Automotive Repair News Today

Braxton Critcher [00:00:05]:
They say you learn something new every day, right?

Garrett Malone [00:00:07]:
Hopefully.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:08]:
Here's what I've learned so far. You guys started dvi.

Garrett Malone [00:00:12]:
That we did. That we did, man. Long, long time ago. You know, autovitals as a company got started back in about 2009. The idea for DVI was kind of just getting formulated by our fearless leader at that time, Uwe Kleinschmidt. Uh, we ended up coming to market with DVI in about 2013, 2014. Uh, really just catering to the independent automotives, the mom and pops. And since then, it has just taken off in this space like wildfire.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:38]:
UV is everywhere.

Garrett Malone [00:00:39]:
Oh, man, you can't stop that guy, no matter what. I mean, even, you know, after he left Auto Vitals, starting his own thing. I mean, he's just the epitome of absolute entrepreneur, the guy. You see him everywhere, whether it's LinkedIn, Facebook, you know, automotive podcasts, the guy's just everywhere.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:58]:
True wizard.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:59]:
Absolutely.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:00]:
So I'm kind of new to the automotive industry, and I've told this story before, but back maybe 10 years ago, my axle snapped. I had a Subaru Legacy 2007, and my axle snapped. So you don't expect that to happen. So you obviously have to get a tow truck, drop it off at the first shop you find. And I wasn't connected with Lucas Underwood at the time, and so I didn't go to his shop. I was in the same town as him, but I went to just some random shop I found on Google, whatever, and this shop didn't use dvi. And so my experience with previous shops, too, that don't use DVI was my perspective not being inside the industry or not knowing really anything about automotive repair. I'm like the typical consumer.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:45]:
I try to go find a cheaper place to get my car repaired and this and that just as quick as possible, whatever. But when I dropped it off, obviously didn't have the right part. They had to order it, this kind of thing. And they finally fixed my car, but the communication level was really poor.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:02]:
Right.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:03]:
And no dvi. So for me, trying to explain things over the phone of how the repair needed to happen and all this, and that was really confusing. Yep. Fast forward. A few years later, I had an issue with a different vehicle. And I had known Lucas for about a year at this time. He said, kay, come over to my shop. I'll fix you up.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:23]:
And very different.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:25]:
Oh, yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:26]:
And it wasn't just dvi. I think DVI actually assists shops in their customer service. Right. I think it gives them the ability to Talk through pictures, video with a customer. And so that helps a ton, big time. But my experience with Lucas and his shop using DVI vastly changed my perspective about automotive repair vastly. And so what you guys did, what year did you say you kind of, you know, released DVI?

Braxton Critcher [00:02:57]:
About 2013. 2014 is when we really started to.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:00]:
Change the industry big time.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:02]:
I mean, big time. Especially, you know, like you said, with the experience of like those paper based shops, it was very transactional. It was very high pressured sales. When the entire, know, base of customers these days, it really started to, you know, as buyers and as consumers, we started to get much less auto savvy, but much more tech savvy. Yeah, but nothing was happening in the auto space to really, you know, help and assist with that transition. So these, these auto shops were kind of just left with a legacy platform, a legacy program, and a legacy process, really. So, you know, when customers would come in, you know, it's not like back in the old days when people were able to work on their own cars and change oil, you know, in their, in their driveways and stuff like that. So you had to be able to explain them and walk them through the process of why it's important and what this part is and what it does and all of those different components.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:52]:
And so getting away from that high pressured sales situation into more of like a transparent, educational and comfortable process was exactly what D Guy allowed these shops to be able to do for their customers. And that's where you really just saw customers light on fire for these things in the same way that you were just talking about how it did for you. You know, people all of a sudden became much more, you know, keen to what was happening with their vehicle. They wanted to learn more about them, and so they started watching educational videos on their own. So it really almost just started to spark up, like, the interest for consumers to get back into working on their own cars as well.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:27]:
I just looked it up. Facebook started in 2004.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:30]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:31]:
When did you, when did you get on Facebook?

Braxton Critcher [00:04:33]:
Oh, man. I think it was my. Not to date myself here, but it had to have been my sophomore year of high school, so probably 2006, 2007. Okay.

