Posts Tagged safe drive away time
Just Sayin’ Blog – Wind at Our Backs?
Posted by "Just Sayin'..." in AGRR, Auto Glass, General, New Year, Retail, Service, Uncategorized, USP on September 17, 2013
As we near the end of the first three quarters of 2013, it appears that we may have some wind at our back. There has been some slight improvement in a couple of the key drivers of the automotive glass repair and replacement (AGRR) industry. The key drivers of the AGRR industry are weather, the economy and miles driven.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been published since 1792 and is “North America’s most popular reference guide and oldest continuously published periodical”. Forecasting the weather is a specialty of the Almanac and the publication touts an 80% success rate at correctly forecasting winter weather. The Almanac recently published the weather maps for 2013 – 2014. The Almanac is forecasting the following weather for regions they report for this coming winter:
- The Northeast a winter milder in the North and colder in the South with slightly above average snow in the region;
- In the Atlantic Corridor a colder winter with snowfall above normal;
- The Appalachians will see a colder winter with snowfall near normal;
- The Southeastern United States will see colder weather and above normal snowfall;
- In the Lower Lakes temperatures will be slightly milder with below normal snowfall;
- In the Ohio Valley area winter will be colder, along with below normal snowfalls;
- The Upper Mid-West will be a mixed bag with a warmer winter in the eastern part and below normal in the western part of the area. Snowfall will be above normal;
- The Heartland will be colder than normal this winter and snowfall near normal;
- The rest of the country is expected to be colder than normal with average to above average snowfall;
All-in-all a mixed bag with the weather and I hope that wherever your business is located you’re benefited by a colder and snowier winter.
The economy is also a bit of a mixed bag. Positive news came from new car sales which can be an important factor in an improving AGRR industry. J.D. Powers detailed year-on-year improvement in new-vehicle sales in the United States by reporting in their August 2013: Monthly Automotive Sales Forecast that “August new-vehicle sales reached the highest level in seven years.” The report went on to state, “New-vehicle retail sales in August 2013 are projected to come in at 1,270,400 units, 12 percent increase from 2012”. That’s great news for the AGRR industry. J.D. Powers is predicting growing new-vehicle sales for the remainder of 2013 and well into 2014. Really great news for the AGRR industry!
CNNMoney reported this past week in an article titled, “Jobless claims fall to 7-year low, but…” the rate of unemployment showed signs of dropping which is great news, but is tempered with the suggestion that it’s a result of people continuing to drop out of the work force. There are “11.3 million Americans who remain unemployed” the article reported with “three unemployed people for every job opening”. As with the weather, unemployment figures vary by region so its how your local economy is doing is what could affect how good your business will be in the next year.
The price of oil and how oil prices effect gasoline prices is another key part of the equation for the AGRR industry. As reported by the United States Energy Information Administration in the “Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update”, prices year-on-year through September 9, 2013 on regular gasoline show that prices are down $ 0.26. Lower gasoline prices are great for both the consumers we rely on for business and for all of those company vehicles providing mobile service. Hopefully the price of gasoline will stay low.
You can look at reports from the U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration (FHA) as positive or negative depending where you reside. The FHA showed in its June 2013 Travel Monitoring and Traffic Volume Report that year-on-year miles driven were relatively unchanged with a slight decline of 0.1% from June 2012. The news that miles driven is not showing growth wasn’t great news for the AGRR industry that thrives on vehicles out driving on roads, but staying level was better news than a drop.
So how are these three key drivers affecting your business and do you think the wind is at your back? Regardless of whether the wind is at your back or not, I think there is a fourth key driver to your business and it is the most important one for finding success in your business. That key driver is you. So how are you going to take advantage of the marketplace you compete? What is it you’re doing to make your business stand out among all those with whom you compete?
I’ve written in previous blogs “The Times They Are (Always) A-Changing” and “The Times They Are (Always) A-Changing – Part II” about the opportunities in the marketplace for AGRR companies. I strongly believe that there are opportunities for independents in our industry, but you’ve got to surround yourself with the best people and make sure that they are all committed to the goals and aspirations that you have for your business. If you haven’t got that you’re going to be struggling.
