FRIDAY PM SESSIONS | 1:00-4:30PM

Caroline Legrand | Shop Marketing Pros

FM-01 Finding and Creating Social Media Content to Help Your Customers Know, Like and Trust You

There is no shortage of content to share from an auto repair shop when it comes to helping your customers know you better. Every repair order is an opportunity to teach not only the car owner but your entire customer base about their vehicles and why you are the top-tier shop that should handle them.
In this class, Shop Marketing Pros Senior Marketing Strategist Caroline Legrand will share:

• How to turn day-to-day work into social media content
• What it means for your customers to know, like, and trust you
• How your social media plays a role in customer relationships
• How you can plan your content to provide consistent posts to your social media
• Which tools can help you to streamline your social media process (hint: they’re all free and easy to learn!)

Taking this class will equip you with the tools and tips you need to take what you already know about your shop, your staff, and the vehicles you work on and turn it into content that your customers can learn from to improve your brand awareness and reputation.

Rick White | 180BIZ

FM-02 The Shop Owners Guide to Growing Your Service Advisor

Attention Auto Repair Shop Owners: Unlock Your Shop’s Full Potential!

Are you struggling to maximize your shop’s revenue in today’s challenging market? With fewer repairs, longer service intervals, and shifting customer behaviors, it’s crucial to adapt your strategies to stay ahead. The key to success lies in your Service Advisors, and it’s time for you to take control and guide them toward excellence.

Introducing our exclusive workshop designed specifically for Auto Repair Shop Owners like you. This session delivers the proven strategies and insights you need to empower your Service Advisors and boost your shop’s performance. By attending, you’ll gain the knowledge and tools to:
Understand the critical role Service Advisors play in your shop’s success.
Discover best practices for training and mentoring your Service Advisors
Learn how to create a culture of excellence and accountability
Develop effective communication strategies to build trust and loyalty with customers
Implement proven techniques to increase sales and revenue during every customer interaction

As a Shop Owner, your leadership and guidance are essential to your advisors’ performance. This workshop will equip you with the skills and strategies to groom your Service Advisors into top-performing achievers for your business.

Remember, this workshop is tailored for Shop Owners, not Service Advisors. Take charge of your shop’s success today!

Sara Fraser | AutoLeap

FM-03 From Chaos to Clarity: Enhanced Communication for Auto Repair Shops

In the fast-paced and demanding environment of automotive repair shops, effective communication is the key to success. this course presented by Sara Fraser is specifically designed to help automotive repair shop owners, managers, and staff transform their daily interactions into a well-oiled machine, leading to improved efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall business performance.

This course will cover topics such as the importance of communication, meeting essentials, effective team collaboration, customer interaction, conflict resolution, and more.

Want to turn your shop environment into a thriving, customer-centric, and efficient business? Join us and become empowered to communicate better, deliver excellent service, and drive success. Sara is ready to take you on the journey to enhance communication in your shop.

Eric Ziegler

FT-01 Variable Valve Timing: Fundamentals & Diagnostic Processes

Using case studies of repaired vehicles and actual part cutaways this class demonstrates how VVT systems work, what kinds of problems they have, and what can cause these systems to set codes. The focus is a diagnostic routine that provides a flow of testing steps with technician checkpoints along the way.

Topics covered:

• Types of VVT systems
• Using scan data first
• Correlation and performance codes
• Finding problems without disassembly
• Case studies for mechanical problems, control problems, oil problems, and electrical problems
• Cheat sheets for successful scope setups
• Testing phasers, actuators, and solenoids
• What to do when codes return
• Useful specifications
• Flow of diagnostics chart that guides you to what to do next

Technicians need a trusted process they can rely on to uncover VVT problems and the routine highlighted will lead you to a successful conclusion for Asian & Domestic vehicles.

