If you survived the last 12 months, it should go without saying that you should thank an essential worker - and probably more than one. Join us this month as we look back on the last year since the pandemic began, and remember the contributions and sacrifices of our wonderful essential workers.

First of all, essential workers doesnt mean glamourous positions. Sure, healthcare workers like doctors and pharmacists are essential and take home a sizeable paycheck, but food service workers, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, and grocery checkout clerks are among the lowest paid positions out there - and they kept on working while the world locked down, and its a darn good thing they did.

In addition to being some of the lowest paid workers, many essential jobs are held disproportionately by women, and by women of color in particular. Take note the next time youre doing your shopping, ordering food, or visiting another business that was deemed essential last March, and thank the women of color for keeping the world running for all of us.

One of the most vital jobs out there is that of the in-home healthcare workers who care for our elderly, ill, and infirm. These essential workers took the ultimate risk, because they absolutely could not stop working. Like other sectors, these home health workers are disproportionately women.

So, next time you think of essential workers, remember that were not only talking about doctors and nurses - although their contributions are greatly appreciated as well. Essential workers collect your garbage, bag your groceries, deliver your takeout meals, bring your mail and precious Amazon packages, and - relevant to us here at AskPatty - they fix your car!

Please join all of us here at AskPatty to remember our year of quarantine by honoring those workers who kept the world running. To all of our essential workers out there, THANK YOU so much for all you have done, and continue to do!

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 10:21 PM in Around the Auto World, Blog Carnival | Permalink | Comments (0)

February means candy hearts, roses, flowers, balloons, lots of chocolates, and romance – but some of us couldn’t be less interested in Valentine’s Day, regardless of relationship status. If you’re not a fan of chalky hearts that say “Be Mine” and “XOXO,” we’d like to welcome you to February in a new way. Here are 10 other lesser-known holidays this month you can celebrate instead of Valentine’s Day. Celebrate them all – go crazy, you deserve it. Valentine’s Day has had its time in the spotlight.

National Hedgehog Day – February 2
February 2nd is known to most of us as Groundhog Day, but there’s another cute critter who tends to live in Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow – if you’ll pardon the pun. Hedgehogs are absolutely adorable little balls of quills that have become much more popular as pets in recent years. This day is set aside just for them.

National Ukulele Day – February 2
This is another holiday that falls on the 2nd, but we couldn’t resist including it as well. The 2nd is also dedicated to the ukulele, that cute Hawaiian stringed instrument which is also seeing a resurgence in popularity today. Why not compose a ukulele ballad for your new hedgehog?

World Cancer Day – February 4
An important day for anyone who has been affected by cancer – and that’s most of us. Sooner or later, it seems that cancer will have an impact on everyone’s life, and that’s why World Cancer Day was established to continue to raise awareness and work towards a cure.

World Nutella Day – February 5
For those of you who don’t know, Nutella is a tasty spread flavored with cocoa and hazelnut, and it’s just about the best thing ever. This is an official holiday which was founded in 2005 by Nutella superfan Sara Rosso. Today, every year Nutella picks a fan to lead the celebration, and the day is marked by people sharing photos, recipes, and messages proclaiming their love for this wonderful stuff.

National Pizza Day – February 9
Okay, so maybe we were hungry when we made this list, but how could we leave out National Pizza Day? This Italian treat was basically unknown before the end of World War II, but today it has become a part of American culture, and the go-to meal of busy nights when no one wants to think about dinner. Celebrate by ordering a pizza, or make your own!

International Day of Women and Girls in Science – February 11
Taking a break from the food-themed holidays (we’ll get back to them, don’t you worry), this important day is established to honor the work of women in the sciences. Emphasis is placed on the need for a greater focus on women and girls in STEM education and careers – it’s the fastest growing employment sector, and STEM needs women!

Singles Awareness Day – February 15
Conveniently paired with the Holiday Which Shall Not Be Named, the day after is dedicated to singles. If you’re alone on the 14th, don’t be sad – celebrate SAD (that is, Singles Awareness Day). This day is a reminder that we don’t need a relationship to celebrate love, so celebrate together with your single pals!

National Tortilla Chip Day – February 24
Yup, the food themed holidays are back late month, and they’re ready to party. Nothing gets a party started like a big bowl of tortilla chips paired with salsa, guac, queso, or a dip of your own making. This February 24, celebrate these delicious treats from our southern neighbors by making a big plate of nachos.