Braxton Critcher [00:04:40]:
I think I got on in 2009. And Facebook obviously was the first uber popular social media. Right, and so you guys started DVI in 2013. And social media today is crazy. Like it's everything out of control. And it has, in the past four years, trained everyone to look at pictures and videos.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:07]:
Right.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:07]:
And, and so you guys were kind of Ahead of the game. Like it, like social media was started. Twitter was out there at the time, you know, that was pre TikTok. YouTube. Yeah, YouTube was there, but it wasn't what it is today.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:18]:
Definitely not. Nothing was.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:19]:
Instagram was out there, but it was still trying to get its feet wet in social media space. And so you guys were sort of on the cutting edge of what is today 100%. And without photos, videos of automotive repair when it started, then I don't think the repair space today would be as innovative as it is 100%.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:43]:
I mean, that's really where the buying behavior started to change. I mean, you look at these companies like Amazon, where before you purchase anything off of Amazon, what's the number one thing you do? You know, you watch the videos, you look at the pictures, you look at reviews. Exactly. Right. So if people want to be go.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:58]:
On TikTok and Google it or TikTok and search it.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:01]:
Right, exactly. Or you want to learn how to do something, what do you do? You go YouTube it. Right. You know, so it's like the same way that, that all these customer, you know, these big titan of companies were coming out and educating customers. It was like, well, wait, why isn't the automotive repair shops doing this? Like, why are we putting these consumers in high pressured sales situations when we're trying to sell them things like ball joints and bushings and, you know, radial control arms and things like that, when they have no idea, number one, what we're talking about and number two, all they care about is the price. Right. And in the absence of price, I'm sorry, in the absence of value, there is only price.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:35]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:35]:
So if you're not building up your customers and helping them to understand why the recommendations are important and even more importantly, like what components it could affect as well, if it goes untreated, then nine times out of 10 you're going to get somebody who's just price shopping and you're not creating a loyal customer, you're not building repeat business, you're not going to get a good review and you're not taking care of the business the way that we think that you should.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:56]:
So I think it does a couple things. One, it documents.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:00]:
Yes.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:00]:
Like if you have a returning customer who you've already taken pictures underneath their car and then they have a different, a different issue down the road and you've already captured what the car looked like, you then can go back and notice, hey, this maybe is what happened. Whatever documents. Right.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:17]:
100%.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:18]:
But also I think it maybe Even helps shops with their ability to be more trustworthy.

Braxton Critcher [00:07:27]:
Well, absolutely. And to speak on that, I mean, how many times have you gone to a repair shop, they give you a printout of the work order that you got, they give you a printout of that paper inspection that you got, and the second that you leave the shop, what do you do? You throw both of those pieces of paper away and then you forget everything that was recommended, what services you got done, but more importantly, what services you chose to decline. So when you come back six months later and they tell you, hey, your air filters are still dirty in that paper world, it's like, wait, did you tell me that six months ago? But if you send them, excuse me, a digital inspection that they have on their cell phone, you can pull up the pictures and say, hey, here's your specific vehicle. Remember this air filter that was filthy dirty six months ago? Look at it now. Right? And that trust skyrockets. It goes through the roof. The comfortability that you give your customers goes through the roof. Now, it's not just about the price.

Braxton Critcher [00:08:20]:
It's about the value that you've installed with that customer in the relationship that you've built with them.

Braxton Critcher [00:08:25]:
I also think so. My perception, and, you know, this is true for a lot of people outside the industry, feel like repair shops are sleazy 100%. And when you install DVI into how you run your business and you document things, it almost forces you to be a little bit more trustworthy to say, you can't just upsell something that's not necessary because you took a picture of it. Yeah. You know, it. It almost forces the industry to actually improve itself.

Braxton Critcher [00:08:55]:
I mean, trust is. Transparency is the modern form of trust these days, and that's the modern form of currency. So, you know, the more that you can do to get in front of these situations and say, hey, I want to be as transparent with you as I possibly can. In a historically and traditional industry that, like you said, has had the connotation of being like, slimy and sleazeball, and they're always just trying to upsell you and sell you snake oil. It's the most important transition for shops to make because, again, getting back to it, that's how customers like to do business these days. They want to be educated. They want to have that transparency. And ultimately, they want to make the decision on their terms.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:34]:
Yeah, they don't want to be sold to. They don't want to feel like they're being lied to. If there's an inkling of A lie, or, you know, selling a recommendation that might not necessarily need to be sold that day. If. If a customer even gets an inkling of that, they're more than likely to walk out the door, decline that recommendation, and go find a different repair shop to go do that same recommendation or that same repair that you just recommended them get taken care of.

