Stealership Stories Podcast

Ralph and Lou discuss what has been happening over the last few months and what may happen in the coming year

Lou and Ralph discuss the aftermath of Lou returning to the dealership. 

Lou and Ralph discuss diving back into the ............I cant say it. Dealer.

Lou and Ralph discussing a whole lot of nothing , getting back in to the swing of things. 

dont forget about us we will be back!

Lou and Ralph are back smack talking the industry.

Lou and Ralph discuss automotive haptics. Especially how treating people is key to the world going round.

Lou and Ralph discuss taking care of yourself and other ramblings

Lou and Ralph chat with an old co worker/friend Pete. Get some insight on his take on working in a dealership and dealing with workers and customers.

Lou and Ralph invite Regan into the "office" to engage in delightful automotive discussion.

Lou and Ralph survived the pandemic to bring you more ear busting sillyness

Lou and Ralph wrap up some strange laws across the USA

Lou and Ralph discuss strange laws across the USA part 1 of 2

Lou and Ralph are back for another season of Stealership StoriesWe discuss the dangers of letting the boyfriend or hubby attack your car repairs

Lou and Ralph run on at the lips about personal car stories and also steps to take to be the go to guy at your place of business

Lou and Ralph discuss these bullcrap warranty phone calls and telemarketers.The few times the Police were called to the dealer.Oil change costs at the dealer are the best value so far. Building a network of Technicians and Shops to refer customers to.

Facebook- Stealership Storieswww.cartechconnect.comStealershipstories@gmail.comLou and Ralph discuss Lou's method to diagnosis. Although its usually basics first, it does depend on the scenario.Auto parts stores and the theory of why they cannot erase fault codes. Training class haptics.Lou's first awkward runin with the Tech specialist.We appreciate you listening!

Lou and Ralph ramble on about their automotive experiences

Lou and Ralph discuss personal experiences inside the dealerships

Lou and Ralph (mainly Lou) discuss following your dreams and living life to the fullest.We know that in the car world about a good 75% of people HATE their job. It is up to YOU to make the decisions that affect YOU.Take a stand, make a choice, control your destiny.

Lou and Ralph discuss their personal experiences with getting pulled over and tie in the fact that a simple failed item like a light bulb is enough reason for the police to pull you over and end up searching the car to find anything.

Lou and Ralph discuss internal dealer struggles we are faced in addition to having to fix the cars as well

Lou and Ralph discuss dealership haptics and frustrations with customers that try to get around car repairs.

Lou and Ralph discuss oil change haptics and boo boo's

Lou and Ralph discuss some nonsense

Lou and Ralph discuss random topics and try to stay on point.

Lou and Ralph interview their first guest, MEESHELL. Michelle talks about her car history and feeling on being a customer of a shop. Everyone has bad experiences unfortunately. We discuss hers in detail. When you find a shop we hope you use some of our advice when finding a shop and trying to form a relationship with the shop. It's not an easy undertaking but finding a shop you can trust and have them have your back is invaluable. www.cartechconnect.comstealershipstories@gmail.comFacebookIG

Lou and Ralph discuss accidents that happen in diagnosis and repairs and how they are hidden from customers.

Lou and Ralph discuss dealership haptics

Lou and Ralph discuss the importance of telling the truth when you drop your car off to the dealer or repair shop.

Lou and Ralph discuss the automotive information site called www.cartechconnect.comLou can help you with all of your automotive questions,He can inform, educate and assist with almost all of your automotive needs.

Lou and Ralph discuss car buying tips and tricks

Lou and Ralph discuss past managers and MORE yes MORE quirky employees.

Lou and Ralph discuss dealership hapticsKnowing the owner should have no bearing on the process. You should be paying full service charge for your friend’s services. We cannot stress enough that car repair is something that you do not want to skimp onWhen purchasing cars all of the common thoughts of 1 ownerLow milesNever seen rainGaragedNone of that actually matters nor are they always good scenariosYou WILL get what you pay for at FREE replacement servicesMEN, it is time to be MEN and learn how to do common repairs such as wipers and batteries and bulbsLadies it is a good idea to learn as wellDo NOT go to parts stores for car repair or diagnostics that is a big NO NOYou WILL get what you pay for when you find the same parts such as tires and OEM parts from wholesale places they are NOT the same as some big chain store parts or dealers.Tire warranty is a fallacy there is no such thing , good luck getting a tired warranty. If you have low profile tires please be careful around potholes it can cost you HUNDREDS in repairsCustomers if you drop your car off for repair, they will have to drive it to diagnose issues so trust that they will do the right thingClearing a fault code does NOTHING but CLEARS the code, it came on once it WILL come on againStop erasing fault codes for no reasonSalesman need to please spend extra time showing customers how to work the cars and normal operationAgain appointments mean nothingTreat all of your clients with respect and take care of each of them no matter what, you never know who knows who,

