tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27564345894929321472025-02-07T22:48:08.151-05:00Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-28919724451961526922013-06-01T20:16:00.000-04:002013-06-01T20:18:25.598-04:00

Bob Greenwood, President and CEO of Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre Ltd., is excited to announce that Extra-Tech Automotive Ltd. of Calgary Alberta has won the prestigious BEST of the BEST Award for 2012.This Award is won by the shop who has improved their business the most in one year compared to their previous year among all the AAEC BEST clients across Canada. There are 14 key

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15325519448344714776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-75511749664993521312012-11-21T14:40:00.003-05:002012-11-21T14:40:54.637-05:00

CANADIAN SHOP WINS AAIA’S HEAD OF CLASS AWARD October 9, 2012, Ottawa, ON –  The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada would like to congratulate Gustafson's Auto Clinic Inc. in Athabasca, AB for being the first Canadian shop to win the prestigious“Head of Class” award, presented by AIA’s American counterpart, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association.“

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-21151445662915156782012-11-12T10:49:00.001-05:002012-11-12T10:59:40.010-05:00

Ever notice how negative some business owners can be and how their talk is all about blaming others for their business problems? If you are going to blame others for your business issues or problems, at least tell them to their face why they are the reason. OR Acknowledge that you really are the result of your design for your business; there is no one to 

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-44752585325240405972012-11-07T18:19:00.002-05:002012-11-07T18:19:58.387-05:00

Opportunities with the consumer and clients are so abundant within the aftermarket today, however, one has to slow down and see where the opportunities lie. Consider this approach and understanding as to what the Aftermarket shop really is; “The Aftermarket shop is a business being hired by the consumer to investigate, inspect, discuss and recommend the various

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-69592324958611099662012-06-27T10:40:00.000-04:002012-06-27T10:40:16.755-04:00

Athabasca Service Provider Wins Automotive Business AwardCalgary , AB Canada  June 22, 2012 --  APD is proud to announce the winner of the 2011 Best of the APD BEST award. This annual award is presented to the business within the APD BEST clientele that saw the most business improvement for the year compared to their APDBEST  peers.  The BEST concept was

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-23879279308414733382012-05-07T16:33:00.000-04:002012-05-07T16:33:35.094-04:00

I am now serving a volunteer 3 year term on the AAIA Education Committee in the United States. I feel it is an honour to be asked to join that committee (I'm the only Canadian) as they play an important role in determining "how" the aftermarket should move forward in terms of "knowledge" that must be focussed upon with all the instructors/educators in the United States including high schools,

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-44266085228916300502012-01-21T16:05:00.008-05:002012-01-21T16:24:50.824-05:00

I received this e-mail from a shop owner who has kept in touch over the years. He has given me permission to share this without his identification, which is totally understandable. I took out any reference to his city, his name etc. I thank him for sharing his story with me and allowing me to share it with you. I would only hope the rest of the Aftermarket industry pays attention to his message.

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-20213304406373745022012-01-21T10:57:00.014-05:002012-01-21T11:54:30.943-05:00

Too many shop owners appear to be stuck in inertia wondering what to do next. Owners scramble for answers as they attend various courses but never put together a plan after the live session to implement what they took from the course. As a good business friend of mine summarized to me:Preparation to move your business forward is not simply re-reading manuals from a course; it’s about using these

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-39357374531993613322011-11-30T18:56:00.020-05:002011-11-30T20:57:19.920-05:00

If you are a CEO, President, Vice-President, Manager or Director of any organisation within the Aftermarket, please consider these words to be accountable to the Title that you hold. Owning/Managing a company or heading an organization does not automatically confer the title of "Leader" upon a person. Leadership today is not just about the "Ability" of an individual, as many people in key roles

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-78471243096302869502011-11-25T21:37:00.005-05:002011-11-25T22:07:14.023-05:00

Everyone knows the definition of "Insanity"...doing the same thing over but expecting different results.Are you prepared to go to the wall for "Change"?Will you stand up, be vocal and ensure you are not guilty that you are still embracing the old ways instead of embracing the change that our industry must address? Examples include:- Good bye to Flat Rate pay for technicians and say Hello to

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-85610662778693689212011-10-27T21:20:00.014-04:002011-10-27T22:12:52.992-04:00

A very good friend and confident challenged me with this thought and I could not help but to think how many people, companies and associations it applies to within the Aftermarket Industry. Why are we so afraid of DRAMATIC change when in reality we are so far behind the world in our structures, processes and attitudes.Our sector of the automotive industry has so many incredible opportunities

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-60239184606958461372011-10-14T21:39:00.012-04:002011-10-14T23:04:56.860-04:00

Watching, listening and examining how our sector is moving forward, one has to ask if we are truly in denial?It appears at times that all levels of the Aftermarket are like deer staring into the headlights and commenting "What's that"? Nothing is changing at the grass roots level of the Service Provider shop or for that matter at the Jobber and Warehouse level as everyone is doing the same old

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-64396849211000166602011-09-24T16:42:00.007-04:002011-09-24T17:41:41.450-04:00

