What are the Biggest Issues Facing the Professional Installers?

Mike Keegan is our Communications Director for Aftermarket Rewards. In our recent e-newsletter, he asked a question of the professional installer. "What are the biggest issues facing your business this year?" Below is an article Mike Wrote for a subsequent issue answering the question from the responses he received. Mike also provides the readers of the e-newsletter with some suggestions on how to use their points to get tools for their businesses.


In the last issue, we asked, "What are the biggest issues facing your business this year?"
Overwhelmingly, people told us the economy. In fact, we asked the same question in the foodservice industry and received even more responses indicating the economy and fuel prices are the biggest business challenges in 2008. Mr. Jamro of Accent Auto Body in Nevada said, "The biggest challenge to the business this year is customers bringing their vehicles in for an estimate and due to the economy, they're unable to pay the deductible. Thus the repairs are not completed and business overall has declined. "What can you do? Unfortunately there is no easy fix, but Aftermarket Rewards can provide a little relief. We suggest using your points to redeem items you can use in your shop. This way, you can get some of the equipment you need without paying for it. We have a section of the rewards catalog called 'Business Building Awards' that features office equipment like phones, fax machines and printers. Next time you need a compressor, sander or pressure washer, check out the section called 'Tools & Automotive' and save your shop some money. Another effective way to use points to help your bottom line is to use them to reward employees. Losing good employees and training their replacement is costly. By using points to reward your best employees, you're providing additional value beyond just their paycheck.