NapaTracks is a company that helps car repair shops learn and use their business software better. They also provide training and support so shops can get up to speed faster.
A shop management system is the software that helps a car repair shop organize jobs and talk to customers. It can help with scheduling, estimates, and keeping everything on track so nothing gets missed.
They’re talking about short quizzes to see how well service advisors know automotive information. The goal is to spot what people don’t know yet and then train to fill those gaps.
Kukui is a marketing tool for car repair shops. It helps turn website visitors into leads, automatically follows up, and shows what marketing is actually paying off.
Pit Crew Loyalty is about getting customers to come back after their first visit. Instead of just getting one appointment, it aims to build repeat business.
They’re talking about an AI assistant named Paige. It’s used to help with recruiting for auto repair shops, and the name is a clever nod to “AI.”
Concept
full-time job
A “full-time job” means someone is already working a regular schedule. The hosts are pointing out that candidates may be busy, so delays or poor communication can make the process frustrating.
Soft skills are the “people skills” you use at work. They include being empathetic, communicating clearly, and following through. In an auto shop, these skills affect how customers and coworkers feel, not just the repairs themselves.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings or perspective. The hosts connect it to hiring and customer service outcomes—suggesting that when empathy is missing on either side, people feel let down and relationships break down.
They’re talking about whether new hires stick around. If someone leaves within a few months, it usually means the job or the shop wasn’t what they expected, or it wasn’t a good match.
Culture fit means whether the person’s personality and work style match how the shop operates. If it’s a good match, they’re more likely to stay and feel proud of their career progress.
Employee retention just means getting people to want to stay working at the same shop. The hosts are saying that training, feedback, and recognition help employees feel appreciated instead of wanting to quit.
Shop culture is basically the shop’s “vibe” and how people are treated at work. If the culture is healthy, it’s easier to attract and keep good employees, because people want to work somewhere they feel valued.
A mastermind is like a guided group meeting where people in the same industry talk through what’s working and what isn’t. In this episode, it’s used to compare notes on shop culture.
Company
Vision
“Vision” is the name of the place or group hosting the mastermind meeting. The episode uses it as the setting for shop owners to talk about how to improve their businesses.
Company
360
“360” is referenced as part of the speaker’s career history (“years with 360”). The transcript doesn’t clarify the full company name, but it’s used to frame experience with culture and recruiting.
They’re talking about “workplace culture,” meaning how a shop treats people and what it feels like to work there. Their point is that small, thoughtful things can make employees happier and easier to hire.
They’re saying people do better when they feel connected to others at work. The guest thinks shops can create that same sense of connection, even if it’s not an office.
They suggest a simple way to make the shop feel friendly: let employees display their kids’ artwork. It’s meant to help people feel valued, which can make hiring easier.
“Real-time” profitability tracking means you can see how the shop is doing as things happen, not just later. That can help you catch problems early instead of discovering them after the numbers are already final.
On-site training means someone comes to your shop to teach your team how to use a new tool or follow a new process. It usually makes it easier for everyone to get up to speed quickly.
Remote refresher training is extra practice sessions online after the first training. The goal is to help people remember what they learned and keep improving over time.
They’re also pointing to a Facebook group/community as another place to learn and get help. It suggests you can connect with other shop owners and stay updated outside of the website.
A leader board is a scoreboard that shows who’s doing well in the training. It’s meant to make learning more fun and encourage people to keep improving.
“today's class dot com” is where they say you can get training for your automotive team. The pitch is that the training is organized and designed to improve results at the shop.
Empty bays are work spaces in the shop that aren’t being used. If bays are empty, the shop isn’t making money from that capacity, even though the shop still has expenses.
Disconnected marketing tools means your marketing and your shop operations don’t “talk” to each other. That can make it harder to track leads and respond quickly, so potential customers slip through.
24-7 online booking lets customers schedule a car service whenever they want, not just during the shop’s hours. That usually helps because people can book right away instead of giving up.
CRM is a computer system that helps a business keep track of customers and leads. It can automatically send messages and reminders so people don’t fall through the cracks after they first contact the shop.
ROI tracking is a way to measure whether spending money is paying off. For a shop, it helps figure out which marketing efforts bring in real customers, not just clicks.
“One and done” means a customer comes in one time and then doesn’t come back. The idea is that better follow-up and loyalty can turn that into repeat business.
Lifetime value means how much money a customer is expected to bring in over time. If customers keep returning for services, the shop’s lifetime value goes up.
Service advisors are the people you talk to at the shop when you’re dropping off your car. They’re responsible for keeping you updated and helping the repair process move smoothly.
Term
text fighting
“Text fighting” appears to refer to internal miscommunication or conflict caused by texting during work (e.g., unclear messages, disputes, or delays). While not a standard automotive term, it’s relevant to shop operations because communication breakdowns can slow down repairs and lead to errors.
In Excel, a circular reference is when formulas keep referring back to each other in a loop. The host is using it to describe a “stuck” process where one missing step stops everything from moving.
This is basically an AI assistant that works all day and night to help hire people. Instead of waiting for a shop owner to call back, it can immediately message applicants and guide them to the next step.
Indeed is a major job-search platform where candidates apply to listings and employers can message applicants. The episode highlights that many shops rely on Indeed messaging, which can lead to delays or applicants not noticing the message the same day.
They’re describing a system where, the moment someone applies, they get a text right away. That text tells them what to do next—start a virtual interview—so fewer people fall through the cracks.