What else are you doing to separate yourself from your competitors? Look for ways to be successful and be relevant in your market so that you stand out. There is a recipe for success in your market and you’ve got to figure out what it’s going to take to make sure you find and keep being successful. It starts with you as you’re the key driver of your business.
If the three key drivers are beginning to turn to your favor and with the possibility of the wind at our backs, what is it you’re going to do in the next year to see that you not only survive, but thrive in the AGRR industry? It’s really up to you.
Just sayin’.
Q & A with Lauren Fix – The Car Coach®
Posted by "Just Sayin'..." in AGRSS, Biography, General, Insurance, Interviews, Technology on November 15, 2011
Lauren Fix is The Car Coach® With her extensive and impressive background in the world of automotive safety, Lauren is seen and heard coast-to-coast on major TV shows, print, web and radio. She is a winning professional race car driver and self-described alpha mom. As an award winning “automotive and lifestyle expert” Lauren has an educational background in business, engineering and marketing; and is a renowned expert in the many aspects of the automotive industry. I’m honored to have her answer some questions today.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions. After listening to a talk you gave recently it was very apparent to all in attendance that you are very passionate about educating consumers to help make them become more aware of the importance of keeping their cars in good mechanical condition, as well as making sure they know the ins and outs of how to deal with the automotive service industry when they need their cars repaired. You also are interested in helping those that want to provide the highest level of service to car owners understand the importance of having more knowledgeable customers. It seems like you were born for mission.
How and why did you become The Car Coach®?
Lauren Fix: I always loved cars and helped my father in the garage when I was just a kid. By the age of 10 I was able to help him turn wrenches and get the tools he asked for. I was a “tomboy” for sure. When I graduated high school my goal was to be an actress, but after long conversations with my father, he convinced me to look elsewhere. I went to school for business, communications and engineering classes. I started racing cars at the age of 16 and being on national TV has been just as much of an adrenaline rush. After restoring cars, racing, designed brake systems and writing articles for years about cars, a friend approached me to be a guest on Motorweek, a PBS show. After the show he suggested that I be a dealer trainer as the money was great. I was working for my father’s brake rebuilding company and I had done everything from tearing down old brakes to designing the first drum-to-disc-brake conversion kit. I did ad design, marketing and placement then became a National Sales Manager. You name it and I did it.
This opportunity was great for me as I had been working in the aftermarket side and this opened doors to the manufacturing side of autos. I started in the parking lot and chased cones; this was crazy I had all this experience and a college degree. So I contacted the training company and explained my background, they gave me a chance with a marketing session and thought I was a perfect fit. I worked hard and in a few months and I was asked to be a lead trainer and was lucky enough to get that slot. I trained dealers and dealer principles for many years until 9/11 when we were near NYC and I knew it was time to end this chapter.
In the meantime, I started writing for magazines, websites, regional and national TV appearances educating and informing people about cars and the industry. In January of 1996, there was a blizzard in Chicago and many people were stranded and didn’t know what to do. That led to a phone call from Oprah. Her staff asked me to be a guest on the show and help viewers see how they should be prepared. That led to being a guest 6 times and many reruns. That led to multiple national TV appearance on news and morning shows. Then hosting a show on DIY for 4 years and now a regular segment on Time Warner Cable News.
I also had a performance driving school to top it all off, called Driving Ambitions; it was held exclusively at Watkins Glen International Raceway. We taught 100’s of drivers three weekends a year from 1981 to 2001. It was a great way to learn about people and their cars.
In addition, my husband Paul, and I started a company in 1989 called Classic Tube and we manufacture automotive and industrial tubing products in short runs. I no longer have a desk there but I am still Vice President. Paul also operates Fix Motorsports where we restore collector cars and vintage race cars.
