No-Brainers for Success: Own Customers for Life
You’ve just repaired a vehicle and your woman customer seems pleased with the quality of the repair and the service you provided. You deliver the vehicle, hand her the keys and send her on her way. But does that customer really belong to you? Is she really yours? Did you ever think at the moment
Online Buyers Less Satisfied With In-Store Research
A new study by Forrester Research suggests that consumers who research products in stores before buying products on a retail website are less satisfied with the experience than consumers who do the opposite. The findings were based on online surveys of 4,723 U.S. consumers conducted in August 2009. While Forrester said the effect was more
Get Ready: NTSW Runs June 6-12
National Tire Safety Week will soon be upon us, and the RMA wants to remind tire dealers that the week-long effort is the perfect time to remind customers about basic tire care. NTSW will be held June 6-12, and is part of RMA’s "Be Tire Smart – Play Your PART" program. During NTSW, RMA said,
ASA’s Online Store Gets Updated Look
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) recently enhanced its online store, adding new graphics and improved shopping security. Accessed through the members only section of www.ASAshop.org, the online store offers members the ability to purchase business aids, reference materials, workplace posters, training materials, ASA insignia products and consumer education brochures. A photo and description accompany each
Buyers Strongly Prefer Online Research to Store Experience
A new study of consumer buying habits shows that people strongly prefer to do their research online vs. talking to store sales people. The 2010 Social Shopping Study from E-Tailing Group and PowerReviews showed buyers preferred online research to in-store for three primary reasons: save time (79%), boost confidence (83%) and receive credible information (82%).
Desire For Greater MPGs Can Lead to Maintenance Work
According to a report from Edmunds.com, today’s best-selling cars get 12% better mileage than the 2005 best sellers, reflecting in a major shift by the motoring public toward fuel efficiency. In the Edmunds.com report, the top five best-selling vehicle segments generally account for less than two-thirds of total vehicle sales, broken down into mid-sized car,
AAIA Has New Way to DRIVE Tech Training
Looking to help simplify repair shop and tire dealer efforts to find effective training for their technicians, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association launched its DRIVE (Directory of Resources for Industry Valued Education) website. Available at www.aftermarket.org/drive, the new Web offering uses Google to search only the training and education information from more than 75 participating
Tire Storage Solutions Adapt to Fit Any Space
The choice of tire racks may seem to be among the most mundane of decisions a tire dealer must make. Nevertheless, proper selection can improve access to tire inventory and also enhance safety, productivity and shop appearance. A variety of sturdy rack, stack or pallet options exist. Boltless racks allow for quick assembly with just
Proper Workplace Hand Protection Required
One could argue that a technician’s most valuable tools are his or her hands. Without them, turning wrenches, squeezing air gun triggers or smoothing a tire repair are almost impossible. As important as they are, hands don’t always receive the proper care and protection they deserve. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, about 250,000
Content is King: We’re Delivering Every Possible Flavor
At a recent seminar on digital media, one of the panel experts uttered this phrase: “It’s the content, stupid.” That brusque Clintonesque sound bite was meant to rattle. Until that point, the room was fixated on delivery methods. The panelist’s sharp comment snapped everyone’s attention back to the most important element of any publication –