Features Archive - Auto Service World https://www.autoserviceworld.com/features/ Reaching Canada's Automotive Aftermarket Industry Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:29:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.autoserviceworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cropped-ASW-FAVICON-1-32x32.png Features Archive - Auto Service World https://www.autoserviceworld.com/features/ 32 32 How EVs will reinforce the importance of on-board diagnostics https://www.autoserviceworld.com/features/how-evs-will-reinforce-the-importance-of-on-board-diagnostics/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 10:15:45 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003828579 A strong preference for vehicle emission control and the evolving regulatory landscape is propelling the on-board diagnostics (OBD) aftermarket forward. From personal vehicles to commercial ones, OBD solutions continue to see demand as the expanding auto industry adopts newer technologies…

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]]> Staying safe https://www.autoserviceworld.com/features/staying-safe/ Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:52:54 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003828509 Pandemic-related restrictions have loosened and vaccination rates are increasing. But COVID case numbers are increasing as experts confirm we’re in a fourth wave. Here’s what jobbers have been doing to keep staff and customers safe   ALMOST TWO-THIRDS of Canadian…

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]]> Locking the door https://www.autoserviceworld.com/features/locking-the-door/ Mon, 30 Aug 2021 10:47:21 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003827990 Volvo Cars announced a move in late June that, whether done intentionally or not, will make it harder for independent automotive service professionals to service its future vehicle offerings. The automaker said that it is taking software development in-house. Its…

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]]> By The Numbers: Battery Facts https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/by-the-numbers-battery-facts/ Mon, 23 Nov 2020 08:21:27 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824967 75% Percentage of owners of vehicles newer than two years who get all the recommended maintenance. When the vehicle is between 2 and 5 years old, that falls to 64%. When the car is older than 5 years, only about…

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]]> Off the Shelf: Keep them coming back https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/off-the-shelf-keep-them-coming-back/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 10:42:24 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824943   By Susan Hitchon There’s no question that loyal clients are highly coveted in any industry. Under stable or normal market conditions, almost any business owner would agree that client loyalty needs to be at the top of the priority…

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]]> Standardizing ADAS terminology https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/standardizing-adas-terminology/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:57:14 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824980 By Allan Haberman If you think advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are brand new on the automotive scene, you might be surprised to find out they’ve actually been around for a long time. In fact, the earliest systems are now…

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]]> It’s Your Turn: Those dreaded Wheel Locks! https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/its-your-turn-those-dreaded-wheel-locks/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:48:47 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824975   By Bruce Eccles Few things can frustrate my technicians more than a missing wheel key. And nothing spoils the mood in the office like an unreasonable customer. Funny how these two situations are often go hand-in-hand! Dealerships can get…

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]]> Confidentiality in the workplace https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/confidentiality-in-the-workplace/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:44:28 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824944   By Jeff Mowatt Have you ever had a potential customer who seemed nervous and reserved, rather than excited about doing business with you? It happened in a weird way for me. The senior managers seated around the boardroom table…

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]]> Beefing up suspension and chassis parts https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/beefing-up-suspension-and-chassis-parts/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:40:30 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824942 By Allan Janssen Two automotive trends have come together to create new opportunities for aftermarket chassis and suspension manufacturers. On the one hand, public appetite for robust SUVs and light trucks has grown dramatically in recent years. Indeed, by some…

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]]> Measuring the productivity of your whole team https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/measuring-the-productivity-of-your-whole-team/ Mon, 16 Nov 2020 07:12:16 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824987 By Bob Greenwood Measuring the productivity of individual employees is important in any business. It’s a valuable statistic to track, and is an excellent starting point for a staff review, encouragement, and sometimes counselling. But what about team productivity? Can…

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]]> Five deadly sins at the service counter https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/five-deadly-sins-at-the-service-counter/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:57:20 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824947 By Allan Janssen There are plenty of ways to lose money in a repair shop. Avoiding the pitfalls in the bays, the manager’s office and at the front counter is what defines success in this business. When it comes to…

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]]> The gamification of sales https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/the-gamification-of-sales/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:52:39 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824946 By Zara Wishloff Gamification is a new buzz word in the marketing world. It refers to adding the aesthetics and functionality of games into things that are not really games at all. You’ll see it everywhere if you know where…

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]]> Understanding Diesel Exhaust Aftertreatment Systems https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/understanding-diesel-exhaust-aftertreatment-systems/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:40:13 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824962 By David Bry Diesels have long had an image problem. They were known to be smelly, slow, and dirty. But that picture is very much out of date. Diesels don’t stink like they used to. Many are extremely powerful. And…

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]]> By the Numbers: Top 10 Vehicle Platforms https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/by-the-numbers-top-10-vehicle-platforms/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:22:54 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824953 Top 10 vehicle platforms 1. Volkswagen’s PQ35 (A5) 32,675,765 units (2.6%) 2. Nissan/Renault’s B Platform 24,152,170 units (1.9%) 3. Volkswagen’s NQB 14,420,969 units (1.2%) 4. Volkswagen’s PQ24 (A04) Platform 13,197,432 units (1.1%) 5. Peugeot’s PF1 12,832,679 units (1.0%) 6. Toyota’s…

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]]> Eye Spy: Broken Brakes https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/eye-spy-broken-brakes/ Wed, 04 Nov 2020 08:41:35 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003825021 ˙Could this be someone’s way of making brake pads last longer? David Kelsey of D. Kelsey Auto Repair in St. John’s, Nfld., found one brake pad welded onto another on a 2015 Civic. “It is unreal that our province of…