Lou and Ralph discuss accidents that happen inside the shopLou talks about “Dirty oil guy” , instead of arguing with customers just help them understand the process and how everything in the car world is in the “Gray area” If a customer does not believe you did something, then walk them through the repair and explain the reason they see what they see. Making customers for life does take a special kind of person with the special kind of people skills Lou talks about “THE GIFT” ….. or is it………Nickname your customers, it helps the day go by making fun of others. We don’t judge but man we make fun of.Be careful to tell customers that you will monitor items, it may become a burden. And customers, sometimes its worth your time just to fix the issue instead of constant returns for checkups. Courtesy snacks does not mean take the hole fecken table of snacks!When I worked at ford………….no one cares bro…………..Ralph screws Lou out of Vanilla Ice tickets, fecken arsehole…….Ralph talks about something zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz JG wagon ladies, some customers are very memorable. Especially the ladies JStrippers cars always have some goodies hidingBe careful with jewelry and cars we broke a glass just by tapping a ring on it, Also anytime you are working on or near airbags be sure to disconnect powerKid rock coming to purchase a car and the employee fu**ed it upMake smart purchases with your car choices, do not buy outside of your means, no one cares what kind of car you drive. Try and keep a 10% emergency fund starting at $2500 and up it $1k for each 10K of value of the car. That way you are covered. So somewhere between $2500 minimum to about $6k max. That way you are covered In an automotive emergency.If you are on a retirement income, then do NOT choose pricey cars. Lou talks about his mess ups, the only reason I know how to do everything right is because I have done everything wrong, every which way. Redneck brings Lou the meat!Lou has had plenty of accidents hisself. Check Facebook for the car running through the door

Ralph takes control and does the introLou explains his pastAlways be grateful to those that helped you Lou’s experience ranges from shady shops to very honest shopsParts people are whack jobs 9/10 times We love you parts guys but we would love you more if you did you fecken jobPut the fecken roller blades down, get out of the hammock and do your damn jobBush in the trunk ,bush is fecken up.From co worker to law and order svu, keep a close eye on all your close co workers everyone has their secretsUncle Joe where are you we miss you manMice poop everywhere, no matter how long or short you store your car mouse will get into the car someway somehow

Loaner cars and we love the people that know how to abuse the system Firings are blessings in disguise most timesLou discusses more of his historyRalph tells of his automotive career beginningWhen you set goals make sure you do not let anyone stand in your wayYou do what it takes to get what you want out of life, it worked for us it can work for youSet your goals high and you will be surprised how far you getThe forklift industry is just as lucrative as the automotive industry with way less pressureWays to creep on the ladies to spice up the workdayDealerships have their own internal struggles, you think you have it bad with the dealer stealing from you, how about the internal employees stealing from the dealer. It happened all too often with higher up managementNever hire someone to do a job that you do not know how to do yourself, that is when thievery happensLou and Ralph start to shoot the shit on some ol timesWe may have frequented the gentleman’s club a little too oftenLou talks about harassing co workers so if he ever turns up missing you will not be surprisedwww.cartechconnect.comstealershipstories@gmail.comFacebook- Stealership Stories

Smelly co-workersCrazy diagnosis issuesThe diagnosis path and why we charge for diagnosisHow long it actually takes to get a car , look it over, diagnose it and submit for an estimateTech tips on how to avoid comebacksIf the car is in your possession take a few minutes to add air to tires and check all fluidsIf you need diagnosis help or a second opinion find LOU at www.cartechconnect.com

Ralph and Lou discuss cars failing out of nowhere. Cars can and will fail for unforseen reasons and sometimes working on it causes problems to come to light.Sometimes technicians oversight actually is what caused a failure. Most times issues arise when you take a car to a shop that is not that familiar with your car. Dealers are our preferred shop of choice but that does not mean that we are against the independant, most independants are ex-dealer techs that went out on their own and that is a place where you can get dealer level experience with cost savings. Technicians like myself (Lou) are not immune to bad customer service. Not all people are right for all shops. Find a place you are comfortable with and at ease. Money should not be the driving factor with your choice of repair facility.Franchise places arent always the best place to take your car although we do personally know a few techs that are masters of their craft and choose to not work at a dealer. You can find diamonds in the rough, do your research and always ask around to who your friends and family choose. If you have car questions check out WWW.CARTECHCONNECT.COMStealership stories (Facebook, IG, yo momma house)

