Recorded live at AAPEX 2025, this episode brings together leaders from Australia’s Jax Tyres and Auto to show just how closely the Australian automotive aftermarket mirrors the U.S. market. Featuring CEO Steve Grossreider, franchise owner Dan Spiteri, future franchisee Will Attard, and Autoflow’s Chris Cloutier and Craig O’Neill, the conversation underscores shared global challenges—most notably the technician shortage—and the reassurance that the industry is moving along a parallel path worldwide.

Rather than chasing quick fixes, the discussion centers on culture-driven solutions: expanding diversity, building clear career paths and succession plans, and advocating for the industry at the grassroots level. Jax's customer-first mindset is a recurring theme, with every team member accountable for the client experience and a strong emphasis on clear communication to help customers understand emerging technologies like ADAS.

With just under 100 stores, Jax’s avoids multi-franchise ownership, instead holding each franchisee accountable for the customer experience in their territory. The key takeaway is clear: in both Australia and the U.S., long-term aftermarket success depends on investing in people, strengthening culture, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to the customer.

Eric Svedberg breaks down a smarter, more profitable way to price diagnostic work—what he calls the Level Testing Sales Amplifier. At its core, the system tackles a problem most repair shops quietly accept: testing is often a loss leader. When technicians are tied up diagnosing complex issues, shops miss out on parts sales. A-level technicians can earn less than their B-level counterparts doing routine work, and the rising cost of software and tools goes unpaid.

Svedberg reframes the conversation by using the word “testing” instead of “diagnostics,” a term he believes is clearer and more intuitive for customers. Testing implies a process, not a guarantee—setting expectations from the start.

The Level Testing system uses a tiered structure tied to the shop’s base labor rate:

• Level One – Basic Testing:Single, constant, duplicable issues (like a check engine light that’s always on).

• Level Two – Intermediate Testing:Multiple concerns or intermittent problems.

• Level Three – Pandora’s Box:Highly complex vehicles, often previously misdiagnosed or unsuccessfully repaired elsewhere.

• Level Four – “Grandmother Rate”:Disaster cars involving severe electrical damage, corrosion, or major disassembly.

While the levels are designed as an internal framework, Svedberg finds transparency with customers increases trust and buy-in. Service advisors are coached to remove Level Three from most conversations upfront, steer customers toward Level Two testing as the norm, and clearly explain that testing fees are for time spent—not credited toward repairs. For true Level Three cases, advisors frame the value honestly: if it were simple, another shop would have already fixed it.

Svedberg emphasizes that the system is easy to train and implement—often within a week—by focusing on quick wins with top advisors. Its simplicity improves communication, closes the tech efficiency gap, and can be applied beyond diagnostics to services like module programming and ADAS calibration.

Every decision, he says, must pass the test: Is it good for the car? Good for the customer? Good for the shop?

Recorded live at AAPEX 2025, ASE President Dave Johnson and AAPEX Shop of the Year winner Tom Palermo discuss the value, impact, and future of ASE certification. A major highlight: the U.S. Secret Service joined ASE on the AAPEX show floor, promoting technician careers and showcasing armored vehicles. Johnson notes that the Secret Service requires ASE certification for maintenance roles—proof that if it’s “good enough for the president’s car,” it matters for the whole industry.

Key topics include ASE’s updated test content based on real shop feedback, powerful data showing certification improves productivity and reduces comebacks and attrition, and the ongoing challenge of boosting consumer awareness. They also discuss increasing industry requirements for ASE, new certification efforts for Vehicle Security Specialists, and the continued push for professionalism in today’s high-tech automotive field.

Dave Johnson, President, ASE, National Institute For Automotive Service Excellence

Tom Palermo, Preferred Automotive Specialists in Philadelphia, PA. Tom’s previous episodes HERE