Ratchet+Wrench Radio
Ratchet+Wrench
Updated 3 days agoRatchet+Wrench Radio offers four tracks each month that explore the industry's biggest trends, most pressing topics, and the leadership and business management tips and strategies you need to thrive.
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Episodes (473)
Podcast: All-Star Award Runner Up Jeffrey Roy
Jeffrey Roy, owner of Primary Care Auto Repair and 2021 Ratchet+Wrench All-Star Award Runner Up, joins the show to discuss his operation, the lessons he learned from nearly closing his business and what he's doing now to ensure that doesn't happen to others.
Podcast: All-Star Award Runner Up Lucas Underwood
Last week, Ratchet+Wrench All-Star award winner Matt Lachowitzer joined to show to discuss his journey. This week we are talking with one of our runner ups, Lucas Underwood of L&N Performance Auto Repair. Underwood has a really interesting story and is becoming a rising voice in the industry helping shops across the country grow in the process. We chat about that and plenty more about his journey.
Ratchet+Wrench All-Star Award Winner Matt Lachowitzer
Matt Lachowitzer, owner of Matt's Automotive Service Center and winner of the Ratchet+Wrench All Star Awards, joins associate editor Megan Gosch to discuss his operation and what has made him successful. If you haven't already, check out the full feature on Lachowitzer here.
What Makes a Bad Customer Experience?
Understanding what makes a good customer experience is as much about learning what to do as it is learning what not to do. Editorial Director Anna Zeck chats with Jimmy Alauria, owner and president of 3A Automotive in Phoenix, Ariz., about her past experience with repair shops, giving a unique perspective about what an actual customer is looking for. What went well? What didn't? And why did she choose to leave her shop for somewhere else?
How to Deliver Bad Customer News
Unfortunately bad news is an inherent element of the auto repair experience for most customers. But how exactly do you break bad news without overwhelming your customers or tanking the customer experience? Customer service expert, speaker and author Jeff Toister explains how to be the bearer of bad news without sacrificing customer relationships.
How to Tap the MSO Mindset
The transition from single store to multi-shop operator requires plenty of strategy and shop owners who plan ahead can still find themselves blindsided as their expansion gets underway. So, how exactly can you begin preparing for that growth well in advance? Shop Fix Academy founder Aaron Stokes shares his own journey and key lessons learned as he grew his business, the staffing strategies that typically catch shop owners off guard, and the mindset shop owners will need to tap in order to set their growing operations up for success.
Part 2: Maximizing Work Opportunity
Mark Seawell, advisor training director for RLO Training returns to the podcast for Part 2 of a conversation on maximizing work opportunity. Seawell goes through the different customer levels and how that affects how a shop should work with them in order to get the most work possible. If you haven't listened to Part 1, make sure to listen to that too. The episode was released July 13.
Can Trust Outweigh A Bad Customer Experience?
A recent Ratchet+Wrench survey found that the average repair shop customer is willing to settle for a less than impressive customer experience. In this week's episode of Ratchet+Wrench's Inside the Consumer's Mind podcast series, editorial director Anna Zeck chats with Ryan Clo of Dubwerx to talk about navigating a negative customer experience, managing customer expectations, and how customer trust is made and lost at the counter.
How to Talk Price with Transparency
In this first episode of Ratchet+Wrench's Inside the Consumer's Mind podcast series, editorial director Anna Zeck chats with Dynamic Automotive's Dwayne Myers to learn how shops can approach the sensitive topic of price and avoid making customers feel vulnerable, overwhelmed, or taken advantage of.
Why Customers Return to a Bad Shop Experience
What exactly leaves customers to settle for a below-average repair shop experience and what can shops do to stand out from the crowd and win them over? Shop Fix Academy founder and shop owner Aaron Stokes explains with insight on the two-pronged approach he says is key to win customers over.
Maximizing Work Opportunity
Mark Seawell, Advisor Training Director for RLO Training, discusses what shops can do to build trust with customers and have to convey that into bigger sales and thus a larger ARO. Seawell will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Ratchet+Wrench magazine, so stay tuned for more on the topic.
How to Approach Sudden Growth
Right now, shops across the country are experiencing all-time high car counts and ticket averages. But as business picks up, does your shop have the processes to match? Desert Car Care's Frank Leutz explains why the devil is in the details, how to protect your processes as you grow, and how improper documentation could be truly costing you.
