial.

With charging infrastructure as the backbone of the EV ecosystem, keeping abreast of the changes in this dynamic area is essential. So let’s explore the innovative trends and tech that are setting up the trajectory for EV charging.

Evolving EV landscape

The landscape of electric vehicles is undergoing a seismic shift that is reshaping the automotive industry as we know it. Those days are gone when the EV was considered a specialized sector; instead, at the present moment, it has become a powerful competitor within the car industry through its establishment. Emission standards are tightening worldwide and manufacturers must make significant investments in their electric vehicle offerings for them to remain competitive with the latest standards.

With government incentives and rebates adding fuel to this fire, financial rebates are making purchasing an EV enticing. The automotive aftermarket must understand the paradigm shift that EVs present for auto care business owners and industry professionals alike. Landscape change is happening so fast that you must be proactive if you want to grab the brass ring and stay ahead of this curve. This is an industry where electric vehicles are the new normal, not tomorrow’s exception.

But even that’s not enough when trying to make an EV landscape that evolves beyond rules-and-regulation/incentive compliance. It’s marked by a fundamental shift in consumer preferences and expectations. EVs are not just eco-friendly substitutes anymore, but also considered an exemplary technological innovation in the automobile industry.

This change in how we see driving has generated strong consumer interest in electric cars. It will ultimately push incumbent automobile manufacturers out of their comfort zones and open up an era of creativity for the car market as a whole. As the industry grows, it offers both challenges and rewards for auto service companies. Recognizing the changes, anticipating the specific requirements of EV owners and aligning your brand with them may be critical if you are eager to succeed amidst such alterations.

Cutting-edge charging technologies

High-power DC fast charging: The race to create quicker charging speeds never stops. High-power DC fast-chargers are revolutionizing in their own way that enables electric vehicles to charge much quicker than ever before in human history. That’s not just a win for EV owners, though — this could be a boon for auto care businesses who see an influx of vehicles come through their doors.

Wireless charging: Imagine that once you’ve parked your EV, you don’t need any wires for charging it. This, too, is no longer science fiction. Wireless charging pads are being made, and wireless charging into electric vehicles is also coming soon.

Ultra-fast chargers: Fast charging is a great feature, but ultrafast chargers are poised to change a lot more. This charger will quickly charge an amazing distance that can be available to the user of an electric vehicle.

Battery swapping: Another interesting trend taking off is battery swapping. This is accomplished by charging these batteries externally and replacing the already exhausted ones instead of waiting for charging. It has the potential to transform electrical vehicle charging and maintenance.

Whether your next journey is going full throttle across the country or just grabbing the closest charger near you, these apps give control over EV charging right back to the driver, proving that electrification can be as easy and convenient as anything else.

Enhanced user experience

Mobile apps and digital platforms: With every advancement happening in this electric vehicle world — everything revolves around user experience — it starts with the palm of your hand. Mobile apps and online systems are now more than ever helping EV owners to ease their vehicle recharging. With these instinctive tools — including an ability to find nearby chargers, track the charge of a vehicle in real-time and pay for everything with ease — users have a trusted companion that makes the reality of electric life simpler than ever.

Whether your next journey is going full throttle across the country or just grabbing the closest charger near you, these apps give control over EV charging right back to the driver, proving that electrification can be as easy and convenient as anything else.

Personalized charging profiles: The integration​ of AI-powered charging algorithms​ is redefining how​ EV owners interact with their vehicles and charging infrastructure. Smart systems gather data from a variety of sources such as driving behavior, battery state-of-charge and external factors such as weather and traffic conditions to make the right predictions on when and how much power an electric vehicle needs to charge.

The personalization of this product up to that extent makes the charging a lot more efficient as well as increases the end experience for users. Imagine your EV intuitively determining the ideal time to charge, minimizing wait times at EV charging stations, and ensuring your vehicle is always ready when you need it.

Personalized charging profiles represent the future of EV ownership, offering a seamless and efficient journey for users.

In addition to providing charging infrastructure, they are turning charging into an experience in its own right, with perks like comfortable waiting areas, fast internet and refreshments meaning this goes above just providing a basic service for users.

Auto care business adaptation

These improvements should be seen as more than “nice to have.” They are essential for the survival and success of any auto care business that hasn’t already made this shift.

Keep it simple. Don’t make this a list of 10 things you can do right away — focus on one thing that would be easy for someone to start improving today. In addition to providing charging infrastructure, they are turning charging into an experience in its own right, with perks like comfortable waiting areas, fast internet and refreshments meaning this goes above just providing a basic service for users.

This strategy serves both to satisfy EV owners’ practical needs as well as their aspiration to enjoy a trouble-free charging process. Consequently, vehicle care companies gain customer stickiness, also recognizing a situation in which electric vehicles will be very much part of their bouquet of services.

Scalability and infrastructure expansion

Rolling out additional electric car charging stations​ takes time and represents​ a significant investment​ — but shows how important these vehicles have bесоmе in overall auto trends.

This growth, although important for broad acceptance of EVs, is not without complications. There are many other aspects to consider. One is how the grid can handle an increase in load — that is to say, how ready and capable is our electrical grid to power all those millions and millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions, of electric vehicles on the road. It presents a practical and budgetary dilemma as utility companies and authorities aim to increase the strength of the network while keeping it stable and environmentally friendly.

Also, an increase in EV charging infrastructure requires a diligent focus on approvals, planning and land acquisition. It could take a long time in terms of paperwork to get all required permits for setting up the charging station as rules differ from one area to another. Meanwhile, discovering ideal places for those charging points that must be optimally placed regarding reachability and flexibility can​ be​ a daunting task.

However​, the aftermarket does have one singular advantage​ in this landscape. With these programs, they are able to play an active role in expanding the EV charging network. By collaborating with existing charge network providers or rolling out their own, auto care operators could present themselves as crucial players in the EV ecosystem. This strategic move not only taps into changing market dynamics but also diversifies their revenue sources and strengthens their positioning as key players in the future of mobility.

Sustainability and renewable energy integration

The future​ of electric vehicle charging​ is inextricably intertwined with sustainability, embodying the profound shift toward eco-conscious transportation.

The integration​ оf renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind power, into​ EV charging stations epitomizes this commitment​ tо​ a greener future. Solar panels adorning charging station canopies and wind turbines adjacent​ tо charging infrastructure are becoming common sights, allowing these stations​ tо harness clean, renewable energy from the very elements that drive EVs forward. This integration not only reduces the carbon footprint​ оf​ EV charging but also aligns​ іt with broader renewable energy initiatives, creating​ a synergy that promotes sustainable mobility.

In addition​ to solar and wind power, battery energy storage systems are emerging​ as crucial components​ оf eco-friendly​ EV charging. These systems serve​ as energy buffers, storing excess electricity generated from renewable sources during periods​ оf high production. This stored energy can then​ be used​ tо power​ EV chargers when demand​ іs​ at its peak​ оr during adverse weather conditions when solar​ оr wind generation may​ be limited. This resilience ensures that​ EV charging remains reliable and environmentally responsible even​ іn challenging circumstances.​

As the automotive industry continues its rapid transition toward electrification, the marriage​ оf​ EV charging and renewable energy integration represents​ a pivotal step​ іn reducing greenhouse gas emissions and forging​ a sustainable path forward for transportation.

For auto care businesses, V2G technology opens the door to exciting new revenue streams. Imagine a repair shop or parts store equipped with V2G-enabled charging stations where EV owners can not only charge their vehicles but also sell excess energy back to the grid during peak demand periods.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology

In the realm​ оf electric vehicle innovations, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology stands out​ as​ a transformative game-changer. Unlike traditional charging,

V2G enables​ a bidirectional flow​ оf energy between EVs and the grid, effectively turning EVs into mobile energy storage units. This paradigm shift holds immense potential not only for​ EV owners but also for forward-thinking auto care businesses. V2G technology allows EVs​ tо not just consume energy but also contribute​ back​ tо the grid when needed, making them valuable assets​ іn the broader energy ecosystem.

For auto care businesses, V2G technology opens the door​ tо exciting new revenue streams. Imagine​ a repair shop or parts store equipped with V2G-enabled charging stations where​ EV owners can not only charge their vehicles but also sell excess energy back​ tо the grid during peak demand periods. This dual functionality transforms charging stations into profit centers, offering​ a compelling reason for businesses​ tо invest​ іn V2G infrastructure.​ By tapping into V2G, auto care businesses can participate​ іn demand response programs, earning revenue​ by providing grid services, stabilizing the grid during fluctuations, and reducing the strain​ оn power plants during peak times.

The potential benefits​ оf V2G extend beyond financial gains. This technology offers the opportunity for auto care businesses​ tо strengthen their commitment​ tо sustainability.​ By contributing​ tо grid stability and facilitating the integration​ оf renewable energy sources, V2G aligns with eco-conscious practices and can enhance​ a business’s environmental credentials.​

As V2G technology continues​ tо evolve and gain traction, auto care businesses that embrace​ іt position themselves not only​ as key players​ іn the​ EV ecosystem but also​ as pioneers​ іn shaping the future​ оf sustainable energy management.

Cybersecurity and data privacy

As electric vehicle charging infrastructure continues​ tо evolve, one​ оf the paramount concerns that cannot​ be overlooked​ іs cybersecurity. The increasing connectivity​ оf charging networks and the integration​ оf digital technologies make these systems more vulnerable​ tо cyber threats.

With​ a growing number​ оf​ EV owners relying​ оn these networks for their daily charging needs, the aftermarket must prioritize cybersecurity​ tо safeguard both customer data and the integrity​ оf their charging infrastructure.

The importance​ оf robust cybersecurity measures​ іn the​ EV charging landscape cannot​ be overstated. Cyberattacks​ оn charging networks can disrupt services, compromise user data, and even pose safety risks. Auto care businesses,​ as stewards​ оf customer information and charging facilities, bear​ a significant responsibility​ іn ensuring the security​ оf their systems. This involves implementing encryption protocols, monitoring for suspicious activities, and regularly updating software​ tо patch vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, businesses should stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and collaborate with experts​ tо fortify their defences.​ By prioritizing cybersecurity and data privacy, auto care businesses not only protect their customers but also foster trust​ іn​ EV charging services, ensuring​ a safe and reliable experience for all users.

The global push towards electrification​ іs creating​ a harmonized demand for​ EV charging services across various regions.

Global trends and international expansion

The future​ оf electric vehicle charging​ іs​ a truly global phenomenon and​ іt knows​ nо borders.​ As​ EV adoption rates continue​ tо rise worldwide, the opportunities for auto care businesses​ tо expand their operations internationally have never been more promising. Global trends​ іn​ EV adoption and the development​ оf charging infrastructure are presenting​ a unique chance for these businesses​ tо tap into the burgeoning international market.

The global push towards electrification​ іs creating​ a harmonized demand for​ EV charging services across various regions.​ As more countries commit​ tо reducing emissions and embracing sustainable transportation, the demand for reliable and convenient charging solutions​ іs becoming increasingly universal. Auto care businesses with​ a keen eye​ оn international expansion can leverage their expertise and experience​ іn charging infrastructure​ tо cater​ tо this global demand.

Collaborative efforts among nations and standardization initiatives, aimed​ at streamlining​ EV charging protocols and hardware, are further facilitating cross-border charging compatibility. This means that auto care businesses can explore new markets with confidence, knowing that their charging infrastructure can seamlessly integrate into the evolving global​ EV ecosystem.​ In embracing the international potential​ оf​ EV charging, auto care businesses position themselves​ at the forefront​ оf​ a transformative industry poised for worldwide growth.

Conclusion

The future of EV charging is exciting and dynamic. For auto care business owners and industry professionals, staying informed and adaptable is key to thriving in this evolving landscape. Embrace the cutting-edge technologies, focus on sustainability, and consider your role in expanding the charging infrastructure. The future of your business may very well be electric.

Steve Rogers is a content writer

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of EV World

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As a shop owner, December is a great time to sit down and reflect on your successes from the past year, as well as the challenges you have faced. You can assess which plans worked out, which ones had to be adjusted and which ones will be transferred to next year.

This is also a great time to solidify your 2024 plan and ensure you are on track to achieve your goals in the coming year.

When it comes to challenges this year, one stands out the most: Our technician shortage. How are we going to attract people to this amazing career?

Perhaps we should spend some time reflecting on what inspired us to join this industry ourselves. Also, we should think about where we can find our future techs to let them know about this great career option.

My journey into this industry was not typical: I was a 26-year-old woman with no automotive experience or interest in working on vehicles. I was, however, looking for a career that challenged me, allowed me the opportunity to problem solve and kept me physically moving — the idea of being stuck behind a desk all day was not appealing.

The people looking for careers with these qualifications are our techs and we need to be open to giving them an opportunity and hiring them. Whether they are female or male, BIPOC or white, farm or city kid, mechanically inclined or technologically minded, these are the people who will help us build great businesses.

Once they’re hired, we need to support their journey by providing them with quality education, experience and a safe environment to work in, physically and emotionally. Most importantly, they need to be paid fairly, given the flexibility to allow for a healthy work/life balance, have access to health benefits and be treated like valued members of our teams — because they are.

The people looking for careers with these qualifications are our techs and we need to be open to giving them an opportunity and hiring them.

Is your shop an attractive option for an aspiring tech or a 15-year journeyperson — who has many other options — here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

• Do I charge enough to ensure I can pay a fair wage with benefits?
• Am I profitable enough to purchase the tools required to do the job right?
• Do I have the ability to pay for ongoing education for all staff members?
• Have I created a shop culture where everyone is treated with respect?
• Do I have SOPs that allow staff to know what their responsibilities are and how to carry out tasks?
• Would I want to work here?

The answer to that last one is most important. If the answer is no, you have some work to do. If you don’t want to work there, why would anyone else? If you have answered yes to the above questions, you have made it through half the battle. Now it’s time to find your techs.