A “red flag” is a sign that something might be wrong. Here it means if a candidate doesn’t follow the instructions after applying, it suggests they may not be serious.
ChatGPT is an AI tool people can use to help write or improve text. The hosts are saying some applicants don’t use tools like that to make their resumes look more professional.
“Job hopping” refers to candidates changing jobs frequently, which can be a red flag for employers or a sign of other issues (like poor fit, layoffs, or learning opportunities). The hosts mention it as something they try to understand rather than judge purely on the resume.
A resume builder is a tool that helps candidates create or improve their resume. Here, the recruiter uses it as part of the hiring funnel—supporting applicants so they present their experience more clearly to the shop.
Topic
local shop directions/landmarks
The hosts discuss using simple, familiar landmarks (like a nearby McDonald’s and a red light) to help candidates find the auto shop. This is a practical recruiting/retention tactic: reducing friction for new hires and improving first-day logistics.
The segment highlights how a seemingly small distance radius (25 miles) can translate into a very long commute time depending on local traffic patterns. That mismatch can lead to applicants applying for jobs they won’t realistically take.
Carvana is used here as an example of a company that spends a lot of money on advertising to attract workers. That spending can make it hard for small shops to compete on job boards.
A technician is the mechanic who works on cars—figuring out what’s wrong and fixing it. In this segment, that’s the type of job Paige is trying to fill.
Bob's Automotive is used as the example employer in the simulated phone call. It represents a typical automotive shop that would use the AI recruiting workflow described in the episode.
A virtual recruiter is like an AI assistant that helps a company find job candidates. Instead of a person doing the first call, the AI asks questions and gathers your info.
They’re moving fast after someone applies—right away they text them and guide them to the next step. That helps get people to the shop sooner instead of waiting days.
“Master” sounds like a car model name, but the information you shared doesn’t say which brand or which exact car it is. To explain it clearly, we’d need the manufacturer name or more context from the podcast. Then we can describe what the car is used for and what makes it notable.
They’re using information they already have to decide who to contact first. Instead of guessing, they use the screening results to make a smarter choice.
Fast-tracking means the best candidates get reviewed sooner than everyone else. It’s basically a way to speed up the hiring process for people who match what the shop needs.
A virtual screen is like an online first check of job applicants. It helps the company quickly decide who looks like a good fit before spending time on interviews.
This means applicants get filtered first, so the shop doesn’t have to look at everyone. The system tries to find people who are more likely to fit the job before sending them over.
They’re using “Black Friday” like a dramatic example. The idea is: when something big suddenly stops working, people get stressed and have to quickly figure out what to do next.
Immediate texting means the system sends a quick text message right away. The point is that texts get attention faster than email, so people respond sooner.
Email notifications are automatic emails that tell you something happened. Here, it means the system used to alert people by email before it could also text them right away.
LIVE
This is the Automotive Repair Podcast Network.
Hey everybody, Karm Capriotto. Remarkable results right in another town hall academy here at Vision
2026. We're having a blast. Tracy taught a class. I taught a class. It was so much going on, 34th
year here at the Incredible Vision Expo. Getting ready to open up the Expo hall, too. Thank you
so much to NapaTracks for having us here. Did you know that NapaTracks, they have on-site training
and that's the thing I've been talking to a lot of shop owners about, saying,
how are you learning to use the features inside of your SMS? A lot of them, NapaTracks is a ton
of customers. They say, well, we've got this everyday class and all that really neat stuff
going on. They really care. They have local people. Thank you so much to NapaTracks and to all of our
great sponsors. Hey, let's face it, your shop management system is the most critical tool
in your shop and NapaTracks will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with on-site training,
six days a week support and local representation. Find NapaTracks on the web at N-A-P-A-T-R-A-C-S
dot com. Hey, how well does your team know their stuff? Test their automotive skills with the
today's class basic advanced or service advisor quizzes. It's a quick, effective way to spot gaps
and grow stronger teams. Take the quizzes now at today's class dot com forward slash T-C quiz.
four times better website conversions, automated follow up and real time ROI tracking. Get industry
leading customer support with Kukui. That's K-U-K-U-I dot com. You're probably tired of chasing
new customers who never return. We understand. Pit Crew Loyalty ends the one and done cycle,
turning first visits into lasting reliable revenue on the web at pitcrewloyalty.com.
I have a show for you that's going to be kind of fun. We're going to do something we've never
done before. We're going to actually make a telephone call and hopefully you can hear it
through the speakerphone. I have Lisa Coyle here, CEO, Promotive, co-founder, Promotive.
Co-founder, CEO. Always happy to hang out with you, Karm.
Yeah, gopromotive.com. And Stacey Black is here, account manager. Hi, Stacey.
You've been on before. Thanks for coming back.
Super excited to be here. You got a booth?
We do. Nice. And we have a friend at the booth.
Her name's Paige. We're going to talk about Paige.
Where'd you come up with Paige?
So my wife came up with Paige, just like she came up with 360 payments as our company name
we first started. But what is really cool about Paige that she will say she thought of,
but she did not, is that it has the letters A-I in her name.
P-A-I-G-E. Oh, it's P-A-I-G-E. Oh my God. That's so clever. Because Paige is an A-I voice.
Yeah, but we've made, we've humanized her and she will be at the booth.
Is she will be? Yeah.
Is she about five foot nice?
You know, the cardboard cutout was more expensive to make her five seven.
So she's, you know, Samantha Freeman's height, you know, that five five two range.
A little thing.
