Transcript
Aniz Lavji: Alright. right everyone welcome to another episode of the shop and tread talk podcast my name is anise and we've got frank with us today
Frank Wiebe: who Here we are Back at it again.
Aniz Lavji: um It's been. yeah it's been a minute uh ah Life's been busy. and uh we're
Frank Wiebe: But it has been.
Aniz Lavji: We're just trying to get right back into it and make sure that we keep these. Episodes coming every week. but Again. With, uh... my growing family and Frank's growing business and my growing business it's just been Really tough getting some episodes hammered down. so um
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, and if it wasn't if it wasn't for... Bruce giving us crap every time that we don't have an episode, we might just.
Aniz Lavji: Amen. God, Bruce.
Frank Wiebe: That guy. I'm telling you, he's relentless.
Aniz Lavji: It's... These Firestone guys, as I'm telling you. Yeah. Oh, Bruce, we love you, man. um
Frank Wiebe: Oh. It was good to see you.
Aniz Lavji: but um Yeah, like Frank and I, we just got back from, let's jump right into it. We just got back from ASTA. spend. Frank and I spend more time together. in those three or four days or whatever it is that we've had since we've even started hanging out and chatting because you know we're
Frank Wiebe: That's right.
Aniz Lavji: we're still like an hour and a half or whatever away but we got to really hang out there so i mean that was honestly one of the highlights for me is just you know having him with me for three or four days and just chatting so it was great
Frank Wiebe: It was awesome, man. Just, just hanging out like that. I mean... It's been a long time since I've hung out with... good friends like this, like you and and the other ones out there.
Frank Wiebe: on a weekend where it's just like... I said... i forgot who i said it to after i said The thing is we were all like -minded people there.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: It wasn't like... Yeah, there was some of the elite there, but it wasn't like they were like, hey, I'm better than you i Maybe one person, but... You know? It's... It's we were all.
Aniz Lavji: I need to know who that is off camera.
Frank Wiebe: It better be off camera. But it's it's one of those things. iss like you all You're all there for the same reason, and then you can hang out. like We met. people from all different areas and walks of life.
Frank Wiebe: And we just. created this little group and we hung out. And it was the.
Aniz Lavji: And.
Frank Wiebe: It was the coolest thing. Like guys, we have never met before.
Aniz Lavji: And in the...
Frank Wiebe: And it's just like, hey.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Come sit at our table.
Aniz Lavji: I mean, really. Like I know like you obviously you knew Bruce from tools Bye.
Frank Wiebe: That's right. Yep.
Aniz Lavji: Other than like... in person you knew bruce and maybe one or two other people
Frank Wiebe: What?
Aniz Lavji: but um
Frank Wiebe: Not in person. The only person.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. Actually, that's true.
Frank Wiebe: you You and Bruce. And, well, Jeff, when we when we met with... him But he wasn't really in our group. but you and You and Bruce are the only... People that I met ever in person of the group that we hung out with.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. and
Frank Wiebe: Um...
Aniz Lavji: The group just started. expanding and expanding and expanding and i'm like okay now we've got like the Massive. We got it. by the time we were going out to eat and And just hanging out. I mean, we were about six to nine people just.
Aniz Lavji: just randoms that we had. No, I i don't want to say random. Sorry. just people that we had met and the conversations that we were having, everything just clicked. So we're like, okay, you're hanging out with us for the next four days. And that's that.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah. Yeah, had had breakfast together, went out for dinner together. Um... It was really cool.
Aniz Lavji: And I know, Bruce, you're listening right now and your exact comment is.
Frank Wiebe: i
Aniz Lavji: oh and he is when you're weren't sleeping i slept i took a three hour nap Okay, I'm just gonna. get into it.
Frank Wiebe: The one. ah One day, okay, the one day.
Aniz Lavji: but Wednesday night. I took a nap. from 9 until 11 30. And I've been hearing about it from Mr. Bruce. since then, but that's okay.
Frank Wiebe: i mean the rest of us were all hanging out we were like where's this other guy and they're like m
Aniz Lavji: I'll let him go.
Aniz Lavji: I need that now.
Frank Wiebe: You are not enough. Then when we're going to bed, I get a message, hey, I'm heading down. I'm like, dude, I'm just i'm just laying down to sleep. Yeah, it was an early night for me.
Aniz Lavji: oh
Frank Wiebe: 11 .30 was early. so
Aniz Lavji: But you know that the whole experience going there like for me the second time it It was awesome. Like the first time I went. I mean, ah you know, everyone's whoever listens has heard the story, Frank, you know it.
Aniz Lavji: I mean, it was it was not easy going there alone, but coming back a second time. Seeing the same people from last year. making all these new friends. And. you know my goal personal goal for this time.
Aniz Lavji: was not necessarily to... you know take specific classes and really indulge myself in all those classes and really you know try to find these golden nuggets which i found tons of golden nuggets in all the classes i took But.
Aniz Lavji: this time i really wanted to connect with other shop owners and technicians and hear their stories because There's a lot of learning that you're going to get from those stories themselves.
Aniz Lavji: because Our perspective. All depends on. different stories that we're hearing, right? so I mean, I've learned so many things from different technicians I've talked to that I had no idea that this is how some of the technicians are feeling. so seeing the different side now when I'm back at the shop and I'm hearing you know different ideas and stuff from my text. I can relate a little bit more because I'm hearing a lot of stuff from.
Aniz Lavji: technicians that I didn't even know about. Right. So you gotta, you gotta to know every side. of everyone's story, whether it's front of house or back of house. like i learned a lot of things from technicians and uh you know i'm able to apply it here so Like I always say, like there's a lot of learning in the class, but outside of the class, in the hallways, at the bar.
Aniz Lavji: um in the hospitality suite i mean <unk> you're you're learning about. 12 to 15 hours a day if you really think about it.
Frank Wiebe: I think you're ah you're definitely on track with that. For the most part. The learning. Like now, after, we're we got a group chat we've got going on.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: from the people that we met there. And. Just the other day, I'm like, hey, I've got a Chrysler question. Anybody has? And Daniel's like, hey, man, yeah, this is this is where you're at.
Frank Wiebe: Like. having that kind of connection now. You can learn whatever you want in the class.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: I took some amazing classes. I took amazing. like the one The one class I took was on... Um, reading wiring diagrams, and I'm pretty good at reading wired diagrams. diagrams but this guy is like Just caught my attention, right? like I said.
