Automotive Repair News Today

Braxton Critcher [00:00:05]:
Well, Chad Snitz is our guest on Automotive Repair News today. He is the VP of Top Dawn. What's up, Chad?

Chad Snitz [00:00:13]:
Hi. I'm just glad to be here. Good to be with you.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:15]:
Put you on the spot. It's okay if you say no. So just putting that out there. Did you listen to my podcast about my reaction to Vision?

Chad Snitz [00:00:28]:
That has not come across my desk yet. So I'm still working on that one.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:32]:
All right, well, when you do, you will hear me pat you on the back.

Chad Snitz [00:00:37]:
Oh, well, I appreciate that.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:39]:
Just letting you know.

Chad Snitz [00:00:40]:
What did I do right that deserved a pat on the back?

Braxton Critcher [00:00:43]:
Well, you were only with me for 10 minutes, but you did a lot of things right in that 10 minutes. I can't account or testify to what you did outside of those 10 minutes in vision, but with the 10 minutes with me, you were like, jesus, you're awesome.

Chad Snitz [00:00:57]:
Well, I wouldn't quite go that far. Basically, I did some introductions because.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:03]:
And I said, you know, I was on the show floor at Vision for a couple hours and just shaking hands, meeting people and that kind of thing. And I shook yours. And then you proceeded to help me shake three others. And I thought the way you did that I. I used you as an example. And I said, you know, this industry, I've been in it for about a year and I've met some amazing people, and a lot of the people in the industry will go over and beyond for someone they don't even know. And I said, here's a great example. So Chad, with Topdon, we met and he and I connected and you were like, I've got to introduce you to other people.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:42]:
So you walked me around the show floor, you introduced me to people, and that was awesome. But it just. It just struck me that there's a lot of people like you in this industry, and it's fantastic. And so anyway, you got name dropped on that episode that came out last week. So there you go. And I do. I just thank you eye to eye here on the video call and this podcast. But, you know, that really stood out to me.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:07]:
And, you know, at first you didn't know who I was, but you made it intentional. You had struck up conversation and you had no clue who you were talking to. You didn't have to do that. So thank you.

Chad Snitz [00:02:19]:
You're very welcome. And you're right, this industry is full of a lot of great people. And it's a small industry. Right. We see people that will move around, but people never leave. They may be in a different booth or wearing a Different shirt the next time you see them. But this is a pretty tight knit group and I see the value that you bring to the industry and I see the value that you can bring to some of my friends in the industry. So I'm happy to make those introductions when it's appropriate because we get people that come to us all the time just, hey, what can I get from you that's free? And then there's people that say, hey, how can I help you grow? And that's the kind of person I am.

Chad Snitz [00:03:05]:
I want to help you grow. I want to help the industry grow and I want the people to know that they, hey, there are options out there and solutions out there that you might not know about.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:15]:
Well, if you didn't know Chad and he didn't know the people behind the scenes at Top dawn, now you do. They're real people and man, great people in my opinion. So there you go. But so it was also interesting because you and I connected. I said, you know, I want to get on your press release thing and I want to get you on the show at some point, just talk about upcoming tools and other newsworthy items that topped on. But then I get back from Kansas City and I get a press release from the Auto Care association and you were voted onto the board. And I was like, oh, well, that's newsworthy. So how long has this been in the works?

Chad Snitz [00:03:57]:
Yeah, so basically I was invited to apply to the board and this is the board for tool and equipment at the Auto Care Association. And this is an opportunity for people in the industry to say, hey, here's a challenge and we need to find a solution. Let's find it together. And this board is made up of competitors of mine. It is made up of other people in the industry. It is made up of people that are media in the industry as well. So we kind of have this really broad spectrum of people. And I was invited and I applied the previous year and I was not invited to be on the board that year.

Chad Snitz [00:04:38]:
So I applied again this year and I was selected. So it's absolutely an honor to be able to do this and to work with this great team of people to be able to get our ideas out there and try and provide some solutions maybe for challenges that people industry didn't even realize we had. And one of those is right to repair. And that's one of the things that, that I'm passionate about and things that I think that I can help with. So that's kind of one of those that I have taken on to be able to try and push that forward and let the industry know, hey, what's going on with right to repair and why is it important?

