Automotive Repair News Today

Braxton Critcher [00:00:11]:
Welcome to good news and auto repair, where it is all about the good news happening in the automotive industry. My name is Braxton Critcher. So happy that you are here with me today because I don't know about you, the automotive industry has a lot of good things that happen, but most of them just don't get talked about. And in an industry that is ever growing, ever changing and honestly needs a little bit of a change in narrative or perception, good news is what needs to be shared way more often than it does. And that's what this podcast is all about. Also, I want to say before we get rolling into today's interview with Chris Enright, super thankful for our sponsor, Chris Cotton at Autofix Auto shop coaching. He's all about growing the industry and sharing good news because he is with me and believes that good news needs to be shared more often. And there are good news stories.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:08]:
And so if you are trying to grow your repair shop, if you're an owner who's had some issues from going from a technician to an owner and just realized that you need some help, it's okay. First of all, know that it's okay. And Chris Cotton is here to help. You can learn more about what Chris Cotton at Autofix auto shop coaching can do for your repair shop in the show notes thanks to Chris for the sponsorship of good news and auto repair. Chris Enright has started his shop just before COVID in Alexandria, Ohio. And Chris is just an all around good dude. If you're in the groups on Facebook, if you've been to any of the shows and have got the chance to meet Chris, you know what I'm talking about. But this guy just cares about people.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:54]:
And that showed up in today's story on good news and auto repair. Chris Enright from Inright Automotive is today's guest. And here's our conversation. Tell me the story and then we'll go from there.

Chris Enright [00:02:07]:
Yeah, so I was just cruising along tick tock and saw a video of a mobile mechanic and saw he was having a discussion with the client and the client was pushing back on price and, you know, trying to get him to take a cheaper price, and he ended up doing it for a cheaper price. And I was like, man, you know, it's just so frustrating because he shouldn't have to adjust his prices. And I just was like, he needs training. That's because I've been in that situation. I knew exactly how he felt in that situation because I had been there and, you know, going to ast envision changed trajectory of my business. So I stitched his video on TikTok and, you know, said, hey, you know, I would highly recommend you get some training. If you're interested, I will pay for your ticket to get into ast and, you know, the ASOC dinner and whatever else. And, like, TikTok's kind of weird.

Chris Enright [00:03:04]:
Like, if you're not friends with people and you don't follow each other, they don't get your messages. They go into, like, a filtered box and most people don't view them. So video was just the easiest way to do it. Matt was super laid back and chill and, you know, he said yes and ended up going to ast. And another shop owner paid for his flight to fly out there as well. So the only thing he had to pay for was hotel and food. And I just felt it was an opportunity because, you know, we talk all the time about, you know, people going to training and we complain a lot about the industry wanting to do better. And I just felt in that moment that it was time to put my money where my mouth was.

Chris Enright [00:03:47]:
And instead of talking about it and just complaining about it and doing videos complaining about it, I was just going to pony up and offer to pay for his training. And he said yes. So it was a great opportunity. It was a God thing, for sure. Just getting to know him and his situation and all of those things, it was a huge blessing, for sure. So I'm really hoping that he continues to grow and he says he learned a bunch and has progressively gotten better in his business. So I think it was a huge help to him as well.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:16]:
And you said his name was Matt?

Chris Enright [00:04:18]:
Yeah. Matthew Parker. Matt Parker.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:20]:
And so, Matt, when you reached out to him, what was his reaction? You know, a lot of times if somebody is over, you know, encouraging and wants to do something like that, I think sometimes the reaction might be, okay, well, what's the catch? What did Matt say when you reached out to him like, that?

Chris Enright [00:04:40]:
He, he was totally fine with. I mean, there was some naysayers in the comments and stuff because I, the way I worded it, and I had recorded the video several times because I didn't want it to come across as condescending. I was trying to sympathize with him and let him know that I have been in his exact situation. So, you know, I had said, you know, you need training. I've needed training. I would highly recommend you go. And he was super cool about it. Like, he just posted a video.