National Chili Day – February 25
It’s a dish that is truly versatile. You can have a bowl of chili every day for many years, and have a completely different experience every time. On the surface, it’s so simple: a tomato base, beans, spices, peppers or other veggies, a protein of some kind… but in practice, making a great pot of chili is a true art. Whether you like it spicy or mild, meaty or vegetarian, use your leftover tortilla chips from the 24th as a side, and make yourself a bowl of chili today.

National Chocolate Souffle Day – February 28
Almost as if to apologize for the big, commercial, romantic holiday in the middle of it, February sends us off with a sweet goodbye. The last day of the month (except in leap years) is dedicated to the dessert of desserts, the chocolate souffle. Now, we’re not here to ruin you New Year’s diet, but this day does only come one a year, right?

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 6:52 AM in Around the Auto World, Tips and Life Hacks, What Women Want!, Women Speak! | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, as 2020 comes to a close, I think it’s fair to say that not many of us are sad to see it go. It’s been a chaotic and unpredictable time, and even the holidays seem very out of sorts this year due to COVID restrictions, and general concern for the safety and health of those closest to us. As I write this, I’ve just accepted an E-Invite to one of our annual holiday traditions – in a normal year, we gather with friends for an evening during Hanukkah, we all pitch in to cook latkes and a delicious meal (the meal varies, but latkes are always a given) together, and then we gather around a table with graham crackers, candy, frosting, and building tools, and construct the most clever gingerbread (well graham cracker) houses we can come up with. This year, we’re doing it virtually – each cooking in our own kitchen, building candy houses at our own tables while connected via Zoom. It’s a poor substitute for real human connection, but this year, I’ll take it.

As we look forward into next year, I’ve been doing some thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve never been big on making them, because I know that I wouldn’t be big on keeping them. I suspect that many of you may be the same way. Well, this year, I don’t just want change – I feel like we all need it. So, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions, those promises to myself that I swear to keep while falling right back into old habits, I’m making New Year’s Solutions. The focus this year isn’t on the promise, but on the result. I’ll make it happen, by hook or crook. If you’d like to hit the “Reset” button and get 2021 started in a positive direction, I recommend doing the same thing, and here are some tips we put together to help you stop resolving, and start solving.

Change is an upheaval by nature. Before you leap into the process, take time to mentally prepare for the fact that if you’re going to be successful, things are going to have to be different. Don’t be afraid to rethink yourself, and to reframe the way you look at your habits and life. Changing long-standing habits isn’t easy. Take a step back, keep positive, and don’t be afraid to change gradually – no need to be in a hurry. Set achievable goals, stick to them, and make consistent progress (at whatever pace you’re comfortable with).

Often, we make resolutions not for ourselves, but for others. This is a recipe for falling off the proverbial wagon. This year, set a goal for yourself that’s important to you, and to you alone (if it pleases other people, that’s a bonus – but that’s not the point). This is the year for your own solutions, not someone else’s.

Sometimes New Year’s Resolutions come in batches. However it’s better to succeed at one resolution than to fail at several. Make a list of goals, prioritize, and choose one or two goals that are important to you, challenging, but achievable. Don’t spread yourself too thin!

If your goals are vague, like “lose weight” or “spend more time at home,” it’s hard to tell when you’ve achieved them. Make your goals specific. If you’re learning a new language, set a goal to read a certain (preferably short, remember the previous tip) book written entirely in that language by the end of the year. When you’ve accomplished it, you’ll know. Similarly, consider whether your goals have a workaround or a loophole you might exploit later. If you leave yourself a loophole, you will take it.

Big goals can seem far out of reach, but they are made of many small steps. Once you’ve decided on the one or two goals that are important to you, it’s time to divide those large goals into achievable sub-tasks, so you can be sure to make steady progress.

A goal that’s only in your head is made to be missed. When you make a plan, write it down. Then, you’ll have something to reference all year long, and a checklist to mark off as you make progress.

Making goals for yourself and only yourself is excellent, but if you’re the only one who knows, they can be easy to ignore. Loop a friend in so you’ll have an accountability partner. Find friends who have similar goals, and let them know yours, so you can have each other’s backs.

Don’t forget that we live in the 21^st Century! Set reminders via your virtual assistants Siri, Alexa, Google, and Cortana. Use tools like Google Calendar and to-do list apps are a great way to keep your goals literally in your pocket, so they’re easy to keep up with.