Historically, I have posted on job search and social media platforms with little success. I recently reached out to a trades-specific recruiting company in the hopes that I could pay someone to search for a tech for me. Unfortunately, this company told me that they don’t recruit automotive service technicians — there are so few of us and they only get paid when they make a successful placement.

What this tells me is that we’ll be growing our own techs, which is an expense that we need to account for in 2024. To find these apprentices, I will be reaching out to local high schools that have automotive classes and the automotive service department of Saskatchewan Polytechnic with the hope that they will allow me to come into their classrooms and present to their students.

If we can get in front of these students before they enter the workforce, we have the opportunity to show young people that this is an awesome career, with new and exciting opportunities to learn and grow. We can showcase our facilities and the incredible work we have done to create an environment where they can feel successful in their careers as automotive service technicians.

This is the best time to be in the automotive service industry. We can provide our clients with safe and reliable transportation at a much more affordable price than new vehicle payments. We can provide our staff with long-term careers (artificial intelligence isn’t going to start replacing brake pads anytime soon). And we can provide ourselves with successful businesses that will afford us the opportunity to retire one day.

Ultimately, everyone wants to feel like they get up every day to do something they’re great at, so let’s build those opportunities and raise the standard in our industry to create a sustainable future for all of us.

Erin Vaughan is the owner of Kinetic Auto Service in Regina

This article originally appeared in the December issue of CARS magazine.

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Darryl Croft is no stranger to the auto care industry. He’s probably been best known as the co-owner and vice president of an OK Tire shop in the west end of Toronto. He’s a director of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario, an association for independent automotive service professionals. So he’s a well-seasoned industry professional.

A few years ago, he realized something. He was fielding a lot of questions from customers and pros alike about electric vehicles. But it was difficult to get the answers. There weren’t enough experts going around. At least, those who were unbiased. And it was next to impossible to get the real-life experience of working on or riding in an electric vehicle.

So the Electric Vehicle Network was born. Croft is the president. His company specifically serves to educate consumers about EVs. The business, just down the street from his OK Tire location, services EVs. It allows curious consumers to test out the vehicles. They can learn the ins and outs of an EV — even how to plug it in to charge up. And they can even buy an EV from him — the network can source a vehicle of the customer’s liking.

Croft and Mavreen Brooks, an EV consultant at the Electric Vehicle Network, sat down with EV World to talk about what they’re seeing in the EV market, how it’s evolving and what impact it will have on the aftermarket.

EVW: What types of people typically come through your doors?

DC: Definitely the predominant requests we get are from older adults who are looking at an electric vehicle. We haven’t specifically dug into each individual shopper as to why the older demographic is looking at electric. But the line is, they’re done with gas. So I don’t know if they’ve been driving long enough and realize the overall cost and headache that comes with an internal combustion engine — the maintenance, the breakdowns, the unpredictability — I don’t know if it’s that, but they certainly get to that point where they want to drive clean. And, actually, some shoppers have been very specific that they want to do something right and stop polluting more.

The cost of vehicles today becomes a factor. So it could be partially affordability — older adults may be in a better position to actually make that decision and afford an EV. There’s always been a premium to go electric.

EVW: What do you hear from younger folks? What do they say about EVs?

DC: I must say: On the opposite side, when I speak to younger adults who I thought would be totally into an EV — because no oil changes, less visits to the shop, no gas station — but they’re the ones who seem to be saying, “Oh, I don’t want that monthly payment that high.” Or, “I go on camping trips and I don’t want to worry about charging.”

Where they live, they may not have charging — that’s another one I hear. That’s a big thing, actually. Older people are settled where they’re staying. Younger people may be on the move; they’re not sure where they’re going to be. I’ve had even adults that own electric vehicles and, given the uncertainty of where their kids are going to be living, they actually tell their kids, “Don’t get electric until you’re stable and you know where you’ll be living.”

It’s very interesting to see the interest level amongst demographic groups.

Whereas older adults, probably their kids are gone. They have less demand for big space. And it’s easier from that point of view as well to get into an EV.

EVW: Isn’t it an option problem as well? The types of EVs available are limited.

MB: With the younger people, they’re starting families and the size of EVs don’t reflect what they need. So yes, there’s the Bolts, the Leafs and the Tesla Model 3s — that’s what would be affordable to them. But at the same time, they want larger vehicles because they do have the car seats, the strollers and whatnots and all of that.

DC: There are some big electric SUVs coming out now but they’re at a high price tag. Outside of the range, that’s another thing to worry about as a young family. Whereas older adults, probably their kids are gone. They have less demand for big space. And it’s easier from that point of view as well to get into an EV.

EVW: Don’t EVs have a lot of space to meet these demands?

DC: In reality, a lot of people don’t realize small EVs have big storage space. There’s no engine, there’s no transmission. A big part of what we do is helping people experience an EV. We get the comment, “Wow, I didn’t realize how spacious this car was. I can fold down the seats. I can fit a lot in my car.”

For a two or three-car family, do you need two big SUVs? Not really, in a lot of cases. You can save yourself a lot of money having a more of a zip-around car. And if you need one big honker to go on long road trips, so be it.

EVW: What are the biggest concerns people have when they ask about an EV?

DC: Absolutely, range anxiety is a real deal when anybody’s shopping for an EV. So I would think that would be one factor, and unpredictability of where to charge. And I’m going to say patience, a little bit. And that’s why EVs fit better for older people.

In moving to electric, definitely interest is there. But going through the thought process of actually getting to the end part is where a lot of people stumble in terms of one of these obstacles.

EVW: What’s the most common question you’re asked by someone curious about an EV?

MB: “How much range?” Because they’re under the assumption that they need a massive amount of range. They’ll come in thinking that they need a vehicle with 500-plus kilometres worth of range. Although they may drive 34 kilometres one way to work on the higher end of things. Once they realize that they don’t necessarily need 500 kilometres — and if they are going a far distance, they realize they can stop along the way, take a rest, charge of the vehicle and whatnot — then their thinking changes.

After speaking with us, doing test drives, showing them economical ways to drive the vehicle to get the most battery usage out of it, they realize that they don’t necessarily need to commit to a vehicle that has 400 kilometres of range, maybe something around 250 kilometres will be better suited.

DC: I hear questions around, “How long will the battery last?” When, really, time and time again, it’s proven that these batteries by and large are outlasting the body of the car. And so they’re still stuck on the idea, “Oh, how much is the cost if the battery fails?”

The battery is warrantied for eight years, 160,000. All the studies are showing, by a wide margin, these batteries are way outlasting the predictions, even of the manufacturers. The manufacturers do not want to have people replacing batteries in their cars.

So when customers find that out, it’s a big shocker to them. It’s an unfounded fear. That’s not to say a battery issue doesn’t happen. But the manufacturers support their vehicles.

It’s having that real discussion with them about how much range do they actually need. Do you actually need the all-wheel drive? Do you live within the city?

EVW: What is a key question you ask shoppers to make sure they’re able to take on an EV?

DC: We make sure they think about charging. We ask them, “Where do you live? Can you have a charger where you live or where you work?” That’s very important. And then we ask where they normally travel. We make them aware of the public charging network that’s out there. So we direct them to resources and say, “Look, you got a charging place right next to where you live, just in case you can’t put one in.”

It also gets down to the monthly payment. So people will say they have a budget of $X per month. But they don’t realize that the average driver will save about $500 a month compared to a gas vehicle with gas and maintenance. Adding that to the equation makes it much, much more affordable.

MB: It’s having that real discussion with them about how much range do they actually need. Do you actually need the all-wheel drive? Do you live within the city? Do you actually make commutes out of the city where you’re going through deep snow and need the all-wheel drive? So it’s just bringing them back to reality in terms of what they actually need. And at that point in time, we’re able to let them know of other models that may suit them better.

EVW: How will more EV model options change people’s perceptions?

DC: I do believe as new models come out, and they’re lower priced, the used market, by default, has to become more affordable. And that opens up accessibility to more people on the used side. I don’t hold a lot of hope that the new vehicles coming out are going to be cheap anytime soon. Everyone has said they’d offer it, but in practice, we haven’t seen it happen. The affordable models have not hit the street yet, even though there have been pledges that they’re going to try and compete in that space.

What the world needs is affordable EVs, whether it be used or better selection. So I think I think used is going to be the Number 1 path to affordability for the foreseeable future.

EVW: Is it becoming less convenient to have a gas-powered vehicle?

DC: It’s interesting. If you look at Toronto, in reality, getting gas is not easy. The gas stations are disappearing at a rapid rate in urban centers — and charging is exploding. Charging availability is much more available. But it’s almost like you don’t know what you don’t know. So when you think that, “Oh, I want to be sure my kid can get gas if they need it without getting stuck.” And they don’t realize that if they really understood the charging network, more often than not that’d see they could charge publicly — and it’s only going to get better than what it is today.

And believe me, they’re worried about the first time plugging in the vehicle — they don’t know how to do it. They don’t realize it’s really simple. But until they physically do it themselves, they’re scared.

EVW: So how do you bridge the knowledge gap and help people understand the reality of EVs?

DC: Our point of view on that is experience and education in a real EV. You can read about it all you want, you can listen to all about it but until you actually drive it, take it for the weekend, go to Montreal or go to Ottawa, realize that it’s not a big deal to charge — and it’s not expensive. A lot of people think it’s a ton of money to charge. It’s not. And believe me, they’re worried about the first time plugging in the vehicle — they don’t know how to do it. They don’t realize it’s really simple. But until they physically do it themselves, they’re scared.

EVW: How should the aftermarket be preparing to service EVs?

DC: The most annoying thing that EV owners face is when they go to the aftermarket for service and the aftermarket doesn’t know anything about the technology, their product — they’re ignorant. And that really ticks off a car owner. They say, “I’m not going to go get service to a place that doesn’t know anything about my product or what I’m doing.” So the education about EVs is very important.

In the automotive world, you have to understand your client. And if you don’t want to, that’s great. Don’t do it. But if you’re going to do it, do it right. And it is definitely going to be a growing part of the market over a period of time. And do it right. So it means investing in your training your people, gaining your knowledge, your experience.

EVW: What has support looked like from the supplier end of the aftermarket? How are they helping?

DC: I must say the suppliers are starting to do a much better job of bringing training to the shops, whether it be the NAPAs of the world or the WorldPacs of the world. I can tell you, in the back end, there’s a lot of effort going on to train our technicians in the industry. The government’s got involved with a lot of training support. So it takes the will of those shops and technicians to participate in that.

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of EV World

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While misfire codes have certainly made our job easier, it is important to remember that misfires don’t always set code and that not all misfire codes are accurate for the source cylinder.

Misfire codes are based on crankshaft velocity changes. When a cylinder misfires, the crankshaft will slow down due to the non-contribution to rotational speed. Cylinder misidentification can sometimes occur, especially when the misfire is inconsistent. This is why it is important to verify the misfiring cylinder even with a DTC present, instead of just trusting the scan tool.

Sometimes the PCM is unable to determine which cylinder is causing the issue, so a P0300 random misfire code will be set. A P0300 really doesn’t tell us much about the problem; we know there’s a misfire and we can feel it.

Image 1

The difficulty in finding the misfiring cylinder will depend on the type of vehicle you are working on and the tools you have at your disposal. Years ago, before the days of OBD2 and misfire codes, we had to determine the misfiring cylinder by using a variety of testing methods.

Cylinder balance testing has been a tried-and-true method of misfire detection for decades. With distributor-style ignition systems, it was simply a matter of pulling each spark plug wire off the spark plug and noting RPM change. The cylinder with little or no change was the culprit. When waste-spark ignition systems came out, shorting cylinders using a test light and short lengths of vacuum tubing between the wire and coil tower was also a common method.

Neither of these techniques however are very catalytic converter-friendly, as fuel is sprayed into the non-firing cylinders and will end up in the crankcase and the converter. Disabling fuel injectors is a much safer method of performing a cylinder balance test and some modern scan tools will still allow the technician to perform it using the active test or bi-directional control function. However, when it comes to intermittent or partial misfires, sometimes killing cylinders and noting RPM change can be inconclusive.

There are other methods of determining which cylinder is misfiring, which require the use of an oscilloscope. One method uses crankshaft sensor data and math calculations to determine the frequency change of the crankshaft when the misfire occurs. This method is limited to higher-end scopes that have this capability built in. That is a topic for another article. You can usually hear a misfire occurring when putting an ear next to the tailpipe. Pressure changes in the exhaust due to the misfire will make a popping sound.

An old method that I was taught early in my career is the paper test. This is an old-school trick that can give you an indication of a misfiring cylinder. You hold a slip of paper in front of the tailpipe and observe if it is being pushed away or pulled into the pipe. Pulled into the pipe indicates vacuum present. This rudimentary method will not allow you to pinpoint which cylinder is misfiring, though. For that, we will need an oscilloscope and a pressure sensor.

Image 2

When a cylinder misfire occurs, a low pressure is created in the cylinder as the piston approaches BDC of the power stroke. When the exhaust valve opens, this low pressure is transferred to the exhaust stream. The pressure change can be observed on an oscilloscope with a Delta pressure sensor placed in the tailpipe (see Images 1 and 2 — click on all images to expand).

A Delta pressure sensor is an extremely sensitive piezoelectric device that detects a change in pressure. This type of sensor doesn’t show the amount of change as a measurement value, it simply reacts to pressure changes and creates a voltage when pressure changes occur. If pressure pulses remain constant, the waveform will also remain uniform. If the pressure increases or decreases as in the case of a misfire, the voltage will also change accordingly.

By synchronizing the scope on a second channel to the cylinder 1 ignition coil control wire and knowing the engine’s firing order, the misfiring cylinder is easily identified. It is important to remember when doing this type of waveform analysis that the exhaust stroke will occur 180 degrees after the coil firing event. Once this has been established, it is simply a matter of following the firing order.