Braxton Critcher [00:09:58]:
And, you know, the younger generation like myself are just so much more on the text side of things. They'd rather not get a phone call, and they're not going to pick up if they don't know the number. And leaving a voicemail, nobody likes that anyway.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:12]:
Yeah. I'll tell you, man, I mean, the number one complaint that I hear from shop owners these days is that customers just do not pick up the phone.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:19]:
No, why don't. I don't. I don't want to get. It's probably a political thing, man. I don't want to get scammed.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:24]:
My phone even tells me scam like that if it's just a number I don't recognize. And that could be a repair shop down the street that I've been to, you know, a couple of times. But nine times out of 10, when I'm talking to shop owners, I'm saying, look, how are you guys selling work right now? And they say, well, I pick up the phone and I call them. What do you mean? And I say, okay, are they picking up every time?

Braxton Critcher [00:10:41]:
Well, no, rarely.

Braxton Critcher [00:10:42]:
Then why are you doing it? Why are you calling these guys six to seven times, waiting for them to get back to you while their vehicle is just sitting and clogging up one of your bays? When it's been proven in data and all kinds of different tests that have been studied, customers are much more likely to open a text message within 45 seconds of repeat of receiving it.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:02]:
We're always on our phones, man, 100%.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:04]:
But if you get a phone call or a call from a number that you don't recognize, it's going to take you about six to seven attempts for them for that customer to pick up that phone call.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:13]:
And they're not gonna call you back.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:14]:
Absolutely not. No one calls them back and says, hey, I got a missed call from this number. Right? This is, you know, that's how it was when we were probably growing up. But, you know, when caller ID first came out, that was a great invention. But nowadays people just everybody texts. And for those shops that say, oh, well, I'm in a rural area, my customers don't have cell phones. My customers don't text, look, that is just not true. These days, even grandmas are on Facebook.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:36]:
Grandma. I'm texting with my grandma all the time. I'm sending her pictures of, you know, my nieces, my nephews, my family. You know, it is just like I said, society as a whole has gotten much more technologically advanced and technologically capable. But, you know, on the automotive side, we have definitely declined in that sense.

Braxton Critcher [00:11:53]:
I just read a report a few weeks ago about the generational differences between how they like to do their business and I think boomers were. I don't want to get it wrong. 40% go in person to the shop.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:08]:
Yep.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:09]:
But then once you get to the younger generations, millennials, Gen X, Gen Z, are starting to make a big impact in the industry, of course. And I think it was like something crazy. 85, 90% would prefer over text.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:26]:
I'm surprised it's not higher. Yeah, yeah. You know, it's, it's crazy because the amount of you, like you said, these millennials that are coming out and now they're all driving.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:35]:
Well, millennials. I'm a millennial and I'm the youngest possible millennial because I was born in 96. And so really now it's. Is it Gen Z?

Braxton Critcher [00:12:48]:
I mean, I think it's Gen Z.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:50]:
That's the next one that's really getting into, hey, you got your car now, now you got to get some repairs. You're in college, whatever.

Braxton Critcher [00:12:56]:
Yeah, these college kids, you know, and that's, that's what I tell everybody is, you know, like, hey, like, even if your shop's got a ton of boomers that are coming in and they like the face to face stuff, you are going to get a wave of these Gen Xers.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:06]:
Well, you're going to be phased out. If you do not upgrade to something more technology savvy, you will not be in existence in 10 years.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:14]:
That's, you know, it's crazy.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:15]:
And some people are okay with that.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:16]:
Yeah. And when you say that to people, they're like, oh, it's scare tactics. You know, this is always the way that business has been done. We are living in such different times these days where, like, we keep talking about consumer buying behaviors have changed so radically in the last 10 to 15 years. I mean, I've been thankful to be with autovitals for six years. And even in those six years, I remember back in 2018, you know, we were at the same SEMA show or at any conference really, and we were trying to preach the good word of dvi. You basically sitting on top of podium boxes and telling everybody, if you're not sending text messages with these reports out to customers, you are not going to sell as much work, you're going to go out of business. And then what happened? 2020 hit, Covid hit.

