New Employee??

We have hired a grounds keeper for the shop.   He is small but great at what he does.   However, he is quite shy so we probably will not be able to introduce you to him!   Yes, today he attacked the weeds right in front of the door with great enthusiasm and he is very efficient at what he does.....

The best part, he works for free!

By the way we were unable to make him be still long enough to get a photo for you, but we found one on Google so you will be able to recognize him when you see him!

Until Tomorrow.

Ahhhh! Summer

The smell of suntan oil and bug spray permeate the air today.    Warm sun-kissed skin plus the other smells means that summer finally decided to put in an appearance!   So now that we are all heading back to work tomorrow with a tinge of pink, we need to make sure that our vehicles are also ready for summer.  Michelle's car has air conditioning problems right now and hers won't be the only one!    Do yourself a favor and get it checked out before it has a chance to cause problems!

Until tomorrow.

Open for Business

All our treasures that we just couldn't wait to part with were on display out on our driveway today.     It was a sucessful sale because we only had to put 2 little boxes of treasures we couldn't wait to part with back into our house.    And finally the weather co-operated too!   Spencer was a great help, putting large items  into people's vehicles and even  delivering some items.    So now what to do with the hundreds of pennies that we made?   We don't know for sure yet, but at least we didn't go visit anyone else's driveway!

Until Tomorrow.

One Man's Treasure?

We spent part of the day cleaning out the mezzanine at the shop.

Wow!

The Barnwell Parade of Yard Sales will be going strong tomorrow morning and we are going to participate.   Yup, lots of "wonderful treasures" will be ripe for the picking all over the Village.   For us this will be a new experience - and guess what?   There better be not one thing left when all is said and done, even if it means the price is Free!

Until Tomorrow.

Hairy Arms

Spencer has decided to help out the Terry Fox Foundation this year.   He, along with 11 other men have volunteered to have the hair on their arms removed by wax.   OUCH.   We are now accepting pledges from everyone who wants to see the hairiest arms we know of get a little less fuzzy.

We invite everyone to watch this event happen at Main Stage Cornfest on Friday, August 27 at 7:30.

I think you can agree from this photo they are pretty hairy!

Until Later Today......

Commercial Break

Did you miss us?   Yes, we haven't been posting the past few days.   So don't adjust your computer screen - it is true we didn't make a post.    But here we are again.   Hopefully we will be able to keep up with the daily posting just like we started out doing.   It really is amazing how hard it is to keep a New Year's Resolution going strong through out the entire year.

Until Tomorrow.

Flood Watch

Our books went to our accountant this weekend.   Since our accountant is in Fernie, it is not just a quick drive, it takes planning and arranging to get this done.   This is much easier to do than it was when we went into business 24 years ago.    Back then it was boxes of information that had to be sifted through and reconciled with hand kept books.    Now it is one little box of backup information and a flash drive!  Does it take less time to accomplish tax preparation?   No, but it sure is easier to lift!

Until Tomorrow.

Noah

Everyone today is talking about the weather.   I think on Facebook the weather is the main topic of conversation for almost everyone in this area!   Roads are washed out, basements flooded and floodgates have been opened.  

Last night on the late news (why do they always show the story you want to hear last?) they compared this last rain to the "Flood of the Century"  now in my mind that seems a little bit premature!   This century has many more decades in it to go so how do they know? 

 Oh well, today we are going to track down Noah and see if he will sell us tickets to ride that ark of his....

By the way - the Sun will come out tomorrow.

Until Tomorrow.

CROAK!

We have guests singing to us out in the shop today!  

If you listen carefully there are bull frogs singing to each other just outside the shop doors.   This is something that Verl says he used to hear all the time when he lived in Idaho.   But it is not something we have heard before living here in the "dry" prairie.

Think that they are saying "Enough Already, turn off the taps?"

Until Tomorrow.

Friendship

Sometimes having a friend to talk to is just the ticket to make a blah day seem bright and shiny.   Let's face it we have had way too much rain and gloom and doom lately.    Having someone to laugh with, confide in and act silly around can help chase those blahs away. 

We know we are just your automotive shop, but we like the stories you tell us about your lives!   It brightens our days, gives us common ground with you and helps us develop that friendship with you.

Until Tomorrow.

Mentorship

Sometimes the best way to get the most out of your business is to spend time helping others who are testing their entreprenurial skills.  