Frank Wiebe: I told him after I'm like, my apprentice needs to take your class. This is a phenomenal class.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: And other than that, I... I took a few management classes, learned some really good skills which I've been implementing. for the shop already but The community that...
Frank Wiebe: forms after. Like you said, we... We didn't really know anybody. We knew each other.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: A little group. Well, Sonny was on our podcast a while ago.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, yeah, so we can see something.
Frank Wiebe: a So we knew him. But... Other than that... We didn't really know anybody. The group that we have now. it's phenomenal like we've got some really good i think If we continue that, you're going to have lifelong friends out of this.
Frank Wiebe: And all because we all came together in one spot. for the same goal. of learning, doing some training. and meeting new people. and And it goes exactly with what I've been working on all year. I wanted to network more.
Frank Wiebe: And network have I done. My goodness, let me tell you. like The list of contacts that I have. In my phone. from just this last year alone.
Frank Wiebe: Like. I'm going to start grouping them as... Mechanic contacts. And like, I'm going to have to, because at some point it's like. So many people. And I had. um I have people reach out to me, like Mike reached out to me even before. I met him at Tools as well. oh There you go. There was another one So I met him at tools as well briefly.
Frank Wiebe: And then he reached out to me, I don't know, about a month beforehand. He's like, hey, man, are you going to be at as ASTA? And I said, yeah, I am. said okay cool we're gonna see you there And so he was in our group and we hung out. Um,
Frank Wiebe: but then you're you're saying about Being the first time there. and Had I not had you. to show me some of the ropes. I definitely would have been lost because it's it's a lot to take in. It's a lot to process.
Frank Wiebe: Um, then ah there was a The group chat that started before... The whole event even started, and then there was this one...
Aniz Lavji: Thanks to our... Kamran from 47C, by the way, because
Frank Wiebe: Good job, buddy.
Aniz Lavji: Cameron and Saurav from 47C. So plug that in really quick.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: i'm really glad they started that chat because that was Pinnacle. throughout the that AST experience to like really keep in touch with people.
Frank Wiebe: Well, absolutely was. And then my my my thought later i was like, how the heck did this group chat to even come about? And how did certain people get added? So there was one that was in there. Um,
Frank Wiebe: Forgive me if I pronounce your name wrong, Amico. I think. And she was in there and she, you know.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: messaged a few times. And I'm like, well, you know, I'd love to meet you or whatever. And she's like, oh, no, I'm really im ah kind of an introvert. I'm like. Boom.
Aniz Lavji: You should have said that.
Frank Wiebe: Here's the mission.
Aniz Lavji: Not to prank.
Frank Wiebe: You should notice that don't say that to Frank if you're an introvert i'm goingnna I'm going to... make sure and and so I ended up meeting with her right after class one day they were It was like their last day.
Frank Wiebe: She was there with the two technicians, I think. And... And it was their last day and they were heading back like they didn't stay for the whole weekend.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: but it just making that kind of connection. And I'm like, you know, for somebody who has never been there before and never learned and for myself next ah Next time I'm there. I'll make it even more a priority. Find somebody.
Frank Wiebe: Find somebody that... You look at it and you say, hey, I can tell they've never been here before.
Aniz Lavji: Yes.
Frank Wiebe: and just make them feel like they're part of that group as well.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, that's that's exactly it. Well, I told you before I came, that's what my goal was to...
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: find find people that were like me last year that felt a bit lost, not lost, but feeling maybe out of place or just nervous like Where the hell am I?
Frank Wiebe: Mm hmm.
Aniz Lavji: There's like 1500 people here. and i'm this random person like i don't know anyone i was actually looking for these people and I wanted to bring them in our group or talk with them and like tell me your story what's going on what are your struggles right now or what's working for you.
Aniz Lavji: And maybe what I'm telling him. these people may not make sense or maybe it does make sense and like holy crap like I never thought about it this way. Because I had tons of those conversations last year.
Aniz Lavji: where I was divulging like look i'm having issues with this and this and this and i have people saying oh that's a simple fix just do this i'm like
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: That makes sense.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: But, you know, there was a lot of light bulbs that went off in my head and other people's heads. when We're just having these. really quick conversations and sometimes very long conversations, but you know Going to an event like this.
Aniz Lavji: the the pressure of you know, going to work and the pressure of the customers coming in, serving the customers. None of that's there. So you're able to really focus on those connections.
Aniz Lavji: and those people. and really build up those friendships over, you know, I was there, we were both there Wednesday to Sunday, right? And. Yeah, there's there's a ton of conventions that and expos that go on.
Aniz Lavji: every year. But you know. ah You know, Frank, I'm always partial with ASTA. That's my favorite one for sure.
Frank Wiebe: Definitely. And you know, one thing that... But... um, deserves mention i was just thinking about this is that Our group that we have. So, so I'm a...
Frank Wiebe: technician turned shop owner. You're a shop owner.
Aniz Lavji: i have ah I have a pink seal.
Frank Wiebe: Peace.
Aniz Lavji: I fix stuff sometimes.
Frank Wiebe: No, no, no, no, no pinks. We're not talking about pink slips today. but Like in our group, we had... yourself, just an owner, right? We had... owner tax. We had just tax. We had apprentices.
Frank Wiebe: Like it was we were all in a different walk of life. In that group.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: For those listening that have ever thought about ASTA, or tools. or any of these other conventions. Just go to the first one. You know, and if you're afraid of a big one like ASTA.
Frank Wiebe: There's one coming up in Pennsylvania called Super Saturday. I've never been. I've heard many good things about it. um Then again, in the spring, there's all kinds. but If you have any questions about some of these, reach out to us, reach out to the other podcasters like Jaded Mechanic.
Frank Wiebe: Always talking about. uh these events that are going on Confessions of a shop owner. You know, like... Talk. Talk to somebody and say, hey. which one would you recommend to go to?
Frank Wiebe: especially for these people that go to them regularly. They don't say all of them. But. you know not we can't all afford that so
Aniz Lavji: I think starting off tools was perfect. like
Frank Wiebe: Tools was absolutely perfect.
Aniz Lavji: it if it was for for myself like i started off my first one was asta last year but
Frank Wiebe: Good luck.
Aniz Lavji: I think if I started off with tools. It would have been. a little bit of a stepping stone and then it's like okay i went to this i got through it
Frank Wiebe: Very much so.
Aniz Lavji: I survived and then you go to the the bigger ones like i'm actually glad you went to really glad you went to tools last year because that really kind of shaved off one layer of skin before you went to this one because ASTA was like... I think four or five times the size at least.