There are different methods of establishing where the exhaust stroke is occurring on the waveform, which will depend on the type of scope you are using. Some scopes like the Pico, will have built-in phase rulers that can be set up showing 180-degree stroke intervals between them (Image 3). Other scopes will require the use of a stroke overlay software that will also allow phase rulers to be set up and added to the waveform after it is saved (Image 4). The technician will have to copy and paste the waveform into the overlay software. Once it is copied into the software, it can be manipulated using phase rulers, measurement cursors and a piston chart which is set up based on engine size, firing order and the cylinder used to synchronize the waveform. This stroke overlay software can be found online and downloaded free of charge.

Let’s do some testing

The test vehicle used for these images is a 2009 Suzuki Swift+ with a 1.6L Ecotec engine. This vehicle has no misfire issues and is simply being used to illustrate how simple and effective the exhaust pressure pulse method can be at determining which cylinder is misfiring.

A Delta pressure sensor is installed in the tailpipe and the engine is started and allowed to idle. The resulting waveform is captured on the oscilloscope so we have a “normal” or “known good” waveform for comparison (Image 5). The scope is set up with a very slow time base (1 second/division) in order to capture a large amount of data. The waveform in image 6 is the same waveform ‘zoomed-in’ which gives a clear image of each cylinder pressure pulse.

The engine was then given a misfire: A spark plug was removed and the gap was closed to .005”. The plug was reinstalled and the engine was started. The closed gap has resulted in an intermittent misfire. The waveform clearly indicates downward spikes occurring every time the cylinder misfires (Image 7). Again, the waveform is ‘zoomed-in’ in to get a better picture of what is occurring (Image 8).

In order to determine which cylinder the misfire is occurring on, a second channel is synced to the coil 1 control wire (Image 9). The image zoomed in gives us a clear indication of when the misfire is happening in relation to the coil 1 firing event (Image 10). This engine uses a “cassette” style of coil, which has a separate COP coil built into the cassette for each cylinder. These are “smart” coils that have the switching transistor built into them. This is why the waveform we get when back-probing the control wire is a square wave signal. It is simply a trigger signal from the PCM which turns on the base of the switching transistor in the coil. The width of the square wave is the charge period or “dwell” period of the coil.

With the Pico phase rulers applied to the diagram, the misfiring cylinder is easily identified (Image 11). As mentioned earlier, when there is no combustion in a cylinder, a low-pressure ‘vacuum’ is created in the cylinder as the piston moves down the cylinder bore with both valves closed. The exhaust valve opens about 40 degrees before BDC and the low pressure is transferred to the exhaust stream, creating the downward spike in the waveform.

Image 12 shows the same waveform copied and pasted into the online stroke overlay software which can be used with any scope capture, including the Pico scope. Sometimes the online software is more useful for diagnosis as the phase rulers offer more measurement markers than those offered in Pico scope. The ability to also add a piston chart to the waveform is a great diagnostic tool, especially when working on V6 or V8 engines.

This is just one of many different methods that can be used and it’s a very quick and easy method of determining which cylinder is misfiring. One of the great advantages of this test is that it’s completely non-intrusive and can be used on any vehicle. Obviously, further testing must be done to determine the cause of the misfire, this test is simply to correctly identify the misfiring cylinder.

John Post has been an automotive service technician in the Ontario aftermarket for more than 30 years. He has been teaching electrical, fuel systems and drivability diagnostics at Centennial College since 2015

This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of CARS magazine.

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The latest issue of EV World is here and it features insights from one of the industry’s top leaders.

Darryl Croft is president of the Electric Vehicle Network. He also owns an OK Tire store in Toronto’s west end. He has been helping the industry and the public learn more about electric vehicles and figuring out what type is best for them. Along with EV consultant Mavrene Brooks, he sat down to talk about all things EV, from the types of buyers they see to the education process to advice for the automotive aftermarket. Scan the QR code on the page or go here to hear more from Croft and Brooks as part of the issue’s Enhanced Media segment.

Our second feature looks at the possibilities of EV charging, the technologies that will be available, global trends and how the automotive aftermarket can adapt and take advantage.

We have a column from the head of Alaska Energy Metals who warns that the pace set out to adopt electrification could be bad news. The supply chain is fragile and nickel supply — essential for batteries — may not be able to be mined at the speed progress is moving.

We also have On the Road, looking at how EVs were hot topics at AAPEX and SEMA, as well as Talk Auto 2023. Then check out News, By the Numbers and the editorial.

Read your digital copy today!

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The final issue of 2023 of CARS magazine featured the Shop of the Year Award winner.

Read all about Art Turney’s Garage in Peterborough, Ontario. Their roots date back to almost 100 years and find out how they’ve stayed successful today, from the business philosophy it holds and how it values and helps its staff.

 

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We have a technical feature from college instructor John Post. He takes a look at misfires and explores diagnosing them.

Our columnists for this issue are:

• Erin Vaughan — a previous Shop of the Year winner — looking at the top challenge facing her fellow shop owners: Finding technicians. She offers some ways to start working on the problem.
• Zakari Kreiger from Fix Auto looks at the economic challenges facing shop owners and how to navigate through them.
• Greg Aguilera talks about your management style and in what shape it needs to be. He looks at what you need to focus on.

As always, check out our letters section, news, the Class Act feature with Assiniboine College in Brandon, Manitoba, By the Numbers and the Car-toon in the back. Catch on AAPEX and SEMA in our On The Road section — scan the QR code on the page to see more.

Grab your copy — or head over to the digital edition — and enjoy the read!

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There have been ups and downs across the automotive aftermarket over the last year and suppliers have not been exempt.

Though supply issues are easing, it hasn’t been easy. Disruptions continue to pop up. The state of the economy is having an impact on suppliers.

But there are positive signs. Consumers are maintaining their older vehicles longer. That feeds the bottom line of the industry.

Nevertheless, there are things that Matt Otten, senior marketing specialist with Niterra Canada Ltd., which distributes the NGK Spark Plugs brand, is keeping an eye on. He noted there are certainly headwinds but the company is cautiously optimistic about the future.

There are strong indicators and market conditions look good for success going forward, observed Ian Hutchison, marketing manager at Wakefield Canada, which distributes the Castrol brand in Canada.

“With strong used car sales and the average age of the car parc at what is believed to now be more than 10 years, conditions are good to see strong activity at ASPs and throughout the aftermarket,” he told Jobber News.

Indeed, the fact that consumers are hanging on to their older vehicles for longer has created a strong foundation for aftermarket sales.

“Generally speaking, with the high price of new vehicles, we find that people are keeping vehicles longer, and subsequently investing in vehicle maintenance,” Otten said.

This has helped the aftermarket see strong sales. “However, ASPs are hearing consumers are looking for ways to save money as they cope with inflation and high interest rates,” Hutchison noted.

Economy

The state of the economy has been top of mind for consumers and suppliers alike. The interest rate in Canada is 5 per cent, unchanged since July. Banks have set their prime rate to 7.2 per cent. In other words, borrowing costs are high.

“Consumers are looking for ways to save money as they cope with inflation and high interest rates,” Hutchison said.

Otten agreed, noting that there has certainly been an impact felt.

“With the higher cost of living and high interest rates, people are feeling the squeeze when it comes to discretionary spending,” he told Jobber News. “While our automotive business is strong, we are seeing a dip in our recreational business. People are deferring maintenance on their boats and ATVs.”

“Consumers are looking for ways to save money as they cope with inflation and high interest rates.”

Supply chain

The supply chain has been an issue over the last few years as disruptions have been a constant. From the pandemic to this year’s port strike in British Columbia, aftermarket companies have had to stay on their toes.

“[It] comes down to forecasting, understanding our customers’ needs and requirements so we can account for any variances or disruptions in the supply chain,” Otten said.

For Wakefield, while the vast majority of its Castrol lubricants are manufactured in Canada, raw materials shortages have been its primary issue.

“By supporting local Canadian manufacturing and working very closely with raw material supplier partners, Wakefield has been able to maintain a largely uninterrupted supply of product through the pandemic and current supply chain challenges,” Hutchison explained.

“We are keeping a close eye on customer supply levels,” Otten said. “Inventories ran higher towards the end of the pandemic, so we are due for some sort of correction, especially when combined with some macroeconomic contraction.”

‘More than a supplier’

Given the challenges in the aftermarket, automotive service providers and distributors want to have more than the traditional relationship.

“With labour challenges and having to manage supply chain interruptions, many ASPs and jobbers are looking for more than a supplier — they are looking for a local Canadian business partner,” Hutchison observed.

He noted how Wakefield is providing uninterrupted supply, wireless remote bulk tank monitoring to prevent run-outs, local market social-media advertising, exterior signage and loyalty tools to drive traffic back to ASP locations.

“From the ASP to jobber to the WD, Wakefield sees the opportunity to earn business by proving value as a partner, not just a supplier,” he added.

At Niterra, they’re looking to expand their scope into other product lines to further benefit customers.

“We have a few lines of complimentary ignition and sensor products that we are excited about growing,” Otten said. “Also, when our customers consolidate their product lines offered, that tends to benefit us.”

Specifically with distributors and jobbers, suppliers see them as key partners in the delivery of a quality, profitable product.

“It is important to realize, though, that for an ASP to be successful, the supplier and the distribution partner should work together to deliver integrated value,” Hutchison said.

“We work on achieving alignment with our WDs so that we are working together towards our shared goals,” Otten added.

How are they doing that? Hutchison pointed to Wakefield’s launch of the ASP-focused program, Castrol Partner For Life.

“The program offers exclusive support for ASPs looking for business partners to help with advertising, consumer loyalty, exterior signage and premium synthetic motor oil pricing, encouraging ASPs to get that value through their jobber partners,” he explained.

For Niterra, it’s all about training.

“The level of field support and training we offer via our national sales team sets us apart from most suppliers in the industry,” Otten said. “We have truly coast-to-coast-to-coast support for our customers.”

The post From the Magazine: Supplier viewpoints appeared first on Auto Service World.

Battery Electric vehicle (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) batteries are at the forefront of modern automotive technology, driving the shift towards sustainable transportation — but do you know how they work?

Let’s explore the chemistry, including the risks of fire associated with these portable power plants and help demystify electric battery chemistry and safety.

All electric vehicle batteries (generally 200–900-volt DC) rely on advanced chemistry to provide efficient and reliable power sources. The two most used battery chemistries available are lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH).

Li-ion batteries are becoming more prevalent and are the preferred choice for most electric vehicles and other electronic equipment due to their high energy density, relative lightweight and long cycle life. They consist of a positive electrode (cathode), a negative electrode (anode) and an electrolyte. The cathode typically comprises lithium metal oxides, such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) or lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), while the anode is often made of graphite. The electrolyte, usually a lithium salt in an organic solvent, facilitates the movement of lithium ions between the electrodes during charge and discharge cycles.

On the other hand, NiMH batteries which are commonly used in hybrid vehicles are still available and for some manufacturers such as Toyota, were the mainstay for many years. They feature a nickel-based positive electrode, a hydrogen-absorbing negative electrode (usually composed of a metal hydride) and an alkaline electrolyte, such as potassium hydroxide (KOH). NiMH batteries offer good power output, cost-effectiveness and safety, although they have a lower energy density compared to Li-ion batteries.

The chemistry behind these batteries revolves around electrochemical reactions. During charging, Li-ion batteries undergo a process called intercalation, where lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode, embedding themselves within the graphite structure. Discharging reverses this process, allowing the lithium ions to migrate back to the cathode, producing an electric current in the process.

Similarly, NiMH batteries operate based on electrochemical redox reactions. Charging involves the oxidation of the nickel-based positive electrode and the reduction of the hydrogen-absorbing negative electrode, which absorbs and releases hydrogen ions. During discharge, the reverse reactions occur, releasing the stored energy.

Both battery chemistries require sophisticated control systems to ensure safe and efficient operation. Factors such as temperature, voltage limits and charging rates must be carefully regulated to maximize battery performance, longevity and safety.

All electric vehicle batteries store a significant amount of energy. Li-ion batteries can experience thermal runaway — a rapid, uncontrolled increase in temperature that can cause fires with extreme temperatures. Electric vehicle battery fires can reach over 2,000 degrees Celsius — most common metals, including steel, begin to melt at just over 1,200 degrees Celsius, to give some perspective.

While modern battery management systems have improved safety measures, incidents can still occur, especially in high-impact collisions or when the battery is damaged. In addition, the chemicals used in electric vehicle batteries can pose hazards if mishandled or exposed. Li-ion batteries contain flammable electrolytes that can release toxic gases such as fluoride gas.

To mitigate these dangers, manufacturers implement safety features, such as thermal management systems, robust battery enclosures and sophisticated battery management systems. These electronic systems play a crucial role in managing power distribution — “controlling the chemistry” if you will — while also monitoring vehicle performance and controlling drivetrain components.

Manufacturers and regulators provide detailed safe-down instructions. But remember: The damaged vehicle may no longer look like it does in the manual.

But what happens when the vehicle does catch fire?

When encountering an electric vehicle fire, the first step is to prioritize safety. Contact local emergency services immediately, isolate the vehicle, if possible, and provide accurate details about the location and the type of vehicle involved. If possible, evacuate the area to ensure the safety of nearby bystanders.

Training and knowledge are key here. Manufacturers and regulators provide detailed safe-down instructions. But remember: The damaged vehicle may no longer look like it does in the manual. First and secondary responders or anyone handling, maintaining or transporting electric vehicles should undergo specialized training on handling electric vehicles and the potential for fires.

This training should cover the unique properties of electric vehicle batteries and the proper methods for extinguishing such fires.