Set yourself a regular (weekly or monthly) review session to keep track of your progress, and have smaller check-ins regularly to make sure you keep moving forward.

If achieving big goals were easy, we wouldn’t make such a big deal out of them every new year. Along the way, you will likely slip, so go ahead and prepare yourself for that, too. Slipping is a part of progress. When you do, recognize that you’ve slipped because what you’re trying to do is hard – but that’s also why you’re trying to do it. Don’t beat yourself up, just set your eye once again on the goal, and get back to it.

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 6:31 AM in Weblogs, What Women Want!, Women Speak! | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Jody DeVere

Being female friendly is a necessity these days in all industries, including automotive, because the American woman is one of the most powerful economic forces on the planet. With $7 trillion in purchasing power, women account for 85% of consumer spending and up to 70% of repair shop customers. Okay, this isn’t exactly new information, but 2020 has brought a whirlwind of changes, and you need to know what “female friendly” means now.

Due to COVID, women are contending with additional pressures related to remote learning, childcare issues, and new safety concerns, all adding up to more time constraints and increased stress. A trip to the repair shop does nothing to ease her anxiety; without her vehicle, she loses a large part of her ability to facilitate the daily tasks needed to keep her family running smoothly.

Female friendly shops help female customers feel comfortable and confident when bringing their vehicles in for maintenance or repair. To best support and serve your female customers, you must understand and address their needs, ensuring they feel understood and respected.

Make Her Feel Safe

Safety and health are on everyone’s minds in 2020, and for women, who tend to be caregivers, those concerns are amplified. Today’s female customer wants touch-less options, with minimal human contact.

Since time constraints are another concern, offering concierge services from her home or job allows her to continue her day with minimal interruptions, while you pick up, service and drop off her vehicle. Allowing her to pay by text reduces contact even more and helps position your shop as female friendly.

Don’t forget to reassure your female customer about the sanitizing methods you’re taking to ensure the health and safety of her family. Make sure that employees always wear gloves and masks, and supply masks to customers when needed.

Make Sure She Feels Heard

How a female customer views her repair experience is based on your success at establishing trust, demonstrating respect, and improving communication, thereby building a relationship with her. This begins with friendly, welcoming counter staff, whether the first contact is made in person or by phone. A rude or disrespectful employee is the fastest way to convince a female customer to take her business elsewhere.

Service advisors should also be friendly, patient and honest. Women are likely to ask more questions than your male customers, but educating her by thoroughly answering those questions goes a long way in establishing trust and building a female friendly relationship.

Women want to receive frequent updates on the progress of their vehicle repair, and they prefer to have options, such as email and texting. Offer multiple options for communication, and ask her preference to create a female friendly experience.

Providing a written estimate creates trust because she knows what’s being done and how much it will cost. When choosing the shop that will repair her vehicle, a female consumer typically places less importance on cost than on feeling respected and feeling she can trust the shop.

Make Her Feel Welcome

You don’t need to roll out the red carpet, but your customer will feel more welcome if your waiting area includes comfortable chairs, entertainment options, and free Wi-Fi, which allows her to multi-task and use her time efficiently. Refreshments, such as snacks, water bottles and coffee, shows that you care about her comfort as well. Including a play area for children is a nice addition that demonstrates how important her entire family is to your business.

Your facility should obviously be kept clean, but special attention needs to be given to your bathrooms. Clean them frequently, and ensure they’re well-stocked. Having a diaper changing station positions your business as family and female friendly and shows your efforts to anticipate the needs of your customers.

Creating a female friendly shop begins at the core of your organization, which means hiring female mechanics, technicians and service advisors. Women want to spend their money at places where other women are willing to work.

Make Her Feel Appreciated

Women who feel empowered and respected are happy customers, but going that extra step to address her needs and concerns beyond the repair process will inspire loyalty that’s well worth the effort. You appreciate her business, so why wouldn’t you let her know how you feel?

Keep your relationship fun by sending her home with pet treats or coloring books for the kids. Follow up after her visit with a handwritten note, thanking her for trusting you with her car. Offering a free six-month safety inspection appeals to her desire to increase her family’s safety and shows it’s important to you, too.