Frank Wiebe: Well, tools Tools was about 400 people last year. Um... And I heard a rough number of 1200 at ASTA this year. So that's three times as big.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: So... But even when we were at Tools and and it was not that many people. um we
Frank Wiebe: we We met a lot of people and a lot of people that were here at ASTA as well. So that helped know that there's... calming people around. But we were still.
Frank Wiebe: Really like. our first event confused as to what was going on. But we made it through. We figured it out. We did our. Did our classes. then we went to hershey factory because you got to do that if you go to tools Um,
Frank Wiebe: And so we just had a great weekend out of it. Um, Now going here, my wife didn't join me this time. Next year, hopefully she will.
Aniz Lavji: That was one thing that. I told you I probably 20 times was like. I really wish Margarita was here.
Frank Wiebe: i bet you I bet you more than a dozen people. I... I'd have to count them, but more than a dozen people had said, hey. where's Margarita? Why is she not here? And I'm like, well...
Frank Wiebe: First of all, she's running for town council. And she's busy with that. Second of all, So if you're an Elmer, you can... Vote for her. Second of all, we had just.
Frank Wiebe: uh been to a wedding
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: Um, out of town and so we'd been away for a week and it was like Anyways. But she was very dearly missed. And I made sure that she knew that.
Aniz Lavji: Oh yeah, we we video called her.
Frank Wiebe: oh
Aniz Lavji: uh well you did and
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: And yeah, like. i always have a good whenever both of you come to the shop and stuff. And we always have great conversations. and She's you know, one of our star guests obviously on the show
Frank Wiebe: it's been a while since we've had her on we might have to convince her to do it again
Aniz Lavji: I think next year, if one of you have to go, you may have to sit this one out, Frank, because Margarita. she She has such a following not even being there.
Frank Wiebe: she'll be She'll be the fan favorite, I believe it. No, yeah, I do i do believe that. But it's it's just it's just a great event, great community for sure. Huh.
Aniz Lavji: and And it's interesting when... You think about it like I already knew Excuse me. When I went to... um When I went to Vision,
Aniz Lavji: earlier this year. uh you know, you you wait for these events to come up and you get excited and but the The worst thing is is you're like, man, I'm going to get here. And before you know it.
Aniz Lavji: This event is done. Like it flies.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: Like ASTA this year flew by. And when I was leaving, I was like, damn, like, that's it. It's done.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: I gotta wait for next year now.
Frank Wiebe: it It... It could be a weak event and it wouldn't be too much.
Aniz Lavji: It would be very difficult, I think, for a lot of shop owners because If you notice, there were a lot of shops that brought the whole team.
Frank Wiebe: Yes. No, like it would be difficult, but I'm saying like. for the amount of stuff there was to do, the amount of classes there was to take. You. if If you want to, if you could take all the classes you wanted to, it would probably be a week, especially like at ESTA.
Aniz Lavji: Easy.
Frank Wiebe: like There were so many classes to choose from.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, there there were some classes.
Frank Wiebe: that's what That's what I'm saying. like
Aniz Lavji: that I wanted to take, but
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: Like. it was just conflicting with other classes and then i was kind of trying to figure out like, wait, do I take this one or not? in
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And then. Like... so some I think there was one class, I'm not going to get into it, but... ended up leaving and you know kind of skipped into another class and
Frank Wiebe: i I... I did the exact same. I walked out of one class, I'm like, ooh, I don't want to take this one. Went into another one and that was the the wiring diagram when I hadn't even scheduled it. But I'm like.
Frank Wiebe: looking through the app and looking through the schedule. I'm like, what can I take right now? It's like, Ooh. That one's just... Two doors down. Let's go. And it was a phenomenal class. I loved it.
Aniz Lavji: I think. Out of all the classes I took. I think my favorite class. My favorite class I've got to my favorite class has got to be the one I took with Lola Schmidt
Frank Wiebe: Okay?
Aniz Lavji: which basically it was kind of about processes and Like how you're. Shop is and it makes sense your shops like a spiderweb And it's it's the glue and all these different.
Aniz Lavji: Things that you need to be aware of that kind of keeps that web in place and marketing and she has. amazing ideas. And she told us her story about You know, where they so where they started, like her her husband was...
Aniz Lavji: has a shop and then she got into it. And. what they've built now it's absolutely amazing like they do um they They have an event where she was talking about. They have young kids coming in.
Aniz Lavji: and showing them tools and letting them use power tools and explain things.
Frank Wiebe: Okay.
Aniz Lavji: and Huge event. I'll send you a link. to the pictures, like absolutely amazing.
Frank Wiebe: That's really cool, yeah.
Aniz Lavji: and You know, I made sure I let her know, like I was really impressed with. that event and how she put it together. and you know She's just got that energy. when she's teaching that class that she really wants you to absorb.
Aniz Lavji: and enjoy the class and there's so many nuggets i took out of that class uh and and ideas i mean she had um custom -made ice scrapers. with a mitt.
Aniz Lavji: And the mitt had their logo on it. so Like that's something that's going to stay in that customer's car. like every time they're scraping their car they're going to see
Frank Wiebe: unless they live in Arizona.
Aniz Lavji: unless you live in Arizona. but uh but like that was a heck of an idea and you know that's something that i'm trying to find here to to get done and You know, that class was amazing. And then.
Aniz Lavji: The class that I took with Mike Allen, Lucas. And Tanika. That was a lot of fun. And.
Frank Wiebe: I popped into the end of that one.
Aniz Lavji: it would written Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Cause I saw you outside.
Frank Wiebe: God bless you.
Aniz Lavji: I'm like, dude, you need to get in this class.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: And.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: um that class was great and Really, you know, those three that they're, you know, fellow. podcasters and Like the the information. was a lot of stuff that some of us are scared to say and don't want to really talk about but they just let everything out.
Aniz Lavji: And the discussions and the. comments back and forth from the audience. It was really good conversation. And I think for them, you know that was the first class that they hosted. i think they did a great job.
Aniz Lavji: really just talking.
Frank Wiebe: What, you mean the three of them together like that?
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, and and I think They had a great flow. And I mean, I would love to have that class. again next year, if they've got a different topic or something like that, I think it would be a lot of fun. and Everyone I talked to from that class really enjoyed it.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, then it gets to the point. I thought about that. like I know what you said when you, or was it Bruce, I think, mentioned that. He was like, Oh. As soon as I see ah instructor's name, like he said, Brendan Steckler, he's like, I'm taking Steckler's class.