Several factors are at play. Most electric vehicle fires have thermal runaway potential as well as a flammable liquid electrolyte. Although foam and dry chemical methods are sometimes recommended, the National Fire Protection Agency in the U.S., which guides both American and Canadian approaches, recommends water — and lots of it.

Water can be used to cool the battery and suppress thermal runaway, which, again, is the uncontrolled increase in temperature that leads to advancement of the fire or even explosions. It can take over 30,000 litres of water to cool and extinguish an electric vehicle fire.

Applying water mist or fine water spray is more effective than a direct stream to avoid spreading hazardous chemicals. However, it’s not recommended to use a high-pressure water stream as it might damage the battery casing and escalate the situation.

Li-ion batteries are prone to flare ups especially if moved and can burn for days so how the vehicle is transported or stored afterwards needs to be considered.

Chemical and foam fire suppressants are being developed as well as the use of fireboxes, cement or metal enclosures that would be effective in suppressing, isolating and controlling electric vehicle fires. Infrastructure both on our highways and where charging areas are being installed needs to consider these issues at the planning stages. The use of bunker areas or dedicated charging areas that are isolated and open are important. Our recommendation to fleet operators or sites storing these vehicles or their batteries is to isolate them.

Addressing electric vehicle fires in North America and Europe requires a comprehensive approach that will include well-trained first responders, awareness campaigns, specialized personal protective equipment and the right fire isolation or suppression techniques.

Today, these occurrences are isolated. But as we see more vehicles, especially those in fleet or urban environments where the potential of larger fire catastrophes could occur, more collaborative fire safety protocols for electric vehicle fires should be developed between automotive manufacturers, government regulators and emergency service agencies, including the design of highway and parking areas.

By following these guidelines and fostering collaborative efforts, we can effectively mitigate the risks associated with electric vehicle fires and ensure the safety of communities embracing electric mobility.

Originally trained as a chemist, David Mayers is chief executive officer at Environmental Motorworks, an innovative services company centred on providing hands-on EV and hybrid training to technicians and fleet operators in the automotive and heavy equipment sectors.

This article appeared in the Fall issue of EV World

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Thanks to airline tickets and Taylor Swift, everyone is familiar with dynamic pricing these days. But the actual concept — even among pricing professionals in certain sectors — is not clearly understood. In automotive, it is often misunderstood.

Dynamic pricing is simply a flexible pricing strategy, often executed in real-time, driven by the variability of influencing factors such as competition, market conditions, demand, and other factors. The goal is to optimize revenue and profit for every scenario. Each input needs to be balanced against the other to achieve the desired optimization — the emphasis is on the optimization, not the influencing factors.

But the misalignment stems from focusing on the factors, either in combinations or worse, individually. For example, if you simply move prices up or down on snow tires because a blizzard is expected in three days, you are ignoring the fact that the competition may be doing the same thing. In that case, do you end up losing revenue?

In aftersales, I see instances of such misplaced ideas about dynamic pricing all the time. Often a company may have toyed with it, without the right approach or tools, and got burned in the process. Others simply stayed away. Such misguided attempts often take a life of their own, creating hushed myths around dynamic approaches in product and price management teams.

Below are some of the common ones I come across.

Myth 1: Dynamic pricing won’t work in aftersales

Dynamic pricing in its current form precludes digitization, and automotive part sales has one of the lowest penetration rates in e-commerce. Hence, the logical conclusion is this pricing strategy is not suited for the aftermarket.

First, the majority of DIY sales — about 25 per cent of all part revenue — in the U.S. have already shifted online. Yes, it is only a quarter of overall transaction value but that still equals about $40 billion, according to Auto Care Association data. Moreover, that number is growing at a faster rate than physical sales.

Second, dynamic pricing does not simply mean by-the-second changes. That may be the floor for Amazon or Air Canada, but “real-time” is different for each industry. Changes could be daily, weekly or monthly, as long they are effectively responding to the business conditions of that period. Major North American part retailers are already using dynamic pricing, by and large successfully. Some OEMs have started to roll out the strategy for collision parts, and it is working well for them.

Myth 2: Dynamic pricing equals price gouging

Customer “exploitation” may be the most contested — and equally misunderstood — aspect of dynamic pricing. While it is hard to defend $4,000 concert tickets, in most scenarios dynamic pricing can benefit both customer and company.

For instance, airline tickets are cheaper at certain times of day, week or month, or by stopover layers. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to get the best pricing on e-commerce sites, many of which use some form of dynamic pricing.

For the company, an effective dynamic strategy is simply getting the right price position balanced between supply and demand. Yes, it does push the limits of what the customer is willing to pay for a product, but the opposite holds true as well if done correctly.

The goal is to optimize revenue and profit for every scenario. Each input needs to be balanced against the other to achieve the desired optimization — the emphasis is on the optimization, not the influencing factors.

Myth 3: Dynamic pricing does not fit with B2B sales

Commercial sales drive the majority of part sales in automotive, and most of these sales are made to independent repair shops and fleets. Many of these transactions happened over the phone even a few years ago but the shift to digital purchases is happening fast. No surprise that big parts retailers have been heavily spending on improving their B2B e-commerce tools.

These platforms can easily facilitate the use of dynamic pricing. Do repair shops order parts more often during certain times of the day or week? Are technicians willing to pay more for high-volume time periods? Can you entice them with better prices during low-traffic periods? The conditions driving dynamic pricing in B2B are limitless.

Once these business factors — along with other variables — are effectively captured via these platforms, dynamic pricing can be actioned for business customers.

Myth 4: I am a supplier or OEM. Dynamic pricing does not  matter to me

No matter how many times I hear this one, it still surprises me.

It’s true that in the North American market, suppliers do not set end-customer prices. Retailers and warehouse distributors price out to vehicle owners and shops. Automakers do provide MSRPs, but dealers are largely free to sell a part at any price. But, if part sellers across the channel are adopting some form of dynamic pricing — which they are slowly but surely — then the end pricing reflects back on the supplier or OEM brand.

Are these prices exceeding or falling below certain thresholds? How would that impact sales? Should there be minimum advertised pricing (MAP) thresholds in place where suppliers and OEMs have input? Industry stakeholders higher up the value chain need to work closely with their seller partners to ensure that their brand value and price positioning are being maintained through dynamic pricing strategies.

Myth 5: There is no ROI in dynamic pricing

This is the trickiest to disprove. Companies often fail at dynamic pricing while burning through investment — this is true. They spend a lot of money on software and processes, but the promised benefits do not materialize.

Poor implementation is often to blame. Sometimes, these strategies are often thrust upon pricing departments without proper context or conviction. Some teams can be resistant to the strategy itself because of the above misconceptions. But often I find companies attempt dynamic pricing — or some version of it — without proper data.

Dynamic pricing is as good as the inputs, and any attempt at the strategy without actionable, high-frequency and relevant data is a guaranteed ROI killer. Many companies in aftersales rely heavily on internal data and simply extrapolate those numbers to generate industry guesstimates. Many think that price crawlers — the use of automated data extraction to match market pricing — alone can power dynamic pricing.

If aftersales stakeholders want to maximize ROI in dynamic pricing, they must up their data game. They must create internal processes to create, consume and digest data.

Kumar Saha is Vice President (U.S.)/managing director (Canada) of global automotive data firm Eucon. He has been advising the North American automotive industry for over a decade and is a frequent conference speaker and media commentator. He is based out of Toronto.

This article originally appeared in the November 2023 issue of Jobber News

The post From the Magazine: 5 common dynamic pricing myths appeared first on Auto Service World.

Anyone managing a fleet of vehicles has probably had the thought of electrification cross their mind.

And it’s a viable idea. Whether it’s a handful of vehicles or dozens, the cost savings on fuel from driving all day long — and if you’re in a major city, fuel wasted sitting in traffic — can be attractive.

Bringing this into the perspective of the automotive aftermarket, many jobbers in Canada may find themselves in a good position to move to electrified delivery vehicles. Whether you’re in a large centre or in rural areas where driving distances can be great, financial savings can be found by dropping the internal combustion engine vehicle for an electric one.

Furthermore, shops that service fleet customers may be having conversations about going electric. If the shop has EV servicing capabilities, these are probably intriguing discussions. Shop owners can play a key role in helping those customers make the move.

But making the switch doesn’t happen by pressing a button. It requires the organization to take on a strategic mindset, like change management, planning and implementation.

But there are key questions to ask. Elizabeth Baker a partner with business advisory firm Deloitte spoke about electrifying fleets at this summer’s EV & Charging Expo in Toronto. She advised anyone looking to electrify to ask where their fleet will see the highest emissions reduction. How should you analyze your fleet and optimize it for a new energy source? There are incentives available — how do you make the most of those?

This is a “process that demands forethought, planning, and careful investment to succeed,” she advised.

Here’s a guide based on what Baker recommended.

Vehicle considerations

Each company has their own unique needs. By analyzing that and usage patterns, leaders can figure out the right EVs and charging infrastructure.

Operational

Current limitations with EVs will require a rethink and redesign of fleet operations, routing and networks. But when thinking about the right vehicle, you will want to think of things beyond just range.

For example, extreme temperatures. Are there areas in your network that would be affected by extreme cold?

Then there’s charging time — identify the roads that are currently electrified and will eventually see the current technology. If you’re in a more rural area or service a wider geographical area or take routes that require higher power, faster charging can be a prioritization.

And there’s payload — what are you carrying, how much of it and how will that impact your range?

Replacement

There are costs and benefits to consider when thinking about replacing versus retrofitting.

“Exchanging ICE vehicles for EVs is the most common approach to fleet electrification today, especially when replacing older vehicles and those with the above average repair maintenance compared to their peers,” Baker said.

Retrofit

Fleets can be retrofitted by replacing the existing powertrain, exhaust system and fuel tank with an electric powertrain and battery pack. This option can enable fleet operators to upcycle existing vehicles rather than prematurely dispose of them. But there could be additional safety checks required to retrofit vehicles.

Infrastructure

Just as consumers are concerned about a lack of infrastructure, fleet managers are as well. “Charging infrastructure is the most complex aspect of the fleet electrification journey,” Baker said.

It will be essential to determine the number of charging stations around you — and not just the ones you need today. Think about your future and growth. Will your facilities or those around you be able to accommodate them?

“So this requires a detailed analysis of your electrical power supply and a structural requirement to support the infrastructure,” Baker said. “Close collaboration with utilities is important given those conversations need to be ongoing over time, as well as consideration, are your older vehicles charging overnight, are they sequentially charging through the day?”

Procurement

You will need charging hardware onsite but that’s only the start of procurement needs. Consideration will need to be given to software that relies on charging speed specs and communication capabilities. There’s also after-sales service and support. Will you own or lease the equipment?

“There are goods and services throughout the procurement chain that need to be thought about and there are options as you go through those chains,” Baker said.

Financial considerations

The total cost of ownership is what’s going to drive the business case for a jobber or anyone to electrify.

“Batteries are the biggest cost for electric vehicles and EVs that require larger batteries to move large payloads or travel longer distances on a single charge cost significantly more than ICE vehicles today,” Baker pointed out.

But if you’re carrying around auto parts that, relatively speaking, don’t weigh very much, the decision might be easier.

“EVs that carry lower payloads are travelled shorter distances, like cargo vans, require smaller batteries and can cost just 15 per cent more than an ICE equivalent,” she said.

And those costs are expected to come down over time with lower energy, maintenance and capital costs.

Operational considerations

Swapping out an internal combustion engine for an EV is not a simple task, Baker warned.

“Change management and workforce training is required for drivers, loaders, maintenance staff — anybody who’s going to be in and around the vehicles and the charging infrastructure. And it’s something not to be taken too lightly,” she said. “There’s often the thought, ‘Well, I’m just replacing an ICE vehicle with an EV.’ But the way that people are working and operating around these vehicles needs to change — there are safety policies and procedures that also need to be updated.”

There are also cybersecurity concerns. Because these vehicles and chargers will be connected to a network, there needs to be controls and standards in place for your organization. It should be embedded into the installation and not treated as an afterthought.

“This is a new potential cyber risk,” Baker said. “And we know many [tech leaders], this is what keeps them up at night. And this is another one that needs to be considered.”

Leveraging the data generated will provide insights that Baker calls “a game changer” as EVs will have more data readily available than before.

“There needs to be a plan around IT and where that data can be stored and how is that data leveraged how are those reports used, needs to be built into that program as well.”

This article appeared in the Fall issue of EV World

The post From the Magazine: Fleet electrification appeared first on Auto Service World.

Trevor Heinze and Jayne Kelly, owners of Chieftain Auto Parts

The November issue of Jobber News is the Jobber of the Year Award issue and we’re proud to profile Chieftain Auto Parts as this year’s winner.

Flip open the magazine and you can read all about why Chieftain was the top choice. Learn about how Trevor Heinze and Jayne Kelly took over the business from their parents, what makes them stand out from the crowd and why they’ve been so successful in Prince George, B.C.

 

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Keep flipping through and you’ll find our story featuring supplier viewpoints. Leaders from Wakefield Canada and Niterra Canada explain how the economy, supply chain and more have impacted their operations and how they’re supporting their distributors.

Then we have Kumar Saha who takes a look at common myths in dynamic pricing. It’s an emerging trend across various industries, from plane tickets to concert tickets. But this trend is seemingly being ignored by the auto care industry.

Then check out our Letters section to read what your fellow pros think about the latest news. Our News section features a quick highlight on AAPEX and SEMA — you can check more out here – plus many more industry happenings.

We were On the Road at Bestbuy’s Buy & Sell event in Nashville as well as the Aftermarket Technology Conference at GPC’s world headquarters in Atlanta.

There’s also our Numbers section, Car-toon in the back and more all in the last issue of 2023 of Jobber News.

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James Carter is a big believer in electric vehicles. From the great technology it offers to the reduced emissions and environmental benefits, Carter looks forward to the day when the Canadian car parc — and the global one — are fully electrified.