I’m an ASE certified technician, although I only work on my cars and I’m also a long-standing member of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). As the spokesperson for the Car Care Council I’ve been honored to help educate consumers for over 10 years and help drivers “Be Car Care Aware”.
You were recently a featured speaker at Auto Glass Week™ 2011 that was held in Memphis. What was the message you took away from your time there?
Lauren Fix: Auto Glass Week was a great idea to merge multiple groups for a common cause, meet budget demands and allow your industry networking and educational opportunities. I learned quite a bit about the industry and look forward to educating consumers on the importance of auto glass and how it integrates with safety. AGRSS® is critical to consumer’s safety and drivers really need to be informed about an area that is never discussed in public.
Where do you see the auto glass repair and replacement (AGRR) industry going? Do you see any problems that need to be fixed?
Lauren Fix: I believe that the auto glass industry can learn from the successes in the automotive aftermarket with educating consumers to be smarter customers. Very little is ever mentioned and insurance companies control the outcome, and as tightly as the drug companies control doctors. This needs to change for all drivers’ safety and consumer’s pocket books.
What do you think about the importance of AGRSS®, the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard® Council’s mission relating to consumer safety?
Lauren Fix: I think the mission makes sense and they are on the right track – getting more eyes to the website and a consumer education campaign will raise the awareness for all auto glass installers. There are many ways to do this without spending millions on television commercial campaigns.
In your experience, what do drivers and consumers understand about auto glass?
Lauren Fix: They never even think about it until there is a crack or chip. Then it’s left in the hands of their insurance company and who they push them toward. Consumers are not making the choices for themselves because they are sheltered from the fact and insurance companies are very aware of it so they handle it for them and control the industry for the most part. Consumers need to make their own choices.
Do you think that drivers are aware that their windshield is an important safety device in their vehicle?
Lauren Fix: I don’t think they have a clue. They think seatbelts and airbags work together as a team, not realizing that the windshield is a critical component.
What is the most important safety tip that you personally wish that all drivers knew about?
Lauren Fix: I wish that driver’s realized that they need to learn more than what is taught in driver’s education when they were 16. Safety is more than driving skills and being aware, it’s about making their cars safer on the road for themselves, their families and other around them on the road. Our culture of cars being just transportation is a fallacy because they are an integral part of our everyday lives. Drivers should take the automobile and the industry more seriously; and with respect. If you look at how drivers in Europe see their vehicles and their training it could be a good starting point for the US and Canada to start including some of their programs here.
What does it mean to you to be selected by the Car Care Council Women’s Board (WB) and the Automotive Communication Council (ACC) 2011 winner of the Automotive Communication Award for “B to C Public Relations Efforts” and also the “B to C– TV Segment for the The Car Coach® Show”?
Lauren Fix: This is a great honor, I take being The Car Coach® very seriously, but with some fun involved too. To be recognized for my efforts just confirms the fact the we are doing all we can to help all drivers everywhere to be more informed, be safer on the road, maintain the value of their cars and learn to love them at the same time.
And finally, tell me about your mission and goals for the next year.
Lauren Fix: I just started working with The Weather Channel, and this will offer me the opportunity to reach more drivers. This is all in my monthly newsletter, blog, twitter and RSS feeds. My daughter, Shelby, and I are finishing my 4th book and her first; she is the Teen Car Coach™ helping teens and younger millennial drivers be informed as this generation looks at autos in such a different perspective. My mission is constantly evolving as new opportunities arise from speaking to writing to television opportunities. Also watch for me on QVC and Fox Business Channel. The Weather Channel has added automotive to their lifestyle programming. I’m always listening and learning; so feel free to contact me at www.laurenfix.com.
Thank you again for taking the time to reach out to those of us in the AGRR industry with your message. Those of us who are part of AGRSS® certainly appreciated your appearing at Auto Glass Week in Memphis last month.
Lauren has a strong voice in the automotive industry customer service space. Through her brand and her high visibility in the automotive industry, she can help bring needed attention to the importance of safe windshield installations to the driving public. That’s what I believe. What do you think?
Just sayin’……