Chris Enright [00:05:08]:
Like, I messaged him as soon as he saw the video. And then started following me. I messaged him right away, and I was like, hey, I don't mean any sort of, uh, I'm not be trying to be condescending, I'm not trying to put you down. I just wanted to offer this if you're up for it. And he said he talked to his wife and kids, and after he talked to them, he said, yeah, absolutely. Like, he, I don't know, he's probably one of the most laid back people you'll ever meet in your life. So I think that helped, uh, versus him, like, taking offense to it or getting upset. I, and he had never been to any training like that, had never been offered, didn't even know it existed.

Chris Enright [00:05:42]:
So it was just a really good situation.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:44]:
And I imagine, too, for you, Chris, like, you know, this is a financial commitment. I'm not sure exactly how much you were able to commit to his trip, but you covered it, and so that's a big deal. And I think, you know, if somebody else feels a similar way about trying to help someone else find training or encourage them and some sort of way, but then are hit with, oh, well, what's this going to cost me? It might be hard to actually go through with it. And beyond that, too, you know, you talked about, Chris, the importance of the industry, putting your money where your mouth is. So in hindsight, how do you view it now? And if you had to do it again, would you do anything differently?

Chris Enright [00:06:29]:
So I view it as a great opportunity, and I think it turned out awesome. And I had specifically told my wife, I'm like, hey, you know, there's a possibility that we pay for this, and he just never shows up and the money's gone. But I'm like, at least we gave it a shot and we tried. Obviously, that's not what happened, but, um, I I don't think I would have done anything differently in hindsight, honestly, I, it all truly worked out really well, and I want to do it again. I'm, it's something I'm going to continue to do. I'm actively looking for shop owners and other business owners in the industry. Doesn't have to just be a shop owner. It could be a mobile mechanic like matthew was or is.

Chris Enright [00:07:12]:
Um, and so that way we can do it again, because I truly think that that changed the trajectory of his business and his life. And if he continues to take training and go along that path, I think it'll help him. Like, it's helped me. So it is a financial commitment, but you just, I don't know. I don't really know how to explain it. You just kind of gotta plan for it and assume, like, if something happens, it is what it is. Like, you just can't get all been out of shape. If they don't end up showing up, it's a risk you take.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:41]:
Yeah. What is it? They say it's better to give than to receive.

Chris Enright [00:07:45]:
Yeah. And I don't know. Like, to me, it's better than the other stuff we're doing. You cannot. You can talk to somebody till they're. Till you're blue in the face and try to convince them to do something, but it's still, at the end of the day, if it's a financial commitment on their end. Well, a lot of shop owners don't charge appropriately. They don't understand their numbers.

Chris Enright [00:08:09]:
These are things I talk about and preach about constantly. So they don't technically have the money or the revenue to pay for it. So for a lot of shops, it would be really hard to make that financial commitment. So if I can help them take off that load and make the decision easier, because they're already going to have to lose the revenue from the business being closed. If they're a small shop like myself or like Matthew Parker, is that, you know, that's a big enough decision in itself. So if I can help alleviate some of that stress, then I just think it's a no brainer.

Braxton Critcher [00:08:43]:
This is really cool. Just getting to hear how someone in the industry who hit, who is passionate about the industry and passionate about other people learning, actually doing something about it. And this is just such a great story of someone you didn't know. It was on social media where, as you talked about, sometimes can get heated and out of control, but you stepped into a space where that was happening and didn't allow yourself to get involved in that way, but instead turned the conversation into something that was beneficial, that was good for. For Matt. And honestly, too, I'd imagine, for you, too. What, what maybe did you feel you learn, you get from that experience?

Chris Enright [00:09:35]:
I mean, honestly, I feel like I got more out of it than he did just because, like, he. It was a first for a lot of things for him. He had never flown before. He had never taken an Uber before. He had never been to training before.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:48]:
Wow.

Chris Enright [00:09:48]:
So for him to like, yeah, go out on the ledge like, that was just wild. And then, like I said, we got to know him and get to know his story and all of those things. And I don't know because I'm a believer. It says in the Bible, to be generous on every occasion. Well, that is my goal. I want to be generous on every occasion. Am I perfect at it? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. But I feel like the return on blessing someone else is ten times to you, so I don't know it.

Chris Enright [00:10:21]:
You just have to just kind of let it go. It's only money, right?

Braxton Critcher [00:10:27]:
That's right. You know, it. It can't take it with you when you leave.