Yeah, you know, next year we might set up a kissing booth with her because she's pretty cute.
I can say that about her because she's not real.
So if I go up to Paige next year, I won't get a paper cut or anything, will I?
No, no, no, but kissing booth I think would be fun.
Total joke.
Well, we really went off track right away.
I know.
Usually it takes us a little bit.
So anyway, we're going to talk about this A-I voice for Promotive called Paige here in a minute.
But what's going on inside the industry?
Are we still struggling in a quick overview guys with ghosting and trying to get some really good
candidates coming on as you speak to them all the time?
It is in the class this morning in the mastermind this morning and I mentioned ghosting and
honest to God, the entire room said, Oh, everybody had this
unbelievable sigh like, Oh my God, it's happening more and more.
And they can't get up and over it.
But yet some people says, I'm hiring okay.
And we did ask to raise our hand if they're using any kind of service.
It was about 40, 35 to 40% of the room said that they've done or used some kind of support
company to help them recruit.
What's going on?
What's the latest?
I think ghosting is an everyday occurrence.
It really doesn't matter the level or the position.
It seems to be a problem out there with ghosting.
We're trying to get better on our process to make sure that they're comfortable.
They're ready to go for the interview.
I wonder if it's because they start panicking that, Oh, okay.
Wait a minute.
Maybe I can't meet their requirements or maybe I'd not qualified for this position.
And I find it interesting that they're fearful.
And so they'll say there's a family emergency.
They're in a car accident.
I can go on and on.
I need a bingo card so I can cross off what I hear.
But then they'll circle back around a week later.
We've had some success where, okay, are you ready to go now to talk with these shops?
So no one wants to pick up the phone and says, Hey, listen, we just had a family emergency.
I can't do this right now.
They just ghost you.
They ghost.
Is it our society today?
Are we overwhelmed?
Don't we put priorities on our chops?
Yeah.
I think it's human decency to not ghost.
And it does go both ways for the record that shops, unfortunately,
accidentally ghost the candidate as well.
And don't show up to a phone call interview that they're supposed to do.
Or they run out on a test drive that's an hour away.
Like whatever, they're on the road somewhere and the candidate shows up.
And I think we all have to have respect for each other's time.
But I do think the ghosting happens, in my opinion, because of the shortage and the demand.
And that technicians or, you know, insert whatever professional
role that there's a shortage in, they are applying to 15 to 20 jobs at once.
It is not a, Oh, I really like this one.
And this is the one I want.
And if they did choose that job, they would have made a cover or something very personalized
in the messaging when they apply.
So they're applying to 15 to 20 at once in the first three or four or five at the most
that get to them are who they are running with.
And then imagine if you have 10 other shops calling you and you're working a full-time job
and you have a family and you have three or four or five other interviews already lined up
or part of them completed and you're further in the process.
You're just like, why do I need to go bother having this interview?
Let me go out for a real stretch here.
Part of a discussion this morning in our mastermind was soft skills.
I think about soft skills.
We asked that question in the mastermind and everybody had another one of those.
Oh my God, yes.
When we grew up, when I grew up and I'm a boomer, there's no hiding the fact that
as I was taught by the silent generation, they didn't teach us anything.
We observed, we watched.
There was nothing pulling us away from realizing that how our parents acted is how we have to act.
And there wasn't social media for me to go to and realize that,
oh, you could just about do anything you want.
There's no thank you, there's no loyalty, the exit.
And I keep thinking that maybe part of the soft skills that haven't been applied
don't have a give a crap attitude about calling you back for whatever reason.
I love the fact, do, that there's a lot going on so they come back to it.
But then you're stuck as a business person trying to fill a job
and they disappoint so many people down the line.
You agree that part of our problems today is we don't have that empathy or soft skills thing
on both sides.
Oh, absolutely.
I mean, we're looking at getting a home line at our house for our kids
because we're very anti iPhones or smartphones in general.
And I think about the soft skills I had as a young child, I guess,
where I had to call and say, hey, Mr. Capriato, this is Lisa, is Stacy home?
Right, just even having that simple introduction makes a big difference.
And I knew who was calling you.
Yeah, exactly.
And I think actually now that I think about it, I had to say who I was,
what my parents taught me to say.
Hey, Mr. Capriato, this is Lisa, right?
Like that was a very specific introduction.
Yeah, we kept score.
Yeah, I'm not saying that in a bad way, but you end up learning who your
children's friends are that way.
Yeah, but I think in our world today, I don't think ghosting is as common in other industries
as it is in the industries with the demand.
I interview people all the time in the payments world or for promotive,
and I don't get ghosted.
I think it's that these people are applying to many jobs at once,
especially if they're unemployed and they need to get hired as fast as possible.
And they don't have time to wait a week for their first in-person meeting with a shop.
And they may have already had two or three interviews.
Now they're in the offer stage of other ones.
So then when they get that offer, because they need to work, they need to pay bills
and put food on the table for their families, that they already have a job.
So they just ignore.
And I think we can start teaching them to say, even if you land something different,
I'd want to stay in touch with you.
So please let me know if you're not going to shop.
Stacy, do you do that with a candidate?
Do you just say, listen, let me tell you,
we'd love for you to live by some kind of rules in communications and showing up.
Do you think you can meet them?
Do you ever say that?
We try.
The other thing I would like to say is there's no accountability.
So if they ghost, it's not a big deal because they can go down the road and get a position.
We haven't held them accountable to their actions.
