Automotive Repair News Today

Braxton Critcher [00:00:05]:
Thank you so much for checking out this episode of Automotive Repair News today. I'm Braxton Critcher with Chris Jones from Endeavor Business Media. What's up, Chris?

Chris Jones [00:00:14]:
Hey, what's going on?

Braxton Critcher [00:00:15]:
Braxton, man, excited to have you here. So I guess the news is you got a promotion, so tell everybody about your journey and how you got here.

Chris Jones [00:00:26]:
Yeah. So I'm coming into this new role of editorial director over the vehicle repair group. From my previous stint as the editor of Ratchet and Wrench, which, I mean, as people in the industry know, it's been a near and dear to my heart relationship. I loved Ratchet and wrench from the time I stepped into it. I come in from my background, is in it. Started off in journalism and design. I was a graphic designer originally, and then I moved into journalism when I worked for a newspaper, ironically.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:57]:
Okay.

Chris Jones [00:00:57]:
Yeah. I started off as a sports writer and kind of moved, kind of progressed my career from sports writer to marketing copywriter back into full time writing in magazines and publications and on the web.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:09]:
Sports writer. Okay. All right. I feel like we may have some similar backgrounds. I got into broadcasting to do sports, and then, well, here I am, so.

Chris Jones [00:01:20]:
Yeah, I feel like it's every boy who wants to do writing, man. It's sports writing, you know, or some form of sports journalism.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:28]:
Yeah, you get in there and you're like, oh, this'll be so much fun. And then you're like, actually, it'd be fun and a lot of work, so maybe not.

Chris Jones [00:01:36]:
Well, it's funny. Cause, like, you know, me and my cousin Mike both started off in the same. We were both covering competing high schools in different cities, right in Virginia here.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:44]:
Ah, yeah.

Chris Jones [00:01:45]:
And so I went on to do various types of journalism to where I end up now in automotive journalism. He's covering the NFL. So he got to his dream. He's covering the NFL.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:54]:
A 50 50 shot. Somebody had to do it.

Chris Jones [00:01:57]:
Yeah, one of us made it. And so, like, every time I see him post pictures of himself at the Super bowl, I'm like, gosh, man. Yeah, you did it. You did it.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:04]:
Yep. Yep. That's cool, man. That's cool. Yeah, I kind of wanted to get into that myself, but it's just you reach a point where you kind of got to choose family or career. I mean, you can do both, but you definitely got to make sacrifices. So, uh, I I think, uh, we both sort of ended up where exactly we needed to be. So, um, excited to have you on the podcast.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:28]:
So tell me, uh, as far as your role, what kind of is the vision for, you know, what's next for endeavor? What's next for, you know, your position, and I I don't know what you looking forward to?

Chris Jones [00:02:43]:
Yeah. So the vision for the role I'm in now is to really elevate all of the vehicle repair brands. As you know, we've got several vehicle repair brands. We've got mechanical repair. We've got collision repair. We've got tools and equipment. We've got modern tire dealer, which covers the tire space, professional distributor, which is for the tool trucks, motor age training. So we've got a lot of different automotive verticals.

Chris Jones [00:03:08]:
And so my job is to get in there and really help the editors take these things next level, really just see, basically fill the gap between where they are now and where the brands need to be for each one of them. So each one of them has a different. Each one of them is in a different place. So the goal is just to standardize the brands, getting them, getting everything cohesive, and then fill in that gap to get them from point a to point b so that we're all hitting our goals and really being good to our stakeholders, which is our readers and the people who invest in the magazine.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:37]:
Right, right. So how long have you been with endeavor, total?

Chris Jones [00:03:42]:
I've been with endeavor since February of 22, so almost two and a half years.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:47]:
Okay. All right. And then the automotive journalism. For how long?

Chris Jones [00:03:51]:
Oh, same time.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:52]:
Okay. That was your first stage.

