THE BUCK STOPS HERE Sometimes when we repeat a task over and over, we don't look at the details as much as we should. We trust the customer, the parts manufacturer or simple circumstance. The opportunity for problems presents itself when we become comfortable,...

TIME IS MONEY One thing I’ve learned after many years of business is that my time is very valuable. I can balance multiple machines running and I can squeeze in some time with my customers, but it can be difficult being the “parts guy” as well. Like most shops, I...

REDUCE – HEAT, PRESSURE, STRESS In the machine shop business we often consider stress, heat and pressure, as it relates to combustion, compression, bi-metals, etc. But when the weather gets extremely hot, like it’s been this summer, it’s also important for Managers to...

DEATH OF A SALESMAN Death of a Salesman isn’t just a famous tragedy by Arthur Miller. It seems to be a sign of the times! Human contact is slowly being replaced by e-mails, e-blasts and e-carts. Record store salesman - gone; now you download one song at a time. Video...

PRICE TALK The phone rings, “How much is a valve job on a pair of early 350 heads?” Sound familiar? These are generally the first words you hear from a customer and seem to reflect the fact that your prospective customer’s first concern is COST. Should you quote a...

HANDLING UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS You can tell the customer interaction will be a tough one in the first few seconds. The caller’s tone of voice, accusatory language and high volume all say, “I’m going to let you have it”. How you react in these first few seconds will set...