Directions: Turbocharging’s Not Just A Lot of Hot Air In a recent study of U.S. consumers by Honeywell, more than half of those who plan to purchase a vehicle in the next two years believe fuel efficiency is more important than it was during their last vehicle purchase. More

Management: 'Win-Win' Repair Examples Can Positively Impact Customer Education Efforts and Your Bottom Line In the process of educating customers, if you could show the link between proper repairs and vehicle performance and longevity, compared to vehicle neglect and its negative impact on critical components, you'd be able to heighten your customers' trust in your repair recommendations and comfort level with the repair process. More

VIEWPOINT: The Carpocalypse: What does it mean to shops? Last month, I had a chance to attend a panel discussion at Northwood University in Midland, MI, titled “Reinventing the Wheel.” The panel featured the usual analysts and industry experts, but it also had a new car dealer and an executive vice president of a major aftermarket parts program group. The event was held in conjunction with the Northwood University International Auto Show. More

Customer Service Is Not a Strategy; It's a Way of Life That was the key message delivered by Robert Spector, author of “The Nordstrom Way,” during a recent SEMA webinar. “It’s the customer who determines whether your company will succeed or fail,” Spector advised. Spector explained that regardless of your job title, you are in the customer service department. “Excellen More

POST YOUR COMMENTS: Dealing with Consumers Online Can Be Frustrating When we redesigned the brakeandfrontend.com website, we permitted people to make comments on articles. Anybody can ask a question or share their opinion and it gets posted immediately. I manage the comments and respond to readers on a regular basis. Some of the comments and dialog between repair shop professionals is great, sometimes better than the article or news item itself. It has also been... More

Directions: Giving Some ‘Extra Credit’ to Deserving Schools Now entering its third year, Tomorrow’s Technician magazine, along with co-sponsors Chicago Pneumatic and WIX Filters, have joined forces to recognize the top schools in the nation. More

Giving Some 'Extra Credit' Where Credit Is Due We all know it takes a lot to be an automotive technician. It takes drive, ambition, a strong work ethic, problem-solving techniques and an ability to work with your hands, not to mention a large investment in tools and education. So it’s important to give credit where credit is due. Within our magazines and on our websites (www.import-car.com and www.autocarep More

Brake Safety Awareness Week: August 23-29 For the third consecutive year, the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) is sponsoring Brake Safety Awareness Week. The event is annually held the final full week in August, with this year’s dates being August 23-29. More

Is the Economy Heading in the Right Direction? Recent indicators signal good news for the aftermarket. More

Signals of a Recovering Economy . . . It’s been said that the economic recession largely bottomed in the spring and its long-awaited end will occur later this year. A sign that some analysts say signals the start of an economic recovery for the second half of 2009 is that the U.S. index of leading economic indicators has risen for three straight months. Many analysts predict the economy will start to grow again — at... More