Chris Jones [00:03:54]:
This is my first foray into automotive journalism. I come from a background of health, parenting, and general general assignment writing.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:01]:
Okay, gotcha. Gotcha. Okay, so in your two plus years of the automotive industry, what's your take on where the industry is right now?

Chris Jones [00:04:14]:
The industry is very exciting right now. I think there are splinters in the industry, and I think that in time, those will be addressed and those will repair themselves. But I think that the industry is an exciting place to be in right now with the advent of so much technology happening right now, both on the actual repair side itself, but in the process side of the shop, because we have so many really great things happening with software that's making the lives of people in the shop easier, which is making customer service easier. And I think those are the things that speak to improving industry reputation when we were able to, as an industry, bridge that gap for customers, to make customers lives easier with their interactions with the shop. So I think that that is going to do a good thing for the industry. I think just technology, having more knowledgeable technicians coming out of these tech schools. I spent a week at ASC and just the passion and conviction of some of these instructors, like, just what they're seeing with these students. You know, they said, these kids are hungry.

Chris Jones [00:05:14]:
They're eager to learn. They're embracing technology. They want to get their hands into it. And so I think, you know, if we can, you know, I think for auto repair shop owners, just getting more involved in that, because at least kids need support, you know, that's the one kind of takeaway that I got was that these kids aren't totally supported by their parents by entering the trade. So I think that the auto repair shop owners can really be those de facto kind of mom and dad type role models for these kids while they're training in these colleges and repair in these tech schools. And I think it would do a great solid for the industry.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:49]:
Right, right. So I think that's my perspective, too. So I come from outside the automotive industry. I was in radio and music. And so, yeah, very outside of the industry. But because my relationship with Lucas Underwood, I had a pretty good idea or a pulse of the industry. And so I think I agree totally with you. It's exciting.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:13]:
There's a lot of things happening. It's definitely changing. It's for sure changing. But I think it's overall an exciting industry to be a part of. What do you think the person that doesn't really know much about the industry, what do you think their perspective is of automotive repair?

Chris Jones [00:06:33]:
You talk about, like, the customer, like the outside customers. Yeah, I think. I don't know that customers really. That's an interesting question. I think that customers just want things done. Customers are after results, and that's what they want. They want you to deliver on results. So I think that customers want things to be very easy.

Chris Jones [00:06:53]:
They don't want to deal with a lot of friction. I think they want to know upfront, okay, what am I responsible for in terms of payment of the biggest challenges, I think, in automotive is that you're dropping your car. Because I know that I get that anxiety sometimes, too. I'm dropping the car off and I don't know what's coming at me. And I don't. And I don't know really. I really don't know how to solve that problem. I just know that as a consumer, that's a problem that I struggle with.

Chris Jones [00:07:15]:
Like, I know I'm going to pay for a diagnostic. That's not a problem. Okay, I'll pay the 189 or $200 for the diagnostic. That gives me an idea of what I'm up against. But it's just that now what am. I know it's anxiety that in between anxiety of how much is this going to cost me in the end? And it's hard to say. Like, I think it's hard to say, but, I mean, I get, I guess.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:35]:
A better way to phrase it. I guess a better way to phrase it, Chris, might be what do you think the perception of the industry is a positive thing? Yeah. Okay. Is it positive or negative.

Chris Jones [00:07:48]:
From a consumer standpoint? I. That's hard to say, honestly. Then it's difficult to say how consumers feel about I think, because people, I guess.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:58]:
I guess. Let me tell you what. What I. What my idea of that is, and then you tell me your thoughts. So I believe that the person who knows zero about automotive repair probably still has the perception that there's a greasy, gray haired, overweight mechanic working on their car that overcharges them for things that maybe they might perceive that guy is taking advantage of them because they know very little. And I think that is something that has been there for a very long time. But my opinion is that that is changing a little. And I think overall, the.

Braxton Critcher [00:08:43]:
The hope for the automotive industry and part of this podcast is to help change that narrative. And so I do think maybe the perception overall of customers is improving of the repair industry. But I don't know. That's just my opinion. That's just my sort of take on limited knowledge. So I was just curious if you. Curious if you agree with that.