Host a Zoom car care clinic to educate and empower women on vehicle maintenance and repair, or support local women’s charities to demonstrate your dedication to women’s issues and help gain the trust of your female customers. Addressing her needs creates loyalty with your female customer and ensures your shop receives a reputation for being female friendly.

AskPatty.com has been at the forefront of training automotive retailers on the women’s market since our founding in 2006. How can getting AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly help you? Complete a contact form and schedule a live demo with our staff. Well cover the program with you in detail, educate you as to how you could benefit, and answer any questions you may have.

Go here to schedule a demo to learn how to become AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 10:53 AM in Around the Auto World, Car Care, Maintenance and Repair | Permalink | Comments (0)

After almost 15 years of service to the automotive industry, AskPatty.com is now offering specialized consulting services from some of the industry’s most renowned experts.

Since 2006, AskPatty.com has been on a journey to educate and advocate for women in all areas of the automotive industry. This new consulting venture expands the brand’s mission by integrating consulting for automotive businesses from high performing female experts. The network is comprised of specialists in the area of human resources, recruiting, technical training, leadership, management, marketing and more.

AskPatty.com has served as a resource for females navigating the automotive world and has provided the industry with female friendly certification workshops for close to 15 years. With over 5,000 clients ranging from dealerships to collision centers and everything in between, AskPatty.com felt it was important to expand its services.

“Our customers are asking for more and we are ready to deliver. Consulting has always been a large part of what made being Certified Female Friendly so valuable.” says Jody DeVere, AskPatty.com CEO. “Our clients want to hire more women and they want to hear from more women in the industry. We are here to help them do both things.”

With the new Consulting Network, AskPatty.com has the opportunity to leverage the expertise of some of the most knowledgeable women across the auto industry. The consultants in the network offer a combined total of over 200 years of automotive knowledge. The AskPatty.com Consulting Network offers in-house training, speakers, brand positioning and spokespersons, workshops, coaching, distance learning, webinars, panelists and more. Each consultant has experience in all areas of automotive to include dealership, aftermarket, education, autobody and mechanical.

The AskPatty.com Consultant Network is comprised of the following automotive thought leaders:

Patricia Muir – Leadership Excellence and Professional Certified Coach

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/patricia-muir

Shirley Aldana – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Expert

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/shirley-aldana

Bogi Lateiner – Technician Recruitment and Training Expert and Spokesperson

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/bogi-lateiner-egug

Martha Rader, Ph.D – Organizational Leadership Expert

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/martha-e-rader-phd

Donna Wagner, M.B.A. – Management and Business Consultant

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/donna-wagner

Jody DeVere – Women’s Market Consultant and Spokesperson

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/jody-devere-jyva

Claire Calhoun, M.S. – Marketing, Public Relations and Lead Gen Expert

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/claire-calhoun-ms

Amy Mattinat – Auto Repair, Sales and Service Expert

https://www.askpatty.com/member/view/amy-mattinat

Additional information about the AskPatty.com Consultant Network can be found at https://www.askpatty.com/speakers/ .

AskPatty.com is excited to carry on its mission to serve women in the automotive industry through the extension of its Consulting Network. Current and newly Certified Female Friendly clients will have the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary one-hour consultation on hiring female employees.

###

About AskPatty.com, Inc.

AskPatty.com, Inc. takes a two-pronged approach to revolutionizing the women’s automotive retail market: For consumers, the AskPatty.com website, is a safe and reliable source for expert automotive advice and research. For auto dealers, tire dealers, collision centers, auto service and repair centers, the revolutionary AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® program, designed from the ground up, trains and certifies automotive retail and service centers on how to attract, sell, retain and increase loyalty with women customers.

Women can find an Ask Patty Certified Female Friendly® auto dealer, tire dealer, collision center, auto service and repair centers using the location search at AskPatty.com

B-Roll, photos and interviews available upon request.

Media Contact:

Jody DeVere

CEO, AskPatty.com, Inc.

805-208-1008

jdevere@askpatty.com

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 6:49 AM in Around the Auto World, What Women Want!, Women Speak! | Permalink | Comments (0)

AskPatty.com Inc. has announced a new phase in the ongoing evolution of its Certified Female Friendly® Program, aimed at assisting automotive retailers in attracting, hiring, and retaining women employees.

