Automotive Service Association President Dan Risley Resigns

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Automotive Service Association President Dan Risley Resigns to Pursue Opportunity in Home State

For the past five years, Risley has been working remotely between his Chicago-area home and ASA’s headquarters in North Richland Hills, Texas.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
Published:
Dan Risley at a recent Collision Industry Conference

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced that ASA President and Executive Director Dan Risley will be resigning, effective July 13.

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Risley has accepted a position with CCC Information Services in his home state of Illinois. For the past five years, Risley has been working remotely between his Chicago-area home and ASA’s headquarters in North Richland Hills, Texas.

To ensure a smooth transition for the association, Risley will stay on in a consultant capacity until a new association leader is named, ASA said.

During the transition, Risley has named Beth Risch, its current CPA, as interim chief operating officer. Risch will oversee day-to-day operations and report directly to the ASA board of directors beginning July 2.

“I want to sincerely thank Dan for his strong leadership during a crucial time in the history of the association,” ASA Chairman Roy Schnepper said. “His natural leadership talents, his financial prowess and inexhaustible energy led him to govern ASA with success and achievement. I know the entire board joins me in thanking him for his service and commitment to ASA.”

As president, Risley’s navigated ASA through an era of great change and transition. His accomplishments include:

  • Implementing sound financial practices and processes after the association endured employee fraud
  • Adding three new affiliates to the association
  • Expanding and growing the popular MSO Symposium
  • Founding the Advanced Technology Diagnostic Repair Forum, now rebranded as the Technology & Telematics Forum
  • Implementing a corporate sponsorship program, which is a strong revenue stream
  • Partnering with Messe Frankfurt to combine Automechanika with NACE for NACE Automechanika

“ASA has served the industry for more than 60 years, and I’m proud to say I was part of its rich history and success,” Risley said. “I look forward to staying engaged in ASA and contributing to its mission of serving its members. My family has always been my top priority, so it will be nice to be back in my home base of Chicago for the long term.”

Over the next few months, ASA will be conducting a search to find a new executive director, seeking an individual with association management experience.

“During this period of transition, it is our priority to find the best individual to lead while still maintaining a stable and effective organization,” Schnepper said. “Associations are undergoing enormous challenges due to generational shifts, social changes and technology. It’s crucial that we find the right leader who can address some of those challenges and give us a clear vision for our future.”

The association will be sharing a job announcement soon.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and collision repair professionals.

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Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
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This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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