Braxton Critcher [00:13:56]:
And customers aren't picking up their phones, they're not coming into the shops. There's no way for these shops to reach out to custom customers. And so all of a sudden DVI really took on like the second wave. We saw a lot of businesses unfortunately shut down. But the ones that were thriving were the ones that had already made the transition. They had adopted. They took all communication digital. They were still able to advertise that they were doing things like contactless, drop off, free disinfectant services, you know, scheduling, you know, whatever it is.

Braxton Critcher [00:14:24]:
But you know, ultimately those ones that were taking advantage of the digital technology that was available on the market, those were the shops that we saw thrive.

Braxton Critcher [00:14:32]:
You guys are like looking into a crystal ball. I'm telling, you know, so what's happening in 2030? Tell me.

Braxton Critcher [00:14:37]:
Oh yeah, I wish I had those answers. I'll tell you what. But it's, it's so crazy because even when I got started with auto vitals, I saw, you know, after talking to UVA for, you know, it only took maybe 30 to 45 minutes. And you know, before coming into auto vitals, I was actually in a whole different space. I was an electrician. But when I got to talking to Uwe, it was like he had the crystal ball and, you know, I could see exactly what he was talking about. Just with, you know, how many of my friends that I grew up with, who we were working on cars, but the generation right below us, they had no idea about working on cars. And then with all these, you know, manufacturers that were making cars, putting 25 pieces of plastic on top of the engine and making it impossible to work on cars, I saw that no matter how you twist it, no matter how you look at it, people are going to become less auto savvy.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:24]:
They're not going to know what these parts are. And so how do you expect then service advisors to sell these parts that are not cheap? If you need an expensive service, that's five to six hundred dollars, how do you expect someone to make that decision when they don't even know what they're purchasing? So I saw the writing on the wall and thankfully I hopped on the auto vitals train, I switched careers completely hopped on the auto vitals train. And I'll tell you all of the predictions that we Talked about in 2018, they ended up coming true in one way or the other.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:52]:
Yeah, so what, so dvi.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:55]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:15:56]:
What, what's next? Like what, what are you guys like working on right now?

Braxton Critcher [00:15:59]:
Oh, man, I gotta keep a couple of things under the wraps, but, you know, just, just really. Yeah, just really helping these shops continue to make the transition to digital. Because, you know, it, it just goes without being said. If you are still running a paper based operation, whether that's on work orders, on estimates, inspections, invoices, whatever it may be, you have got to get out of the trap of running paper shops. It's too cluttered. Things fall between the cracks too often. So really our biggest focus is the same focus we had in 2018, which is helping shops deliver the best level of customer service to their customers while helping them maintain the highest level of profitability as well as maintaining the highest level of efficiency. So we got a couple things on the horizon.

Braxton Critcher [00:16:39]:
I'm really excited to sit here, talk with you, but also talk to a lot of customers that are here about all kind of different upgrades that we've made into our program. You know, really diving more into like the website business to help these shops capture even more customers that might be outside of their general area. But just a lot of, a lot of really cool things are on the horizon. And I'd love to be a part of this space because it is, it is changing rapidly right now and I'm extremely excited to be a part of that wave.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:04]:
What's the percentage of shops that still don't use DVI?

Braxton Critcher [00:17:07]:
You know, I'll tell you what, back in 2018, it was, you know, I'd say 85 to 90% of shops were paper based. These days when I'm talking to shops, it's, you know, it's, it's much, much less than that. Yeah, it's Probably, I'd say 45 to maybe 60% are using paper still.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:26]:
How long do you think it'll take to where you get to where it's 10%?

Braxton Critcher [00:17:30]:
Oh, man, I think that's going to happen within the next two to three years.

Braxton Critcher [00:17:33]:
Oh, you think so?

Braxton Critcher [00:17:33]:
Yeah, I mean, with all these, you know, like I said, the space is even. This space has evolved so much in the past couple of years with the explosion of coaching groups. You know, you got Shop Fix Shop, Hackers, Shop Elite, Transformers. You know, you still got ATI and Drive and all those guys. But with all of these coaching groups that are coming into the space, I hear the same thing from all of these Coaches being preached, which is you have got to get away from paper stuff and switch over to dvi, switch over to the digital process. And so that, you know, I think is causing a massive wave. I think Covid caused a huge wave. I think it's just those, you know, stubborn shops that have been doing it for the same way for 30 years.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:12]:
Once you convince them or maybe even get new ownership in there, you know.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:15]:
That'S really where, that's where it actually happens.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:17]:
That's where it's really going to happen.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:20]:
What about AI? What do you guys. How is AI affecting what you're doing?