Chris Jones [00:09:05]:
Yeah, yeah. I see what you're saying. Yeah, no, I understand. I do agree. I do agree with your sentiment. One thing I do notice and I can say is I do think customers trust dealerships more.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:14]:
Okay.

Chris Jones [00:09:14]:
It's nothing. It has nothing to do with the independent repair facilities. It's just the fact that whatever that logo is in their car, they find a kindred spirit with the logo in that shop that they see, you know? So if I have a. If I have a Honda emblem on the car, I assume that Honda knows what to do with my car.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:30]:
Do you think maybe that also goes into kind of. What I was saying was that normally dealerships are cleaner, a little more, maybe not better communication, but they just seem to be buttoned up. Or maybe you think they are because they're a dealership. I don't know.

Chris Jones [00:09:47]:
That's what I think it is. I think. I think it's totally the fact, like I said, I think it's totally the fact that you. It says it's that perception of expertise. I have a Honda car. I take it to a dealer. I have a Chrysler car. To get to a Chrysler dealer, their communication, I can tell you firsthand, communication with dealerships is not very good.

Chris Jones [00:10:02]:
I have, I've had to deal with dealerships because my wife's car was under warranty at the first time. Not good communication when it comes to getting the estimate and all those things back from them. There's no walking through the estimate. There's no going the extra mile with the courtesy inspection, which for better or worse, whether people like them or not, they are very helpful. And that loop is broken. But with an independent repair shop, however, that loop is very strong. I go to an independent repair shop, I'll get a text that says that my car was checked in. The technician is going to get it at a certain time.

Chris Jones [00:10:34]:
I get a text with my vehicle report, and then once I've read the vehicle report, somebody gives me a call, walks me through, and there's no pressure to buy everything. They just tell me what needs to be done now and then I can schedule the other stuff later. So independents have a massive advantage with technology on this side. A massive advantage. It's a matter of bridging that trust gap and breaking that threshold that the independents are enjoying. I mean, that the dealerships enjoy right now, which is just that, like I said, I think it just boils down to name recognition more than anything else.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:06]:
Right? Yeah, I think. I think I'm 100% on the same page. So I just wonder as I ask more and more people that same question, you know, I do think maybe that's becoming the way it's viewed. So that's a good thing. I think it's very, very positive, you know? So that's good. I'll keep asking that question to all sorts of people across the industry. What do you think about Ev's? I. And I mean, obviously that's.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:33]:
I mean, maybe the most talked about thing in automotive repair with Ados, and then that goes along with Ev's too, in some ways. So what do you think about, like, I guess those two topics and how much influence they have in the way the industry is headed?

Chris Jones [00:11:53]:
Yeah. And when it comes to Ev's, I mean, they're coming, they're here. I think they're very similar to the wave we got back in late nineties, early two thousands with the hybrid. When the hybrid first came along and it was just a weird vehicle and people didn't know what to really think about or do it. And you saw people driving the Priuses and you kind of chuckled. It's kind of like the same thing you did with when people drove the Tesla and you chuckled. It's kind of cool. Haha.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:17]:
Then you realize, wait a minute, that actually has more power than my four x four.

Chris Jones [00:12:22]:
Yeah, you realize that. But I think I, it's a very similar trend. I don't necessarily think that it should be, there should be a mandate on how rapidly that transition happens. I think it's an error. I think this has to be a very natural progression. Much like we handled with the hybrid, the hybrid was a very natural progression to the point where hybrid became a very normal vehicle and people sought them out on their own and they became more affordable as time went on. So I think that time and as technology improved, and I think the same thing with EV's is time and technology allows them to approve, become more efficient, less expensive to make, then I think you can make a case for more people buying into EV's. But I think right now I think there has to be a little bit more leeway for the average person because if not, you create transportation shortages and you make those happen very rapidly.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:11]:
Yeah, I was going to. I guess that's a good question to ask next. Is that kind of the vibe you're getting from industry professionals that there's a little bit of anxiety with some of the possible mandates about how many EV's have got to be? I think what is it by 2025, a lot of legislators are wanting that, are wanting all automakers to make EV's at that point. Right?

