Ratchet+Wrench Radio

Bonus: California & The Future of the Aftermarket

In this bonus episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Bob Redding, the Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C., representative, joins editor Chris Jones for a look at how California's decision to become a zero-emissions state by 2035 will affect the automotive aftermarket. We also discuss the significance of the decision by the California Air Resources Board to intervene on behalf of independent repair shops to provide ongoing access to information.

Today’s Class Trains Techs Using an App (w/ David Boyes)

In this episode, David Boyes joins Ratchet+Wrench editor Chris Jones to talk about his company’s app, Today's Class, an online learning organization that has been supporting the automotive industry for more than 20 years. If you recall, Boyes was highlighted in the August issue Breakdown, A Classroom in Your Pocket.   We discuss:  (0:06): What Today’s Class is and how it works  (3:15): What the time commitment looks like  (5:21): The science behind app-based learning  (7:19): The features of the app (12:10): The value for shop owners  (17:01): Feedback Boyes has received from shop owners  (18:05): How the app’s gamification feature encourages learning  (20:06): How to get Today’s Class 

How Carolyn Coquillette Built Shop-Ware

In this episode, Carolyn Coquillette talks about how she founded Shop-Ware while running her shop, Luscious Garage.  We discuss: (1:15): The pain points that conceived the idea for Shop-Ware (4:45): Going from analog to digital platforms in her career (5:48): Why shops are hesitant to go full digital on software (8:35): How she decided to create software for the industry (16:01): What's under the hood of Shop-Ware (21:09): The importance of tracking KPI and using the right software (23:23): Is scalability a factor in choosing software? (25:40): What to look for in shop management software (29:00): What Carolyn loves about helping shop owners grow

How to Get Your Team Talking w/ Deanna Baumgardner

Deanna Bumgardner from Employer's Advantage LLC joins Rartchet+Wrench Radio to talk about why shop owners need employee feedback to build better shops and how to get people talking and sharing ideas. If her name sounds familiar, she was in the July issue story, "How to Get Authentic Employee Feedback."  We discuss: (0:58): The benefits of asking for feedback (1:45): Why shop owners struggle to get feedback (3:15): How to create a culture of openness (5:35): What happens when leaders negatively react to feedback? (7:00): How feedback can help shop owners identify thought leaders (8:26): What happens when employee feedback isn't valued? (9:45): Addressing employees' fear of repercussion (11:46): The 'Start, Stop, Continue' feedback loop (14:21): Other ways to get employees to share feedback (15:40): The benefits of outsourcing HR for help.

Identifying Shop Inefficiencies w/ Alex Bunkers

In this episode, Alex Bunkers, head of operations at Tekmetric, joins Ratchet+Wrench to take a deep into a whitepaper she wrote called, “Quantifying Inefficiencies in Your Shop,” which is aimed at “helping shops maintain a strong awareness of every aspect of the shop, from inventory management to proactively keeping up with KPIs.” We'll discuss: (0:53): An overview of the whitepaper (2:30): Analog shops and how they keep records (4:08): Benefits of using shop management software (5:39): A case study on Mike's Auto Repair (7:19): Should any shop not be on a digital platform in 2022 (8:08): The most important and most overlooked KPI (9:52): 3 Steps to promote shop growth (14:58): How to improve shop workflow (15:57): Tracing trends and proactive metrics (17:48): Long-game strategies for applying shop data (18:16): What shops lose by not tracking KPI.

Rural Shops: Jennifer & Tony Ringham of Precision Imports

In this episode, Jennifer and Tony Ringham of Precision Imports, featured in the August 2022 story, "Keeping It Rural,"  offer a closer look at the life and work of rural shop owners and how they make it work. Jennifer and Tony have been servicing European cars since 2006. Tony is a graduate of Universal Technical Institute in Chicago, where he graduated first in his class and finished first in his class in the Mercedes-Benz Star certification graduate program.   Jennifer joined Tony in the business in 2018, where she wears multiple hats such as owner, service writer, parts manager, workflow specialist, car porter, and marketing director.   We discuss: (1:40): The shop's history and Tony's background (4:30): The shop's layout and design (9:05): The investment they've made in the shop (11:30): How business is going for Precision Imports (12:45): How they're marketing and promoting the shop (16:35): The appeal of the rural shop (19:05): How they train their technicians (21:05): Their position on EVs and emerging tech (27:35): Their customer service philosophy (31:55): How they use text messaging to ease the customer's mind (37:05): What they love about shop ownership

How to Overcome the Technician Shortage (w/ Cecil Bullard)

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Cecil Bullard of the Institute for Automotive Business Excellence stops in to discuss how shop owners can overcome the technician shortage. Cecil discusses: Why raising labor rates is necessary to attract top talent A simple formula to raise rates today The need to create a career path for today's technician The importance of having the right atmosphere and benefits Why shops should proactively get involved in student programs Self-assessing your business model Why you need to constantly be recruiting The silver lining Find us on social: Chris | Cecil

Setting Future Techs Up for EV Success

As more EVs begin to enter the mainstream car parq, knowledge of how to work on those vehicles is becoming critically important for shop techs to have. Northeast State Community College in Blountville, Tennessee, recently received a near-$350,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to integrate EV technology training into its curriculum to ensure local techs are getting that information. Donna Farrell, Northeast State dean of technologies, and Ernie Morelock, automotive department chair, join Digital Reporter Hanna Bubser to discuss what the grant means for their college and why EV technology training is vital for today's techs.  

Preparing Your Shop for EVs & ADAS (w/ Ben Johnson)

This week on Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Ben Johnson of Mitchell 1 joins the show. Ben is the director of product management for Mitchell 1 and is responsible for managing Mitchell 1’s portfolio of products for the motor vehicle industry. He maintains several ASE certifications and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International. He currently serves on the Auto Care Association’s Tool & Equipment and Emerging Technologies committees, and on the executive council at the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) Technology Council. He is a frequent presenter at industry events, speaking on ADAS and emerging automotive technologies. Today, Ben will talk about the fear and uncertainty surrounding electrification and how shops can prepare to offer services for EVs and ADAS-equipped vehicles. 

Dissecting Mail Shark’s New Auto Care Customer Survey (w/ Josh Davis)

Welcome to Ratchet+Wrench Radio, your podcast for strategies and inspiration for auto care success. This week, Josh Davis, chief revenue officer at MailShark, joins host Chris Jones as they take a deep dive into a new auto care industry customer survey Mail Shark conducted called Cracking the Code. We'll talk about:   How they gathered the data What they learned about consumers and trust as it pertains to shops Why trust is changing One trust factor shop owners must fix today How DVI factors into consumer trust and perception of repair shops Demographic, economic, and generational factors regarding trust Whether 5-star Google ratings help or hurt shops in the eyes of consumers Habits of high-income customers Marketing tips for shops Get your copy of the survey.