Episode 186

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Published on:

21st May 2025

Reverse Benchmarking: Learning From What Others Do Poorly [E186]

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training

Key Discussion Points:

What is Reverse Benchmarking?

  • Traditional benchmarking focuses on studying what competitors do well, but reverse benchmarking involves analyzing what they do poorly and capitalizing on those weaknesses.
  • Two interpretations:
  • Looking at other industries for innovative ideas (e.g., team-building activities from tech companies).
  • Example: Some shops now adopt spontaneous team outings (baseball games, go-karting) inspired by Silicon Valley culture.
  • Staying within the automotive industry to identify gaps in competitors' customer experience or service offerings.

Applying Reverse Benchmarking in Auto Repair

  • Customer Experience:
  • Visit competitor shops (dealerships, independents) and note flaws—uncomfortable waiting room chairs, poor TV choices, limited snack/drink options.
  • Actionable Fixes: Upgrade seating, offer neutral TV content (e.g., Joy of Painting), provide filtered water instead of plastic bottles.
  • Market Gaps:
  • If competitors specialize in European cars (like Seth Thorson’s shop), consider specializing in underserved markets (e.g., Asian brands like Hyundai, Kia, Nissan).
  • Focus on services competitors avoid (advanced diagnostics, programming, driveline work).

Technician-Level Reverse Benchmarking

  • In a shop with a star "R&R tech," instead of competing directly, fill gaps (e.g., diagnostics, electrical troubleshooting) to become indispensable.
  • "See a need, fill a need"—position yourself as the go-to for overlooked but critical tasks.

Why It Works

  • Creates a unique value proposition—whether for customers (better experience) or employers (specialized skills).
  • Helps shops stand out in saturated markets by addressing unmet needs.

Final Thoughts:

  • Reverse benchmarking isn’t new, but it’s underutilized in automotive.
  • Whether you’re a shop owner, manager, or tech, observing competitors’ weaknesses can reveal opportunities for growth.

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/

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About the Podcast

Automotive Field Theory
From Automotive Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health
Automotive Field Theory explores the forces that shape automotive repair, including the ones measured with a meter or oscilloscope and the ones that cannot be found on a wiring diagram.

Hosted by automotive diagnostic specialist, shop manager, and instructor Matt Fanslow, the podcast begins in the automotive aftermarket but rarely stays inside its traditional boundaries. Diagnostics, electricity, technology, leadership, psychology, economics, game theory, history, music, movies, family, and human behavior may appear unrelated. Look closely enough, however, and connections begin to emerge.

A vehicle may arrive with a technical fault, but the work surrounding it is rarely technical alone.

Information is incomplete.

People make decisions under pressure and uncertainty. Incentives shape behavior. Standards gradually drift. Good intentions produce unexpected results. The official process may say one thing while the system quietly rewards another.

Automotive Field Theory is an attempt to understand those interactions.

Drawing from real diagnostic work, shop management, industry conversations, personal experience, and an occasionally inconvenient level of curiosity, Matt examines not only how things work, but why they work that way, how they became what they are, and what apparently unrelated subjects might teach us about repairing vehicles, leading people, running businesses, and improving the automotive industry.

Some episodes begin with a failed component. Others begin with Metallica, quantum physics, professional wrestling, a historical disaster, a round of golf, or a question that refuses to leave Matt alone.

Eventually, they all enter the same field.