So they call you back in three months and you know they ghosted you.
You've got to have some kind of checkbox in your...
We do, on our hand.
And so this person comes back.
You call up their name and says, okay, two times ghosting.
We were busting our...
So our client never really got the money's worth.
We got so close.
We're really upset.
It really is a reflection.
I'm not saying it's directly on you,
but it's the person that you've dragged through the line.
Do you have a come to Jesus meeting with them?
Yeah, I have reservations about...
They're circling back around to us three months later.
We get them placed in a shop in the back of my mind.
I'm wondering, are they going to leave three, four months from now?
Because with Promotive, our whole thought process is keeping them in the industry,
keeping them in the shop, building good culture,
and raising the industry up to where the future generations say,
this is something I want to go into.
So we want them to stay.
And that's a conversation that the recruiters have, that I have with shops,
of we want to find that perfect as there's no perfect,
but that culture fit to where two, three years down the road,
they're going, wow, I've really elevated my profession.
I've made a difference in my career.
That's what we want.
So I'm very leery of somebody that's circling back around because why?
And it could be definitely that shop wasn't a good culture fit for them.
And I get that.
I want to say that I know you're in recruitment.
I get that part.
But one of the things that I want to know about or understand is about retention.
And I know you're not in the retention business,
but you really are because you're trying to find a candidate for an individual
who's going to have a long-term employee and they're going to love you for it.
Do you ever share any retention ideas with clients?
Training, ongoing training, giving feedback for them,
celebrating their birthday, celebrating their work anniversary,
something along that line to just celebrate that they're in their shop making a difference.
And I have really good examples of shops doing that and honoring them being part of that team.
And you can feel that energy when you go into that shop.
And guess what happens to their business when they have happy employees?
The business skyrockets and they're able to do even more for their employees.
And I've had candidates say, oh, that's too nice of a shop.
I can't work there because their mindset is they don't feel like they deserve
to get into that particular environment, which is crazy to me.
A good reputation brings in really good people.
People don't understand that.
The word culture, Lisa, is I'm struggling with culture.
Even though I believe how important it is,
we've done countless episodes that have a culture theme.
And when it almost seems like when you're talking to a semi-struggling shop owner
and I say, so how's your culture?
Dead air, silence, they really don't want to hear about it
because I don't think know how to get it.
And so in the mastermind this morning here at Vision,
24 cop shop operators, culture came up so much.
And I said, you sick and tired of hearing about culture?
No, that's our business.
And so it's amazing that and they're working on it every day
and the people are involved in it.
And I mean, you talk about there's a topic that we covered is how do you have fun?
The place lit up to talk about how they create work.
And there's a bowling thing and it's not the owner doing all this stuff.
It's the team that gets involved in how much fun it is to come to work there.
I bet you it's easy to recruit for companies like that.
Oh, absolutely.
I mean, I could write books on culture from all of my years with 360 and now Promotive.
And I'm on boards of companies and culture is critical.
And it's not as hard as I think shops think it could be.
And it's little simple things that make a huge difference.
So one thing, for example, I'm very envious of anybody that gets to work
in an office environment in the shop environment because human connection,
I would be nowhere where I am today without being in the office with the human connection
I have.
I know Stacy and I have had lots of conversations about that.
But if I was a shop owner, the simplest thing to do is to allow their team to bring their
children's art and hang it up with clothes pins across a string on one of the walls.
Because let's be real, art with as a parent, if anybody has young children, mine one that
will be seven next week.
And then the other is 10.
We don't know what to do with this art, right?
And it's a lot.
And there's companies that exist now because of that, where you can take pictures of the
art and then it'll turn it into scrapbooks.
But you hang the art up and you know how proud the kids are that their art is hanging at their
parents' work or mom's work.
Exactly.
And then you can even extend it to customer's kids art being in there.
And you could have so much fun with those little things.
This is a brilliant idea.
Brilliant.
Oh, thanks, Connor.
This is the best idea I've heard since January.
I have an eight-year-old grandson and a six-year-old granddaughter.
Yeah.
And he draws amazing for eight.
And look at his stuff and he says, yeah, papa, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
And then he says, any colors in the lines?
And he just gave me a wonderful idea.
I need to hang some of his artwork in my office in the studio.
Yeah.
I mean, it's so simple.
Those are the little things that make a massive difference.
Because as an owner, it is a lot to bear that culture weight on your shoulders because you're
one of a team of 10, 25, 50, whatever it is, but give everybody a $50 allowance each month.
And they have to take one person from the team out to lunch.
Yeah.
And you just get them to go hang out.
Like little things like that make a massive difference.
Let's face it.
Your shop management system is the single most important tool in your shop, period.
NapaTracks was built from the ground up to make your business more profitable and efficient.
We provide an extensive set of tools to increase and track profitability in real time.
NapaTracks offers the industry's best post-sale support, hands down, and we train your people on-site.
Yep, on-site.
And we offer remote refresher training 10 times a week.
And customer support is open six days a week.
Give us a call, visit the website, or join our Facebook community today to learn more.
We'll prove to you that Tracks is the single best shop management system in the business.
NapaTracks is always customized and tailored for you, whether you're a one-man shop or a large
multi-bay or multi-location company.
After all, it's your shop.
So it's your choice.
Visit us on the web at NapaTracks, that's N-A-P-A-T-R-A-C-S dot com.
Hey, Karm here, suggesting you discover a smarter way to train your entire automotive team.
Experience powerful bite-sized training sessions accessible from any device
in just five minutes daily.
