On October 2, 2011, the American Cancer Society sponsored its annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Syracuse, NY. Despite a gray and chilly Sunday morning, with pouring rain and puddles of water in the streets, hundreds of people showed up to “make strides” and turn in donations from their sponsors. Some area companies sponsored teams of their employees or even their patrons, like the YMCA East.

There is a book coming out that talks to women about auto-care. This is not the first book written on this topic directed at women, but it is by the owner of an auto repair tool who feels that women need to know a little bit more about their vehicles. With that knowledge, they won’t feel quite so vulnerable when they must take it to the shop for repairs.

You want to know what is wrong with your car so you can feel safe as you drive. That means you need to be able to count on the fact that technicians will tell you when there is a problem with your vehicle, ensuring you get the issue repaired quickly before you get back on the road. But you also need to be able to trust that mechanics will not tell you that you need repairs when you do not. You should feel confident that when you bring your car in, the mechanics will examine it carefully and let you know what needs to be fixed today, and what can wait.

When sending your cards, don’t ever include marketing information. That’s a deal breaker. The ‘Thank You’ is a personal gesture that is intended to build and fortify your relationship with your customers.

Flat tires are a burden for any motorist but learning to change one for yourself is very important. Calling an auto repair service to change a tire can cost you quite a sum of money whereas you changing the tire is free. It is simply a case of jacking the car up, removing the flat and replacing it with the spare. Make sure that you’re pulled well to the side of the road when you’re changing tires.

If you’re looking to step away from the day-to-day operations, you can’t be the one to always handle the problems. It’s your job to find the right people who can handle these problems on their own.

Be sure to carry auto repair tools in your car with you whenever you drive. As discussed in a previous article, major car repairs may be saved by keeping up with the general maintenance of your car. Yet, even doing that does not guarantee that your car will never break down.

Don’t deep dive into the minutia. Labor pains. This is where the customers can get lost because you overwhelm them with details that are trivial to their buying decision. Everyone likes to feel like the authority on their company and products, but if you over engineer the process it will cloud the mind of the customer. Then the customer says, “Let me think about it.” What they are really saying many times is, “I don’t know what I am buying, I am confused and all I see is the price.” They don’t want to feel stupid so many times they take the easy out and say no.