 Michelle spend over 2 hours today doing just that.   Since Ariel and Michelle had yet another surgeon appointment we killed 2 birds with one stone.    We met with a friend who is beginning her own business and is looking for information on how to advertise without breaking the bank.   This is something that we have spent a lot of time studying and learning how to do over the past year.  

While we are not in the same business at all, the basic tennants of marketing do remain the same and we are always glad to help out a fellow business person.   

Now, a shameless plug for her startup business:    if you are planning an amazing outdoor event such as a wedding, why not give Carla's company a shot!

http://www.pardyrentals.com/  

Until Tomorrow.

Another Late Night

When one job ends, another begins!  

We went right from working on and in our business to being involved in our volunteer jobs as board members of the Canadian Independent Automotive Association.  This means another 12 hour day, but we are certainly used to those kind of hours here.
 
Why do we do this?  

Well, one reason is the more you are involved in your industry, the better you can serve your client.   When you are dealing with automotives, being as knowlegeble as you can be is very important, after all your safety is upmost in our mind.

Small Towns...

Living in a small town means everyone knows where you live.

  Yes, even on a Sunday we have people stopping over and asking for mechanical advice!    Do we say "We're closed, come back on Monday", or "What are you doing?  I don't work today!"   No, because in small town life neighbors help neighbors.....

After all village life means everyone knows your name!

Until Tomorrow.

Terry Fox Foundation

Michelle said yes to helping out with the Terry Fox Foundation committee this year.    This is part of the committment she made to get more involved in the local community.

Yvonne Dreaddy dropped off Donation cards at the shop to help this very worthwhile cause raise funds to commerate the 30th Anniversary of the Run.    

We will be asking you to donate and fill out a card when you stop in  here at Verls and we hope that you will continue to be the generous people that we all know you are.

We have filled in a couple cards for ourselves in honour of family members who have passed from cancer, and to cheer on those who have survived.

Ila Terry - Breast Cancer
Bill Taylor - Brain Tumor
Ally Close - Lung Cancer
Joseph Annon - Leukemia

Viola Annon - Breast Cancer survivor
Dolly Mellen - Breast Cancer survivor
Helene Taylor - Breast Cancer survivor

Until Tomorrow.

The Most Powerful Words

We recently learned what the most powerful words in the English Language are when it comes to Customer Service.    No, it isn't the word FREE or even THANK YOU. (Although we will say Thank-you!) 

Customer service is about being attentive to your needs, listening to what you are saying, being in the moment with you.   You are spending your dollars on your second most important purchase, and we need to respect this.   Often coming to the shop is like going to the dentist, you don't want to go, but you have to and you know it is going to hurt!

So what are the two little words that we can use to show that we are actually listening to you?  

What can we do FOR YOU?

Until Tomorrow.

Rescheduling

At the seminar we recently attended one of the topics was on shop scheduling.   We know we sometimes have  a problem with this here at the shop.  There will be days (like Monday and Tuesday of this week) when some of the bays are empty.   And then there are days like the rest of the week where we are over booked.   We are getting better at this and now have some tools to help us schedule to even out our days.  

The end result?   You will receive even better service than you already do because we will have the time to take car of your car in the manner it deserves!

Until Tomorrow.

Footprints in the Sand, not on the Glass

Spencer noticed that there were footprints on the windowshield of a Equinox that he worked on yesterday. This greatly disturbed him because of the airbags located in the dash. If someone was resting their feet on the dashboard and a collision was to occur your feet and legs would be pushed back at you violently if the airbag deployed.

All it would take is one 15 km bump to the rear or front and the airbag will go off.

Airbags are meant to keep us safe, but it is up to us and our actions to do what we can to be safe in a moving vehicle as well. After all safety measures only work if we respect them.

Until Tomorrow

Returning Customers!

While working on a vehicle last Friday Spencer left a screwdriver under the hood of a client's vehicle.   Today, when he was polishing his tools and putting everything away he noticed that the screwdriver was missing.    So after rethinking his steps to where he last used the screwdriver, he came to the conclusion that he must have left it under the hood of the car he worked on.  

He sheepishly came up the the Mom and asked her to call the client and have them check to see if it was there.   Yup, it was right where he left it!  

Now this does happen sometimes when we are in a rush to push a vehicle out of the shop.   Guess this is a good reminder to the guys in the back to slow down a bit, take a breath, and do a once over!   After all, this isn't usually the kind of car care gift we like to leave for you!