It's perfect for technicians, advisors, and managers alike.
Today's class prepares your shop for sustained success by reinforcing crucial knowledge.
Plus, add a competitive edge with our leader board to make learning fun
and rewarding for everyone.
For effective training that delivers, turn to today's class dot com.
Shop owners, we know you are overwhelmed with a flood of missed calls, empty bays,
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You know, most shop owners feel trapped, spending on ads while half their first-time
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It's frustrating, it's exhausting, and it's not your fault.
The industry average is 54%, one and done.
We understand how discouraging that can be.
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We want to talk about AI right now.
Yeah, well, it kind of goes into the ghosting theme.
And we are humans, we have lives, and there's only 24 hours in a day.
And we have priorities, and we have to get cars out the door.
And we have to improve our service advisors' phone skills.
And we're working on the text fighting in the back.
One guy took some other guy's tool and misplaced it, whatever the case is.
We're dealing with stuff as leaders and owners, and we can't get to recruiting.
And when you don't get to the recruiting, we have ghosting.
And it is this circular reference in Excel here that just you can't move forward with
one part not moving.
So we created the first ever automotive exclusive virtual recruiter.
And it's been a lot of work going into it.
She continues to get better and better.
And this solves for getting to the candidate as fast as possible.
Because as soon as they apply, every shop owner here has dealt with,
they call an applicant and they're like, which shop are you again?
They don't remember what shop they applied to who's calling them.
If the shop even calls them, right?
A lot of times it's just messaging through Indeed.
Like, hey, thanks for applying.
And you're hoping that the candidate looks at their Indeed that day.
But the second they apply, they get an instant text message to their phone
that invites them to do the virtual interview, which is the first step.
And the beauty of that is shops can eliminate people if they want who don't follow instruction.
If you apply to my job and you really want it,
Carm, and I say the first step is to do this and you don't do it, that's a red flag, right?
So the other beauty is she doesn't discriminate.
These texts, Stacy can attest this, have the worst resumes as an overall industry compared
to others. They're not professional resume builders.
They're not having somebody review their resume or putting it into chat GPT and
saying, make me something fancy.
So we judge books by their cover and we don't dig in into why their job hopping,
whatever the case is.
But you're also helping them improve their resume, right?
We do have a resume builder and we'll help them.
And we try to, when we get them on the phone as humans,
we want to know what they're not putting on their resume.
Before we go any further on the AI person, you got to stick her on because we're going
to call the AI.
What's her name?
Paige.
Paige.
We're going to call Paige here.
Come up with a jingle for me, like Paige from Promotive.
Let me work on that.
Yeah.
You said something so interesting that piqued my mind.
They don't even know where my shop is.
So maybe part of the job is, hey, we're the blue and gold place.
We've got this really neat canopy.
We're right next door to this McDonald's.
You know where the mall is?
We're right across from there.
There's a red light on our corner.
And if we did some of that and we piqued that they, oh, I think I know where that,
yeah, I know where that is.
I've been by there a hundred times.
I'm sure you have.
You've just made a bigger connection instead of saying, yeah, I'm at 332 Lake Avenue.
Indeed.
I know that's the one everybody uses the most.
So if I could give one piece of quick advice to shops is go on Indeed as a applicant.
So make sure you're not logged in.
And it's tracking that you're logged in as an employer right now.
And you will see if you type in automotive technician in Walnut Creek, California,
it defaults to relevance by 25 miles.
Well, 25 miles in certain areas could be an hour and a half commute, depending on the time of the day.
So the techs are applying to jobs sometimes that they know,
they don't necessarily know in that because of the defaults that they're never going to
go work at because of the distance alone.
And when you sort by most relevant, who's going to the top?
It's the ones paying the most in ads.
And as independent business owners, we will never be able to compete with what some of these
dealerships pay, what Carvana is paying, AutoNation is paying.
I know from talking to some Indeed reps,
these Carvana as one example, AutoNation, they're spending $500,000 plus a month on ads.
You're just not going to be able to compete with a free ad or even a few sponsor one for $50.
So they're the ones getting the SEO, if you will, on Indeed.
So we're getting applications from people that probably aren't ever going to go work there
because it's too far away from the start.
So little things like that.
Very great. A lot of good, wise stuff here.
Can we call Paige?
Yeah, let's call her.
All right. I've never done this.
This is a first for me.
And I have the number and I'm going to put this on speakerphone so we all can hear it.
And you want me to play the role of I'm looking for a job?
Yeah, be a technician.
You just applied to Bob's Automotive.
Here we go.
Hopefully, you can all hear this call.
This is a first for us here.
I love this.
Hi, thanks for calling.
This is Paige.
I'm a virtual recruiter powered by Promotive.
Promotive partners with automotive shops in your area to find and hire quality automotive talent.
I'm here to learn more about you, your background,
and your interest in automotive position.
Oh, nice.
And I'll also answer any...
Could you clarify what you mean by oh, honite?
I want to make sure I understand you correctly.
Oh, wow, Paige. This is amazing.
No problem at all.
I'm here to help however I can.
Would you like to dive right into the questions about your background and interest?
I guess you're 100% right.
Look, I'm looking for a technician job.
And I've been in the industry about five years.
What do you got?
Got it.
Thanks for sharing.
Based on your five years of experience,
it sounds like you might be a great fit for one of our technician roles.
Right now, Promotive is hiring for automotive technicians,
diesel technicians, and collision and body technicians.