Braxton Critcher [00:18:25]:
I mean not. We have a couple of things that are on the roadmap for sure. I mean, AI is an extremely useful tool and so we're always looking at different ways to leverage it. Whether it's, you know, through our educational content and helping shops if they have questions or helping customers. I should say where if they have questions, AI could be there to assist it and translate it even further.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:44]:
Like AI texting.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:46]:
Yeah, AI texting AI responses. Canned responses for help centers or help bubbles that pop up on websites and stuff.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:54]:
After hours stuff too.

Braxton Critcher [00:18:55]:
Exactly. There's a lot of stuff that's out there that's manual for after hours stuff. But leveraging AI for after hours or before hours drop offs and pickups, that's definitely something that we're always looking into. But yeah, I mean AI is definitely one of those things that. Thankfully we got a great CEO over at Autobiographs right now who is, if you talk to anybody, the guy is obsessed with AI. So we're always looking at ways to incorporate that inside of our system.

Braxton Critcher [00:19:18]:
So that's the crystal ball right now.

Braxton Critcher [00:19:21]:
That's definitely one of them. Yeah, that's definitely one of them, yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:19:24]:
So let me get this straight. You correct me where I am incorrect. Autovitals integrates with shop management systems.

Braxton Critcher [00:19:34]:
Correct.

Braxton Critcher [00:19:35]:
So the company started, you said what year?

Braxton Critcher [00:19:38]:
2009. 2009.

Braxton Critcher [00:19:40]:
So at the time when you created DVI in 2013, what was the original? So I'm assuming DVI is kind of the main deal?

Braxton Critcher [00:19:51]:
Well, actually, you know, to give you a little bit of a lesson on or a history lesson on auto vitals, we actually came into the space just doing websites. Our big thing was we saw how disadvantaged these independent repair shops were in comparison to dealerships. Dealerships had the marketing dollars, they had the warranties, they had these big facilities, you know, that just attracted all kinds of different consumers and it really left these independent mom and pop shops high and dry.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:17]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:20:17]:
So we came into the space saying, look, this is unfair. Let's really start, you know, putting our efforts into driving customers back into the mom and pops. And we were extremely successful in doing that. But once we got the customers into the mom and pop shops, we realized the service advisor is calling all of these people, and it is clear by the expressions on their face that they have no idea what these parts are. They have no idea what they do, why they're important, what happens if they were to fail anything? So how do we make that transaction more effective, more transparent, and more comfortable for customers to make the right decision that's ultimately going to benefit them and their vehicle and keep them and their family safe? And that's where the idea of DVI really started to formulate. So I'd say this was probably about 2010, 2011.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:01]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:02]:
Piloted a couple of different things, you know, had a couple of great shops that were early adopters. And once we saw how approval ratings on the service advisors end just skyrocketed. Once we saw how aros and weekly revenues skyrocketed while maintaining the same level of cars, while maintaining the same level of efficiency, that's when we really knew, oh, man, we're onto something here.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:24]:
Yeah. That does your own sales for you when you can tell, like, the percentage increase you get from showing someone a picture.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:30]:
Totally. And, you know, it's crazy because we toured the United States for years, and we would talk to all kinds of shop owners and say, hey, you got a $400 ARO. What's preventing it from being 550 or 600? And the amount of shop owners? That said, I just don't think that my service advisor could sell those kinds of jobs. Right. And then you give that same Service Advisor the DVI tool, and all of a sudden their ARO. 750, 800 even. We got shops that are doing over.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:53]:
$1,000 on arrows, and some of it they don't even have to do themselves.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:57]:
Exactly.

Braxton Critcher [00:21:57]:
You know, it kind of does the work for them. In some ways, it is nice.

Braxton Critcher [00:22:01]:
You know, we were talking to these shop owners and we're saying, well, what are you doing to help your service advisor sell better? And these guys are coming out of the woods with all kinds of different suggestions of, oh, I'm putting them in sales courses and I'm getting them a sales coach, and, you know, I'm giving him scripts. It's like, instead of doing all of that, why don't you just give him the tool? Him or her, the tools that will Help him or her sell the jobs easier without them having to be so involved in the process.

Braxton Critcher [00:22:25]:
Yeah, and you don't want to be too salesy. You know, it needs to be more relationship. Relationship. They build the trust. You show the pictures and. Yeah, I mean, people don't want to be pitched anymore.

