Reacting To "Silverstein: Business as Usual Must Die"

Lucas and David weigh the pros and cons of service-driven versus sales-centric business models in the auto repair industry by reacting to Dutch Silverstein's Ratchet & Wrench article "Business as Usual Must Die." They highlight how effective conflict resolution and marketing investment are crucial for growth and employee retention.
00:00 Public skepticism toward auto repair industry prevalent.
05:02 SDCC and MMSc owners share profit, service.
08:27 New businesses need financial concessions for growth.
10:26 Drive numbers, hit close rate, generate business.
14:41 Employee retention has significant financial impact.
19:22 Cost is minimal for specific skills gained.
20:55 Sales-centric owner prioritizes profit over customers' needs.
26:14 Health insurance costs funneled to minority users.
27:19 Healthcare and automotive industries facing dire consequences.
31:55 Higher education adapting to meet workforce demands.
36:25 Warning about expensive amenities in shops for consumers.
38:26 Different consumers prioritize varying expenses and experiences.
43:01 Each brother views family business differently.
44:04 Adapt to meet consumer demands for success.
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[@dutchsilverstein976]

You're killin' me here fellas. If you had questions, you should just ask me instead of speculating. Penumbra = the outer part of a shadow. David is wrong about the methodology O used to drive new customers to the shop. I networked for them. I found groups that had similar interests and showed them the value of advocacy. I didn't discount my price, I just worked harder to develop an audience of interested prospects. There's much more to this and the method is repeatable. It lasted 26+ years.

[@DavidRomanKC]

I specifically said you DID NOT go towards discounting and that you avoided it. My point is that avoiding it makes things extremely hard to scale.

[@dutchsilverstein976]

What David is describing is consequentialism which is the doctrine that the morality of an outcome is dependent on how it is received. The sales centric owner gets to justify his behavior because it resulted in his building a church or hospital.

[@BehindTheCounter_TFSO]

Five days a week, I get to take a peek into every independent garage in my area. Due to my formal training, I can clearly see who’s struggling in this industry. They all have one thing in common: getting the customer in the door and selling work. It’s interesting how each shop has its own approach to the market, hoping they’ve built a better mousetrap. I stepped into a shop yesterday in a metropolitan area. They had a sign on the wall telling customers, “We are professionals,” with a mission statement underneath. However, as I looked around for training certifications, there was nothing to be found to back up their claim as a professional. I did notice a flyer by the register offering $20 off brake pads, $40 off rotors, and $20 off batteries. The service writer mentioned that customers always want the cheapest job. Here’s a shop that works 10 hours a day, six days a week, and probably makes no money. This shop operates and looks like every other shop on the block, and they all buy their parts from the same jobbers. The only difference is who’s going to lose more money. The service writer was calling every jobber in town to find the cheapest brakes instead of having a conversation with the customer about how they plan to drive their vehicle. This service writer should have been going over the inspection form, pulling out the SI and TSBs for the vehicle, and writing up quotes for good, better, and best options for the brakes. When I asked the service writer about his average margins on parts, effective labor rates, and average ticket prices, he couldn’t tell me. His answer to me was, the corporation knows all that. This is what we deal with on a daily basis in the automotive industry: people with little or no formal training. It’s time to change the industry

[@nickayivor8432]

👍

[@raysucker]

Mporoume oloi na simfwnisoume oti to paidi edw kai o Shokin einai oti kalytero auti tistigmh? Thanks