Chris Jones [00:13:35]:
I mean, they're pushing for that. But I think the automakers, the big, the big automakers have been pushing back against that is 2035 because it's a tall hurdle. Yeah, very tall hurdle to climb. You know, given that, yes, in theory from your Washington, DC office, you can say anything you want, but then when it comes to the practicalities, where are we getting the supplies? How are we getting the supplies? Who's manufacturing the supplies? That's a whole other conversation. What about infrastructure? Who's setting all that up and how fast can that be done? So in terms of like on the repair side with shop owners, I think shop owners I talked to are, they're preparing for them, but I don't know necessarily the urgency. There's no urgency yet, and I don't know that I necessarily agree or disagree with the fact that there's really no super urgent move towards it simply because there's still gobs of ice vehicles on the road. The average age of vehicles is 12.6. It's only going to go up because cars still aren't affordable to some people.

Chris Jones [00:14:36]:
The interest rates are still too high for most people to, to grasp. So I think people are going to continue to hold on to cars. They're going to find value in keeping their cars, you know, 13, 1415 years even. And it's cost effective. It's a lot more cost effective to take your car to the, to a repair shop, have it repaired and buy, just buy those extra miles rather than splurging and buying a brand new car if you don't need to.

Braxton Critcher [00:14:59]:
Yeah. Yeah. How up to date connected are you with what's happening in the right to repair act?

Chris Jones [00:15:06]:
So I'm somewhat connected to that. We've covered it. That hasn't been one of my strong suits. Like legislation. Legislation is definitely not a strong suit of mine. I have a hard time kind of wrapping my mind around some of the concepts.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:19]:
Sure. Same, same.

Chris Jones [00:15:21]:
But I understand it and I understand it from the perspective of a tech consumer. You have your Apple phone or whatever the case, you want to be able to take it to anywhere to get fixed and not have it violated warranty or cause issues with Apple when it comes to cars. I feel like it's the same thing. The biggest thing in right to repair, the thing that is probably the most concerning is just the data aspect, you know, the connected data aspect for both the shop owner who needs to be able to fix the car, but also for the consumer, like, you know, who deserves to have control over their data and who gets it and where it goes and how it's handled. If I plug into my car and my car is selling my data, that's not cool.

Braxton Critcher [00:16:00]:
But if, yeah, it's dangerous when you start to realize that they're selling it to insurance agencies and they're raising your premiums because.

Chris Jones [00:16:10]:
But they put, but they push back on the independent repair shop who just wants to take care of the cars in their community. Right. It doesn't make a lot of sense. But you, but you, but at the end of the day, you know, everything boils down to green. Right. Everything goes back to money.

Braxton Critcher [00:16:22]:
Right. Right. Where, where, do you know where, where they're at on that right now? I know it's pretty much a split vote right now, but, yeah, I mean.

Chris Jones [00:16:32]:
They'Re still trying to get, you know, more, more legislators to, to jump on board. I mean, you've got some who are, who side with, you know, the auto industry. You have some who don't. So it's, I mean, some will. The big makers, you have some who side with the independents. So I don't know. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out or how long. It's like one of those like, protracted wars that just seems to continue and continue because the more, the longer it goes, you know, the more challenging it becomes for the independent side.

Chris Jones [00:16:59]:
And I think to a degree, I think when you're dealing with big corporations, that's a part of their long game strategy is to exhaust you.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:07]:
Yeah.

Chris Jones [00:17:08]:
You know.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:09]:
Yeah, right.

Chris Jones [00:17:10]:
I mean, think about it.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:10]:
Eventually give in.

