As we enter the month of September, many college-bound students will be packing their vehicles and heading off to school. Some of my best customers are concerned about problems their children might encounter if something should go wrong with their vehicles while they are away.

As automotive service professionals, we spend thousands of dollars on equipment and schooling to be able to repair and maintain our customers' vehicles. What happens if one of their vehicles has a problem when they are away from home? Do we just hope that our customer might find someone who will take care of the problem without taking advantage of them?

How do you find quality shops in other cities for referral purposes? For me, the answer to this question lies in one of the best investments I have made: my membership in the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the conventions and meetings I have attended nationally. I have met many of you at these ASA events, and it gives me and my customers an edge if they have car problems away from home. With contacts made at these meetings, I never have to feel that I have a customer stranded and at the mercy of a stranger.

Many customers ask me if I know someone in the city where their son or daughter is attending school to help with vehicle maintenance and repair. It is an added benefit for my customer to have this information. If there were no other benefits of belonging to a national trade association, this one alone would be worth the price of dues to me. Of course, you can also access names and addresses of your fellow ASA members nationwide through both the membership directory and the ASA Web site (http://www.asashop.org).

If you have never been to our national events, I ask you, "Why?" A good place to start would be this year's Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) or the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE). Both events will help you meet our national leaders and others who have a business like yours. Be sure to take in the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) classes when you attend these meetings - you will come away with information that can make a difference in your business' bottom line.

During these times away from the business, I have often been able to find the solution to a problem just by talking to someone that has already solved that dilemma in their business. The time away from the shop helps you reflect on where your business is going, what changes you want to make and how you will go about doing it.

There are, of course, many more valuable programs that make it profitable to belong to ASA. The credit card program alone pays my national dues. If you want to know more about the complete list of ASA membership benefits, call the Membership Department at (800) 272-7467 or visit ASA's Web site. The national staff in Bedford, Texas, is most helpful when you have questions, so don't hesitate to ask.

Membership in ASA is a benefit to not only you, but to your customers as well; so get involved and become the best professional you can.

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