Brandon Steckler    

FT-02 A Streamlined Approach To Diagnostic Dilemmas

Gary Smith | DiagNation

Is there a better Way?​
This class will fill the attendee with several out-of-the-box diagnostic ​thoughts, approaches and strategies for​ tracking down and successfully diagnosing those gnarly​ “ghost” faults that can be so difficult to solve.​ We will look at several methods used every day on the DiagNation Support ​Hotline to help technicians with a​ “Guided Fault Finding” pathway to solve these vexing issues, regardless of ​the system you are working with.​ Learn why the shop and technicians often make intermittent diagnosis more ​difficult, and learn how to avoid these​ mistakes and leverage a customized approach to each intermittent fault you ​approach. We will use actual case​ studies to prove these methods of approach.

SATURDAY AM SESSIONS | 8:30AM-12:00PM

Kathleen Callahan | Repair Shop of Tomorrow  

SM-05 Decoding Your Labor Rate Strategies for Shop Owners

In this class, automotive shop owners will learn how to dissect and analyze their labor rate to optimize profitability and competitiveness in the market. Through a combination of theoretical concepts, practical exercises, and real-world examples, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing their labor rate and develop strategies to maximize efficiency, revenue, and customer satisfaction.

Session Details 1: Understanding Your Labor Rate
Definition and components of the labor rate in automotive shops
Factors influencing the labor rate, including overhead costs, technician wages, and profit margins
Importance of accurately calculating and monitoring the labor rate for business success
Identifying industry benchmarks and best practices for setting competitive labor rates

Session Details 2: Analyzing Your Labor Rate
Techniques for dissecting and analyzing the various components of the labor rate
Evaluating the impact of technician productivity, efficiency, and utilization on labor costs
Identifying areas of inefficiency and opportunities for improvement in labor rate management
Using performance metrics and data analysis to track labor rate trends and make informed decisions

Session Details 3: Strategies for Optimizing Your Labor Rate
Implementing effective pricing strategies to maximize revenue and profitability.
Streamlining workflow processes and reducing non-productive time to improve labor efficiency
Investing in training and development programs to enhance technician skills and productivity
Leveraging technology and automation tools to streamline labor rate calculations and invoicing processes

By the end of the class, participants will have gained the knowledge eand tools needed to dissect, analyze, and optimize their labor rate for improved profitability and competitiveness in the automotive industry. With a focus on understanding the components of the labor rate, analyzing performance metrics, and implementing strategic initiatives, automotive shop owners will be empowered to make informed decisions and drive success in their businesses.

Bill Haas | Auto Ignite Management

SM-06 7 Habits of Highly Successful Service Advisors

There are no secrets to what makes a person successful in their career. A career as a service advisor does not have to be frustrating or unrewarding. Learn the seven habits identified by Stephen Covey. Implement the seven habits and you are assured a rewarding career to be celebrated.

The seven habits will help you:

• Define your top priorities and achieve the results you want
• Be more productive
• Eliminate behavior that distracts and defeats you
• Develop strong relationships based on mutual trust
• Prepare to deal with difficult situations

Maylan Newton | Educational Seminars Institute

SM-07 10 Critical Steps to Financial Freedom

Where has all the money gone? “Good question,” you say?

This is that one ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, MUST HAVE class of the year.

Without this class, you may be making financial decisions without correct information. Or, more simply put….winging it! Follow along as we look at Budgets, Financial Structuring, and Hourly Rates based on your successes.

Rich Falco

ST-05 Conquering Network Diagnostics

This class coves modern vehicle network operation and how to efficiently diagnose ​them using common tooling. The overwhelming majority of network related issues ​do not require decoding of individual packets of data. It is important to understand ​how a network exchanges information, but a deep dive into the bits. bytes, nibbles ​and ticks of each network is not needed to repair the vehicle. Knowledge of the ​network type, the expected voltage levels, and the layout of the network wiring to ​the modules can provide us with enough information to gain diagnostic direction. At ​that point, we can use our available tooling to determine the root cause of the ​
problem.