“The industry has changed since this program launched back in 2006, and great strides have been made in serving women customers, thanks in part to our efforts,” says Jody DeVere, AskPatty.com CEO. “However, as customer care has improved, the presence of women employees has remained stagnant at around 25%. Just one in four employees in the auto industry are female, and for women in leadership roles such as managers, owners, CEOs, and executives, the proportion drops to below 10%. This is something we hope to change.” The new consulting program will offer assistance in recruitment advertising and marketing, recruiting via social media, resume review, onboarding, training, management training, HR best practices, and includes options for onsite visits from AskPatty.com CEO Jody DeVere.

AskPatty.com has operated its Certified Female Friendly® program since its launch, aimed at providing women consumers with assurances that they will be treated fairly, while training employees at automotive businesses in the best practices of customer care for women. This program will continue in this mission, and current and newly Certified clients will have the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary one-hour consultation on hiring female employees.

Those interested in learning more about the newly relaunched Certified Female Friendly® programs can learn more and meet with a staff member by scheduling a live demo: https://my.timetrade.com/book/GHHQM

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 7:58 AM in Around the Auto World, Careers for Women | Permalink | Comments (0)

For auto business owners, the idea of communicating more effectively with women shouldn’t be a controversial one at all. In the United States alone there are half a million women who are actively seeking to buy a new car at any given time. Women have a heavy influence on all automotive purchases (85% of them), from the showroom to the service lane, and yet 74% of women – three quarters of us – feel misunderstood by the auto industry.

When an automotive business decides to take their commitment to women seriously, it’s time for their marketing to move beyond this vague idea of influence, and start thinking about speaking the language that women want to hear. Car dealers should start asking “What do women value most about a new car?” Service providers should be asking “What would get a busy mom to trust my wrench over someone else’s?” In other words – what do women value?

Women value being heard. Women value their families. Women value their own comfort. Women value safety and peace of mind. Women want to be treated the same as men – they want to be seen and heard and valued for who they are, and what’s important to them.

That’s where AskPatty.com comes in.

Since 2006, our Certified Female Friendly program has been helping educate automotive professionals on the age-old question of “What women want,” and since then we’ve constantly been evolving the program to be effective for the current state of the industry in its attitudes toward women.

When an automotive business makes the decision to become Certified Female Friendly, they are not just placing a sticker on their door and getting a search listing on our website. They are making a commitment to honor the AskPatty promise – to provide women customers with nothing less than the best in customer care from start to finish and beyond.

And it’s not only about women – Certified Female Friendly locations strive to be family friendly, kid friendly, pet friendly, and accessible to customers with disabilities. In short, the AskPatty Nation of Certified Female Friendly retailers is a new kind of automotive retailer – one that serves people first.

Everyone who makes the commitment to become Certified Female Friendly goes through our online, robust certification training program. This training includes education on everything from the sales process to marketing and social media – all with women customers in mind. Once you’ve finished, you’ll have the basic skills you need to effectively communicate with women. However, just knowing the material isn’t enough. The point is to become Certified Female Friendly, and to truly incorporate those lessons in how you do business every day.

Once you’re finished with the certification training, your education isn’t finished, because AskPatty.com provides its Certified Female Friendly clients with a monthly webinar, always on a specific topic within the realm of marketing to women. These webinars are recorded and archived – a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.

Also available are the many, many assets available on the AskPatty Marketing Portal website. All of our recorded webinars are archived there, as well as comprehensive guides on how to put together various promotions such as a Car Care Clinic, how to use your smartphone to create professional-quality video for your social media presence, and how to incorporate the AskPatty Certification into your existing marketing and advertising.

We serve our Certified Female Friendly clients month after month by way of originally designed monthly sets of marketing materials, social media graphics, tips and tricks, all designed to help you communicate more effectively with women than ever before. Each month, you’ll receive a fresh mailing of assets in our PULSE e-newsletter, and all of those materials are categorized and stored on our marketing portal, so you can access them anytime, anywhere.

When it comes to winning the loyalty of women customers in the automotive world, the key word is Trust – and we’ve designed everything about our Certified Female Friendly Program, from the branding to the materials – to enhance the trust in your relationship to your women customers.

If you’re an owner, manager, internet director, or marketing director for an automotive business of any type – dealership, service center, tire center, quick lube, collision center, car wash, or even credit union – show your women customers that you’re ready to take them seriously.

Join the AskPatty nation and Get Certified Female Friendly today.

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 3:19 PM in Around the Auto World | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women at 6:09 AM in Around the Auto World | Permalink | Comments (0)

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