If the Toronto-based principal consultant at Vision Mobility isn’t speaking in front of an audience, he’s sharing the message on LinkedIn. He’s regularly combating myths and pointing out facts that some choose to ignore or are unaware of.

For example, he recently mentioned how there was a time when many people couldn’t find a mine they didn’t like. That is, until it came to electric vehicles. Now some people find mining evil and damaging to the environment.

“The truth is, we mine vast amounts of minerals every day, and in effect, it drives today’s society,” he said in the post.

He sees EVs as the future of mobility. “Buying a combustion vehicle today is like building a horse barn in 1910,” he observed in another post.

That doesn’t mean everything is perfect in the world of EVs. Carter also wrote about his experience using a public charger — after some waiting around and trying to figure out what was going on, he learned the charger was out of service. And he was stuck with a bill for attempting to plug in but not receiving any charge.

There are real challenges to getting widespread EV adoption. But there are opportunities. EV World sat down with Carter recently to talk about all the issues around vehicle electrification. From charging to consumer habits to aftermarket implications to “negative hyperbole” from the naysayers, the conversation was wide-ranging. What follows is a condensed version of the conversation, edited for length and clarity.

EVW: Is charging still the top consumer issue for EVs?

JC: In some ways, yes, infrastructure is the challenge. But people need to think about their use case scenario. What are they using their car for? How do they use their car?

One thing that we do know is that more than 85 per cent of charging is done at home. So making sure that you’ve got good home charging is important. So if you’ve got a single residential home you can park in the driveway, park in your garage, get a charger out there — no problem.

I think where it becomes a little bit more stressful is when people have townhouses, they only have street parking or they’re in a condo that doesn’t have charging.

And they are issues — they’re real issues that are real barriers to EV ownership.

I think where it becomes a little bit more stressful is when people have townhouses, they only have street parking or they’re in a condo that doesn’t have charging.

EVW: Is public charging a viable option for those who can’t do it at home?

JC: Basically, there are two worlds out there: If you own a Tesla, then, frankly, you’re pretty well covered. Don’t worry about it. If you don’t, then it’s a little bit more tricky because we’ve seen things like charger unreliability, we’ve seen things like lack of speed of charges and lack of amount of charges that are actually out there.

(Editor’s note: Since our interview, Ford and GM have signed up with Tesla to use their charging network. Until vehicles are produced with the proper connectors, vehicle owners can use an adapter to charge their Ford and GM vehicles at a Tesla station. Meanwhile, seven automakers announced a partnership to create a unified charging network to challenge Tesla.)

There’s more: Listen to more from James Carter as part of the Enhanced Media segment of the Fall EV World issue.

EVW: Range is a concern. People say they want to drive long distances without fear of not being able to find a charger. For example, they want to drive to their cottage but don’t feel the range will be enough to get them there or that they can’t charge it at the cottage for the return trip. How does this get alleviated?

JC: People need to apply the available range to their actual life needs. Are they thinking about their commute that’s 40 km per day? Or do they want to make a day trip someplace — and can see there are charging options wherever they want to go?

So I think there’s more of an awareness that, actually, electric vehicles really can fit in with people’s lives today. So there’s that change of realization happening.

However, some use cases are going to be more tricky, even on light-duty vehicles. If someone’s regularly towing a 30-foot trailer caravan behind their pickup truck, that’s going to be a harder use case. But I think people cite those examples too often, rather than the amount of the actual usage. People will say things like, ‘What if I want to drive to Kapuskasing [a Northern Ontario town more than 800 km away from Toronto]?’ When was the last time you drove to Kapuskasing? ‘Well, you know, you never know, I might’ [is their typical response].

You can still make the drive. It just may take longer when accounting for stops to charge up.

EVW: There have been complaints about EV knowledge on the repair side — both at the dealer and independent aftermarket. Most EVs on the road are still under warranty. But what happens as they move out of that window?

JC: I think this part of the industry is still really developing, and it’s still early. Shops are just not seeing those people that are coming in simply because there are not many of them out of warranty. But I think you’ll start to see specialist centres develop. I think these things will start to happen.

Shops are just not seeing those people that are coming in simply because there are not many of them out of warranty.

EVW: How much does right to repair fit in all of this?

JC: I think that’s one of the questions we have to ask ourselves: What happens with things like right to repair? Ford, GM and Tesla are notorious for pushing back on things like that. And I think that’s a real question that hasn’t been answered yet and needs to be answered. And, I think, going on from this is the part about over-the-air updates and what’s going to happen with those sorts of things. I think that provides a real challenge for the right to repair cycle.

Right to repair is going to be just as important with EVs as it was with ICE. Sure, there’s less maintenance, there’s less repair, there’s less stuff and things that break — we know that — but there are still things that will break. We still know that the batteries will eventually degrade; we still know that they will eventually need some sort of refurbishment or replacement or something. And the aftermarket should be in a position to be able to handle that.

This is a really important thing. And really, it’s only been a very narrow thing today. I really think it’s important, at least for [the] automotive aftermarket to really jump on this because I think there’s a big opportunity.

EVW: It’s been said the used EV market will dictate success for the aftermarket. How can the aftermarket prepare?

JC: We know that the battery has some sort of degradation problem. And that happens both on a usage and time basis. So there are two factors: How many kilometres and how old the vehicle is, just like you would look at a used car. So they age by that standard. Once they’re out of warranty, you’re kind of on your own. But you don’t want to replace that $20,000 battery — there’s got to be some way to fix it up or refurbish it or buy a refurbished one to replace it.

Just like we see with transmissions or engines — you pull them out, stick a new refurbished one in and that one gets refurbished that goes on to the next car. And I think we’ll see things like this happen.

This is still very much in an early stage. What we have seen though, is some companies start what I would call battery triage.

If a vehicle is at the end of its life, there are three basic options: If that battery’s still pretty good, or at least usable, you can use it for a second life that might include on-site energy storage for a large building. The second one would be refurbishment, and the third one would be to chuck it. But you don’t chuck it, you can send it to be recycled because there are a lot of expensive minerals within those batteries. So they’re still worth money.

I really think it’s important, at least for [the] automotive aftermarket to really jump on this because I think there’s a big opportunity.

EVW: Responses to electrification stories on EV World’s online portal AutoServiceWorld.com span the spectrum from some positive to a bit of negative. On the negative side, readers have railed against a lack of education, infrastructure costs, lack of interest, they’re being rushed and more. Why is there such a negative response from some?

JC: I think there’s a bit of negative hyperbole there. But I’m not sure that, typically, new car buyers really think about all of those things.

They concern themselves with how much it’s going to cost to buy, to run, do they like the car, is it cool, does it fit their needs and things like that.

They’ll ask questions about the battery and battery replacement, and that’s a fairly normal type of conversation. If they’re leasing, then they’re not asking.

But from a new car buyer’s side, you see an eight-year, 160,000-km warranty attached with that battery. I think the issue for you is what happens once they sell that car, or [it’s the] second or third or the fourth owner and it’s out of warranty, then what happens?

I think there are a few things to understand. First, remember that it’s still a car. So car stuff still breaks; it still needs maintenance.

EVW: What advice do you have for the automotive aftermarket in preparation for electric vehicles?

JC: I think there are a few things to understand. First, remember that it’s still a car. So car stuff still breaks; it still needs maintenance. So I think that’s the first thing.

The second thing is, understand what your opportunity is within electric vehicles. The big one really is batteries. So think about how you can be part of that triage system as it were — what are the things that can be done with that? I think that’s an important thing.

I would say another thing is, start exploring opportunities a little bit beyond what you would traditionally do within your service [offerings]. Customers typically would come in quarterly, or half-yearly for an oil change, and you get to touch base with that customer. So you see how that vehicle’s going, what they need to do — this ain’t going to happen anymore.

You’ve got to think about how you keep in touch with that customer. And make sure that you’re somewhat proactive about its maintenance needs as well. And identifying what those maintenance needs are. Identify what really is important with the needs of these vehicles and talk to customers about that.

This article appeared in the Fall issue of EV World

The post From the Magazine: The developing EV market appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Fall issue of EV World is now available for you to read.

Flip open the digital edition here and go inside to read what’s on the mind of James Carter, one of the foremost automotive experts in the country. We sat down with him to get his thoughts on electrification in Canada, understanding use cases and what it all means for the auto care industry.

We also have a feature looking at fleet electrification. An expert from Deloitte looked into the options and considerations when you’re electrifying your fleet. So if you’re a jobber thinking about using EVs or a shop that’s helping a fleet customer through the journey, here are some things to think about.

Finally, David Mayers, a trained chemist, explains the fire risks around EV batteries. Read about how to respond in case you encounter a battery fire.

We also have the latest news, numbers and letters from our readers — all centred around electric vehicles.

Read the issue here.

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Trevor Heinze and Jayne Kelly, owners of Chieftain Auto Parts

Writer Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It would seem Trevor Heinze and Jayne Kelly have taken those words to heart.

To them, the owners of Chieftain Auto Parts in Prince George, British Columbia, the focus on people — those around you who support your day-to-day operations, the customers who range from professionals to do-it-yourselfers and the vendors who help keep the business stocked for those customers — is what has made their business a success.

They could have done it alone, figured they knew all the answers and been cutthroat in their operations. But the brother-and-sister team chose a different route. One that has taken them to the path of joining the illustrious ranks as the 2023 Jobber of the Year.

First and foremost, it was the people around them who helped them learn the ropes of the automotive aftermarket and selling parts.

“You always learn from other people that are doing things very well,” Kelly explained. “They’ve got a lot of tips and information that if you’re open-minded enough to listen to it, it’s kind of on-hand learning all the time.”

“There’s never been any formal training for us. It’s always been learning from others that have either had the training or you’re learning together.”

The pair were more or less born into the aftermarket. Mom, Eileen, was doing the books and accounting for her brother-in-law. Dad, Peter, worked at a couple of dealerships. With no others around, the two saw a need for a parts store in town. In 1973, Chieftain opened its doors.

The kids didn’t have much of an option regarding their future. They knew the parts business was always going to be where they spent their lives.

“I don’t think we had too much choice,” Heinze laughed. Instead of getting up for hockey practice on Saturday morning, it was instead off to the store.

“It wasn’t a decision that we actually made; it was just something that we kind of grew into,” Kelly agreed.

That’s on top of the full working farm the family had going at the same time.

“We all worked after school and on weekends as kids and then came into the business full-time once we graduated,” Kelly recalled. “We’ve done everything from the bottom, entry-level job right up to where we are today.”

All of their education in the industry happened on the store floor.

“There’s never been any formal training for us,” Kelly explained. “It’s always been learning from others that have either had the training or you’re learning together.”

As a member of Modern Sales Co-op, Heinze served eight years on the buying group’s board. More learning opportunities came forward.

“I actually came on to the board of directors right when they were getting into the governance and such,” Heinze said. “So learning about all the processes and procedures and such and actually getting them rolled down and so on was a very big learning stuff for sure.”

Indeed, the pair seem to have learned from the African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” By taking in opportunities to draw from others’ experience and expertise, the pair have built the go-to auto parts store in their community.

“It’s made a huge difference in what we’ve been able to accomplish here,” Heinze said, recalling his time on the Modern Sales board. “That was a big turnaround in my attitude toward business and such. With all those peers, I must say, I was probably one of the younger guys on the board of directors at that time. And the amount I learned on the board was just phenomenal. It really changed my attitude toward business.”

The transition

Opened in 1973 with just four employees, Chieftain now has two locations — one in Prince George and the other in nearby Hart — with 38 employees.

Kelly and Heinze have been involved for as long as they can remember. Heinze remembers being paid $2 every Saturday.

“I took over the finance part of the company,” Kelly said, following in her mother’s footsteps. “We’ve all done the delivery, driving and the warehouse work. But I followed my mom through the finance part of it. The majority of my learning has been through her. And once I got into the meat of it, it was kind of like, ‘This is my forte.’”

The plan always was to pass the business on to the kids. As business technology advanced, the transition became easier.

Though mom seemed to have an easier time slowing down her involvement in the business, dad had a little more trouble. In the mid-1980s, the store installed its first computer system. Heinze vividly remembers the Modern Sales binder dropped on the desk and himself taking on more responsibilities.

“Dad was old school and I think the computer age helped push him out of the office,” Heinze said.

Their father would try to veer back into the “old school” ways. But there’s no stopping the future. However, dad’s traditional ways actually ended up being a complementary piece to Heinze’s skills for the future. Dad would have a vision for how to run the business and Trevor would be the one to implement it with a forward-looking twist.

The pair took over in 1998. Their parents would still hang around, though. So it wasn’t until a few years after that the brother-sister team was running the business on their own

“It’s like any family business. There’s always some gravel roads that you have to cross it’s not all pavement,” Kelly said. “But they were very supportive.”

And it’s the people that have kept both around in the aftermarket.

“The customers, the suppliers, the employees — we are people persons. We have a lot of fun here. It’s very open,” Heinze said. “We can go talk to right from the delivery drivers to the senior counter guy. We’re very involved as far as with the people, and we have a great time here. It’s all about fun for us.”

The team

As mentioned, Kelly and Heinze wouldn’t be where they are without the people who show up day after day in the warehouse, on the counter or doing deliveries. They have employees who have been around for more than 30 years — one for more than 40.

“So it becomes more like a whole family rather than employees and owners,” Kelly said. “And we all work together.”

Most staff are cross-trained. One might be driving the delivery car today and pulling orders tomorrow.

“And they have no problem doing that because they all understand that if any one position doesn’t get their job done, it affects everybody’s positions,” Kelly said. “So to all work together. It just makes it smoother. Even when we’ve got new hires, we work really hard here. But we have a lot of fun doing it.”