Braxton Critcher [00:05:12]:
Well, it's funny you bring that up because I was about to ask. Okay, so I don't know a ton about the boards with like the term lengths with aca. Is it a year? You kind of alluded to that.

Chad Snitz [00:05:26]:
Yeah. So it's actually, it's a three year. Three years. Yeah. So it's three years total. And then after that you can become a director of the board, so you can have some extra time there if you wanted to. And this is all voluntary, so if they don't like me or I don't like them, it's something that I can back out of. But I intend to stay the whole three years.

Chad Snitz [00:05:49]:
And a lot of times with anything, it kind of takes you some time to get used to the other people. And hey, this is the process. So I think a three year term is, is very good because it gives us time to get a feel for what's going on and to make the best of the time we have there.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:05]:
Yeah, no, it makes sense. I thought a year was a little too short, so that's good. Three years. But you know, I was going to ask you in your term, what, what things are you excited about? You brought up right to repair. So we certainly can talk about that. But when you think about, hey, I'd love to have conversations about this right to repair, it seems like it's on the top of your priority list. But what other things, you know, do you want to, you know, have conversations about?

Chad Snitz [00:06:31]:
Yeah, so just because of being in the industry so long and seeing the talent in the industry, it is. How do we keep that going? Who's. Who's next up? Who's the next generation and how do we reach out to that generation to, to get into this profession? Yeah, I'm on the tool and equipment board, but we also have ties into the schools. And how do we get students excited? How do we get more females in the profession? How do we get women in auto care built up? So those are some of the things that are on my radar. And really for me it's who's up next? Right. Who's, who's the next generation? That's going to be the trainers and instructors at Vision. And we see the talent pool at Vision is changing age ranges. I don't know if you noticed this or not, but the instructors, you know, the silver hair guys, are slowly starting to fade into the background.

Chad Snitz [00:07:30]:
You got Another young generation coming up and being that new instructor and teaching the new things. So that is very exciting for me as well.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:40]:
So, right to repair, what's your thoughts on that?

Chad Snitz [00:07:44]:
So the right to repair is a difficult one because it gets thrown around a lot. And my view on right to repair is, do I have access to the information and knowledge I need to be able to fix a car properly the first time without having to chase an OE or take it to a dealer? So where I live in Indiana, if I was to buy a BMW, my closest dealership to me is 2 1/2 hours away. So I live way outside of Indianapolis. So for me to get to that BMW dealer, that's a challenge. And we need to be able, as an industry to have access to that information, to be able to do that repair or that emissions upgrade or replace that computer or whatever it may be. So I think that the industry has this thought of, hey, it's done. We have right to repair because we have all data or Mitchell or Identifix. We have the information, but is it all the information? I think that as technicians, we get frustrated that, hey, I get to this step and then I don't have that download that I can fix this vehicle with.

Chad Snitz [00:09:03]:
And that's kind of where we're stepping in at the auto care tool and equipment is, what's that last 10% we're missing? How can we work with the OES to get that information? How can we work with ETI, how can we work with NASTIF to be able to get that information into the hands of the technician so they can make a proper repair and get that customer back on the road.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:20]:
Yeah. So, I mean, you know, I had Lisa Faucher on at Vision. We talked about right to repair, so people can go listen.

Chad Snitz [00:09:27]:
Absolutely amazing. And I will refer everything to Lisa. She is the. The person that has the most understanding of what right to repair is and what we're doing. So.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:35]:
Oh, she's fantastic.

Chad Snitz [00:09:36]:
She's the authority. She trumps everything I say.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:38]:
She is. She's fantastic. And so if. If you. If you're listening to this podcast and you have not listened to that episode and you're interested about right to repair, then go back, like, five episodes and listen to the one with Lisa Faucher, because she is fantastic. She is very knowledgeable and is the authority on that stuff. So I'm glad I got to pull her aside for, like, 10 minutes and have that conversation. But it is important, you know, I, I just.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:05]:
The. The things that I've Pondered and heard from Lisa and others about the unwillingness to budge from the OEMs and the manufacturers when this happens, because I believe it's going to happen. And Lisa told me, because I thought it was going to be happening this year, but she said, no, probably next year, probably full term of Congress, Hope for the best, expect the worst on that. But even when it happens, there's still going to be. Because to me, manufacturers and the aftermarket need to have a good relationship. I mean, they need each other. My goodness, do they need each other. And so I don't want this to cause friction like that doesn't need to happen.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:55]:
So I just hope that when this gets passed and manufacturers do have to release that data, that there's common ground that both can find to help each other out. Because we need each other, you know, we gotta sort out our differences and move forward together, you know?