Which of these roles are you most interested in?
Or would you like me to help narrow it down?
No technician.
Perfect.
Let's focus on the automotive technician role.
I'll ask you a few quick questions to better understand your experience and preferences.
First, can you tell me your first and last name?
Carmen Capriotto.
Yeah, it's Italian.
Thanks, Carmen.
That's a great name, Carmen.
Thanks for sharing.
Are you calling from your cell phone today?
I don't know, Paige.
You're pretty star and sweet.
You want to go out?
No.
I appreciate the kind words, Carmen.
Let's stick to finding you that perfect technician role.
I love it.
Let's just keep it going.
I love it.
Yes, a question, yes, a technician role.
I'm sorry I'm having fun with this.
I apologize.
No need to apologize, Carmen.
I'm glad you're having fun.
That's what makes this process enjoyable.
So just to confirm, are you calling from your cell phone today?
Yes, I am.
Perfect.
I'll save that as your contact number.
Next, can you provide your email address?
No.
Actually, yes, it's Carmen.
No problem at all.
It's no, it's really.
Carmen at remarkableresults.biz.
This is really cool.
Got it.
Thanks for.
I was talking to your boss on the side.
No worries at all, Carmen.
Let's keep going.
Can you tell me your current city, state, and zip code?
Buffalo, New York, 14075.
Go Bills.
Thanks, Carmen.
So Buffalo, New York, zip code 14075.
Got it.
What's the maximum commute you'd be comfortable with in minutes and miles?
Oh, 15 miles maybe.
You know, 15 minutes would be good.
Got it.
15 minutes are about 15 miles.
Thanks for clarifying.
Would you have any interest in relocating, or are you looking to stay local?
I could have a sarcastic answer here, but I won't.
I'll stay local.
I appreciate the restraint, Carmen.
Staying local, got it.
How many total years of experience do you have in the automotive industry?
15, I guess.
Well, actually really 15.
I wasn't aware where we were going before.
Ah, got it.
15 years of experience.
Thanks for clarifying.
Have you worked in an independent shop, a dealership, or both?
Independent shop.
Great.
Would you be open to working at a dealership, or do you prefer sticking with independent shop?
I want to stay with an independent.
Understood.
Sticking with independent shops.
Thanks for sharing that, Carmen.
Are you currently employed, or are you between jobs right now?
I'm currently employed.
Got it.
Who is your current employer, and what's your job title there?
I prefer not to say.
No problem at all, Carmen.
What's your current job title if you're comfortable sharing that?
Yes, I am a diagnostic specialist.
Thanks for sharing, Carmen.
A diagnostic specialist.
Sounds like you've got some solid expertise.
What are your current work hours like days and times?
I'm doing a four-day work week.
I'm working eight to six.
Got it.
A four-day work week, eight to six.
Thanks for that.
With your role as a diagnostic specialist, would you say you're at a master, ABC, or GST level?
I'm an A.
Perfect, an A-level technician.
Thanks for confirming, Carmen.
How long have you been in your current role?
In my current role by five years.
Got it.
Five years in your current role.
What's your current compensation and pay structure?
I prefer not to say.
For example, is it our—no problem, Carmen.
What benefits does your current employer provide, like PTO, medical, or anything else?
PTO, medical, retirement, three weeks vacation, lunch on Friday, Thursdays.
That sounds like a solid package.
PTO, medical, retirement, three weeks of vacation, and even lunch on Thursdays.
Thanks for sharing.
What's prompting you to explore a new opportunity?
I'm bored.
I'm not getting the education that I want.
Got it.
You're looking for more growth and educational opportunities.
That makes sense, Carmen.
If you had to pick one thing, what are you looking for most in your next role?
Would it be that opportunity for continued learning?
It would be.
I want a better career path.
I want some better equipment.
Yeah, that would be it.
And there's a whole lot of other ones, but I just want a great work environment.
I want to be bright.
I want to be air conditioned in the summer.
I want good heat in the winter.
I guess I want a great place to work.
Can you help me?
Absolutely, Carmen.
It sounds like you're looking for a place that values growth, provides top-notch equipment,
and offers a comfortable, supportive work environment.
That's exactly what we aim to match candidates with.
Let's keep going to make sure we find the right fit for you.
What's your target pay, and what's the minimum you'd accept?
I'm open to all offers.
Got it.
Open to all offers.
That gives us some flexibility to find the best match for you.
What benefits are must-haves for you in your next role?
For example, medical, video, retirement, or anything else?
Yeah, all the ones that I mentioned.
But if I can get dental, that would be great.
Got it.
So medical, PTO, retirement, and adding dental would be a big plus.
Thanks for sharing that, Carmen.
What's your ideal schedule in your next role?
For example, would you prefer sticking with a four-day work week or something different?
Look, if it was the right place, the environment was perfect.
I'd go to five, but no more.
Understood.
Four days is ideal, but you'd consider five if the environment is perfect.
Thanks for that, Carmen.
Let's talk about the next steps.
I'll pass along all this information to our hiring team,
and they'll work on finding the best opportunities for you.
Would you like me to follow up with you via email and phone once we have some matches?
Absolutely.
Great.
I'll make sure to follow up with you as soon as we have some opportunities
that align with what you're looking for.
Carmen, it's been a pleasure chatting with you,
and I'm excited to help you find that perfect role.
Thank you, Paige.
Have a fantastic day.
Thank you.
You're very welcome, Carmen.
I'll be in touch soon with opportunities that match your goals.