They pulled out a newspaper clipping from 2007 and almost 10 of the people in the group photo are still with Chieftain. The piece celebrated the store’s 24 years in business and its people, pride and growth.

Growing people within the business is a top priority for Kelly and Heinze.

“Internally, we always try to hire and have opportunity for all of our employees to move forward,” Kelly explained. “So if we end up with an opening in the warehouse and there’s somebody that’s in the driver’s bench and would like to advance up and try something new, we always try to hire internally first. And that way, it gives a lot of growth for those that are starting.”

They also do what they can to take care of their people. Staff can take advantage of a benefits package and savings plan opportunities. The pair hosts an annual golf day just for employees and their spouses.

“We don’t open that to our suppliers or customers,” Kelly said. “Because we look at it as it’s ‘our’ day and nobody’s talking shop. Everybody’s just having a really good time.”

Kelly’s son Spencer has found himself in the family business. As the third generation, he manages the Hart location.

Staff challenges

Of course, Chieftain isn’t immune from the challenges facing businesses across the country when it comes to talent. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Kelly noted how hard it’s been to find staff for the stores especially as some of their tenured pros approach retirement age.

“And then your biggest challenge is, because you’ve got such long-term employees, eventually they’re going to be retiring,” Kelly said. “Trying to hire new people and get them trained and up to par so that others can retire, it’s been a challenge for sure.”

They lucked out in one case where an employee moved from the Vancouver area with his wife. They were looking for a change of pace to their lifestyle. He had experience in the industry and also with their computer system, so the transition was simplified. But, Kelly acknowledged, it’s going to take more than that to solve the staffing shortage.

“You just keep trying. Some people you hire, and it works out, and some it doesn’t. But if you don’t try, you’re never going to get anybody to fill those positions,” Kelly said.

Parts proliferation also makes it harder for a new person to get up to speed on all the offerings available.

“It’s very hard to get someone to want to learn all about that, as far as the nuts and the bolts and the parts and the different vehicles — and so much stuff that we offer from hardware to chain and rigging and that type of stuff. How do you get one person to learn all of that?” Heinze observed. “Finding good counter people is a challenge right now.”

Standing out from the crowd

With competition in the area high, there has to be a way for Chieftain to distinguish itself from the crowd.

Kelly read from the aforementioned news article because their attitude then is the same as it is today: “Over the years, the name Chieftain Auto Parts has become synonymous with quality service, knowledgeable staff and an uncanny ability of being able to find and almost always have in stock, just about any part you may need for your vehicle,” it said.

“And that really hasn’t changed in all of our years,” Kelly noted.

The advantage of being independent is that the store can source from any warehouse, be it NAPA, Lordco or Uni-Select. If the customer needs a part and one of them has it, Chieftain will get it. They’re not tied down to just one option, Heinze pointed out.

“We try very, very hard to not say no to our customers. We outsource, we dig. And then of course, some of our parts guys have been with us 30-plus years — that’s knowledge you can’t buy. It’s knowledge that just gets built in. Some of our guys have got their strengths in diesel or someone’s is in four-by-fours or someone’s in marine and all of those strengths that they have complimented each other,” he said.

Chieftain is open seven days a week — not something you see all that often in the automotive aftermarket, especially among independents.

“Majority of the wholesale is Monday to Friday, but up here on Saturday and Sunday, there’s a huge backyard, do-it-yourself base of customers around here in our area that maybe isn’t so much in the larger cities. But up here, there’s a whole bunch that do their own thing,” Kelly said.

But they did cut back on Sunday hours from eight hours to five hours to help ease the demand on their staff, allowing them to be home for breakfast and back in time for dinner.

“We try very, very hard to not say no to our customers. We outsource, we dig.”

Community involvement

The folks at Chieftain take great pride in their extensive community involvement. The list of work feels seemingly endless. There’s the local hospice house they donate to, as well as the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation. The company prepares food hampers for Christmas. They support the local 4-H club, too.

“We’re a big supporter of that. Those are our future farmers. And we don’t have farmers we don’t eat,” Kelly pointed out.

They sponsor a classroom at the College of New Caledonia where they supply computers and software to help students learn. There’s also sponsorship of the Prince George Cougars of the WHL and two racetracks.

Then there are local community events like golf tournaments and fishing derbies, as well as working with the Chamber of Commerce.

“We try to do a lot with a lot of different things rather than just automotive,” Kelly said. “The whole community, it’s a smaller town up here. So it has a mentality of looking after each other.”

“My suppliers are all great friends; I can call any of them and they’d all be happy to hear from me. And I take quite pride in that of mutual respect and respect for the suppliers.”

Advice

A question asked of every Jobber of the Year winner is what advice they would give to their peers. Their answer, given their mantra, is probably unsurprising.

“Your people are the most important part. Look after them,” Heinze said.

“Without our staff members, without our family, we can’t do any of it. So it’s really having a lot of respect and looking after each other, not just as employees and owners, but respect for your employees and for your customers,” Kelly said. “It’s humbling because we need them as much as they need us. And in fact, we probably need them more. And when you look after each other, it does come back around.”

Heinze long ago decided he didn’t want to be an unfriendly face with his suppliers. He’s seen some be hard on suppliers and give them a difficult time. He wanted to take a different route.

“I don’t want that guy to be coming in the office going, ‘Oh, gosh, here’s Chieftain.’ I want guys to come in and say, ‘I’m going to see Trevor today!’” he said. “My suppliers are all great friends; I can call any of them and they’d all be happy to hear from me. And I take quite pride in that of mutual respect and respect for the suppliers.”

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Online reviews can make or break a business.

Google Reviews, specifically, powerfully shape potential customers’ opinions. Racking up a few hundred four- and five-star reviews shows you’re a shop that delivers on its promises and builds trust with customers.

But dealing with a bad Google review is something every business eventually faces. The fact is, you’re going to get bad reviews.

More important than the bad review itself, though, is the way you respond to it.

Sometimes they come from a technician’s disgruntled ex-girlfriend or a bargain-seeking customer with unrealistic expectations. Sometimes they come from a customer with a legitimate gripe when your team dropped the ball.

Either way, those negative reviews give you and your team an opportunity to grow and even excel.

As the leader of your business, you can choose to respond to negative reviews in a way that sets you up for success.

Legitimate negative reviews

These are the reviews that keep us up at night.

They point out the weaknesses in our shop that we’d rather ignore. They can feel like the proverbial acorn that fell on Chicken Little’s head, causing us to worry that the sky is falling and the business we have worked so hard to build is going to fall apart.

As the leader of your business, you can choose to respond to negative reviews in a way that sets you up for success.

Learn from it. Every person — and every business — makes mistakes. When your team drops the ball and a customer leaves a bad review, ask yourself and your team what you can learn from this experience and how you can get better.

Respond with empathy and sincerity. Remember that you’ve had frustrating experiences with businesses that you’ve hired for goods or services. Some of those companies listened to your concerns and solved the problems. Those companies likely deepened your trust and admiration for them. You can do the same for customers who have legitimate concerns. Keep in mind that your response isn’t just for this one customer — the community will look at what you say.

Write for your future customers. Many customers look specifically at negative reviews to decide whether they’ll do business with you. They want to know what led to the negative review and then consider if they’ll have the same problem. When future customers see a thoughtful, solution-focused response, it’s a signal that your company cares and the small percentage of concerns are dealt with in a helpful way.

Solve the problem. When a customer has a real concern, do what it takes to fix that concern. Brakes are still squeaking? Fix the brakes. Your new GS got the car dirty? Offer to clean the car and their next oil change is free. Sometimes you’ll need to write a check to reimburse a customer. Go above and beyond and you’ll turn your critics into raving fans.

You won’t turn all your detractors into delighted, loyal customers. But your positive attitude and proactive problem-solving will do more to keep and attract new customers than ignoring a bad review or, worse, tit-for-tat arguing.

Illegitimate negative reviews

For every justified negative review, you’re also going to see fake ones — people sharing negative reviews without a good reason. First, refer back to the point of ‘writing for your future customers.’

State the facts. If you don’t have any record of the reviewer having their vehicle serviced at your shop, say that. Maybe the review was left for another shop with a similar name. Also, if this is the case, you are able to ask Google to remove that review.

Be concise and professional. You don’t need to get into an argument. All you need to do is show that there’s another side to this story. Again, stick to the facts and don’t inject emotion. Take the high ground and trust those future customers to see your side.

Great service: The antidote to bad reviews

Whether it’s a legitimate or phony negative review, you don’t have to lose sleep over it. Do your best to respond. But in the end, a few negative reviews aren’t the end of the world.

Realistically, people are suspicious of five-star businesses because they know that almost no one can live up to that standard. Work toward, 4.7 stars on the review sites and you’ll do fine.

In the end, the best thing you can do to combat negative reviews is provide great service and bury the bad reviews with great reviews. When you do that, your shop will continue to grow and flourish.

Joe Flammer is a director of marketing for Turnkey Marketing. Based in Kansas City, he serves as outsourced director of marketing for auto repair shops. Learn more at www.turnkeyautomarketing.com

This article originally appeared in the October issue of CARS.

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The recent experience of shop advisors during a training class shows the gap in what customer service should feel like in our industry.

I recently wrapped up the class with advisors where my goal was to equip them — some new to the industry, others seasoned — with the finesse and skills needed to deliver top-tier customer experiences.

Before they left to put their new insights into practice in their shop, there was one final step: I sent them out for an exercise to masquerade as tire buyers in order to compare their new skills with those of fellow service advisors and to experience what it’s like to be a customer of service advisors.

There are five steps to a tire sale: Give a warm and inviting greeting, understand the customer’s needs, show the perfect tire, explain the tire’s benefits and boldly ask for the sale.

But this was not their experience. Far from it, in fact. When my students returned to report on their experience as customers, I’m sad to say it was quite an indictment of what customer service feels and looks like in the automotive aftermarket.

Let’s take a deeper dive into those five steps.

When my students returned to report on their experience as customers, I’m sad to say it was quite an indictment of what customer service feels and looks like in the automotive aftermarket. 

The welcoming moment

I’m a big advocate for advisors to give customers a warm welcome within 15 seconds of their arrival. But my students told me some advisors behind the counters looked like they’d bitten into some tart lemons. It was as though these potential patrons were unwelcome guests, rather than the lifeblood of their business. Isn’t that a head-scratcher? They should be downright thrilled about customers entering their domain.

Understanding the need

I have a golden rule: Get out from behind the counter, go to the customer’s car to look at their tires, strike up a genuine conversation and potentially forge a new client relationship. You never know, this stranger today could very well become a devoted long-term client, bringing their family and friends to your shop.

But here’s what went down: Getting some of these advisors out of their comfy chairs was like pulling teeth. And when they did venture out, the vibe was more “Do you not even know your own tire size?” than a friendly chat. It was almost as if these customers were trespassers on their territory.

Selling like a pro

Showing the perfect tire and explaining the tire’s benefits are a dynamic duo. First, you decode the customer’s needs, then you pitch the tire that will meet their needs. But in this real-life tire-selling drama, things took a different turn. Advisors seemed to have misplaced their investigative hats; they didn’t even bother going into a differential benefits conversation. It was as if the shops had one single tire crush that they wanted to set up with everyone. Not exactly a masterclass in sales strategy.

Asking for the sale

This is the climactic moment. Picture this as the grand finale: The moment you pop the question and seek commitment. But not in this scenario. Advisors just dropped it. It was like riding a roller coaster missing a loop. My students came back completely bemused and perplexed, as they should have. They couldn’t understand how sales were ever taking place if service advisors weren’t even willing to ask if customers wanted the tires or not.

So, did this wacky tire-shopping escapade dampen the spirits of my service advisors in training? Far from it. It was like their engines got a supercharge. Seeing what not to do with customers was like lighting a fire under them. They headed back to their shops with a renewed vigour, determined to ensure no customer would be met with a grumpy face, an indifferent sales approach, and a half-hearted interest in getting the sale that puts the right equipment on people’s cars

The unsung hero

In my playbook, training is the unsung hero, turning a mundane customer experience into pure magic. Training service advisors is not just about sharing tricks; it’s about teaching them to create a culture where customers feel welcomed and wanted. Customers’ questions and concerns are treated with the respect and consideration they deserve and the belief that each new customer is a potential long-term client.

The unfortunate part? Training often takes a back seat because owners often assume that service advisors arrive with this training under their belt to begin with. Or they hope to be able to teach it through osmosis or through instructions doled out in dribs and drabs over the course of the day.

But, we all know the reality: Owners are far too busy working on their business to devote the time needed to properly train their staff. In my experience, owners themselves haven’t had to opportunity or time to receive this training themselves. So, how can they possibly hand it off?

It’s time to face the truth: Your new hire hasn’t received this training elsewhere and your seasoned advisor is likely unknowingly stuck in a rut of outdated ways of thinking and interacting with your customers.

Here’s the deal: Annual training should be as standard as buckling up. The auto landscape evolves, customer expectations shift and we must evolve with them. It’s not just about fixing cars; it’s about weaving connections. Turning a routine transaction into a story worth telling that brings your new customer back again and again.

The tire-shopping caper shines a spotlight on the need for regular training in the auto service world. Let’s bridge the gap between knowing and doing with training sessions that keep the customer service engine humming. A committed customer is a customer for life — and that’s a win that never gets old.

Alan Beech started Beech Consulting in 2010 and focuses on coaching, consulting and training with shop owners/advisors and corporations in the automotive service sector.

This article originally appeared in the October issue of CARS.

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It’s time to put some focus on something closer to home: You, the shop owner.

You invest time and money in training your teams to enhance their skills and provide excellent service to your customers. But how much time and effort do you invest in yourself, your skills and your ongoing development?