How to Build Your Best Legal Line of Defense
When it comes to auto repair, there's an education gap. Few attorneys understand the challenges shop owners face in their day-to-day operations, and as vehicles become more complex, the need to have a savvy legal pro in your corner has only become more urgent. William Ferreira, a go-to repair defense specialist, explains how to bridge the gap and build an attorney relationship that's well worth the investment.
When Do You Really Need to Prepare For Electric Vehicles?
When it comes to preparing for and investing in electric vehicles, are you better off jumping in or sitting back? Aaron Stokes, 20 year industry veteran and founder of Shop Fix Academy explains how he's approaching a future shift to EVs, including the metrics he's measuring in his own shops and the factors he's tracking along the way.
How to Gain Ground With LinkedIn
You've probably heard all about the value of platforms like Facebook and Instagram when it comes to building business and making connections ... but what about LinkedIn? Desert Car Care's Frank Leutz explains how the platform's algorithm can deliver an unexpected ROI, how to access and connect with second and third-tier audiences, and how to leverage the support of key influencers in your market.
Why Consumers Avoid Repair Shops
Matt Wojsaik, shop manager at Utires — which operates two repair locations in the Chicago area — details the results of a study that the company recently conducted. Wojsaik shares the most common reasons consumers avoid the mechanic and some solutions to solve those issues. Wojsaik also reveals the top repairs that consumers hold off on the longest along with much more from the survey.
Your Field Guide to Hiring and Firing
Hiring and firing are actions all shop owners must maneuver, but may struggle to master. Roxi Bahar Hewertson, a consultant, business expert and author of books like "Hire Right, Fire Right: A Leader’s Guide to Finding and Keeping Your Best People," shares her tips for setting yourself and your team up for success through the hiring process, as well as how to be thorough and respectful when it's time to let somebody go.
Your Guide to Social Media Marketing Dos and Don’ts
Megan Williams, co-founder of 3P Marketing Solutions, talks with associate editor Mike Munzenrider about what makes a successful social media marketing strategy. While Williams approaches things from a collision repair perspective, listeners across the repair industry will hear some great tips for making the most of your social media efforts
Keeping Ahead of Today’s Tech Shortage
With a boost in post-COVID repair shop business, shop owners are facing fresh pressure to hire and retain talented technicians. Monthly guest and ShopFix Academy founder Aaron Stokes explains why now is the time to invest in your shop's talent before they get a better offer.
The Making Of A Mobile Repair Business
Joel Milne, CEO of RepairSmith, joins the show. RepairSmith is a full-service mobile repair business that is rapidly expanding along the west coast. Milne shares insights on how the company is growing, where it hopes to be in the next few years, and some really great information on the little intricacies of running a mobile repair business and how it all works logistically.
How to Build Emotional Customer Connections Post-COVID
How do your customers feel about your shop? What is their emotional connection to your business and its role in their lives? And ultimately—what does that mean for your bottom line? Desert Car Care's Frank Leutz explains how shop owners can maximize their emotional impact by aligning the physical and digital customer shop experience in a post-COVID culture.
How a Small Shop Launched Its Own 501C3
For Levon Arnold, owner of Long Arm Mechanics in Garden City, Idaho, community outreach is more than a goal. It's been built into his shop's day to day procedures through its own 501C3 program. Tune in to learn how Arnold went about launching the program, some of the challenges faced along the way, and how the program has been incorporated into the shop's every day workflow.
How to Time Your Next Shop Remodel
A tired, outdated operation can have a bigger impact on your shop's bottom line than you may realize. Shop Fix Academy founder Aaron Stokes breaks down the remodel process and how shop owners can gauge if it's time for a few simple upgrades or a full refresh, as well as a few inexpensive tricks for simple maintenance that can make an impact.
Becoming a Bilingual Business
Howie Berman, executive director for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, joins Ratchet+Wrench Radio to discuss the increasing importance of catering to a multilingual customer base.
Simple Tips to Optimize Your YouTube SEO
You don't have to be a YouTube influencer to make the most of your video content. From automated captions and thumbnail images to comment management and video descriptions that tell a story, Frank Leutz, owner of Desert Car Care in Chandler, Ariz., shares a few key tips for making the most of your video content that can help new users discover your shop.