I'm going to start calling you, Carmen, too.
Oh, Carmen.
And she said it perfectly.
Yeah, you gave her a run.
I was getting a little nervous.
I'm like, oh, where you at?
I'm like, what's going to happen here?
All right, OK.
So for the first half of this thing,
stop and think.
I'm an individual who calls this line,
and I'm finding this technology to be so interesting that I get a little
giddy and sarcastic in this beginning.
But as she kept driving toward wanting to know more, I got more serious.
And I'm not saying that it's going to happen,
but I started to realize that, whoa, let me calm myself down
and let me work with this individual, this AI bot.
What's this meant to do?
I guess that's my question.
So the beauty of this is the best applicants need to be contacted immediately.
They apply and they instantly get a text message
and they complete this virtual screen.
And we're getting about 40% to 50% of our applicants today
are completing it within 11 hours from them applying.
And of those 40 to 50 applicants in 11 hours,
majority are instant from them applying.
So you apply and then you immediately get a text message saying to call Page,
this is the first step, and they do it.
And I was hesitant at first when we were building this.
I built the most basic version of this and I did it, right?
And for those that don't know, I am not a tech person.
Like I just come up with ideas and I'm not the one that goes and does them.
We just threw it out there to some random, I don't say like some GSTs, right?
Like the brand new, we don't want to mess up the master tech applicants.
And they started doing it and they're completing these.
They take on average about 15 minutes.
We're getting these to the shop so much faster.
And when you are invested in something, you don't want to go backwards.
So they already have, for lack of better term, skin in the game.
Think about a book you're reading and you're like 50 pages in and it's a 300 page book.
And you're like, I don't know if I want to keep doing this book.
Like there's other ones, like I don't really love it.
If you're like me, you still finish it because I'm like, I already put 50 pages under.
Let's keep going.
They already feel invested in your shop because they're one step into the process.
When she asked me how much I was making and I refused to say.
And as I thought that through after she came back with a reply, I understand, I get it.
If I gave a number, I would have, I'm curious and I didn't.
How much I should maybe should have what she would have said at that time.
Now, obviously it didn't matter if she could or couldn't find me a job,
but no emotion in the voice.
Just okay, that's nice type of thing, right?
We know what you're making.
That's a good thing.
I laid up the benefits.
These benefits aren't off the charts.
It's just kind of normal benefits that we keep hearing that the dealerships,
at least they're offering today.
It gives you guys the guidance that you need right out of the shoot.
What are the applicants saying?
Have you tried this?
Is it in beta?
Where are we at this?
We've been using it as promoter for five months now.
So it helps us make a more educated guess on who we should be reaching out to as a priority.
And we tell them that we'll fast-track their application to the top, which we do.
So anybody that completes a virtual screen goes ahead of just an applicant in general.
So we're using it on our own for the last four or five months.
And we have about 20 to 30 shops, at least right now.
Our buddy Dwayne Myers, being one of them at Dynamic,
they're using it as just a standalone product.
So they're only using our service to help them get these applicants screen.
And they're not using it for us to take everything further.
Are they going to indeed and putting up this number?
So we do that still for them.
So we post their ads for them and the applicants come in.
And then we send them just these summaries with the resumes instead.
So I was trying to pull up here yours.
So you can go in and look at my summary
and connect with someone in 14075 if you have a client there.
Well, in their case, we would be sending them every one of theirs.
They get ones that are just for their application.
So if we see that Carm applied to the Dynamic ad, then we would send...
Oh, Dynamic has its own number.
Not yet.
But because we're hosting the ads, we can automatically sync your contact info
to their job and send your application and the summary.
First ever.
It's brilliant stuff.
It's pretty neat.
It gives everybody a leg up.
And she does it 24-7, Carm.
So the Sunday scaries.
Somebody has the Sunday scaries.
They're applying and they instantly get a text.
Guess what?
Our shops are coming in with screened candidates
and their resume and all the other information on Monday mornings.
Obviously, we're going to send them as fast as possible.
This just seems to me, Stacey, something to engage our younger people.
They know what AI voices and talking is all about.
Because if they're going to make an online appointment at a shop,
they pretty much know they're going to go through some kind of AI.
I hate to call them a bot,
but the voice is great.
I mean, I understood it, stopped it, paused it, thought and it got back to me.
And it wasn't a very fluent conversation, but it still was pretty nice.
The younger people are, you think, are going to gravitate to this?
I think so.
But the bigger point is they get home from work on Friday.
It's Friday night 11.
They've gone to dinner.
They've sat down.
They're not happy at their job.
So they're looking online for jobs and thinking, okay,
we start building that relationship with them.
As soon as they call in, so they applied 11 o'clock, 11.05,
they're directed to call this number.
We've already started that process in keeping that going.
And that's really exciting.
So as an AM the next morning, I'll see something that says
likely completed and I'll look at it.
And let's say there's a shop in a very hard area to place
and somebody has scored super high at what they're wanting.
I'm sending them over saying this is a completed screen.
We're going to circle back around with our recruiters.
I don't want to waste time.
I love the idea when she said 11 o'clock at night,
that really opened my eyes to this whole 24 hour thing.
And you never know when it is that you finally had a chance to sit down,
take the phone out, scroll mindlessly, go on indeed, look for something,
and then click this thing.
And does the phone actually ring?
I mean, at midnight, if necessary or...
It doesn't physically ring to us.
No, no, no, no.
Okay, I have to initiate the call.