People tend to rely on what they know until they’re exposed to something different. Unfortunately for many business owners, their lack of leadership skills often stems from a pattern of imitation. We tend to manage as we were managed and lead as we were led, adopting the habits and rituals of those who managed us. This often leads to a lack of deep understanding of how to become truly inspirational leaders for ourselves and our teams.

I’d guess 80-90 per cent of shop owners find themselves in this situation, which is quite ironic when you consider that many of us have our shops specifically to escape such limitations, don’t you think?

As a result, we are misinformed about the difference between management and leadership, and we confuse hard work for leadership. We then attend management training, with no leadership elements, regardless of the name of the course.

Both management and leadership are important for the growth and sustainability of the business, but in the long term, inspirational leadership becomes crucial.

Leadership starts with you — all of you; not just the work-based elements. Of course, these are important, but at some point, you’ve had a bad day at the office and taken it into your evening, your family or other areas of your life or vice versa.

This is where holistic leadership coaching comes into play. Yes, it may sound a bit out there, but bear with me. This approach examines all facets of your life, from your business and your health and wellness to your relationships with friends and family. It’s founded on the principle that how we do one thing influences every aspect of our lives.

If you don’t have a manager yet, this means that you get to wear both hats. But unless your default hat is the leadership one then a change is in order.

Numerous business owners are super successful in the money game but completely miserable in all other aspects of life. We know that money doesn’t make us happy but what it does is enable us to enjoy life. Therefore, holistic coaching helps to see the path to getting your life on track in every area meaning that you can earn more money and have a better life.

This does not detract from the hard elements that are required for running a business, such as bookkeeping, accounting and daily management of teams. But as your business grows and you have a manager, these are the elements that they will take over, allowing you to elevate yourself in the leadership game. If you don’t have a manager yet, this means that you get to wear both hats. But unless your default hat is the leadership one then a change is in order.

Returning to the shop and business, how many of you are planning or developing marketing and actions for January or even the next tire season?

Are you making budget plans right now? What about your conquest customers, as well as your social media and advertising strategies?

Most of you fall into one of two categories: One, you offer a slew of discount deals; two, you haven’t thought about it yet and are thus waiting for business to come in rather than going out and getting it.

In a changing marketplace, there is no space for people who are sitting still or not growing; they will be simply erased by the marketplace or end up at the bottom of the pond, which is a busy, cutthroat place full of customers you don’t want.

It’s time to think about how you will change yourself and how you will have a successful business going forward.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

This article originally appeared in the October issue of CARS.

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Much has changed in the way automotive aftermarket service and repair shops are run. From the way shop owners should be running their day-to-day operations to the way they manage staff, it’s different from even just a few days ago.

But the amount of adaptation doesn’t stop with the owner. The way service advisors work the front of the shop and the way they work with customers and ensure the smooth flow of everything behind them has changed.

And for technicians, the skills they need to be successful in the bays call for attention in areas they may have never given a moment’s consideration.

Expectations have changed as well for those working in shops. Employees, including technicians and service advisors, want more out of their careers and their time in the shop. They are turning to their shop owner to help provide those missing links.

Shop coaches, industry leaders, observers and experts have shared their thoughts on how everyone under the roof of the shop can be successful. Their thoughts have been collected and are presented here…

Shop owner

For Rick White, founder and president of shop management consultancy 180Biz, everything in a shop starts with trust.

Shop owners need to trust their employees. Employees need to trust their boss. And everyone needs to trust each other.

“If you don’t have trust, you don’t make sales. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have a team. So it makes it harder to work with people,” White said during the Midwest Auto Care Alliance’s Vision Hi-Tech Training & Expo 2023.

There are two types of trust: Practical and emotional. The former is relatively straightforward — it’s earned by doing what you say you’re going to do and being dependable, competent and consistent while exceeding expectations.

Emotional trust, on the other hand, is more difficult to achieve. It’s more personal. You treat those around you with dignity and respect.

The biggest difference between practical and emotional trust is that the former is the feeling of being safe. “Emotional trust is safe,” according to White. “Your goal is emotional trust. It’s also the hardest trust to build.”

He also urged shop owners to shy away from phrases like, “Just trust me.” That’s demanding the trust of someone. It can’t be demanded and staff won’t give it to you. Unfortunately, many have had bosses and owners lie to them or fail to come through when giving them their trust.

“We sit down to talk with somebody and we expect trust,” he said. “But we don’t understand the experiences they’ve gone through. And we don’t understand why they’re skeptical. It also isn’t something you earn.”

Remember: Trust isn’t affirmation. It’s not about developing a yes-man culture. You want to develop an environment where people feel comfortable holding you accountable. That’s your goal, White said.

“The reality is there’s going to be crap going on in your day. Make room for it.”

Accountability

Accountability is crucial for a shop owner. Just as a shop owner would expect their technicians and service advisor to hold up to their promises, staff are expecting the same of the owner. The owner needs to hold themselves accountable.

But what will often happen is that the shop owner will rationalize and excuse their mistake, saying they got distracted to help up by other things, White pointed out.

“How many have done that? We all have,” White said. “So what I want you to start to do is hold yourself to the same standard as you do other people.”

And the more you miss your promises, the more that’s withdrawn from your staff’s trust account. Do it often enough and there’s nothing left, leaving your staff unable to trust you for anything.

Here’s a tip from White: Promise less. If you’re saying yes to something, make sure you mean it and can back it up. If not, don’t.

He’s seen shop owners come up with a huge list of their plans. They say they’re going to get so much done. But at the end of the day, they hang their head because they got nothing off that list done or barely made a dent.

“The reality is there’s going to be crap going on in your day. Make room for it,” White said.

He doesn’t make more than three commitments a day. Those commitments centre around deliverables, like ensuring a document is completed, not meeting with clients.

“I can’t do everything my mind thinks I can. It doesn’t work that way,” White said.

Arm around the shoulder

Technicians and service advisors are feeling the pinch these days. With the typical shop short-staffed — the auto repair industry is 3,000 technicians short these days, double from a few years ago. So more work is falling on fewer hands.

So when a technician makes a mistake, say forgetting to put oil in the vehicle and the engine blows shortly after the customer leaves the shop, owners need to resist the urge to march out in the bays and yell at them.

But that’s different from what you should do. Take a step back. Consider how the tech is feeling, knowing his blunder just cost a customer their vehicle and the shop a wad of cash.

“He’s feeling horrible, would you agree? I mean, he’s going to look up to see the top of the curb,” White said.

A strong reaction — the wrong kind — will only bring conflict. Only the owner will feel good after reading him the Riot Act. Not only is the tech feeling terrible but now he’s been pushed away and is less engaged with the business than before.

So think about your approach before you go out there, White advised.

“The first thing I’m going to do is get him to understand that he’s a good tech,” he said. “We’re not going to let one event define how he sees himself. We are all bigger than one event.”

What caused the issue? Was he interrupted and that’s why he forgot? That could be a teachable moment for the team to not interrupt someone while doing critical tasks.

“Confronting behaviour is something you want to do immediately and without reserve,” White added.

Service advisor

Customers these days are different. They are expecting a distinct experience when they call or walk into an auto repair shop than they did before. And if the service advisor — the first line of customer service — can’t deliver what they expect, then that customer is out the door.

“If you treat people like they’re human beings, if you actually care for them, they can feel it,” Darrin Barney, president of Elite Worldwide, a training company for the automotive aftermarket.

Shops and their service advisors who can really get to know their customers will easily stand out. A good hairdresser, dentist, banking rep and so on knows their clients — it’s crucial to developing a trusting and long-lasting relationship.

It starts with knowing your customers’ names when they walk through the door.

“When they come in and you don’t you don’t know their first name and they’ve been coming to you for a couple years, you got an issue,” Barney said at the Expo. “Learn their names. Watch what happens when they walk in the door and you’re like, ‘Hey, Steve, how’s it going?’ All of a sudden, he’s beaming because you knew his name.”

Remember, said Tom Amero, Elite’s director of operations, the customer is buying from you, not the shop.

“So you have to realize the influence and the impact that you have and how you treat them has everything to do with that decision,” he said

Have a conversation while they’re on the phone or standing in front of you. Avoid any dead air. Have questions lined up. Amero loves Mondays, Fridays and holidays. It’s easy to get the conversation started based on what someone did over the weekend or what their holidays plans are.

“Then when they start sharing and answer those questions with some personal stuff, you capitalize on it,” Amero said.

You’re almost a detective. You want to be on the lookout for things to talk about.

“Your job is to be the credible expert to teach people and educate people of what’s going on and help them make the best decision that’s right.”

Staying upbeat

It’s critical to always have an upbeat demeanour when answering the phone — you never know what state of mind the person on the other end of the phone is in.

Part of the service advisor’s job is to sell themselves. The customer wants to know you have their back.

“Your job is to be the credible expert to teach people and educate people of what’s going on and help them make the best decision that’s right,” Amero said.

Furthermore, customers need to figure out a time to see you in between work and their kids’ dance recitals and soccer practice. They’re anxious before they even pick up the phone, Barney pointed out.

“Do you really think they want to be calling you? No. So we got to answer it nicely. We got to smile when we answer the phone,” he said.

Speeding up the process

Slow productivity will drive a shop owner crazy. If a service advisor can find ways to speed things up, the shop as a whole will benefit.

Find efficiencies, urged Bill Haas, president and Owner of Haas Performance Consulting. Techs can’t be waiting around on parts — so if a customer calls in advance to make an appointment for brake service, you generally know what parts are needed. Order them ahead of time so they’re ready to go.

“If a customer calls in complaining about a noise every time they hit the brakes, the shop should order everything they may need, from caliper to rotors. So when the tech gets the wheels off and finds the issue, they have everything that’s needed.

“I’ve got the parts there, I fix it, bang, it’s out the door,” Haas said.

Waiting for work authorization is another peeve for Haas. Learn how your customers prefer to communicate. Ask them how they want to be contacted.

“I can sit and call people all day long but if they’re in a meeting, they can’t answer the phone,” Hass explained. But they’ll probably take a look at their phone during their meeting and see a text or email come in from you.

“If somebody’s absolutely unavailable, why don’t you get a pre-authorization that says, ‘If I can fix your car today, for less than $800, will it be okay to just go ahead? Do I have your permission?’” Haas added.

“Get rid of the word ‘critical.’ Just think. We are a process-driven industry. We follow process, we have repair manuals that start at A and end at Z. We train everybody to follow that process.”

Technicians

There are whole new sets of skills technicians need going forward.

The hard, technical skills will always be there. But it’s the softer ones that will take technicians farther in their careers.

One is a positive attitude and willingness to embrace new technology. Pierre-Hugues Comiré, regional field technical manager at Hyundai Canada, can easily tell which technicians have embraced new technology and those who haven’t.

“If you embrace it, you’re going to read up about it, you’re going to watch [what’s coming]. There’s so much available information online,” he said, adding that information can be had just by asking for it.

“So what we need are critical thinking men and women with a passion for this work,” Comiré said during Centennial College’s Driving the Future 2.0 event.

Being able to work as a team is a critical skill for technicians. No one works in a shop alone, noted Chris Chinn, network operations manager at Consolidated Collision Services. Someone is taking in that customer, work is being built, someone is working on the car, the customer is being contacted and the vehicle is being returned to them.

“Everybody needs to communicate. So you need those skills of communication,” Chinn said.

He added problem-solving skills to the list. “There’s no one way to fix a car, other than properly and safely. But you need that problem-solving skill because every shop is different. You may not have all the same equipment; you may need to think outside of the box to be able to repair that vehicle.”

David Cochrane, regional sales manager at Delphi, pointed to critical thinking and reasoning skills.

He referenced an old adage that you need to be good with your hands to get involved in the trades and that simply being good with your hands was enough to move you forward. But now diagnosing skills are necessary.

That calls for technicians to be thinking more about what’s happening under the hood.

“So critical thinking and reasoning skills, knowing what’s in front of you, and knowing how to be able to take it to the next level, and to work your way through it are very important,” he said.

Rob Morrison, Canadian fixed operations manager at Phaff/Lithia, agreed but even urged technicians to just flat-out think.

“Get rid of the word ‘critical.’ Just think. We are a process-driven industry. We follow process, we have repair manuals that start at A and end at Z. We train everybody to follow that process,” he said.

To just “think” is “the ability to go, ‘Wait a minute, Step B doesn’t make sense. What’s another step that could go into it?” Morrison said.

This article originally appeared in the October issue of CARS magazine.

The post From the Magazine: The 2023 Training Report appeared first on Auto Service World.

Check out the latest issue of CARS magazine for a whole collection of training insights.

 

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The cover feature takes a dive into key training topics for shop owners, service advisors and technicians. We have insights from management coaches and training experts, with all sorts of advice to help you improve in the shop and deliver a better experience to your customers.

Our columnists also share their viewpoints on improving yourself and your business. We have Greg Aguilera highlighting the importance of investing in yourself. He’s covered off topics such as investing in your staff with proper training, investing in giving them right tools and now it’s time to look inward. Don’t forget about investing in yourself.

All businesses rely heavily on Google reviews. But what happens when you get bad feedback? Joe Flammer explores how to navigate this tricky area.

We also have Alan Beech who shares findings from a group he recently coached. He set them out to pose as customers. They were surprised to find service advisors who seemed off-put by their presence. He shares lessons on how to be a more welcoming advisor.

We have our usual sections so don’t forget to check Letters, News — which includes an EyeSpy spotlight — Class Act with Holland College in PEI, By the Numbers and our Car-toon in the back.

Adam Malik’s editorial dives into how other customer service industries are keeping up with the times — it’s time the aftermarket followed suit.

So grab your copy or the digital edition and flip through all these insights!

The post Get top training tips in the latest issue of CARS appeared first on Auto Service World.

You have probably seen the viral TikTok clip where Elon Musk is asked about the biggest challenge facing humanity. His answer? “Population collapse.”