Braxton Critcher [00:22:37]:
Well, see, that's. That's the biggest thing, man, is you see it. I mean, even if you go to paper shops these days, you know, it's. It's such a transactional thing that happens inside of paper shops where it's almost like if that customer doesn't feel comfortable spending six or seven hundred dollars in, you will literally see some service advisors just give up, stop talking, whatever, fine, get out of here. Yeah, right. And that's where you get those bad reviews. That's where you get bad experiences. But no matter what situation that you find yourself in, there is no situation where a dvi, a digital inspection does not help the customer feel more comfortable with spending money on their vehicle.

Braxton Critcher [00:23:13]:
Yeah, right.

Braxton Critcher [00:23:14]:
And so that's the biggest thing that I'm always telling these shops who say, oh, I just don't have the. I don't have the right service advisor. I don't have the right technicians, whatever it may be. Maybe it's just that you need to give them the right tools, you know, and you'll see a dramatic increase, especially on the service advisors end of them getting additional approvals, increasing that weekly revenue and increasing that arrow. There's no question.

Braxton Critcher [00:23:35]:
I think it makes it easier to hire because just lord, getting a good service advisor these days, Nail on the head.

Braxton Critcher [00:23:43]:
And I know I keep referencing myself here. I talk to shops all day, every day. I mean, that's my passion. It's what I love to do. And the amount of shops that I've talked to, they all say the same thing. It is next to impossible to find good technicians. It's next to impossible to just find good, hard workers. But I always ask them the same question, you know, which is, well, what separates you from all of the five or six other shops that are in your direct area? Right.

Braxton Critcher [00:24:09]:
If you're not leveraging the latest and greatest tools and a shop down the street is, then why, when a technician lands at your doors applying for a job, what would incite them or excite them about working for you inside of the business? If your answer is, well, nothing, then you need to be leveraging the latest and greatest technology to attract the right types of technicians to your shop. Because even when these technicians are graduating from trade schools, DVI is so predominant in this space now that they're getting taught how to use DVI in these schools.

Braxton Critcher [00:24:41]:
Right.

Braxton Critcher [00:24:41]:
We're in a bunch of different colleges, stuff like that. So, you know, when as soon as these guys, you know, these people graduate from the colleges or from the courses, they're looking for the shops that are using dvi. And if you're not using dvi, well, you're not leveraging the latest and greatest tools. You're not helping technicians to do their job more effectively. You're not helping service advisors to sell more work. So why would I work at your shop? Why wouldn't I go interview at three or four more locations and find out who is doing all of these things? Who really cares about being the best that they can be in terms of every aspect of the business?

Braxton Critcher [00:25:16]:
Yeah, right, yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:25:18]:
So that's what I'm always talking to shops about, you know, and that's what we find too is the shops that get the dvi. It's those same shops that say, I can't find good technicians. Those shops that get the dvi, then they can advertise that they do the digital inspections on their website. You will get more technicians and more service advisors lining up at your door to the point where you don't have a hiring problem anymore. You're not trying to find more people, you're trying to put people on the bench. So if somebody doesn't work out, you've got backups in place. So you're never experiencing a down technician or a down service advisor. That's the impact that having the right tools in place can be for you inside your business.

Braxton Critcher [00:25:55]:
So you think there is a tech shortage?

Braxton Critcher [00:25:58]:
Absolutely.

Braxton Critcher [00:25:59]:
Yeah, Yeah. I think everybody has their different opinions.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:02]:
I see both sides of it, you know, and I really do think that it depends on the location of the shop. I think that more so than anything, you just need to make yourself accessible to good technicians and they will find you. Right. But if you're not advertising, if your means of advertising that you need a technician is just putting a help wanted sign on your front door, you're never going to find a good technician.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:25]:
Oh yeah, right.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:26]:
But if you've got a kick ass website and you've got a strong web presence and you're advertising your shop and the tools that you guys are using, those technicians will relocate.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:36]:
Yeah, they'll come to you.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:37]:
I've talked to countless technicians who have moved either state to state, county to county, hundreds of miles, thousands of miles to work at the right shop. Because no technician wants to Work at an old outdated shop that's dusty, dirty and doesn't have the right tools in place.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:53]:
So Chris Cotton, you know Chris Cotton, he's auto fix, auto shop coaching.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:58]:
Sounds familiar.