Frank Wiebe: And. i took his class when i did at tools it was a phenomenal class but i'm like
Aniz Lavji: Steckler could have the... actual class and just write the word potatoes on it, it doesn't matter. It's going to be full.
Frank Wiebe: And it'd be a good class.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: um my my My thought was this. like Like I'm i would I wonder if... and i haven't been to enough events but when when these instructors do they have a different class every event they go to or do to the same class so the one class that i skipped out on is definitely a class I'd had before, right?
Frank Wiebe: Like as soon as the wording was started, I'm like, no, I've been in this class.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: I can't. So that's why I stepped out and went to the other one. But. You know, when when somebody's like, oh, I'm just going to go after this one instructor. the Two things that happened.
Frank Wiebe: One, either you would hear the same thing over and over and over again and it would...
Aniz Lavji: It's like regurgitated basically, yeah.
Frank Wiebe: or and yeah it could be either just regurgitated whatever or it could be like now it really sticks to you like glue and it's really ingrained into you Or the instructor could actually have a new class every time, which...
Frank Wiebe: would be a phenomenal. Because if you've got a phenomenal instructor and you've got a different class every time. well then it'd be worth to go to every single event right but
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Definitely. the class that that i took at tools and then the one that was uh here was a different class. And. Amen. Just... phenomenal, phenomenal training.
Aniz Lavji: It all depends. on the instructor too like sometimes there's like you said
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: There's instructors that will have a class. That somewhat sounds similar, but you know that that. person Always. teaches such a great class that you may even learn something that you forgot.
Aniz Lavji: or didn't pick up on last time because you were in a different state of mind.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Now, you know a year later. that class comes on again you're like you know what I remember that person said it and now it's all making sense because you've had another year to grow, right, Frank?
Frank Wiebe: Mm -hmm.
Aniz Lavji: You've got another year to grow. and understand those processes and that The nuggets that you learned from last time, you probably applied them. But now they mention this one thing.
Aniz Lavji: that applies to everything you've done. in that year and you're like, okay. This is just bringing everything together. And now I'm fully understanding. why I really liked it last time and I'm loving the class. this time.
Frank Wiebe: You mentioned the word processes and processes and procedures. Like that was the two main classes. That was the two main classes I wanted to take is that was what I was after.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Like I. Like you said, Lola. i maybe i should have took her class as well but that was what i needed I needed to learn how to write the proper processes. procedures.
Frank Wiebe: s SOPs, all that for my shop because like. I feel like we just get them kind of. you know wheeling it And that's what I did there. I took a class before at tools and it and it didn't really really stick.
Frank Wiebe: And now here I'm like, you know what? Exactly that. I had the background already from the class I took at tools. and the two classes I took this time. And it just kind of brought it all together. And I'm like, okay, well. This is what I can do.
Frank Wiebe: And I've been starting to write them and I've got like. I don't know, 10 under my belt already written in the last. Weak? um And it's and it's just been like.
Frank Wiebe: It's... How long it's been since we've been back?
Aniz Lavji: We're back on Sunday. It's been six days.
Frank Wiebe: Oh, well. So in the last week.
Aniz Lavji: This week, by the way, has flown by. like
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, and ah i started writing them I already he started writing them while we were there.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: and And it's already making a difference. in in how the shop operates because what i what i told margarita is when we go back to the shop And anytime that we have a situation. So we had a situation this week.
Frank Wiebe: And so we all kind of got together and we we're like, well, this is what happened. And this is what should have happened. I said, perfect. This is exactly what we need. Now we can take this. and I can write a procedure out of this.
Frank Wiebe: And so now I've written that procedure. So that that situation should never happen again. Right, so the next time this person to this person to this person everyone will know what their what they're job is to do at that point.
Frank Wiebe: And it won't be like.
Aniz Lavji: I guess sometimes the
Frank Wiebe: And.
Aniz Lavji: One of the issues is with certain and employees and team members. If you're not... as a leader like you know you and margarita are the leaders of your company As a leader, if you're not offering direction.
Aniz Lavji: to your team members and letting them know like this is the way that you want it done
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And this is the way that when somebody comes into the shop. This is the way I want them greeted. when you're answering the phone, this is exactly the way we should answer the phone. This is how we take appointments.
Aniz Lavji: This is the information I... need on the RO. if this is a requirement and that's it like there's no deviation around it and i'm writing it down this is So if you don't do that,
Aniz Lavji: you know we can hold Are people accountable? and accountability. And that's a one word you hear on every podcast is accountability. If we don't hold our team members accountable, then Don't get upset when your numbers or your processes are not followed.
Aniz Lavji: Okay.
Frank Wiebe: I agree with that to ah to an extent. I do leave a little bit of leeway because I'm like,
Aniz Lavji: Yes, 100%.
Frank Wiebe: if If you're just like if this and this and this and this.
Aniz Lavji: But you can't be a complete hard ass on it. I understand.
Frank Wiebe: You got you gotta to leave a little bit of room for your employees to... self -expression. um like you were talking
Aniz Lavji: like do it in their own their own way, but still follow what they need to. but obviously you've got to be stern at some point if it's not
Frank Wiebe: Yeah exactly.
Aniz Lavji: follow it properly. Right. but
Frank Wiebe: Well, i was I was talking with my...
Aniz Lavji: There's got to be some accountability for sure.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, I was talking with my apprentice yesterday. So I sat down with him and they were like, Yeah, like... yeah ah Him and I do oil changes slightly different, right? and And I'm like, you know, this is what I'm writing down.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: This is what I'm thinking. And then he was explaining to me how he does it for him.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: And it 100 % makes sense to him. As long as he still follows. So I wrote it up so that. I mean you follow all of the steps. This is your checklist. But you can do it in a little bit of a different order if you need to.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: for your for your the way that your brain functions and the way that you can make it work. So you got to leave that little bit of room with your text so that there is a little bit of room for their own expressions.
Frank Wiebe: But. these are non -negotiables. This must be done.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: Even if this is done up here. But it must be done. All right. So when I write my procedures, I always write a checklist. at the like This is your checklist. Did you do this and this and this and this?
Frank Wiebe: if you're good then then the job is considered finished if the job if you didn't do this and this and this that job is not considered finished and you are not allowed to hand in keys or handy ro in
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. Yeah, it's Policies and procedures are super important when it you know, in this type of work that we do.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: And it just makes things flow a lot nicer. and you know Lower the stress level. Because if everyone's following the same. procedure and the same policy then everyone's uh you know Everyone's rowing the same boat, if that makes sense.