Ralph and Lou discuss Warranty. Only the manufacturer can WARRANTY anything. Any purchased warranties are nothing more than insurance policiesWhen shopping for an extended warranty you want to know what they cover as well as fluid and hardware items if needed for the repairEveryone is responsible for the diagnosis fee until the failure is determined to be warrant-able or notBe careful with used car lots. When the sticker says “Remainder of manufacturer warranty” it could just be a limited amountOf parts under the emission warrantyPhysical damage will not be covered under warranty BUT if you have quite a good report with your service center sometimes they can work their magic to claim items otherwise JDealerships do have a goodwill warranty that can cover items after the original warranty is overTypes of warranty's· Manufacturer· Emissions· Certified pre owned· Manufacturers extended warranty· Aftermarket warranty· Goodwill warrantyGot a care question?Need a second opinion?Need help fixing your car?Head over to WWW.CARTECHCONNECT.COMContact us atStealershipstories@gmail.comalso on FaceBook @ Stealershipstories

Lou and Ralph discuss -Oil change appointments before a tripChanging the oil and why its the most important service a car needs and who should be doing itThe do it yourself-erUse proper parts, document document documentHave the local shop or dealer inspect the car yearly. Reading owners manual for maintenance requirementsinsurance claims and how its presented determines the possible outcomeDoing a walk around of your car with your advisor to check the physical appearance before letting them work on itDon't leave lots of personable items in the carno matter how trust worthy you want the shop to be,kids are present and judgment is not their strong suitTechs treating customers cars better than your ownDo not mistreat the customers cars save it for used cars or pdi'sThere are tons of misconceptions with the term CERTIFIEDCertifications truly mean nothing without experienceThere are pluses and minuses to both being a consumer at a quick lube vs being a mechanic at a quick lube

Lou and Ralph dive into the meaning behind Stealership Stories. Why you should not be so defensive or offensive to service personnel.We know there are horror stories out there. We know the dealer or repair shop is pricey. We also know that the Techs and Advisors that do care, are the minority. We also touch on tire pressure and the biggest misunderstanding of what pressure should be in your tire(s).Our goal will be to educate, inform and entertain you with our personal experiences and stories.Please email us with questions, comments, stories to stealershipstories@gmail.comFacebook - Stealership StoriesYouTube- Stealership StoriesIG- Stealership Stories Thanks!!

Ralph and Lou discuss how Technicians get paid and how that affects your estimates. We explain how an estimate comes to be and what questions you should be asking.Always inquire about the following,How much is labor and how did you come to that conclusion?How much are parts, what are the parts, what is the part warranty?How much is tax?Are there any additional shop fees or delivery or shipping fees?We discuss road testing customers cars and how treating the customers personal possessions will affect not only your personal relationship with the customer but also your integrity and credibility. Communication on all fronts is truly what creates a great foundation for good service center to customer interactions.

Ralph and Lou Discuss people getting ripped off from mechanics, why people get frustrated with the mechanic shops. When taking the car to the shop, as hard as it is, you must entrust the shop with the hopes that they have their processes and procedures in place. You hope the technicians are trained/experienced and knowledgeable with your make and model. If you feel that you have to tell your mechanic or advisor what to fix, then maybe it’s not the right place to be going to. The customer causes a lot of their own frustrations. Don’t hide your expectations as a client, as a service provider you must set the expectations as well. Communication is key!!!!!!Building a relationship with your service station takes time but the payoff on both ends is worth it. Do not buy a car without being informed of common repairs and maintenance costs. When you tell a shop what you THINK is happening or the car needs, then it can actually ruin their processes of diagnosis and lead them to think that the info you have provided them is what the car actually needs. The best scenario is to take your car to the shop, tell them as much info you know about the problem you are experiencing and let the shop do their job and diagnose the car. Once the issue is found, you are more than welcome to dig deeper and ask why and how they came to that conclusion, and what is the safety net if the diagnosis is not correct? Will parts be reimbursed? Will the repair be comped?Clients are treated like family, Customers are not. Change your mindset and your business will thrive. Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review!Please email with questions, comments and concerns!!! stealershipstories@gmail.comfacebookStealership Stories

Please email us: stealershipstories@gmail.comA behind the scenes look at the automotive world.In this episode we discuss trust, relationships & being successful as an employee & customer.Together we have over 30 years of automotive experience & have always enjoyed talking about the crazy things we've seen & heard.Service focused, but open to questions, comments & of course stories from anyone in the automotive, repair, sales or service industries.