Braxton Critcher [00:26:59]:
He, you're saying similar things to what he says, but he says there's not a tech shortage, there's a good shop shortage which kind of go hand in.

Braxton Critcher [00:27:09]:
Hand, pretty much the same. Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:27:10]:
But you know, he's just like, there's so many shops that don't either a treat their texts and service advisors well and don't give them the right resources like DVI or whatever that either techs leave the industry or don't go to that shop. You know, and I mean, I think it's probably both, probably a little bit of both. There's just not enough techs maybe coming into the industry or there's too many leaving and there's just not enough good shops. But I think, you know, conversations like this that are happening more and more across the industry will continue to help move it in the right direction.

Braxton Critcher [00:27:40]:
Yeah, and I like the way that he puts it. Right. Like, yeah, like, yeah, there definitely needs to be an increase in how we're doing business. There has to be, you know, a focus on being the right type of shop for the right technician. I think if that's what your focus is, you're naturally going to fall into all of these other tools that help you to be a more efficient business owner no matter what. So, yeah, you know, it's all available out there. You just got to stop being so, you know, just because you've done something one way for 10 to 15 to 20 years does not mean it's the best way to do it. Right.

Braxton Critcher [00:28:15]:
So might get on my soapbox here for a second, but this is, this is true for every industry, what I'm about to say. But I think it's also the main reason the automotive industry is where it is today. People just don't care enough. Yeah, just don't care enough. And if you find somebody who works their butt off and it takes work, it takes, it takes getting to your shop at 4am, it takes, you know, putting in long hours into the evening, working on a Saturday here and there, eventually you don't have to do that. But at the start, to get things where they need to run, sometimes you gotta put in extra hours and you gotta search for that. You gotta go to training, you gotta spend a little money, you gotta update facilities, you gotta use dvi. And it takes work and it takes care.

Braxton Critcher [00:29:06]:
But gosh, it's hard. And I think a lot of people don't want to do that and that's why we are where we are today.

Braxton Critcher [00:29:11]:
And I agree with a lot of. Of pretty much everything what you're saying. I think when you look at it, there's really two buckets that shop owners will fall into. Right. There's the newer shop owner that has that entrepreneurial spirit and, you know, you're like, yeah, maybe they're not doing everything, but they're excited about it. They're more keen to looking at these digital tools and stuff like that. But then you have like this old, you know, this. The older type of shop owner where, you know, maybe they've been beaten down by their business for the past couple of years.

Braxton Critcher [00:29:35]:
They've been so handcuffed to their business that they forget that we're entrepreneurs in this space. If you're running a business, if you started your own shop, you are an entrepreneur. And the goal of every entrepreneur should be you have an asset that's constantly bringing you in cash flow that you're not massively handcuffed to.

Braxton Critcher [00:29:52]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:29:53]:
So these shops, they get so caught up thinking that I'm going to start this shop, it's, you know, it's going to run and I'm going to be able to, you know, spend weekends and nights at home with my family and stuff like that. And they're immediately met with the realization that that is not just how it works. It takes a lot of upfront front work to build the reputation inside of your area, establish those relationships, get repeat customers, get satisfied, you know, technicians and staff and stuff like that. And I think that that's probably one of the biggest things that's holding, you know, a lot of these guys who are still on paper back from transitioning is they lost that entrepreneurial spirit.

Braxton Critcher [00:30:28]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:30:29]:
And so when I'm talking to these shops, a lot of the times, it's just reminding them why they got in this business in the first place.

Braxton Critcher [00:30:34]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:30:34]:
We're not in this business just to, you know, work our butts off every day and, you know, come home late and have oil all over us. You know, we want to be in this business to have something that we can either pass down or sell and retire successfully. And, you know, something that's always going to be working for us that we don't have to be working for all the time.

Braxton Critcher [00:30:51]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:30:51]:
And so that's what it comes down to is, like you said, you know, putting in the hours. Right. Putting in the training, investing inside of your shop, not Just with tools, but like with the right equipment, investing in the right people and getting that foundation set. And once you get that foundation set, it runs itself. That's when. Exactly.

Braxton Critcher [00:31:10]:
And I know a lot of shop owners that don't have to be so hands on because they've put in that work for years. And then, you know, 10 years down the road, you can sort of step away a little bit. You can have that time away from the shop with your family you were thinking about. But, you know, it's not just start the shop and there you are, take some work.

