Garage Talk
Automotive Aftermarket News
Unfiltered insights from those who live and breathe the workshop floor.
Garage Insiders
Garage Insiders is a dedicated space where a handpicked group of real garage owners and industry professionals share their thoughts on the issues that truly matter.
Their identities remain anonymous, giving them the freedom to speak openly and honestly about the challenges, frustrations, opportunities, and changes facing workshops, technicians, and the wider aftermarket today.
No PR polish, no sugar coating - just genuine perspectives from those at the heart of the trade.
Garages hit back at Carly, Taking responsibility for the Outcome is where £110 is impossible
There is no credible way to diagnose, remove and replace an O2 sensor with a quality part for anywhere near £110
Discounting Is Not Customer Service. It Is Panic.
We start with what we think the customer will pay, or what we have always charged
BEN, do you know who they are?
If you run a garage and employ people, you are playing with loaded dice if you do not know about BEN,
We tell customers diagnostics are valuable… then give it away for free
We spend a lot of time in this trade telling customers that diagnostics is a skill
What you see is what you get in this industry
Pull up outside your own place and sit there for a moment. Don’t think like the owner, think like a new customer.
After sales warranties – are they worth the paper they’re written on?
As car technology develops, so does the costs involved in keeping these engineering masterpieces on the road
When equality drifts away from inclusion
Real equality isn’t about being better than someone else - it’s about being valued for what you can actually do
Don’t be fooled by % rebate points schemes
Parts rebates are one of the few things in a garage that can drop straight into profit without adding a single extra job to the diary
Social Media - What’s the point?
The truth is that social media is a complete waste of time if you don’t know why you’re doing it
Social Media, Local Groups and the Reality for a Small Business
Running a small business today means dealing with social media - whether you want to or not
Staff. Who would have them – and how would you run a garage without them?
Here is the uncomfortable and slightly controversial bit. Sometimes the owner helps create the problem.