Topics Include:

• Understanding common automotive networks and where ​to get help if we don’t understand them
• Discuss OE and aftermarket scan tool ​communication benefits and challenges
• Developing a logical diagnostic approach ​using service information and our own tooling
• Understanding diagnosis through ​communication-related case studies

Gerard Tonno

ST-06 Tactical Diagnostic Series – Scan and Scope

Misdiagnosis and unnecessary parts replacements plague many shops and technicians. Eliminating these pitfalls to maximize diagnostic efficiency is the strategic focus of this class. A tactical approach to using your full arsenal of diagnostic equipment in concert, as conditions require, to quickly diagnose with 99.9% certainty, is the goal. This provides the diagnostic and repair efficiency that satisfies customers and make you money.

Capabilities of OEM scan tools
Review the capabilities and limitations of aftermarket scan tools
Realize the full capabilities of DSOs (Digital Storage Oscilloscopes)
Discuss integration of scan tool and scope usage to clarify and validate diagnosis

Keith Perkins

ST-07 Introduction to Keys & Immobilizer Systems

Vehicle security systems are considered by most technicians to be overly complex ​and difficult to repair. We will explore some solid foundations of how vehicle security​works, how each OE implements the systems and how to effectively approach ​diagnosis, key production, copying, and key registering/programming. We talk about​ PINs, NASTF, and tools, as well as current industry challenges.

Topics include:
• ​Security system operation
• Fob communication and programming
• VSP ​requirements
• OEM vs. Aftermarket tools

Brand Steckler

ST-08 Pressure Waveform Acquisition and Analysis, From The Inside-Out (all-day)

Course objective is to take the pressure-transducer novice to a whole new ​level. The goal is for someone with labscope/engine mechanical operation ​knowledge, to gain the ability to capture pressure waveforms (from the ​intake manifold/tailpipe and in-cylinder) and be able to use the information ​to make diagnostic-decisions. The course will cover transducer functionality ​with both absolute transducers as well as delta transducers. It will touch on ​the benefits and characteristics of both types of transducers and how they ​can be used to gain an edge. Diagnostic-approach will be carried out using ​real world examples and actual case studies from my own library. Attendees ​leave with confidence to invest in the tooling to perform pressure testing ​and analysis to improve accuracy and efficiency.

Gary Smith | Adam Robertson

ST-09 Hybrid -EV Class

A COMPLETE, full day look at EV and Hybrid Vehicle Technology. We cover everything from high-voltage safety, basic diagnosis and basic high voltage system repairs to more advanced electronic controls like resolver circuits and other EV and HV diagnosis from a technician perspective. This all-day class is designed to provide any competent technician (that already has a good, fundamental electrical understanding) with all of the Safety, PPE Testing, Hybrid-EV Theory and of course Hands-On Testing Techniques are covered. This class looks at how to safely understand and work on and perform basic diagnostic service on Hybrid and all-electric vehicles in general. Includes overview of theory on function and control of motor generators, power split and planetary gear function high voltage and battery service and more. During this 8-hour class, we use real life diagnostic cases and scenarios to back up the theory taught, don’t miss this class with Adam and Gary!

SATURDAY PM SESSIONS | 2:00-5:00PM

Sara Fraser, Bill Haas | Auto Ignite Management

SM-09 Culture Shock Electrifying the Workplace

This course equips participants with the knowledge and skills to create a harmonious, inclusive, and high-performing work environment. This class delves into essential topics such as personality dynamics, effective communication, inclusive leadership, and bridging generational gaps.

Course Highlights:
Unveil the power of DISC profiles to understand and leverage diverse personalities.
Master communication strategies that foster empathy and respect among colleagues.
Embrace inclusive leadership styles to drive innovation and team motivation.
Bridge generational differences for more effective collaboration and results.