Frank Wiebe: Essentially, you have to think of it as ah an assembly line. I've been thinking about it a lot like that, right? you've got Say you're building a car right you got your this is the job that you're doing You're not looking at what that guy's doing over there because that's not concerning for you.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: That's not your job. This is your job. You've been given this job, you do this job, and then you hand it off.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: Right. Essentially, that's where we're at. right We need to get into that position where this is the job that we're doing. Don't worry about this unless that's the job you've been given. I think a lot of times in our industry it's always been. I know for me.
Frank Wiebe: When I got it in the trade, it was like... You just do everything. And it was and it's like. everything and i have to learn everything i have to learn every car i have to
Aniz Lavji: yeah
Frank Wiebe: i have to take care of the garbage i have to take care of sweeping the floor i have to take care of All the oil changes. entirely Like, it was everything.
Aniz Lavji: Yes.
Frank Wiebe: And it's like, okay, yeah, we can all do everything. but in ah in a procedure that makes sense to everybody, right?
Aniz Lavji: But that's that's the normal that we knew before we, right? that was just like Good morning.
Frank Wiebe: Exactly.
Aniz Lavji: You were told or... what you thought was
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, exactly. Just normal. like if you're a one -man show using air quotes like you're going to handle the accounting you're going to handle this you're going to handle this and when there's a fire to put out you're the person that does that And it's... it's When you think back at it, it's like, why the hell?
Aniz Lavji: were we doing it this way? And why do we not think on our own? that this is not normal, this is not right.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: You know?
Frank Wiebe: No, I get that
Aniz Lavji: i don't I don't understand why we did that.
Frank Wiebe: I don't know. it It's a good question.
Aniz Lavji: right like if like when we think about it now we're like Why don't we just hire someone? to answer the phones a very simple thing you think about it Someone answer the phones while you can be in the back turning wrenches.
Frank Wiebe: ah You know what? I know i'd understand it exactly because actually I hired someone right off the bat. to answer the phones because i already knew like i had the shop i ran
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: I worked out before. it Pretty much managed it. And I was responsible for answering the phones. making invoices, talking to customers. doing the work. taking it like I was a service writer and technician. 100%.
Frank Wiebe: And it was. too much, right? And I knew that was too much. And I knew that when I started my shop. I would not be able to do it, even if I was slow. I wouldn't be able to do it. And all these guys are out there like, oh man, I'm, I've been doing this for two, three years and I'm finally thinking of hiring a service writer.
Frank Wiebe: That's the very first thing you should have done. That's the same time you you got your business phone is the time you should have. hired a service writer.
Aniz Lavji: Exactly.
Frank Wiebe: And. I tell everyone that I still see a guy in my town. He's. doing it literally by himself. It's just him. He's doing the service writing. All the work.
Frank Wiebe: It's a one -man show. 100 % one -man show. And I'm like... How? like How can you even get anything done now? Understand, got way less overhead that way.
Frank Wiebe: but you also have way less production so i guess the Which way do you want to go with it?
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, but you know
Frank Wiebe: i
Aniz Lavji: you burn yourself out, right?
Frank Wiebe: You do, 100%.
Aniz Lavji: you You burn yourself out. And you start to resent the business. You're like, Oh my God, I got to go in tomorrow. I got to deal with this customer. And I forgot to call back that other customer. Oh, or in the middle of the night, you're like.
Aniz Lavji: Oh crap, I didn't call Miss Jones back.
Frank Wiebe: mm -hmm
Aniz Lavji: Today's Friday.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: Oh my gosh, she called on Tuesday
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, and she wanted me.
Aniz Lavji: like i i missed that i missed the boat and she's such a good customer but I just got busy talking to Bob and Joe and James and Mary.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: And I completely. forgot about Miss Jones and she's one of my favorite customers. man now if i call her she's gonna be like well i've been waiting for you for four days Like... We missed the boat so much when We're not.
Aniz Lavji: focused. on certain tasks, right? But...
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: how much can you focus on are you gonna you know Are you going to diag that vehicle and find the wiring problem or are you going to answer the phone? Or... your supplier calls that this part's not available and now you got to call a different supplier to order from somewhere else and like all these different moving parts. How much are you supposed to remember?
Frank Wiebe: it's It's a lot.
Aniz Lavji: and then And then somewhere in there, you have to remember to eat.
Frank Wiebe: Well, that's usually the number one thing that gets forgotten. is up.
Aniz Lavji: All the time.
Frank Wiebe: Or I've done it myself when when I didn't have enough help in the shop and it just work, work, work, work, work. And then my wife. i go I go in the office and I'd say something. She's like. Go eat your damn lunch. You're you're being hangry.
Frank Wiebe: ah Like, okay. But if we get to that point, because it's just like. We have this idea that... the Cars come first and we don't take care of ourselves, right?
Aniz Lavji: And.
Frank Wiebe: And that's...
Aniz Lavji: And then we start losing.
Frank Wiebe: Go ahead.
Aniz Lavji: started losing focus on What's really important, right? Yes it's important to make money it's important to take care of the shop but
Frank Wiebe: And.
Aniz Lavji: We don't take care of ourselves. We started neglecting our family life because we're so busy. in the shop trying to keep everything afloat. that you know we start missing appointments. you know you're supposed to Leave the shop at 4 so you can be home by 5.
Aniz Lavji: because you know, you got to take your kids here or we're going to someone's house and you know all those things you're the one that they know okay he's going to be late He's going to be late because he's at the shop. He's at the shop.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, it's it's no, it's extremely important to do that for sure. Um... Take care.
Aniz Lavji: And sometimes you don't realize until it's too late.
Frank Wiebe: So taking care of your health, taking care of yourself. Eight. I'm very thankful I have a ah mentor. he's He's retired now.
Frank Wiebe: And he always looks at me whenever we get together. He says, you're not working too hard, are you? And I'm like, I'm trying not to. And he said. So he spent his whole life working, working, working, working. And I think he said he worked 20 years and never once had a week off, never took a vacation with his family, nothing.
Frank Wiebe: And I said, you know what? I was just about there. I did. I pretty much did that because I was like. I can never afford a vacation. And. And when when we started when we started hanging out, he's like...
Frank Wiebe: you have to take that time for you. You have to take the time for your family.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: And it's so crucially important. You have to take care of your health. Like. I go for. a massage every three weeks. Because... If I didn't do that.
