Marinucci: Selling diagnosis decades-old challenge

An old adage aptly sums up automotive diagnosis: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Contrary to what some bosses believe, justifying test time and thorough diagnosis have been decades-long issues for automotive service facilities. 

The need to sell and perform diagnosis should not be an epiphany for owners and managers at any auto repair facility. 

Some bosses should broaden their perspectives by recognizing a few facts. For instance, selling and performing diagnosis were timely topics years before many Tire Business readers were born.

Furthermore, these tasks challenged service personnel back when cars had drum brakes, bias-ply tires and breaker points. 

Those simplistic vehicles arguably were a breeze to fix until their symptoms eluded the old pattern-failure approach that’s been commonplace in service bays for years.

Regardless of the automotive era we’re discussing, selling and performing diagnosis may be the biggest daily challenge inside an auto repair business. If these tasks were so easy, all service personnel would do them well — but they do not.

The proverbial old days also mirrored modern times because a percentage of auto repair shops consistently fixed cars correctly the first time.

But others suffered whenever the work that fixed the last car failed to fix the next one that rolled into the bays. 

Regularly reading old automotive trade journals and interviewing old-time techs taught me that these failed repairs were as familiar in grandad’s day as they are today. 

Hopefully these points spur some owners and managers to avoid missteps of the past: Instead of repeating mistakes, allocate adequate test time, troubleshoot methodically and charge appropriately for these procedures.

John L. Prinvale owns and operates John’s Automotive Electrical in Quincy, Calif. Prinvale and I share some work experiences as well as business philosophies.

We both entered the auto repair industry during the era of breaker-point ignition and drum brakes.

Whereas I worked in suburban Philadelphia, Prinvale started his career near San Francisco. Although we were at opposite ends of the country, we both recognized crucial trends early on.

First, methodical troubleshooting procedures always surpassed the pattern-failure approach favored by many grizzled mechanics of that period. For instance, a repair that fixed every Ford with symptoms A and B did not necessarily fix a Ford that rolled into the shop the next day.

Second, diagnostic time initially might appear needless and wasteful. But ultimately, methodical testing saved untold minutes and hours by pinpointing the car’s real problem(s).

Third, electrical diagnostic skills were invaluable because relatively few techs possessed that knowledge and experience. Following the law of supply and demand, competent electrical specialists charged appropriately for their talent. 

Prinvale showed me a booklet, “Diagnosis Procedure Manual,” published by Sun Electric Corp. in the early 1950s. Sun Electric is long gone from the auto service marketplace, but it had been a major manufacturer and marketer of diagnostic equipment for years.

Although this booklet was 70 years old, Prinvale noted, its themes and overall emphasis would be stunningly recognizable. He wasn’t kidding.

For example, the booklet urged owners to establish diagnostic-specific areas within their businesses and outfit these with modern test equipment. Here, techs would focus on complete, scientific testing of a customer’s car — no guesswork.

What’s more, this manual asserted that auto repair professionals were as entitled to a diagnostic fee as medical doctors were.

A thorough automotive diagnosis, it stated, was equivalent to — and as valuable as — a physical examination performed by a doctor or hospital. 

This prophetic piece of advice about diagnostic work also caught my eye. “Don’t give this service away,” the manual said. “Customers are suspicious of free checks and associate them with overselling.”

Another of the booklet’s assertions rang true today. “Accurate tests will make it possible to write an intelligent repair order for work which actually needs to be done,” it stated. 

Additionally, a tech who retests a vehicle after the repair verifies that the work actually fixed the car. Whether it is bygone days or current times, savvy bosses promote this because fixed right the first time is “top of mind” among conscientious car owners.

In previous columns, I have said that sharp owners and managers value retesting as much as the initial diagnosis. To them, retesting the job is the most-basic form of quality control.

Quality control may sound like a forward-thinking, contemporary philosophy. It impressed me to find a respected source supporting the concept 70 years ago.

This booklet’s section on the involvement of the service sales staff foretold many discussions and arguments I would hear in present times. For example, service sales professionals must never apologize for the cost of proper diagnoses.

I repeat: Thorough troubleshooting always saves motorists time and money because it is a logical, scientific method whereas guesswork is an emotional approach.

(Years ago, a common expression in Sun Electric’s promotions was “Test, don’t guess.”)

Instead of doubting and disrespecting diagnosis, service sales pros should have complete confidence in the technique. According to the booklet, diagnosis is a valuable commodity, and service writers should promote it as such.

However, owners or managers must set the overall tone for the service sales staff, the booklet said. Where necessary, bosses must convince sales personnel of the effectiveness and value of diagnosis first.

Unless sales personnel are confident in diagnosis, they are not likely to sell it successfully. This is similar to selling the brands of tires in which they have the most confidence.

The booklet suggests that informing the sales staff and building their confidence in diagnosis may require training, practice and patience. 

In the proper hands, I have observed, paper sells. The theme of relevant paperwork also appears in olden times: The booklet refers to the advantages of using a printed diagnostic report to help convince consumers that diagnosis is worthwhile.

Prinvale’s prediction was correct because the booklet’s themes were very familiar to me; I have discussed these concepts in this column.

The personnel who prepared the “Diagnosis Procedure Manual” were prescient, to say the least. Or, as I said a moment ago, some things do not change.

Logical diagnostic procedures were valuable in grandad’s day. Remember that these methods are still vital today.