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Independent Shops Rate High On Honesty

Independent neighborhood automotive repair shops rated higher than all other types of service outlets in five out of seven categories, according to a recent study by Wiese Research Associates commissioned by the Yellow Pages Publishers Association for the Automotive Service Association (ASA).

Independents rated highest on the following categories (number indicates the rating on the 1-10 scale consumers used to rate facilities):

Apart from independent neighborhood repair shops, service stations, franchises, new car dealers and service centers at national retailers were also rated by consumers. The two categories in which neighborhood shops did not rate highest were "cleanliness/appearance" and "management."

Web Ways
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) World Wide Web site on the Internet offers all members a free, basic listing of their shop. Consumers, by choosing the "Find Nearest ASA Shop" command, can search ASA’s regular member data base by state, municipality or ZIP code to obtain a list of shops.

Now ASA members have the option to purchase an additional business advertisement page on the site. When members advertise, their business listing becomes highlighted, prompting users to click on it for additional, detailed information about the shop.

Members who want further information about advertising on the ASA web site should contact Ben McNamara, ASA’s web site coordinator at (800) 272-7467, ext. 234.

Your Turn
What time-saving tips do you use to help you manage your business?
"The biggest thing is that I’m a list maker. The night before I prioritize all the things I need to do for the next day. To avoid becoming disenchanted, I only concentrate on a small portion of a very long list. Also, I carry a small tape recorder, which is attached to my cellular phone, and I record reminders to myself throughout the day and transcribe the tape each night." --Mark Salem, owner, Salem Boys Auto, Tempe, Ariz.

Future question: "Are consumers more understanding today about diagnostic charges than they were five years ago, or less understanding?"

A new employment projection by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, pegs the number of automotive technicians in the nation at 736,000 as of 1994, and forecasts a need for up to 882,000 technicians by 2005, an increase of 146,000 technicians, or 20 percent. The bureau also forecasts up to a 19 percent increase in the number of auto body technicians needed by 2005. Unfortunately, the bureau also projects the labor force in the 25 to 34 years of age category to decline by almost four million by 2005.

In the Canadian province of Ontario, all insured collision work may be mandated for repair at shops that pass a Certificate of Approval (COA) program that verifies a shop is capable of using refinish products in an environmentally sound manner. The program is an option in a regulation to control volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is expected to approve by March, according to John Norris, executive director of the Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association (HARA). Norris said the program would not take effect until 1998, due to training and inspection needs.

Ford Motor Company has announced aggressive new pricing for replacement crash parts for the 1996 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. Pricing for hoods, fenders and bumper components on the models will be priced an average of 31 percent lower than on previous models.

The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy, has released a new program to certify training programs preparing entry-level technicians for converting and maintaining vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). A department report estimates 2,000 to 4,000 people will be employed by the year 2000 to perform alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) conversions. Employment numbers will climb to 5,000 to 7,000 by 2005.

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AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLIV No. 2, February 1996