Features

   Feature

By The Numbers: Battery Facts
November 23, 2020 by Allan Janssen

75% Percentage of owners of vehicles newer than two years who get all the recommended maintenance. When the vehicle is between 2 and 5 years old, that falls to 64%. When the car is older than 5 years, only about…

   Feature Jobbers & WDsService Advisor and Selling

Off the Shelf: Keep them coming back
November 16, 2020 by Allan Janssen

  By Susan Hitchon There’s no question that loyal clients are highly coveted in any industry. Under stable or normal market conditions, almost any business owner would agree that client loyalty needs to be at the top of the priority…

   Feature Auto Repair & Service

Standardizing ADAS terminology
November 16, 2020 by Allan Janssen

By Allan Haberman If you think advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are brand new on the automotive scene, you might be surprised to find out they’ve actually been around for a long time. In fact, the earliest systems are now…

   Feature Auto Repair & ServiceBusiness Management

It’s Your Turn: Those dreaded Wheel Locks!
November 16, 2020 by Bruce Eccles

  By Bruce Eccles Few things can frustrate my technicians more than a missing wheel key. And nothing spoils the mood in the office like an unreasonable customer. Funny how these two situations are often go hand-in-hand! Dealerships can get…

   Feature Business ManagementCustomer Relations

Confidentiality in the workplace
November 16, 2020 by Allan Janssen

  By Jeff Mowatt Have you ever had a potential customer who seemed nervous and reserved, rather than excited about doing business with you? It happened in a weird way for me. The senior managers seated around the boardroom table…

   Feature Auto Repair & ServiceVehicle Technology

Beefing up suspension and chassis parts
November 16, 2020 by Allan Janssen

By Allan Janssen Two automotive trends have come together to create new opportunities for aftermarket chassis and suspension manufacturers. On the one hand, public appetite for robust SUVs and light trucks has grown dramatically in recent years. Indeed, by some…

   Feature Business Management

Measuring the productivity of your whole team
November 16, 2020 by Allan Janssen

By Bob Greenwood Measuring the productivity of individual employees is important in any business. It’s a valuable statistic to track, and is an excellent starting point for a staff review, encouragement, and sometimes counselling. But what about team productivity? Can…

   Feature Service Advisor and Selling

Five deadly sins at the service counter
November 9, 2020 by Allan Janssen

By Allan Janssen There are plenty of ways to lose money in a repair shop. Avoiding the pitfalls in the bays, the manager’s office and at the front counter is what defines success in this business. When it comes to…

   Feature Jobbers & WDs

The gamification of sales
November 9, 2020 by Allan Janssen

By Zara Wishloff Gamification is a new buzz word in the marketing world. It refers to adding the aesthetics and functionality of games into things that are not really games at all. You’ll see it everywhere if you know where…

   Feature Auto Repair & Service

Understanding Diesel Exhaust Aftertreatment Systems
November 9, 2020 by Allan Janssen

By David Bry Diesels have long had an image problem. They were known to be smelly, slow, and dirty. But that picture is very much out of date. Diesels don’t stink like they used to. Many are extremely powerful. And…

   Feature Market Research & Statistics

By the Numbers: Top 10 Vehicle Platforms
November 9, 2020 by Allan Janssen

Top 10 vehicle platforms 1. Volkswagen’s PQ35 (A5) 32,675,765 units (2.6%) 2. Nissan/Renault’s B Platform 24,152,170 units (1.9%) 3. Volkswagen’s NQB 14,420,969 units (1.2%) 4. Volkswagen’s PQ24 (A04) Platform 13,197,432 units (1.1%) 5. Peugeot’s PF1 12,832,679 units (1.0%) 6. Toyota’s…

   Feature News Oddities

Eye Spy: Broken Brakes
November 4, 2020 by Allan Janssen

˙Could this be someone’s way of making brake pads last longer? David Kelsey of D. Kelsey Auto Repair in St. John’s, Nfld., found one brake pad welded onto another on a 2015 Civic. “It is unreal that our province of…