Belize was beautiful

If I had a quarter for every time either a customer, or salesperson, asked me how business is, I’d buy a Caye in Belize! - Business is fine. Thanks for asking. Belize was beautiful-

The tales of woe at the counter are heartbreaking. It takes a special kind of person on your counter to listen, and empathize, then say - Your car needs tires and it’s going to be $1079 including installation - We can do it right now - Would you like an alignment, road hazard, nitrogen, premium wheel weights and a charity balloon with that? – It’s a challenging job at the counter right now and the key is providing value to customers who are digging deep.

Working "in" the business

The notion of working on your business and not in your business is about 5 years old. ATI always wanted us to do this. I've beaten the shit out of the service manager, so I could be working "on" the business and lost a few good ones along the way. In the family tire store it’s the owners job to bring in customers and the service manager to make relationships and the techs do what they’re good at. Why do most owners avoid the counter? For the family model to work, the owners need to be on the counter, and generating referral business, not in an office working “on” the business.

What happened to the family business?

Most of us have a family. It’s what we go to work for and put our asses on the line for. It's why I crack open that Fosters oil can on a Friday afternoon and pat myself on the back. It’s a special feeling that cannot be bought, and customers know this when they walk in the door. It’s our competitive advantage.

Your brand name is your family, and if you live in a small community like I do, that’s what people are buying. Do good work and your customers will want you to succeed and make a reasonable profit. So instead of trying to compete on price or badmouthing your competition, which is all “they” have, sell your family (not literally!) and the fact that you are part of the community, not a giant behemoth with a multi-million dollar brand name that no one cares about.