Develop a profound ability to navigate diverse cultural backgrounds, enhance communication, and leverage generational perspectives to drive organizational success. Join us in this journey to cultivate a workplace where differences are celebrated, and collaboration thrives.

Maylan Newton | ESI

SM-010 Confident Selling

What’s the difference between a Service Writer selling 50% and one that sells 90% of their attempted sales? In short, Confidence!
Confident selling is the key to most GREAT sales individuals. Join Team ESI for a class in Confidence selling, the Techniques, the Attitude, and the results up should expect.

Rick White | 180BIZ

SM-011 Building Better Teams

Join me in ‘Building Better Teams’ for a transformative journey that’s tailor-made for independent auto repair shop owners. In this class, I’ll arm you with essential tools to boost your team dynamics through proven accountability strategies and effective feedback techniques.

You’ll discover how to turn struggling employees into top performers, clearly and effectively communicate your expectations, and nurture a culture of responsibility and respect in your shop. I’ll guide you through setting up a clear framework of accountability that every team member can understand and embrace.

You’ll learn how to quickly identify and address team issues, and I’ll show you how to apply feedback techniques that build trust and foster professional growth. The end result? You’ll lead a more cohesive, motivated team that’s ready to tackle any challenge.

This class is a must-attend if you’re looking to elevate your leadership skills and ensure your team not only meets but exceeds their potential. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your shop’s culture and boost your team’s performance.

Rich Falco

ST-010 Diagnostic Application of Wiring Schematics

This course guides technicians through the effective use of wiring schematics as a ​diagnostic tool. Learn to combine schematics, circuit operation information, and ​power flow techniques along with applied circuit principles to diagnose problems ​quickly and accurately. Find electrical faults fast by recognizing the characteristics ​of shorts, opens, and high resistance circuit problems. Learn the most effective tools​
and techniques to use for a given fault. During this interactive course, students will ​use selected schematics to diagnose assigned circuit problems and conditions.​

This class coves modern vehicle network operation and how to efficiently diagnose ​them using common tooling. The overwhelming majority of network related issues ​do not require decoding of individual packets of data. It is important to understand ​how a network exchanges information, but a deep dive into the bits. bytes, nibbles ​and ticks of each network is not needed to repair the vehicle. Knowledge of the ​network type, the expected voltage levels, and the layout of the network wiring to ​the modules can provide us with enough information to gain diagnostic direction. At ​that point, we can use our available tooling to determine the root cause of the ​problem.

Topics Include:
• Understanding common automotive networks and where ​
to get help if we don’t understand them
• Discuss OE and aftermarket scan tool ​communication benefits and challenges
• Developing a logical diagnostic approach ​using service information and our own tooling
• Understanding diagnosis through ​communication related case studies

Justin Morgan

ST-011 BMW 101

Dive into the world of BMW or get a healthy refresher on BMW. Justin Morgan will take you thru all things BMW to prepare you for working on them. Covering vehicle chassis numbers, engine platform codes, and transmission identifications. Demystifying the BMW service info by breaking down; component designations, wiring diagram symbols, and service information document types. Moving into covering European specified terminal numbers, circuit identifications, and BMW acronyms. Then closing with the differences between the different BMW software’s; ISTA, ISTA P, AIR. Lots of information and some tricks to make navigating BMW information much easier for both the novice and experienced BMW tech. Class includes handout with valuable reference material.

Keith Perkins

ST-012 J2534 Asian Programming Update

J2534 technology is always evolving As the need for programming Asian vehicles ​increases, especially with mandated OE diagnostic software being provided for use ​with a J-device, technicians need to be more familiar with the J2534 process. This ​course focuses on the need for J2534 today. The current information for hardware ​setup, software configurations, and changing OE websites are covered in detail.
​

Topics include:

• Computer and operating system setup
• Java and browser security ​configurations
• J-device selection and management
• OE websites and APIs
• The ​reprogramming process
• Problems and solutions