Braxton Critcher [00:31:26]:
I mean, I'll tell you this right now. I, and everyone, you know, every time that I hire, you know, a new person onto my team, they. I tell them the exact same thing. And they always think that I'm lying. Which is when you come to SEMA or you come to any one of these trade shows with me, you are going to get approached by somebody who gets so emotional when they talk about auto vitals that they will almost have tears in their eyes. And everybody kind of rolls their eyes and says, oh, yeah, yeah, whatever, whatever. But it happened. It happened just recently too.

Braxton Critcher [00:31:52]:
I took one of my newer guys out to, to Vision out in.

Braxton Critcher [00:31:54]:
Yeah.

Braxton Critcher [00:31:55]:
You know, in Kansas City. And I was telling him, like, you're going to get approached and these people are going to thank you and thank you and thank you. And sure enough, within five minutes of being at Vision, this guy comes up with his wife and says, man, I just want to shake your hand because you guys not only, you know, saved my marriage, but you put my kids through college and you saved my business. And you guys called me for two to three years harassing me about this stuff. And I was one of those shop owners that was completely rejected to the idea of making it digital because I inherited the shop in a paper way and it was successful then and I was going to do the same thing, but my marriage was failing. I had no way to put my kids through college and I had a failing business. I was overweight. I couldn't believe where my life was.

Braxton Critcher [00:32:33]:
I got auto vitals and immediately saw benefit in my business. Then me and my wife weren't fighting about financials then we didn't have to worry about where the money was coming from to put our kids through college. And this gentleman had tears in his eyes, I kid you not, telling me this. And I, and I, I felt bad, but I had to stop him and I had to go grab my new guy and say thank you so much for your story. Now tell him and he did. And that's how we get guys who, you know, have been doing five to six years, to seven years, to 10 years over at Autovados. It's a great culture.

Braxton Critcher [00:33:06]:
That's. That's a crazy testimonial, I'm telling you. I mean, that's like. It's like somebody going to a church and saying they met Jesus.

Braxton Critcher [00:33:14]:
And I'm telling you, I mean, that people always think. People think I'm kidding. People think I'm exagger. But, I mean, I do this stuff all the time where I bring my new guys and, I mean, even right now, I'm not at my booth right now, but just a little bit ago, we had a shop owner come over and he said, man, my business has taken off since I got with you guys. I can't believe that I'm doing these numbers. I can't believe how efficient my business is. And I can't believe how much time I can spend at home with my kids and still be able to monitor my business and how it's doing. And it's just like, hey, tell these guys.

Braxton Critcher [00:33:43]:
I've been hearing it for six, seven years. Tell my new guy. You know, but it's. It happens everywhere we go right now.

Braxton Critcher [00:33:48]:
Wow. So this is my first time at Apex Sema, and first time in Vegas. Oh, wow. So you've been here a number of years?

Braxton Critcher [00:33:56]:
Oh, yeah, I've been. I mean, since I came into autobiography 2018, I've been here every year.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:01]:
It's crazy. It is blowing my mind. You know, I've been to Vision and I've been to asta, but this is wild. This is huge.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:11]:
Yeah. This is the. I mean, not only is it the biggest car show in the world, it's like the biggest vendor, you know, show in the United States. I mean, it's absolutely incredible. Whether you're at the Apex side, whether you're at the SEMA side, checking out all the different cars, there is. There is too much to do here right now. And, you know, especially for someone like you who's, you know, coming off first Apex, there is so much to learn and so many people to talk to.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:32]:
Yeah. You know, it's exhausting actually, too.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:34]:
I'm telling you, man. I'm telling you.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:35]:
Tired.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:36]:
You're gonna have to sit in this booth. You're gonna be learning.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:38]:
I'm from the east coast, too. Like, this is time change. And we just had the daylight savings deal.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:43]:
Yeah, man.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:44]:
Migraines left and right.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:45]:
I can only imagine, man. I mean, I literally hopped off a plane. My suitcase is behind my booth right now and I had to come over and talk to you and just tell you what the good, the good word of Auto Vitals that, you know, we've been preaching for years.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:56]:
It's cool stuff. Thanks, man.

Braxton Critcher [00:34:58]:
Absolutely. Thank you.

Braxton Critcher [00:35:04]:
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. And until next time, let's make the industry better together.