Until Tomorrow.

Come In

Come in, sit down, relax, converse. Our house doesn't always look like this-- sometimes it's even worse!"

Remember this old saying?   Bet a lot of you have a copy of it on the wall of your house just like we used to.

When we were at the AIA Convention last week, one of the presenters stated that we need to take pride in our surroundings.   That if we didn't take the time to take care of what we have the client would assume that we would not take the time to care for their property.

Well, we do take pride in what we have and try to keep it in a clean and pleasant fashion,  so yes we will take good care for you.   

(Except for when the newsletters are going out!)

Until Tomorrow.

Sunday!

After a marathon planting day, every thing is done!   So yes, we did take an entire day off from the shop.   No budgeting was done, no books were touched and no tools were polished and put away.   Yes, sometimes the best way to focus on our business is to not focus on it at at all!  

Fresh minds and a fresh start for Monday!  

Until Tomorrow.

Saturday

There is a van sitting at the shop with the doors open and the hood up.   With all the wet weather we have had in the past few weeks this poor van has a cold!   What do I mean by that?   Well it is all wet inside, so wet in fact that we go down every day and open the doors and raise the hood, trying to get some air circulating inside it.

It is so wet inside that we are seeing evidence of black mold, which as we all know is not a good thing!

So, if your car or van or truck is smelling a little off or seems damp inside, please do yourself a favor and check under the carpeting.    We don't want you to have to go through what this poor customer is - it really isn't pleasant.

As you can tell, not everything we do at the shop is mechanical or technical, sometimes it is more of a housekeeping thing....

Until Tomorrow.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s!!

This email was sent to us today by a customer.   It brings back a lot of childhood memories for us!   Verl can remember packing Peanut Butter Sandwiches, kissing his mom goodbye and camping out in the Snake River Canyon for days and he was only 10!   Michelle remembers playing kick the can out in the middle of the street, in the dark until the fire whistle blew, cause she knew that meant home time!

Hope this brings back memories for you too!  Take time tomorrow to enjoy the Taber parade and be a kid again!

First, we survived being born to mothers who may have smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then, after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets, and, when we rode our bikes,we had baseball caps, not helmets, on our heads.

As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter, and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And we weren't overweight.

WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day.

--And, we were OKAY.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes... After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play Stations, Nintendos and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVDs, no surround-sound or CDs, no cell phones, no personal computers, or Internet and no chat rooms...

WE HAD FRIENDSand we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from those accidents.

We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping-pong paddles, or just a bare hand, and no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms, and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever..

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls, and -although we were told it would happen- we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team..

Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors ever.

The past 50 to 85 years have seen an explosion of innovation and new ideas..

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of those born

between 1925-1970, CONGRATULATIONS!

Uncle Wayne is still a kid!

Until Tomorrow.

Learning and Networking

We have been in classes since 7:45 this morning.   We have learned a lot of new ideas and strategies on how to improve customer relations, how to improve our own efficiency in our business and how to balance our business and personal lives.   Now we know that although we will go back to the shop tomorrow and immediately try to implement everything, that by the end of the next week, we will slack off.    But the best we can do is to keep trying, and hopefully with the notes we took today and the fact we have written about it here we will be able to do a better job this time round.    Wish us luck, because the more sucessful we are the better we will be able to serve you.

Until Tomorrow.

On Our Way

We are going to combine family with business and education tomorrow.   Verl and Michelle will be attending the AIA Convention in Red Deer to network with other shops accross Canada and to take a refresher course on the Automotive Industry.    Some of the sessions are being facilitated by good friends of ours and we know we will learn a alot as usual.

The second reason for the trip, and as equally important, if not more important, is to discover what Ariel's biopsy results from our visit last week are.   Please cross your fingers for us!

As always both reasons will give us something new to write about.

Until  Tomorrow.

Agent 72

Ariel built us a cute little secret agent man to help advertise our super short specials.  Today we released the second one ever.  We sent out Agent 72 by both text and email.    We will also release him tomorrow by facebook.  This form of advertising is very new to us and I am sure to you too.   If you find that this is a bother to you, please let us know and we will remove your name from our contact list.   I am sure there will be kinks to worked out by us and we hope that you bear with us until we figure it out!

Until Tomorrow.