Chris Enright [00:10:31]:
Yep. Exactly.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:33]:
What would you say to another shop owner or somebody that maybe in a. Is in a position where they can do that for someone else, of how to look for it and when's the right time, and how do you just take that step and bless somebody? And it may not even be financially, but it may be a technician who just needs some encouragement. What would you say about the importance of just sharing encouragement to somebody or. Or doing something like you did?

Chris Enright [00:11:09]:
Um, I honestly don't have, like, a, like, a great answer for that. I. It just kind of all happened, and I had thought about it for several days, making that decision, so it's not like something that I just saw. The video was like, oh, you know, I'm gonna do this. I had, like, thought about that video for days and days and days and couldn't get it out of my mind. And then finally I was like, this is what I'm gonna do. And then I had peace about that decision. So if you're.

Chris Enright [00:11:37]:
If it's something you're thinking of doing, then you just kind of got to do it and jump off the cliff and go for it. And again, you just don't. It's not about the money. I think that's the wrong thinking. It's about the person and what they hopefully will get out of it. And so that was my goal is, like, if I can help, I want to help the industry. That's what a lot of my content is on social media is talking about doing better, and I running your business better and being more successful so that way you can pay your employees more, so on and so forth. And so I'm like, if I can help someone else in the industry, like the saying goes, rising tides, raise all ships.

Chris Enright [00:12:19]:
So in my mind, it was. It really was not a hard decision how to find people. That's just a whole other topic. I did not. I just randomly stumbled upon him. So, again, like, to me, it was just all a God thing, because everything landed perfectly in place. It worked out perfectly for him. Like I said, Dave stepped up and paid for his plane ticket.

Chris Enright [00:12:42]:
So I wanted Matt to have some skin in the game. In my mind. I want them to have some sort of, I don't know, either little bit of financial responsibility or something. So that way they don't just take it for granted and they are going to be intentional about the opportunity, I guess. Makes sense, right?

Braxton Critcher [00:13:00]:
No, it's just simply boiling down to a person that just came into your sphere of influence, whether that's in person or online, like in this case, and thinking outside of the normal, hey, I'm just going to scroll onto the next video. On to the next, but behind the screen in your hand. This is a real person that is in the automotive industry and may or may not know exactly how to handle a certain situation. And because you had that kind of experience, you're able to step in and help him along the way. And so I think that's really important for any industry, any walk of life, but especially the automotive industry. And if you're passionate about seeing it grow, you know, people like you, Chris, are the kind of folks that need to lead the way. And just getting to hear this story has been really, really great. So thanks for doing that, and thanks for sharing, too.

Chris Enright [00:13:58]:
Yeah, absolutely. I love the saying that goes, if you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done before. And I just feel like that statement holds so true. Like, if we want change, then we have to think outside the box. Because we've been trying so many methods and ways to do things for so long, it's time to start changing some things up. Even if that's just like you said, it doesn't have to be financial or whatever. It's just, you know, maybe private messaging somebody. If you, if you see a video or something, or you see them struggling with something, say, hey, you know, I've been in that situation.

Chris Enright [00:14:38]:
I relate so much. You know, here's my suggestion. Here's what I did in my situation. Just kind of offering them some advice. Not everybody's going to take it, you know, perfectly and great, but at least putting the effort into it, I think, is key. Instead of just talking about it and going into groups and complaining about it and so on and so forth. And again, I was not perfect. I shared that video several days before I made my video in response to Matt, and I shared it in a group of industry friends, and I basically was complaining about it.

Chris Enright [00:15:12]:
And that's why I started thinking about it for three days. And I'm like, I can sit here and complain about this all day long. And we can talk about this video, or I can do something about it. And so that's, you know, I just want people to know that you don't have to be perfect. I'm far from perfect. Far.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:28]:
Yeah. Yeah. No, I think in our culture, Chris, you know, we've just gone so far away from caring about people, and it's so important to. To do that just because online especially, it's. It's kind of toxic in a way. So if we can do little things to switch that narrative, it goes a long way in the grand scheme of things, so. Chris, you're awesome. Thank you so much for sharing and doing good news.

Chris Enright [00:16:00]:
Appreciate it. Braxton. Thanks for having me.