Now, the Tesla CEO is a known provocateur, and his sensationalist views have since been debunked by demographers. But there is a kernel of truth to his response.

According to Canadian scientist Vaclav Smil (who also happens to be one of Bill Gates’ favourite authors), birth rates in major western economies are teetering on the brink, either just below or above what he calls replacement levels — that is, the rate at which a country’s population has enough babies to sustain its own organic growth. In his book Numbers Don’t Lie, he defines the replacement birth rate at 1.7%. Guess where Canada stands? 1.4 per cent, as per Statistics Canada data from 2020.

Low birth rates, population collapse and demographic shifts may seem heavy-handed for a discussion on technician shortage. After all, hasn’t the industry been talking about the impending “mechanicalypse” since the turn of the millennium?  The projected collapse surely hasn’t come to pass. But increasingly data seems to suggest that we may be closer to a crisis than we think.

A recent report from the Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO) and the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) shows that we are in uncharted waters now. According to the study, there were over 3,000 open jobs in automotive in Ontario in the first quarter of 2023 — double the number of what was seen before COVID.

Even more dire are the sustained trends. Between 2016 and 2021, the 55-plus group of technicians increased by about 13 percent, while 15-24- and 25-54-year cohorts dropped by 2 and 8 per cent, respectively. As the nation ages, these numbers will only accelerate.

One could argue that every industry faces a labour shortage post-COVID, and time may sort out the challenge. That may be true of industries such as software, but skilled trades — especially automotive — have a much wider, and deeper, problem.

Data from the U.S. further reinforces the crisis. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) reported earlier this year that there are only 39,000 new technicians coming out of colleges every year compared to the approximately the 79,000 new jobs that are posted annually.

The problem is worse for diesel trucks. A recent Fleet Owner article shows there are 80,000 open jobs for every 10,000 diesel technicians added every year in the U.S. These shortages in the freight sector have ever bigger implications for our economy — impacting everything from flow of goods to inflation and everything in between.

One could argue that every industry faces a labour shortage post-COVID, and time may sort out the challenge. That may be true of industries such as software, but skilled trades — especially automotive — have a much wider, and deeper, problem. Part of the problem stems from systemic demographic shift and sustained decline in birth rates — countries such as Canada are just not being able to replenish its labour force. COVID may have fast-tracked the gap between retirees and new entrants, but that was coming one way or another.

But the bigger issue lies in the diminishing lure of vocational jobs. A survey conducted by 3M Canada found that 76 percent of young people do not want to pursue a career in a skilled trade. Other reports point to the same conclusion: Gen Z is simply not interested in being an automotive technician or a plumber.

We are largely to be blamed for the current situation. We, as a society, have long-favoured white-collar jobs over vocational ones — pushing kids to the more hallowed path of the four-year college degree. Many high schools do not even offer classes or certifications for skilled trades. Female students, who have made great inroads into white-collar professions, are rarely encouraged to become technicians.

Targeted immigration is a potential fix. Many Ontario dealers are actively working with their trade associations and government to bring in workers from overseas. Aftermarket shops could potentially benefit from these programs as well. Various provinces are also stepping up support for skilled trades — including automotive — in the form of both funding and training programs.

But these are mere band-aids. As older mechanics exit the workforce in larger numbers, it would be impossible to constantly replace them with foreign workers.

We are largely to be blamed for the current situation. We, as a society, have long-favoured white-collar jobs over vocational ones — pushing kids to the more hallowed path of the four-year college degree.

Rather, we need to change the conversation around technician jobs and foster recruitment from within. Tomorrow’s mechanics will require advanced technical knowledge to work in shops. We need to position these jobs as those of the shiny future, and not of the grimy past.

Students need to be made aware that modern automobiles are closer to computers than cars. Going forward, they would need functional knowledge of software, modern EV architecture, and artificial intelligence. Industry stakeholders — automakers, dealers, workshop chains — need to provide more “arsenal” in the form of simulators, advanced tools and marketing materials to vocational teachers and schools.

The demographic time bomb is ticking. Scientist Smil claims that once the birth rate falls below the replacement rate, it’s nearly impossible to turn it around. While broader policy will ultimately impact how we maintain the balance between retirees and young jobseekers, the auto repair industry will need to get creative in attracting talent. Can it make the mechanic “sexy” again? Maybe that’s another question for Elon Musk.

The post From the Magazine: The technician shortage may be worse than you think appeared first on Auto Service World.

The automotive service and parts industry is one of the worst-performing industries for overall mental health.

According to a 2019 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., workers in automotive services were more likely to be deemed a suicide risk.

A U.K. wellness organization, Ben: Support for Life, found that three in five employees have experienced mental health issues that affect their work. Those problems were only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the start of 2022, LifeWorks (now Telus Health) reported that those who work in the automotive industry saw one of the steepest month-over-month declines in mental health.

Automotive industry employees reported a score of -8.1 in January 2022 when asked about their mental health levels. That was down further from -5.3 in December 2021. The drop of 2.8 points was tied with those in the transportation and warehousing industry, and only better than accommodation and food services, which saw a five-point drop. Services listed as “other” dropped 3.9 points.

One year later, things were trending in the right direction. The industry has the third-highest score on LifeWorks’ list, trailing only real estate, rental and leasing and management of companies and enterprises. It sat at a score of 69.9, up seven points from the month before, the biggest jump out of all industries, which averaged 64.6.

The report also found that respondents over the age of 50 are two-and-a-half times more likely than respondents under 40 to be most concerned about their physical health and well-being, while also being more than two times more likely to be most concerned about their mental health and well-being.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and rainbows. Issues are still prevalent. The Ben study showed that men are far more likely to suffer in silence than women, with nearly a third of men admitting they hadn’t sought help despite feeling extreme pressure.

In a male-dominated industry, it’s hard to cut through the stigma and open the conversation around mental health, but it’s important work. With staffing shortages and ever-more pressure on businesses and employees to keep up, mental health needs to be a key focus for automotive services and retailers, observed Diane Freeman, president of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers Association of Ontario (AARO).

“I think during those years there was a lot of anxiety within the workplace, especially when it came to the families and home life. How do you balance that need to go to work with the need to protect your loved ones at home?”

The industry can’t rely on workers to raise these issues.

“We don’t hear a lot about those needs in our industry. People tend to keep it more to themselves, which I think is slowly starting to change but we have a long way to go,” she told Jobber News. “It’s a very male-dominated industry and a lot of men don’t like to discuss what’s going on with them personally, or their feelings. So we tend not to see a lot of sharing. It’s much more of a personal thing.”

John Holmes was previously an honorary board member of the mental health support network, Serendipity Group. He also owned and operated a NAPA Auto Parts store for 20 years. Holmes had a dramatic and life-altering encounter with mental health during the pandemic and knows better than most how these issues can affect employees and business owners.

“I had a breakdown,” Holmes admitted. “On June 10, 2021, I went for a drive and I couldn’t go home.”

That sparked a period of intense work for Holmes. Going through it, he got to see firsthand the way that opening these conversations early can positively impact businesses. Employers should be working to help support mental health in the workplace, he urged.

“You’ve got to keep something like this in your toolbox as an employer. Even if an employee is having an issue at home, that affects their performance at work,” he said in an interview. “But also in today’s world of finding people, you want to support your employees and help them.”

Freeman agreed and pointed to the connection between workplace health and safety obligations and mental health support.

“I’m the chair of [the] health and safety committee for vehicle sales and service at AARO, and that’s one of the top issues we’re working on right now is mental health within the workplace,” she said.

“We have health and safety supports within our organization that we offer to our membership, so anyone with anything related to health issues can contact us and we can put them in touch with the right individuals or whoever they might need.”

“I say don’t be afraid to pay for it because it’s an investment in your future and your business. We should all be concerned about retention.”

Employer responsibility

Freeman says mental health is an extension of health and safety, especially post-COVID.

“I think during those years there was a lot of anxiety within the workplace, especially when it came to the families and home life. How do you balance that need to go to work with the need to protect your loved ones at home?” she said.

“So during that time, we saw a lot more employers contacting our association with these issues and asking us for support.”

It’s important employees understand not only the resources available to them but feel confident that their privacy is respected when they do, Freeman added.

“I think we have a long way to go within our industry on mental health and also sharing with the employees what support there is available,” she said.

Holmes agreed, adding that it’s hard for some small business owners to know what to do.

“I think mental health and health and safety are definitely connected,” Holmes said. “One hundred per cent there’s a responsibility for employers.”

That Ben study also put the cost of mental health issues in the workplace in the UK at 1.2 billion euros annually. According to Holmes, there’s no doubt that lost productivity and downtime, the loss of staff, and poor performance due to stress or anxiety has an impact on the health of this sector.

He doesn’t deny that it takes resources and money to pay for mental health support, but still thinks it’s important for business owners to address it.

“I say don’t be afraid to pay for it because it’s an investment in your future and your business,” Holmes said. “We should all be concerned about retention. I have business owners tell me daily how hard it is to get people. It’s dramatic. Every door you push open has a ‘help wanted’ sign so you really want to take care of the people you have got.”

The industry agrees, which is why Freeman pointed out that there are more resources and tools coming to its members. There have been so many changes in the automotive aftermarket over the past few decades, from more women entering to a bigger focus on workplace behaviour.

“I think mental health is one of those changes,” she explained.

“It’s something we haven’t addressed in the past, and now we are … You’re going to see a lot more work over the next few years around mental health, and what we need to do as employers and employees to put those supports in place. Our role is to help our members and our industry and put them in touch with the right resources for mental health or any other workplace health and safety issue.”

“You’re going to see a lot more work over the next few years around mental health, and what we need to do as employers and employees to put those supports in place.”

Support

The need for more practical tips is something Holmes also identified in his journey as he sought to educate more business owners about health supports. As noted, not every small business owner is equipped for this task.

“Big corporations have things in their toolbox but smaller business owners don’t because often they just don’t think of it,” Holmes said. “So we have to make them think of it and educate how important this is for their business.”

His advice to business owners includes opening the conversation with staff in a proactive way, letting them know that the shop has mental health supports in place and taking time to speak with staff about their challenges.

“I think employers should take the time to really talk to their employees. Bring them in, give them a pat on the back, let them know they’re doing a good job,” Holmes said. “Ask them once in a while, ‘How is everything? Is there anything I can do for you?’”

From the AARO perspective, the work is already ramping up. Freeman says the industry as a whole is moving toward a more supportive position.

“We’re going to be sending more mental health supports out to our members with more information, more guides and references,” she said. “We’re going to help educate employers on how to identify potential mental health issues in the workplace.

“That includes training, resources, and whatever supports we can provide. And if we can’t help, we know what direction to point shop owners in.”

Holmes understands the challenges business owners face. After all, he was one for 20 years. But he says mental health issues and support need to be part of a healthy business from day one.

“I think once a business gets to a certain point of profits, they think that’s when they can start worrying about people,” he said. “But I think you have to start worrying about the people now. If you take care of the people the numbers will follow.”

The post From the Magazine: Providing Support appeared first on Auto Service World.

The September 2023 issue of Jobber News should have hit your mailbox. Here’s a recap of what’s inside…

The cover feature explores mental health and the automotive aftermarket. It’s a topic that isn’t talked about enough but needs to be in the spotlight. AARO president Diane Freeman explains that employers can’t rely on staff to raise the issue. Former jobber owner John Holmes recalled his own breakdown and explained what employers could and should be doing to support their teams.

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Kumar Saha looks at the technician shortage and how demographics show that the problem may be worse than originally thought. He looks at the trends taking place and what needs to be done.

We have an analysis piece that explores the impact of rising car prices, its trends and impacts on the aftermarket and the auto industry overall. You’ll also be able to read about Canada’s unsafe care problem, how AIA Canada is backing vehicle safety initiatives and the role of right to repair.

And don’t miss the sections that are in every issue like Letters, News, By the Numbers and Car-toon.

The post Latest Jobber News tackles important subject appeared first on Auto Service World.

Let’s talk about technician training and see if it’s really all that different from the “good old days.”

To answer this, we need to look at the skills required for our business today.

The first and the most obvious one is that we need the technical know-how to deliver diagnosis and repairs to vehicles. As we all know, the complexity of vehicles is and has been increasing for years. So this is for me a continuation of education.

Now that we are entering a time in automotive technology where we no longer have one component with one function, but multifunctional and split functionality, this makes in a lot of cases our lives easier when it comes to the diagnosis of function loss or component failure.

This is not to suggest that we don’t need ongoing diagnosis and repair training. But this will not be the only thing that our technical teams are going to need in their skills toolbox in the future.

These are the areas that you should focus on when it comes to hiring, developing and training your technical team.

Communication skills

The need for customers to see and understand what is required to fix their vehicle will be the biggest change to our industry in the coming years. Too often, “needs brakes” is the entirety of the note for the customer. Better communication is needed. Technicians play an integral role in customers receiving value for the services that they pay for. Effective communication training is essential.

Personal development

We almost exclusively have personal and people development for management and owners but neglect to think about this for our teams. For example, personal finance, self-management or time management. All critical topics to build a strong and happy team. Dismiss this one at your own peril.

Beyond technical know-how

We focus our technical training on complex and difficult problems. But as important as service and repair work is, all too often technicians are rushing through general service work with little or no care for the customer or pride in the work that they carry out. Being a world-class technician means looking after every car as if your family owned it. This needs to become a priority for shop owners as the satisfied customer who feels cared for is what drives the largest portion of revenue.

So the shop owner’s list of focus If we want our business to thrive, then it’s not just about turning wrenches anymore. As businesses, we employ people and serve people. Therefore, we need to restart how we think of our teams. With every struggle a shop owner has, staff experience the same. So invest in them as you would yourself with a fully rounded program of leadership and development, including technical training.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of repair shops in Canada. He can be reached at greg@intautoconsulting.com.

This article originally appeared in the August issue of CARS.

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