The Aftermarket, at all levels, must seriously look at how it handles on-going training and education of their staff. We now require an incredible amount of time and serious investment to ensure personal development of each and every staff member is brought to the right level of education, understanding and skill to ensure they can execute their function professionally,in a productive and

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-17438610838110911012011-07-14T10:35:00.011-04:002011-09-01T09:46:14.398-04:00

Nothing could be further from the truth as shown in this story I found. Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that everyday 10 men go to their favorite diner for dinner, The bill for all ten comes to $100. If it was paid the way we pay our taxes, the first four men would pay nothing; the fifth would pay $1; the sixth would pay $3; the seventh $7; the eighth $12; the

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-20802336668694124882011-07-04T21:09:00.015-04:002011-07-04T21:55:47.317-04:00

Ever noticed how things are changing so fast within the Aftermarket, especially with vehicle technology, shop internal technology systems and the OEM Dealer aggressiveness to take on the Aftermarket? I have and I'm trying to figure out why no one seems to want to address these issues with any true sense of urgency? Let me give you a simple example. Technical and Business training are an urgent

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-70891567752944064412011-06-14T20:57:00.010-04:002011-06-14T21:28:12.729-04:00

Amazingly when a shop is too busy the detail of client personal service is neglected. "The devil is in the detail". We don't seem to grasp that the customer/client does not understand the things we take for granted and one little obvious detail can take down reputations.Consider these following responses from our customer/client follow-up service:- got a quote on the car, went to pick it up and

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-30249194613168916432011-04-30T13:09:00.011-04:002011-04-30T14:28:46.620-04:00

Shop owners have to examine their business plumbing to see if their TAP is turned on or off. It is time to turn the TAP all the way on ......as far as it possibly can go and if it turns out it is not enough, then aggressively upgrade the internal system to achieve desired results. There are 3 things to examine when looking at the TAP in the full "on" position. 1. "T" stands for "Team". Is the

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-16513273720277043162011-04-12T09:16:00.009-04:002011-04-12T09:47:14.425-04:00

I have been witnessing a trend in the past six months which disturbs me greatly.Owners today can feel threatened by immature staff members who believe they are above the rest of the shop employees because they feel they have "special skills" and are worthy of special privileges and treatment. These employees "with attitude" feel it is just too hard for them to be replaced, so in essence the owner

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-88623918255823738982011-04-06T21:30:00.006-04:002011-04-06T22:37:37.557-04:00

For the past seven years (yes 7) I have been talking about the new Aftermarket that was coming and the way we must rethink it in order to operate, grow and sustain market share. It has to go through a "Culture" change. Our company is always focused to study the industry moving 3 to 7 years out because we know it takes a minimum of 2 to 3 years to change a shop business and 4 to 6 years to change

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-42346846418309330672011-02-21T14:44:00.013-05:002011-02-22T14:12:14.775-05:00

We just wanted to say, "Job well done!" The addition of the Rui Martins "Process for Success" 2 day course to the 3 day "High Performance Profitability in the New World of Automotive Maintenance" course by Bob has been much anticipated and very much valued. It truly has brought everything that Bob has been teaching together.We can not say enough about the time and work involved in bringing such

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-66721444285947926312011-01-25T10:34:00.009-05:002011-01-25T11:53:51.317-05:00

The trend in the Aftermarket continues it metamorphosis and we must figure out what to do. Consider these points:1). The consumer continues to challenge us and displays little patience. Their personal lives are stressed.2). We have moved from 90 day oil changes to 180 day oil changes which revolves around winter and spring tire changes.3). The rush at tire change over means billed hours per

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-63911134703651722692011-01-10T22:09:00.011-05:002011-01-10T22:43:08.500-05:00

Nothing much changes within the Aftermarket. January and February are months of "soft sales", "doubtfulness", "anguish" and don't forget the obvious "I'm going broke, I have no money" syndrome.OK time for a wake-up call that I'm sure I will get negative feedback on. Nothing has changed!!!!! and THAT is the point. The Aftermarket remains the same expecting different results......the professionals

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-61530078838908416592010-12-16T23:01:00.017-05:002010-12-17T00:26:58.833-05:00

This is a topic that has been ignored for years by shop owners within the Aftermarket, however as business grows tougher and the business becomes more complicated, many shop owners are thinking "how do I get out, and what will I get for this?"You are not alone. With the average shop owner now being well into their 50's and some into their 60's this question is now being asked over and over. The

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-38834399295726828552010-11-18T16:15:00.013-05:002010-11-18T16:53:39.609-05:00

Shop owners are not paying attention to the detail of their business. It still is the same old thing expecting different results.Some owners will not like this but it has to be pointed out.I have noticed a common trait among my clients. They made the change which gave them the desire to work "ON" their business instead of "IN" their business. The results have been absolutely amazing and has

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2756434589492932147.post-70023905733639315822010-11-16T20:48:00.014-05:002011-01-06T13:42:36.004-05:00

A shop operator opens the doors with visions in his or her head thinking this is just the beginning of their dream and the best is yet to come. They are very grateful for the opportunity given to them but at the same time scared of the unknown. They approach each day with optimism and a positive attitude that lights a spark with anyone they come in contact with.The first year is an amazing

Bob Greenwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06048979079370370606noreply@blogger.com0