Frank Wiebe: I'd be a hurtin' i'm in a hurting unit anyway, but...
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: way worse and i know guys that'll never go they they'll never go relax Like. I understand. I like working. I like being busy. i like Getting up in a boat.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: right There comes a time and a place. So don't be working seven days a week. Um, don't Don't just be... Go, go, go all the time. Take time with your family. Take time with your friends.
Frank Wiebe: Um, Just take time and enjoy the sunshine.
Aniz Lavji: ah
Frank Wiebe: summer is almost over so Get out there. Get your motorbike out one more time, your bicycle out one more time. Go wash your car if you have to, but do something other than work because.
Frank Wiebe: customers cars Yeah, they're important. But... Your health is way more important. If you don't believe that. Come talk to me. I can tell you some stories of why it is more important.
Aniz Lavji: the The cars are going to be here today. They're going to be here tomorrow. and if they're If they're your true customers that you've... you know built up over the years they're going to wait another day
Frank Wiebe: Yep. very much.
Aniz Lavji: and And they'll figure it out. um You know, one one big thing that. I've really done well with I think this year is not um over pro like not promising cars to be ready you know,
Aniz Lavji: same day if it's something that could go sideways, right? So...
Frank Wiebe: Let me interject here a little bit. I work for a guy. I learned this years ago. Somebody told me always.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Under promise and over deliver.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: And I worked for a guy who did the exact opposite.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Frank Wiebe: he Always over -promised. and he always under delivery it was it was like
Aniz Lavji: That's how you get pissed off customers, right?
Frank Wiebe: It was methodic. It was like Every time, repeatedly. And I'm like, we i know we can't get it done yeah but you can try right i said i can try but i can't promise it He goes and tells the customer, yeah, it'll be done by the end of the day. I said. That's not what I said.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: I'm end of day and it's not done. He's like, oh, but I told him it'd be done. i said Sorry, buddy.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, and and you told him that it's not going to be done, so that's on you.
Frank Wiebe: I told them it wasn't going to be done, right? So always, always. Under promise, over deliver.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, I always let them let the customers know, like, look, this this job
Frank Wiebe: Thank you.
Aniz Lavji: this job is you know it's an eight nine hour job we're only open for eight hours And. There is a very good chance this is not going to get done today.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: So I would plan. for picking up the car tomorrow.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: So make your plans for tomorrow. If somehow one of my other guys freeze up. and is able to lend a hand. then We'll see what happens. but I'm telling you.
Aniz Lavji: that today is very, very unlikely.
Frank Wiebe: No guarantee. Yeah, 100%.
Aniz Lavji: And sometimes that's not even the right way to even put it either, giving them hope.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: But you know if there is somewhat of a chance where I feel like... I have another technician. that's going to be finishing up a job at this time and then there's three hours or two hours, which there should never be like that. You should try and plan to. fill your guys' time. but If there is some time and he can jump over to this and finish off a portion of that job.
Aniz Lavji: to get the car back in the customer's hands. That's great. I mean the customers, you know even happier but Yeah, you're right. You know, under promise, over deliver, man.
Frank Wiebe: Yep. Night.
Aniz Lavji: It's a big thing that a lot of shop owners and technicians turn shop owners fail to understand that is is so simple when you think about it
Frank Wiebe: This.
Aniz Lavji: is just put that expectation in their minds from the beginning.
Frank Wiebe: Yep, very much.
Aniz Lavji: But. There's a possibility. we could run into this run into we're doing your brakes but we could run into calipers Sure, calipers are a dime a dozen.
Frank Wiebe: Yes, Mr. Jones.
Frank Wiebe: Good.
Aniz Lavji: but what if there you need both rears and there's only one available and the other one's overnight.
Frank Wiebe: Exactly.
Aniz Lavji: Or your ride.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: rubber brake hose on some vehicles. is not a dime a dozen part what if you we can't get a rubber brake hose for your back back brakes and that has to be ordered from the dealer and it's going to be overnight.
Frank Wiebe: mm -hmm
Aniz Lavji: What do you want me to do?
Frank Wiebe: Well, that's why you tell Mrs. Jones. Yeah, Mrs. Jones. We'll do our very best to have this vehicle ready for you tomorrow. And then if all of a sudden you get it done by the end of the day, you call Mrs. Jones and say, hey, Mrs. Jones, everything went exactly according to plan.
Frank Wiebe: You know what? We had no issues. We were able to get it done for you early. Any chance you can come pick it up tonight.
Aniz Lavji: They're even happier.
Frank Wiebe: Ooh.
Aniz Lavji: They're like. Whoa, wow, really?
Frank Wiebe: Whoa!
Aniz Lavji: It's done?
Frank Wiebe: That's really worked hard.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, we did. and You may have not put in. you know major extra effort to get it done today. And you probably knew that more than likely it's going to be done today.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: Great. You put it in their minds that it's going to be a, you know. let's say today today is friday it'll be a monday thing But they get their car back on Friday all nice and done.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: they're going to be talking about it all weekend it's like oh man i was trying to figure out this weekend because i didn't think i'd get my car but Frank woke up an extra eight minutes early and actually worked for once and he fixed my car.
Frank Wiebe: They got it.
Frank Wiebe: i You know what? I don't do that very often.
Aniz Lavji: I know. That's what I'm saying.
Frank Wiebe: Them 11 -hour days just aren't.
Aniz Lavji: but
Frank Wiebe: it's too much
Aniz Lavji: But you know the the work ethic from the shop owner trickles down into the staff.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: if, you know, you know, if your work ethic is to Be straight with the customers. you know, when you're making estimates. do them ethically, honestly. Don't try to rip the customers apart.
Aniz Lavji: When your staff sees the way that you talk with your customers, That all trickles down. And it rubs off on your staff, too, because they're like, man, you know I'm working at a place where they're really.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: focused on taking care of the customer. And. you will sometimes change the personality or the whole feeling in the shop. because they want to project. the same kind of output as the owner of the shop too because they're like okay this is what the culture is we take care of our people But if the shop owner is.
Aniz Lavji: kind of moving around the truth and trying to you know, deceive the customers I mean, it it trickles down to your technicians. They're like, oh, well.
Aniz Lavji: you know, I like to say if they're flat rate and. uh they're like well you know this this calls for four hours but you know what? Whatever. I'm just going to throw it at 5 .5 and I'll just work a little slower and get an extra hour and a half. but you know, like.
Aniz Lavji: my owner he's he's probably charging him up the wazoo anyway so what the heck who cares
Frank Wiebe: There's always that This honesty happens way too much in this trade.
