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Randy Hancock
Randy's Tire & Auto |
Randy, tell us a little about you and your shop.
I own a NAPA Auto Care Center in Littleton, Co and I have 4 techs and 10 bays. I am told by some that I run my shop like a mini-dealership. I guess I get
that from all of the organization and having the shop flow in place. I also have a Service Writer and the techs only work on cars.
I was a Toyota Master Tech and after doing this for many years, I decided I could do it on my own. So I went out, found a 2-bay gas station and went into
the repair business for myself. This was 14 years ago.
After I started the 6 month Consulting Program with Management Success, within 2 months I outgrew the space I had. My landlord happened to also have
a big tire facility just 2 blocks down the street, so I moved in there. This is where I am today.
Why did you decide to do the Graduate Maintenance Program?
My shop was doing very well when I completed my 6 months of consulting and I had grown into the larger building and was making money. Then time
passed and life got in the way. I was distracted from working on the shop and it started to suffer. Some of the changes and organization I had implemented
from my consulting were coming undone.
I called my Service Advisor and said, "Please HELP!" I had lost the successful actions I used to have "in" and was close to losing my shop. She signed me up
for the 6 month Graduate Maintenance Program right away.
After completing the GMP, what improvements did you see in you and your shop?
All my numbers, including Gross Profit %, Gross Sales, and Average Repair Order started coming back up right away, as you can see in my graphs. It also
got me interested in running my shop again! I really started to wear my hat as the owner. Of all things, I had stopped promoting! I wasn't doing the basic
things that got my shop successful in the first place. Now my numbers are even higher than they were when I had first completed my original 6 months
of consulting!
Another thing, back in 2001, was that I really had trouble when the economy turned. This time around in the current economy and while being consulted, I am still
able to grow my numbers and expand my business.
Why do you continue to receive consulting to this day?
Because I keep improving, I now have the basics back in, and am able to focus on fine-tuning all areas such as marketing, work flow, costs, pricing, etc. I found for me, that staying connected with Management Success is good for my business. It is too easy to let things slide out and get lazy. My consultant is another set of eyes and ears that help me stay focused on the business and doing successful actions.
Another example is after the MS meeting in September. I came back with a plan to get my marketing calendar in, and I got my printer dialed in on it and was able to get my pieces out before the economy really took a dive. Had I not gone to that meeting, I wouldn't have done this and may not being doing as well today.
What would you say to another shop owner about continued consulting?
I would say it is really one of the most important things you  can do! Stay connected to the people and knowledge that helped you build your shop to where it is today or re-build it to better than it was. I had gone on my own and realized that I needed to stay connected. You don't notice the things you let fall out, and a consultant is a silent partner that helps you keep an eye on the business. You see in your stats and GP % when you let something fall out, and if you don't, your consultant will.
Another thing that I really enjoy is that when something comes up I can call or email and get the help I need right away. They are always there to help and never
turn you away.
Anything else you would like to say?
If I didn't do the GMP when I did, I would have gotten out of the business. Thank you Management Success for helping me to enjoy my business once again.
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