ACtion Magazine - April 2015 - (Page 6)

A long way to go Andy Fifﬁck I 'm on a plane heading to our MACS / NARSA training event in Atlanta and reading Tire Business magazine. I'm reviewing all of the latest industry data in their annual wrap-up edition. I also read Dan Marinucci's article on where our industry stands and I have to admit I was surprised by some facts, disappointed by others and happy about other facts and observations in the pages and pages of data. First of all, I'm pleased to learn that the number of vehicles on the roads in the USA is forecast to increase by 3.3% in 2015, 3.6% in 2016, and 3.9% in 2017. Additionally, the vehicle ﬂeet is aging and the sweet spot of the 5 to 12 year old vehicles is increasing for the foreseeable future. All in all, this is a good trend for us. Surprisingly, I also learned that of the top 75 major tire companies in the world, only three are USA owned and operated. They are Cooper, Goodyear and Titan. I have been a big fan of Cooper and Goodyear for a long time and an even bigger fan now. Now the disappointing part. In Dan's article, he pointed out many observations and urged our industry to take a hard look in the mirror. In Dan's words, he questions if our aftermarket segment of the industry has truly achieved a "plateau of professionalism" that is noteworthy to the public. We all wish for ...how many of us are willing a more level playing ﬁeld, we wish that the market to take on the challenge? was better, we wish for better client base, better employees and more profits. We can wish for all of this; however, how many of us are willing to take on the challenge to really make a difference and shape the future and public opinion of our profession? One surprisingly dismal fact is the report on employee wages for our industry. In 2001 the average hourly rate for a technician in the USA was $12.94 an hour. In 2009 it was $15.99, and in 2013 (last reporting year) it was $16.13. To me, these are very dismal hourly rates and a question comes to mind: How can our industry ever expect to attract the brightest and best young people into the industry if we can only afford to pay slightly more than someone working in the fast food industry? Unfortunately our industry still suffers from a black eye and it's reﬂected in what we can charge for our goods and services, pay our staff and - dare we say it - make a proﬁt. Every time there is a negative Rossen Report (NBC News), negative news story or social media craze about dishonest repair shops, we all suffer. These less than honest players who generate the negative press have diminished our ability to raise our rates and increased the public distrust for us. Like Dan, I challenge all of you to really take a look in the mirror and if you don't like what you see, please make the change for the betterment of our industry. Who of us will take the challenge to treat every client with the upmost of respect, only ﬁx what is actually needed, partner with the client to maintain their vehicle as they see ﬁt, and charge a fair price? This is what it's going to take to win over the motoring public and ﬁnally be able to achieve the respect we all deserve. I agree with Dan, we have a way to go.❆ Sincerely, Andy Andy Fifﬁck Andy@RadAir.com 330-220-8384 " Reader Reply 6 ACTION * April 2015 http://www.meicorporation.com/ http://www.macsw.org/imis15/MACS/Publications/ACtion_Reader_Reply/MACS/Publications/ACTION/ACtion_Reader_Reply.aspx?hkey=ac24bddb-c045-442a-813c-cbf05f88ac4d

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - April 2015

Changes coming to your bay
Meet me @MACS Make Connections that matter
Outlook
Service Port
Leonard's Law
Virtual View
Last Watch
Letters to the Editor
By the numbers
Industry News
Association News
In Memoriam
New Products

ACtion Magazine - April 2015