Aniz Lavji: But I think the more.
Frank Wiebe: That's a good way to... Good way to kill business.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. And then you know I was talking to a few people that... You know, you get all these, you you see in the video. with the AutoZone and All those. ah all the cars in the parking lot outside all being fixed and Have you seen it?
Frank Wiebe: Oh yeah, oh. Down in Texas, yeah.
Aniz Lavji: so you know Yes, they're getting stuff done cheap. I highly doubt any of them. well Licensing is very different in the States anyways. but you know, all all that going on there and then you've got these brick and mortar shops that are paying rents paying their employees charging tax
Frank Wiebe: No.
Aniz Lavji: workman's comp and you know, keeping such a clean shop and yes their prices are going to be higher because they have an overhead And then you've got people. parked out in a parking lot getting their cars fixed. like And they don't have to pay all this stuff.
Frank Wiebe: No, just running a business is expensive to begin with.
Aniz Lavji: It's just not a joke.
Frank Wiebe: But...
Aniz Lavji: I mean, some people think. well, I'm making X amount of dollars as a technician. And this is my hourly rate. well i can just open up a shop and charge 149 or 129 an hour and look now i'm making more money but From that.
Aniz Lavji: hourly rate start taking out your rent, start taking out your insurance. You got to pay your people. And that 149 trickles down to a very small number. at the end of the day.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: But a lot of people fail to realize that.
Frank Wiebe: We hope.
Aniz Lavji: It's not just your labor rate. You've got to take a lot out of that. Chunk. before you're actually making a profit.
Frank Wiebe: Well, in the end of the day, that's the whole point of running a business and making money. That's why that's why technicians turn shop owners because they're like, hey, I want to i want to make more money. And. Everyone does that. Everyone.
Frank Wiebe: wants to make more money in one way or another. As long as you can continue to do that. Keep customers happy you know running a business that's great But when you start... ripping people off and doing shady stuff.
Frank Wiebe: You know what then then you you better off to just not to be that's why a lot of people they like oh I'm gonna look for somebody else because I feel like I'm being ripped off here Are you being ripped off or are you just? unhappy with the fact that They also need to make money.
Frank Wiebe: You're going to work to make money. They're running a business to make money. And I think a lot of people, they get at that point, they get unhappy with the fact that. Hey, I'm going to business. Yeah. They're making money.
Frank Wiebe: But they're also doing something that... you either can't or won't do. And I always say that. I say that to everyone. I'm like... You're gonna pay somebody in your whole life. You're always gonna pay somebody to do something that either you can't do or you don't want to do That guy. I'm a pretty handy guy. I can do a lot of things, but there's a lot of things I don't want to do.
Frank Wiebe: And so I'll pay somebody to do that. And that's somebody that I'm paying. They're making money. So if you're Driving a car. and you don't want to fix your car you're going to pay somebody to fix your car If you're driving a... car And you can't fix your car. You don't know how.
Frank Wiebe: you're going to pay somebody to fix your car.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, like
Frank Wiebe: And that's somebody that's fixing your car is making money on you, whether it's a... Mobile mechanic somebody's on the road or a shop down the road and all depends on what kind of service you're gonna get while that job's getting done.
Aniz Lavji: Like the...
Frank Wiebe: That's the rule. Down to.
Aniz Lavji: The biggest disservice that a lot of people are are doing is accepting customer supplied parts.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: So when you get somebody.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: coming in and you know in the back seat of the car they've got front and rear rotors and pads and ah You know, they got a right front control arm. and you know they're like hey you know i've got all these parts what will you charge to put them on?
Aniz Lavji: say well it just so You know, you're in the wrong shop. And. Yes, we have an hourly rate, but... We make money on our parts and that's what makes the... the world go around we we have to charge a markup on our parts.
Aniz Lavji: Because when we install them, if there's an issue down the line, and sometimes for some reason maybe the warranty doesn't cover it because of this or that who knows You know, you had a buffer there.
Aniz Lavji: that you take care of the customer and be like you know what
Frank Wiebe: Then are we.
Aniz Lavji: you're my You're my customer. I'm taking care of it. it's done and You're on your way.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, that's where that's where our in -house warranty kicks in, right? You know that That very much.
Aniz Lavji: mean People that accept. you know a job where you would have made five or six hundred bucks on these parts and they're just taking a whole bunch of pads and rotors and front and rear and you're like, okay, well, I'll just charge you, you know.
Aniz Lavji: 200 bucks to put you your parts on. And then I can guarantee you. two months down the line they're gonna come back and say oh you know frank you put my brakes and rotors on i'm hearing some noise like What did you do wrong?
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: And now it becomes your problem.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, we've... We've had that happen. Um. and you can't And you can't qualify the the quality of the parts either at that point.
Aniz Lavji: And you can write down whatever you want on the invoice that.
Frank Wiebe: that
Aniz Lavji: uh you know customer supplied parts just the labor
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: If something goes wrong, it's going to come back on you and you're going to say, well, I gave you the parts and I just wanted them put on. You must have done something wrong or didn't install it right. You don't know what you're doing. and There's your one -star Google review. you know, that's it was it worth it for the whatever x amount of hours you did no it wasn't
Frank Wiebe: That very much reminds me of this. video i've seen where the somebody's like oh testing a an Amazon parachute and they hold a parachute out of the plane.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: And as it. opens up, it just tears one. string right off
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: It's like would you buy it? I got thinking of like that. Would you buy a parachute off Amazon? and jump out of a plane Wearing that. Now not to say that Amazon doesn't have legitimate parts and legitimate whatever, but I'm just saying.
Frank Wiebe: if it's if it's and You can find it there cheaper instead of somebody that you know. does this every day for a living. And this is all they do is they make parachutes and they sell parachutes and they themselves use these parachutes and stuff like that.
Frank Wiebe: But you're like, hey, I can get it $300 cheaper over here.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Are you going to trust that $300 cheaper parachute?
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, but Frank, when...
Frank Wiebe: Are you going to trust that $20 rotor compared to this $80 rotor?
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, but that parachute, when it fails in the air and you drop and you're a big splatter. the whoever's left around your area can take that parachute and return it though, right?
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, probably. Yeah, yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, you won't be here anymore, but I mean, at least ah at least a parachute gets returned.
Frank Wiebe: you know
Frank Wiebe: A to Z return policy right there.
