Episode 19

What Does a Great Steak Restaurant and Auto Repair Have in Common? [E019]

  • We compare the automotive to health care. Ever think of comparing us to Chef’s or Cook’s?
  • I'm watching an episode of a master chef with my daughter
  • The speed, efficiency, economy, and emotion that these professional chefs displayed and the contestants could not keep up was very glaringly obvious.
  • The fastest texts that come to mind that I've personally witnessed. And I mean, I know some are just insanely fast out there, and I've never seen them work, but the ones that I've seen firsthand, and it's not the terrible many, but the ones I've seen, that's the other thing. They work soul clean.
  • Everything laid out in a certain way is very orderly, which helps proficiency, efficiency, and quality. That's exactly what I was watching on this cooking show.
  • You do not have to have a license to be a chef. Education helps, and of course, experience helps. 
  • But you can go into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, have a brilliant cook back there, and have a great steak.
  • A brilliant chef can go to a hole-in-the-wall shop and have a very smart or capable, skilled technician work on their vehicle. And you would never know other than maybe Google ratings or Yelps or something of that nature and word of mouth, or randomly right. 
  • And if you had good luck. it's five years, and they are your mechanic, and they've always come through for you, and you're referring people to them.
  • There is a difference between shops with different labor rates, like steak restaurants.
  • If you have the investment in the facility, people, tools, and equipment, why not be sure your customer understands that they are getting quality, just like you’d get at a high end restaurant
  • We often compare ourselves to the health care industry.  Maybe thinking about quality food and customer experience at a restaurant will help us better explain and relate our pricing and services to our customer.

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech

NAPA Autotech’s team of ASE Master Certified Instructors are conducting over 1,200 classes covering 28 automotive topics. To see a selection, go to napaautotech.com for more details.

Contact Information

The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z
Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z
From Automotive Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health

About your host

Profile picture for Matt Fanslow

Matt Fanslow

Matt Fanslow is the diagnostic tech/shop manager at Riverside Automotive in Red Wing, MN. His primary responsibilities are to diagnose driveability and electrical/electronic issues, and perform most all programming, coding, initializing, adoptions, etc. Basically, if it needs to be figured out or has wires, it goes to Matt.

He’s been a tech since 1996. Matt is also a subject matter expert for ASE and has instructed at Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo. Matt has participated on 18 ASE technical committees for the ASE Practice Test, A6, A7, A8, and L1 tests. He’s also done case studies for Standard Motor Products. Fanslow’s goal is to do everything in his power to improve the overall level of professionalism within the automotive and light truck repair trade and also raise the level of its public image.