Okay, all right, I got it.
So nobody's going to invade my privacy.
It's like, just get a call 24 hours.
Oh, okay.
I'm home, everyone's gone to bed.
I'm still wide awake from the activities of the day.
And I make the call and I sit down with Paige
and pour my heart out to her.
Oh, we have had very funny page stories.
People playing video games and they're getting mad at the controller
that they're doing this interview from.
And what does she say?
Am I bothering you?
You know, I should go back and look.
But with these summaries at the top, we say,
candidate express frustrations with an Xbox controller
might not be serious about this.
So it really, we say, yours will be interesting as soon as we're done.
I'll send you the summary and you put it...
I'd like to see.
And you could put it on, you know, for this call.
Anybody, we maybe make it a link or something
that they could see this, the summary of it.
Let them see it.
Wow.
The big aha moment where I was like,
this is really going to work was over Thanksgiving.
I was in Kauai and, you know, a lot of shops are open
on Friday after Thanksgiving.
Probably not as many of the listeners here,
but in general, there's a lot of shops and dealerships open
on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
They're not shut down.
We had 52 completed interviews, Thanksgiving weekend,
Friday, Saturday from Page 52.
That's more than any shop I've ever talked to.
But still stop and think about it.
Now the individual during the day,
it's what do they call that?
Black Friday wipes out shopping and they're saying,
what am I going to do now?
I'm so frustrated and I got to break out.
And they get and they look and then they call 52.
And this thing is just launched.
And that was before we had the immediate texting launched
with it.
So it was just through email notifications.
Hey, this was great.
Thank you for bringing this to me.
Thanks for putting up with my crap here
in the beginning of that call.
I think it's fun.
I don't know why it was just me.
It was like a new toy.
I didn't know what to do.
You know, it's fun.
I mean, a lot of the shops that we show this,
they have some fun with it.
They say they have, you know, seven DUIs and, you know,
their licenses suspended and,
but they want to get paid, you know, $100 an hour type of stuff.
So, and then Paige will say that they have unrealistic
compensation expectations and everything.
So I can't even imagine all the software loops
or conditions that you've had to write into this
to make it not exceed expectations from the individual.
What I learned from it to expose its flaw is that
you're the title that you use is not one that we have
to match that you would have.
With that title, you'd be a master technician
or a level technician.
So had you specifically said master technician
or a technician, it would have gone down
a more detailed route of questions.
When you leave, you should take a copy of the rise
of the specialist and look at these new terms
that people are starting to use.
Wow, this was great.
Stacy Black, Account Manager, Lisa Coyle, CEO, Promotive Co-Founder.
I had a blast.
Thank you for letting me play.
Of course.
We always love hanging out with you.
Appreciate this.
Now thank you.
Thanks.
About this episode
Ghosting in auto hiring is getting worse, with both candidates and shops guilty of dropping the ball—often driven by technician shortages, high application volume, and weak accountability. The conversation shifts to culture and retention: training, feedback, recognition, and small team-focused perks can make shops easier to recruit for. Promotive’s AI voice recruiter, “Paige,” is then demoed—texting applicants instantly to complete a virtual screen and sending shops prioritized summaries. Paige’s 24/7 approach aims to reduce wasted calls and speed up hiring while improving candidate engagement.
Thanks to our Partners, NAPA TRACS, Today's Class, KUKUI, and Pit Crew LoyaltyWatch Full Video Episode
Recorded live at the VISION 2026, this episode of Remarkable Results Radio features host Carm Capriotto in conversation with Lisa Coyle, Co-founder and CEO of Promotive, and Stacey Black, Account Manager at Promotive. Together, they unpack one of the most urgent challenges facing the automotive repair industry today: how to attract, hire, and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive and fast-moving market.
What the Episode Covers:
The “Ghosting” Problem in Hiring:
Why candidates are applying to 15-20 shops at once
How speed of response determines who wins the hire
The growing impact of declining soft skills like communication and accountability
The Role of Shop Culture in Retention
Why culture must be intentional, not assumed
Simple, low-cost ways to build connection and loyalty
Ideas like celebrating milestones, supporting families, and investing in training
How strong culture reduces turnover and attracts better talent
Introducing “Paige” The Industry's First AI-Powered Recruiting
Promotive’s virtual recruiter designed for the automotive industry
Instantly engages candidates via text after they apply
Conducts a guided, conversational pre-screening interview
Captures key data: experience, commute, current benefits, and pay expectations
A Live Demo of AI in Action
Carm roleplays as a technician to demonstrate Paige’s capabilities
Shows how natural, fast, and effective the process is
The 24/7 Hiring Advantage
Why candidates often apply after hours, and how Paige captures them in that moment
Real-world success, including dozens of completed interviews over a holiday weekend
Faster engagement leads to fewer drop-offs and better-qualified candidates
Hiring today requires more than posting a job and waiting. The shops that succeed are the ones that move quickly, communicate clearly, and create a culture people want to be part of. By combining intentional leadership with innovative tools like AI recruiting, you can reduce friction in the hiring process, improve retention, and ultimately build a stronger, more committed team.
VISION Hi-Tech Training and Expo: https://visionkc.com/
Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit https://gopromotive.com/
Lisa Coyle and Stacey Black, https://gopromotive.com/ Thanks to our Partner, NAPA TRACS
NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/Thanks to our Partner, Today's Class
Optimize training with Today's Class: In just 5 minutes daily, boost knowledge retention and improve team performance. Find Today's Class on the web at