Chris Jones [00:17:12]:
Yeah. I mean, it's like any litigation, you know, if you got, if you're litigating against a big company, if you or I were litigating star insurance company, their lawyers are going to try to exhaust us, you know, to say, okay, well, let me exhaust all your resources, your time and your efforts so that you can just get out of our way.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:26]:
So what do you think happens?

Chris Jones [00:17:29]:
I don't know. It'll be interesting to follow. I mean, ultimately, like, you know, in a perfect world, we get this right and every, everybody's happy. In a perfect world, data is shared across all platforms. Ultimately, it's about the consumer more than anybody else. The consumer gets to do what the consumer chooses with their vehicle, and that's the way it should be. So for me, I think that's the big win, is these automakers and legislators, they really need to think about, well, what's the consumer want? These are the people who are driving these cars. These are the people who are buying these cars.

Chris Jones [00:18:00]:
These are people who are putting this kind of money into the economy, what's best for them and what do they want? And the consumers should, they should and rightfully deserve to have control of their data, and they should and rightfully deserve to be able to send their car to any facility to get repair that they choose.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:16]:
I'm hitting you with all the tough topics here, Chris. I appreciate you. You've been good. I'm just bouncing stuff off you and you're just, you're hitting home runs every time, so you're doing well. So I apologize.

Chris Jones [00:18:28]:
I appreciate it. All good, man. I'm loving the conversation.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:32]:
So you ready? You ready for one more?

Chris Jones [00:18:33]:
Go for it.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:34]:
What's, what's your take on? Is there, is there not a technician shortage?

Chris Jones [00:18:40]:
Ooh, that's another good question. There's, everybody got something.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:45]:
Everybody got something else to say.

Chris Jones [00:18:46]:
There are two schools of thought there, too. I'm of the mind. It's hard because I don't own a shop, so I'm speaking to someone outside looking in, saying, you know, have we turned over every stone? Right. Have we looked at how we're managing people? Because sometimes people just don't want to work because they don't like how they're managed. Are we looking at changes in work? The relationship of work has changed for better or worse, or whether people like it or not, we're not in the pre pandemic work style anymore. We've kind of gotten to a place where people want a little more control over how they work or what their work looks like. And can we meet and can we evolve with that as business owners? Is that possible? Can they do that, or is it location specific? I don't know. Like, you know, what's going, you know, what's available in your area.

Chris Jones [00:19:38]:
I think there's so many variables. Like, I know that there, of course, there is shortage of labor because you see it in other industries as well. But I think it's a matter of variables, and I can't really express any opinion whether one way or another, if we truly do have a shortage. I think there's opportunities to create your own luck, though. I think you, like I said, plug into these high schools, plug into the tech schools. Create apprenticeships within the shop. I think there are a lot of things that you can do to eliminate your own shortage and not kind of look externally and blame, okay, there's a shortage out there, so we're not going to find good people. I think that's a very unresourceful mindset to have.

Chris Jones [00:20:14]:
But if you get resourceful and say, well, yeah, let's start pulling these guys from high school, have them come in a couple days a week and be mentored by people in the shop, or let's go patch into a community college, try to help this program grow. Bring people into the shop, you know, go to career days, sponsor things, figure out ways to get the community to know that you're there and that, hey, we're a reputable shop, we're clean, we're good, we're paying good salaries. This is a great alternative to college if your son or daughter doesn't want to go to college. So, yeah, I think there's a lot of way to create your own luck and end your own shortage. But again, that's me outside looking in.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:48]:
Right? Yeah, I'm with you. I don't, I don't think. I don't, I don't. It depends on who you talk to. Like you said, I think ultimately, though, there is a labor shortage across all industries, like, you know, like you said, the workforce is changing and so people want more flexibility. And it's not just in the automotive repair industry, it's. It's nationwide. Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:13]:
And I do think I, because most shops that I've talked to that do the things that they ought to have good customer service, have clean bathrooms, do good work, and pay people well, they keep their customers happy, but also keep their technicians happy for the most part, they don't struggle to find them. When they have an open position, technicians will go to those shops. I had Chris Cotton told me that he believes there's not a technician shortage, but a good shop shortage. And that might be true. And so he says over the next five to ten years, with all the technology updates and a lot of these shops that don't want to update, don't want to train and do those things, they're owned by older folks anyway, so they may phase out. And so, I mean, we're going to see a major shift in a lot of these things due to technicians wanted to take more control over their career, but also shop owners just aging out of the industry.