Chad Snitz [00:11:15]:
Yeah, absolutely. And it's not like we're asking for the secret sauce. We're just asking for, hey, I have a repair. This is what I need to be able to finish that repair and move forward. Because essentially, we're taking care of their customer is really what it's all about. Us as a technician, we're taking care of their customer for them, and we want that to be a good experience for their customer as well. Because if someone comes up to me and says, hey, Chad, what do you think about buying this car? I'm like, whoa, don't do it. They're the hardest ones to work on.

Chad Snitz [00:11:47]:
You can't find parts for them. You can't find any information. Don't buy that car because I can't fix it. You know, you would think that you want a manufacturer to. To have a totally opposite reaction. Oh, yes, go buy that car, because I can fix it. I can find parts for it. They're very supportive.

Chad Snitz [00:12:04]:
If I need help, I can. Their phone call away. We're. We're partners in that. In again, taking care of the customer.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:11]:
That's a good thought. I haven't thought about that before, and that's true. So we'll get to top dawn in a second. What. What else? So you mentioned women in auto care, you know, trying to improve the younger generation. Do you want to hit on those a little more in detail or other things on your mind that you know are happening in the industry that you want to talk about?

Chad Snitz [00:12:35]:
Yeah. So on the. On the women in auto care piece of it, Missy Stevens at the Auto Care association is doing a fantastic job of. Of getting the communications out to the Ladies that are going to school for automotive repair and us as a committee, how can we help with that? What do we have in our toolbox that we can help this next generation with? And sometimes it's easy as us at TopDawn donating diagnostic tools so they can start building their toolbox for these scholarship winners. And sometimes it's just helping them out by getting them in the right place at the right time. Hey, they need a connection. They're trying to get started in an industry in North Carolina. Hey, I know somebody, a shop that needs that.

Chad Snitz [00:13:23]:
So those are kind of things that we try and help out with. We're helping out with some schools and programs that are maybe a little deficient. Hey, we have budget cuts and these are the things that we really need. Oh, well, I know a guy that can help you out with that. So making those connections from ours in the industry.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:44]:
Okay, what about Topdon? So what's going on there? What tools are coming out that people need to know about?

Chad Snitz [00:13:52]:
Yeah, so Topdon is in an extreme growth state. We are, we're relatively new to the industry. I still look at us as a new and up and comer. We consider ourselves pretty young in this business and we're looking at different ways to provide solutions. One of those is in the thermal imaging side. The thermal imaging that we have been able to develop and create and release has gotten the cost to an affordable place where a technician can afford it. Instead of that fifteen hundred dollar thermal imaging, now they can get it for $250, $260. So now we're giving tools to the industry that they have a lot more access to be able to have to help diagnose these harder to figure out cars.

Chad Snitz [00:14:42]:
On the diagnostic side, it's that information at the fingertips. And our, our motto has always been a tool for every toolbox and every price point. So we want to make sure that the technician that is just getting started, hey, maybe you can't afford that $10,000 scan tool. Maybe we need to help you with that and get you into a scan tool that you can afford, maybe in the $1,000 range. So we have lots of stuff coming down the pipeline that will probably release in July and then another big release coming up in like at Apex and sema. So definitely keep an eye on Topdon and what we're doing, we're growing, we're expanding our product line and we're doing things a little bit different than most of the industry has seen.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:25]:
So how long have you been in the industry?

Chad Snitz [00:15:30]:
So I started In. I started my automotive education in 98, I would say, and I've been in the industry in some way, shape or form since then. I've done everything from changing the oil to doing the engine swaps, to running a shop to selling the parts to selling the tools to now building the tools. So 20, 20 plus years.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:55]:
So you've kind of been around and you know people and you're on the board of, you know, tool and equipment at the ACA now. So, I mean, you've got a pretty good pulse of where this industry is at. But also I think you probably have perspective of where it needs to be if you think it needs to improve. Where are we at? What do we need to do to improve if we need to?