Aniz Lavji: Right? so That's... Right. that's That's something, you know. the The fact that you can buy rotors and pads on Amazon is is beyond me. like it's It's wild.
Frank Wiebe: Yeah. Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: and And again, that's a whole nother conversation with. you know, people being able to repair their cars themselves and stuff like that i mean I'm all for someone that has you know a door latch that they want to take their door apart.
Aniz Lavji: and fix a door latch or you know they're their seats not moving front and back and they need to take the seat off and and maybe there's something stuck in there whatever but When you get into people jacking up their vehicles.
Aniz Lavji: that should never. be working on breaks and suspension. Like... I don't think it makes sense for people to be able to do that in their driveway like There has to be. some kind of I don't want to say the word certification, but...
Aniz Lavji: There has to be something done because there's a there's so many vehicles that come in. that they're Like, oh, you know, my... my buddy or my why My wife's friend was fixing my ball joint.
Aniz Lavji: and ever since you know ever since he did that i'm hearing this crazy noise in the front and you put the car up and everything is loose you know they probably they left a few lug nuts loose the ball joint the pin wasn't through there's a pin that goes through the bottom nut or whatever And then you're charging them like an hour labor to fix that.
Aniz Lavji: and Like, what did you save?
Frank Wiebe: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Nothing. You should have brought it to me in the first place.
Frank Wiebe: That's it. I've thought about oil changes for years because of some customers are like oh no i do my own oil change at home in the garage and ah And I thought about it a few times. And I'm like, okay, you walk into your local Canadian tire and you you look at the price of the filter and the price of the oil.
Frank Wiebe: And all that. And I'm looking at that and I'm thinking. And... The one time, and it's been a while since I did it, but the one time I looked and I calculated and I said, They are honestly. It's costing them $20 less.
Frank Wiebe: to do it themselves than to bring it to me.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: for that $20 They have to. Spend a Saturday morning. Jack up the vehicle.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: Hopefully safe.
Aniz Lavji: safely.
Frank Wiebe: with Hopefully safely with stands. Get an oil bucket. Drainy Oil out. Hopefully they don't make a mess on their driveway. Change everything.
Frank Wiebe: Make sure it's the right oil, everything. so If you do all that right. Still have to dispose of the old oil. What are you going to do now? So now you come to your local garage and say hey I've got these jugs of used oil any chance you want to take them and you say No.
Aniz Lavji: Actually, no, I can dispose of it.
Frank Wiebe: Amen.
Aniz Lavji: It'll be 20 bucks.
Frank Wiebe: Right?
Aniz Lavji: Oh, look, you didn't save anything.
Frank Wiebe: But the thing... Yet. And that's and not's just the thing. For all of that hassle, I often think, like it's it's you know what, I'm all for saving money. But at what point?
Aniz Lavji: but How fast do we spend 20 bucks on useless crap?
Frank Wiebe: At what point... Yeah. At what point does it not make sense anymore?
Aniz Lavji: You know, I called. them We ran out of 016 oil. And.
Frank Wiebe: ah we We've used that maybe twice.
Aniz Lavji: Well, we use it like... almost every day or every other day because we get a lot of we get a lot of newer Toyotas and they all take the 016.
Frank Wiebe: Okay.
Aniz Lavji: so
Frank Wiebe: Yeah, we... We do 020 a lot.
Aniz Lavji: So I ran out. So then I ended up just calling. a calling car quest and i'm like hey you know like how much is a five liter jug of zero 16. There's a hundred bucks And I'm like.
Aniz Lavji: Okay, so I mean... like like just as soon as i hung up the phone i'm like you know what like We charge $99 for a regular... full synthetic oil change on most vehicles.
Frank Wiebe: ah Okay. Yep.
Aniz Lavji: I hung up the phone. I went into Techmetric. And at that moment, i was like you know what I'm changing this. I don't care what comes in. The minimum charge from oil change from today is $129.
Frank Wiebe: Do you? So you have a set oil change rate.
Aniz Lavji: I have a set set rate.
Frank Wiebe: thank you Okay, because we just do like... cost of oil cost of filter and then we have a set service fee for doing this service But every vehicle, like I had a car yesterday, took three and a half liters.
Frank Wiebe: The next car took seven liters of... You know. And they're both light duty vehicles. Both use the exact same oil.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Frank Wiebe: That's a significant difference, like five liters of oil difference.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, so I...
Frank Wiebe: Of course.
Aniz Lavji: It was getting too complicated. with the oil and everything. So I just set one price. It doesn't matter what it is. because like you said if one vehicle may take three and a half four liters and one takes five or six then you know, we just it all evens out so we just Now we're sticking with the 129.
Aniz Lavji: Now you're making a little bit of money on that oil change. and the people that don't want to spend the extra $29 because the other guy's doing it cheaper.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: they're not going to change their ball joint with you they're not going to do this work with you And they're not going to be the customer you want to shop anyways. so
Frank Wiebe: Right.
Aniz Lavji: if If they're not going to come to me for $29, I'm okay with it.
Frank Wiebe: yeah you can still keep working on the teslas that don't need oil changes so you're still good
Aniz Lavji: ah i love them i
Frank Wiebe: that's the system
Aniz Lavji: but We have Frank. i'm glad we got to hang out together for you know, of three or four days at least in ASTA. and Relieved.
Frank Wiebe: That was an absolute blast
Aniz Lavji: Refresh, man.
Frank Wiebe: Yep.
Aniz Lavji: I know we we kind of lost track of ASDA in this conversation, but, you know.
Frank Wiebe: Hopefully we can do it again.
Aniz Lavji: A lot of the stuff that we learn is online.
Frank Wiebe: It led to where we were. How about that?
Aniz Lavji: Sorry?
Frank Wiebe: It led to what we talked about. It really did.
Aniz Lavji: Exactly. Exactly man.
Frank Wiebe: no it's all good
Aniz Lavji: But thanks, Frank. I know it's Saturday morning. you got a full day of a lot of full day of things you got to get done today so
Frank Wiebe: Always something to do.
Aniz Lavji: Won't keep you any longer. um Thank you everyone for listening. I'm so sorry that we haven't. been releasing episodes every week. it's Life's been busy, mostly on my part.
Aniz Lavji: And we're going to really try to keep up with our episodes every week. But you know follow us on Facebook if you're not already. Send us a message if you have any questions about training or just want to reach out, if you want to be a guest on the show.
Aniz Lavji: reach out to myself or Frank. And. yeah we appreciate all the support and until next time we're signing off
Frank Wiebe: Take care.