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]]> By the Numbers: Jobbers and Wholesalers https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/by-the-numbers-jobbers-and-wholesalers/ Tue, 03 Nov 2020 01:03:36 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824948     80% In 2019, the percentage of e-commerce purchases (by dollar volume) that was picked up at a retail location as opposed to delivered to a home. NPD Group   98.5% In 2019, the share of global light vehicles…

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]]> JobberView: The Quality Alternative https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/jobberview-the-quality-alternative/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:59:36 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824920   By Zara Wishloff The reputation of aftermarket parts has taken quite a tumble. There was a time, in the early decades of the automotive industry, when aftermarket parts were seen as the quality alternative to cheap and poorly manufactured…

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]]> Getting Paid: How to collect without creating hard feelings https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/getting-paid-how-to-collect-without-creating-hard-feelings/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:56:26 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824918   By Jeff Mowatt If you’ve ever experienced the awkwardness of having to call a customer to remind them to pay their bill, you know that you have to walk a very fine line of diplomacy. Being a pushover won’t…

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]]> By the Numbers: Vehicle platforms and battery power https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/numbers/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:44:14 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824915   14,890 Number of automotive repair and maintenance shops in Canada in 2018. The majority (9,441 shops) had fewer than five employees; 5,442 shops had five to 99 employees. There were seven commercial shops with more than 100 employees. A…

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]]> The battle between EVs and ICE-vehicles heats up https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/the-battle-between-evs-and-ice-vehicles-heats-up/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:12:41 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824926 By Allan Haberman It is somewhat ironic that as technology advances, we’re seeing more electric vehicles on our roads. Ironic because some of the first cars built were electric… and it was precisely the new technology of the day that…

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]]> Online Learning: The changing face of training https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/online-learning-the-changing-face-of-training/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:08:17 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824924 By Allan Janssen California-based technical trainer Mike Cleary was all set to come to Vancouver for a Powerstroke Diesel class in the last week of March. The technical class had been scheduled for months, and a good turnout was expected.…

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]]> How toxic coolant kills engines https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/how-toxic-coolant-kills-engines/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:03:57 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824922 By Allan Janssen Should a vehicle’s coolant reservoir be under lock and key? Bobby Bassett says there’s an argument to be made for such an extreme measure. Bassett, the North American national training manager for Gates Automotive Aftermarket, told participants…

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]]> Eye Spy: More adventures with animals https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/eye-spy-more-adventures-with-animals/ Wed, 23 Sep 2020 07:20:57 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824163   Midas technician Moe LeBlanc in Moncton, N.B., found this picture-perfect bird’s nest under the hood of a 2006 Dodge Ram that came in with a coolant leak. The customer, who drives the truck every day, couldn’t believe it hadn’t…

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]]> Straw poll: What I learned during Covid https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/straw-poll-what-i-learned-during-covid/ Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:39:23 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824172     By Peter Bulmer We conducted a straw poll recently to find out what lessons people are taking away from the extraordinary circumstances we’re all facing this year.   I’ve learned…   …to maintain a wide array of services…

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]]> Covid-19: Just the latest challenge https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/covid-19-just-the-latest-challenge/ Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:29:09 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824062 By Bob Greenwood Everyone is aware that vehicle technology and business trends are moving forward at a constant pace. Things are changing so fast, in fact, that many automotive repair shops have had to devise strategies to help them keep…

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]]> By the Numbers: Aging technicians https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/by-the-numbers-aging-technicians/ Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:59:50 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824056   11.8 years Average age of U.S. cars and light trucks on the road in 2019. IHS Markit   9.71 years Average age of Canadian cars and light trucks on the road in 2017 (most recent data). AIA Outlook Study…

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]]> New study offers tips for attracting tomorrow’s buyers https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/new-study-offers-tips-for-attracting-tomorrows-buyers/ Tue, 15 Sep 2020 02:57:59 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003824054 Automotive retailers that are not tied to dealerships have a built-in advantage when it comes to attracting younger customers. Repeated surveys have shown that millennials – those born between 1981 and 2000 – are less suspicious of smaller shops than…

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]]> Greenwood: How do you measure success? https://www.autoserviceworld.com/carsmagazine/greenwood-how-do-you-measure-success/ Tue, 01 Sep 2020 20:56:41 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003823821 Here’s a useful exercise. If you normally refer to our industry as a “trade,” try replacing that word with “profession.” Not once in a while… but every time. It will be difficult at first, but soon it will become natural.…

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]]> Why all the fuss about tiered labour rates? https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/why-all-the-fuss-about-tiered-labour-rates/ Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:30:42 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003823747 By Bob Greenwood, AMAM A lot of repair shops still use a single catch-all labour rate. Jobbers who are watching the industry closely know these shops. If you’re selling parts to shops that stick to a single labour rate, it’s…

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]]> Off the Shelf: It’s All in the Detailing https://www.autoserviceworld.com/jobbernews/off-the-shelf-its-all-in-the-detailing/ Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:27:46 +0000 http://www.autoserviceworld.com/?post_type=feature&p=1003823745 Off the Shelf By Susan Hitchon Spending a few days a month with manufacturers’ sales representatives is a time commitment, but it can pay real dividends to learn about the latest automotive products and taking them around to visit your…

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