Chad Snitz [00:16:18]:
I think the biggest thing we need to improve is perception. I would say that 99% of the technicians out there are doing the right thing and want to help the customer and want to take care of them. But there's still the perception that we're just here to get the highest ticket average we can and we're going to sell you a bunch of stuff that you don't need. And if we can get that perception fixed of, hey, we are professionals, I'm not just a grease monkey. We're here to service and take care of your car and we deserve to get paid for that. I think that that's the biggest thing that we need to improve in the industry and I think that the training that is offered at places like Vision is vital to that because people have to invest in themselves to see what's coming up next.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:15]:
How does that happen, though? I mean, that's a conversation that people have a lot. And I think you're right. I mean, my perspective before I got into the industry was that it's not now that I'm in there. But my wife just yesterday was talking to her dad because he looked at the sticker on his dash, noticed he was 4,000 over on an oil change. And they had the conversation, I was listening in, was not involved in it, but they had the conversation about where to go to get his oil changed. And they were talking about, oh, well, you know, don't go to this place because they charge too much. And I don't know if you actually have to get your oil changed until like 6,000 miles over because, I mean, they tell you that you're supposed to get it here, but do you really? They're just trying to get money out of you. Like, they had that conversation and I had to interject, I was like, I couldn't keep my mouth shut, but I was like, guys, they give you these intervals because why? They're professionals.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:24]:
They know when you need to get your oil changed and they charge because they have tools, they have training, they have things that they've done. Like, like my wife works in TV news. She went to school for four years and paid thousands of dollars to get that degree. So she needs to be compensated properly. Right. I don't think she does, but she should. And that's something that everybody thinks of. It all comes down to price.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:52]:
And so what do you do? Because you do need to raise price. Right. But that almost plays into the perception of the industry. It's like it doesn't jive.

Chad Snitz [00:19:07]:
Yeah. And I think that it's a hard piece to educate because what is the media that we can use to educate people on that? It's very limited. So I give a lot of credit to people like Paul Danner and Oz mechanic and these guys that are doing the YouTube that really show, hey, this is what I had to do to figure out your car. You realize that it took me four hours to diagnose this and look at the $10,000 worth of tools that I used to get here. I think that that gives a lot of credibility to what we're doing and a lot of credibility to the trade if people are out there seeking that information. I'm one of those people. Before I do anything or buy anything, I usually YouTube it and see what somebody else has said or reviewed. So hopefully the industry is doing that as a consumer.

Chad Snitz [00:20:05]:
And in your example, hey, yeah, my oil change is going to be $100 because I drive an Audi, you know, or I drive a BMW. That's just how much it costs to do this.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:15]:
Yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's educating the customer. Yes, educating customer. And that's going to take a long time because you can tell the customer all they want or you can try to all you want, but it really comes down to, does the customer want to learn? Does the customer want to change their mind about the industry? And that's probably going to take a long, long time. But little things that we're talking about over time will help. So I'm with you. I hope it does change.

Chad Snitz [00:20:46]:
Yeah. And hopefully the technicians in the industry change as well. Right. Let's take pride in our appearance. When people see us in a shop. Let's take the greasy rag out of our back pocket. Let's wear clean uniforms as we repair these cars. So that way people go, wow, this is, you know, this is a stand up facility and, and this is where I want to take my car to.

Chad Snitz [00:21:11]:
If you see a guy working on your car in a white lab coat, okay, that's extreme. I get it. But you're like, wow, they really care about my car and what they're giving me, right?

Braxton Critcher [00:21:24]:
Well, Chad, thanks for coming on and congratulations on being selected for the board. Excited for you and we'll catch up soon and we'll talk about some more stuff.

Chad Snitz [00:21:34]:
Absolutely. I appreciate it. I'll come on anytime.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:37]:
Comment. Let me know your thoughts about the industry and the conversation that that Chad and I just had. If you're watching on YouTube or listening on Spotify, remember that you can comment and be involved in the conversation as well. So thanks for listening to this episode of Automotive Repair News Today. Hey, if you're still here, thank you so much for listening to this episode of Automotive Repair News today. If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment like share. Subscribe to the podcast. It'll help us out a big deal and help grow the show.

Braxton Critcher [00:22:12]:
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