Ratchet+Wrench Radio

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.

Right to Repair Decision Could Be Coming Soon

The ongoing Right to Repair legal battle in Massachusetts has been a fixture in automotive aftermarket headlines for almost two years now, and a lot has happened since state voters approved the measure on the November 2020 ballot. A decision could be coming down this Friday, but after numerous delays, it would come as no surprise if it were delayed again. Nevertheless, Friday is an important day for the aftermarket. We’re dipping back into the podcast archives to revisit a conversation from last month on the ADAPT Podcast with Aaron Lowe, senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs with the Auto Care Association, about what’s at stake in the decision and why shop owners outside of Massachusetts should care.

How Great SEO Attracts People to Your Shop

This week on Ratchet+Wrench Radio, Chris Jones talks to Autoshop Solutions CEO Margaret Palango about the ins and outs of on- and off-page SEO and what shop owners need to know about drawing customers from the web.

How to Level Up Your Service Writer (w/ Guy Roberts)

In this episode, Ratchet+Wrench Editor Chris Jones and Guy Robers of Sales Fix Academy dive into the inner workings of Sales Fix Academy, what service writers need to do to increase sales and boost profit, and why a highly-trained service writer matters to the health and success of the shop.

How Ashot Iskandarian Built Shopmonkey

In this episode, Ratchet+Wrench editor Chris Jones talks to Shopmonkey founder Ashot Iskandarian about his back story, how and why he created Shopmonkey, his passion for hot rods, and his thoughts on now being a shop owner himself.

Staying on Brand (w/ Aaron Stokes)

In this episode, Ratchet+Wrench editor Chris Jones and guest Aaron Stokes talk about how and when shops should prepare for electrification. The conversation then turns to marketing and how shops can build their brand image and voice through the ways they market within their communities and service regions. 

Stop Inconveniencing Your Customers (w/ David Avrin)

In this episode of Ratchet+Wrench Radio, David Avrin of The Customer Experience Advantage joins host Chris Jones to talk about how shops should focus on the customer journey to become incredibly easy to do business with. 

How Sunil Patel Built Tekmetric

In this episode, I talk to Sunil Patel, founder of Tekmetric, one of the industry's leading shop software platforms. We dive into his back story as a shop owner and what led to the creation of Tekmetric. We also take a peek under the hood of the software and discuss why shop owners need to find a shop management platform if they want to build to scale.

Growing Through Car Count (w/ Aaron Stokes)

Are you ready for Stokes Second Tuesday? I'm sitting down with Ratchet+Wrench columnist and founder of Shop Fix Academy Aaron Stokes to talk about how to grow your business through car count. If that sounds familiar, his March column bore the same name and we're going to be unpacking all of the concepts within the column to give you a fuller picture.

Increase Your Productivity by Saying ’No’

My guest today is Michael Tougias, author of the book, "No Will Set You Free." He's going to talk about why have a hard time saying no---especially at work---and how using this simple word can help managers and employees reclaim time and boost productivity without feeling like jerk.