Chris Jones [00:22:18]:
So, you know, 100%. And it's when you say that, you know, I look, I think back to our ratchet and rich industry survey. So our 2024 survey that's hits the nail on the head. The average shop owner is someone who's been in the industry for at least three decades, you know, who has three to four decades rather. You know, started shop late in life, but they're in their late fifties and early sixties. And so, like you talk about, it's just, it's a mentality because I think that, you know, one, when you've had that mentality that, you know, work is one way, you know, for your whole life, you were raised up in an ecosystem where work was one way. We work hard. We do.

Chris Jones [00:22:52]:
We do it my way, my way. It does, it creates personnel problems because people don't work that way anymore. People require, they require more out of their boss. They require a leader and not a manager these days, someone who's also thinking about their long game career. I come to a job, I don't want to come to a job to punch a clock and go home. I want something substantial at the end of the day. Why am I here? Why am I staying here for ten years, 15 years? Are you giving me the opportunity to have a career here or just need a warm body on the court, you know?

Braxton Critcher [00:23:21]:
Right, right. I think there are four major buckets when it comes to the automotive industry. And I think we've hit all four of them now. So check, check, check, check. We did that. But tell people where they can find your work, where they can learn more about endeavor and all the news outlets that you guys cover for, shop owners, technicians, anybody in the industry that wants to keep up with what's going on.

Chris Jones [00:23:48]:
Yeah. So you can learn about all of our brands through our various websites, whether it's Ratchet, wrench.com, comma, vehicleservicepros.com, comma, fenderbender.com, comma, moderntiredealer.com. you can learn about our various brands through those websites. Actually, one more I forgot, Nolan.net, comma, which is national oil and Lube news. So learn about all of our vehicle brands through there. We have newsletters you can subscribe to, podcasts you can listen to in each of those many of those verticals, videos. So we're an all encompassing brand. But our people, our team of editors, they love this industry.

Chris Jones [00:24:25]:
Braxton. They love it. Are eager for feedback. They want to work with people. They're excited. So, you know, I can think of no better team and no better place to be and no better industry to be in right now.

Braxton Critcher [00:24:39]:
Well, he is Chris Jones, and we want to appreciate you listening to this, this podcast, this watching this video on YouTube, if that's where you're getting this content. And if you want to congratulate Chris on his new opportunity, definitely do that. Excited for Chris. As you started back in early June.

Chris Jones [00:24:58]:
You said, yeah, started back the, the first Monday in June.

Braxton Critcher [00:25:02]:
So month and a half in and super excited to see what happens next with endeavor and all the brands that they've got got going on and what Chris is going to have his hands in. So let me know your comments, your thoughts in the comments on this video and in this podcast on social media as well about all these topics that we touched on today. Because those four major buckets, in my opinion, they are the foundation of this industry and also the future of the industry. So super important to keep up to date on each of those. If you're a technician, if you're a shop owner, if you're just an industry leader across automotive repair, those things are a big deal to you, your life, your career. So let me know your comments, your take. If maybe something that I said or Chris said you might differ with, let me know in the comments. And I would love to hear your perspective on that.

Braxton Critcher [00:25:57]:
So appreciate you following along on all the social media channels for 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 that'll help us out a big deal and help grow the show. And you know what? While you're at it, slap on a review, too. If you feel like this content is helpful for the industry. Don't forget to follow us on all your favorite social media platforms. We're on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. Stay connected and be the first to know about new episodes, behind the scene content, and more.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:38]:
And until next time, let's make the industry better together.