Ep 12: The Business End Of An Automotive Diagnostic Specialist with Jason Bowden

Ep 12: The Business End Of An Automotive Diagnostic Specialist with Jason Bowden

Author: James Dillon October 4, 2023 Duration: 1:46:36

In this episode, highly successful Diagnostic Specialist Jason Bowden, from Bowden Auto Services in Torbay, joins host James Dillon to talk about the business end of automotive diagnostics.

Jason has developed his expert automotive diagnostic services business over many years, focusing on the niche. He has invested significantly in both training and tools and is the go-to guy in the wider Torbay area. He has a great reputation within the trade, and for very good reasons. 

In the early years, Jason was coached and mentored by several excellent mechanics and technicians, who help him on his journey to becoming a diagnostic guru. His career has seen him working in independent and dealer garages as well as in motorcycle dealerships.  

Like many successful garage owners, Jason put a huge amount of work and personal sacrifices into building his business. In the beginning, Jason was working full time at a garage, whilst working evenings and weekends laying a solid foundation in building his future business.

Running any business is not without its stresses and strains and Jason talks about the impact and how he manages not to take work home with him. Like many, the pandemic provided an ideal 'pause' for Jason to reflect and refocus on what really mattered to him and his family.

The conversation turns to garages doing what they do best, and where the limitation of their expertise in specialist subjects may lie. How should garages identify where they should refer the job, rather than go deep, past the point of their talent, tools and training? Jason talks about how his business work together with other garages to allows them to not get tied up in deep diagnostics, by offering a referral service. This enables his garage customers to continue to earn on service repair and maintenance, whilst they employ Jasons services to fix the nightmare jobs.

Check out Bowden Auto Services on Facebook for the excellent Case Studies that Jason produces. If you'd like to get a good idea of the day in the life of a diagnostic specialist, this page has just what you need.

Join the mailing list:

https://techtopics.co.uk/mailing-list/

Connect:

Website: https://techtopics.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/technical.topics.training/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tthq_techtopics/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/techtopics

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/technical-topics-ltd

Listen:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/harmonic-motion/id1665148277

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3SzEMN08BU7wCSdB3xkXkH?si=e12f5c6f381f4681

Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/364bf8fa-82b5-43e5-b227-ad9eb99e8fd3/harmonic-motion

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theharmonicmotionpodcast 

Watch the video version of this episode and subscribe to the Harmonic Motion YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@theharmonicmotionpodcast








Tune into Harmonic Motion Automotive Business Podcast for a straightforward conversation about running a better shop. Host James Dillon creates a space where the real work gets done-not with theory, but with practical talk from people who clock in every day. You’ll hear from garage owners wrestling with payroll, managers streamlining workflow, technicians mastering new diagnostics, and service advisors building trust. This isn't a lecture; it's a dialogue focused on the tangible improvements that affect your bottom line and your team's morale. Each episode feels like a focused shop meeting, pulling insights from across the industry to tackle the common challenges that define the automotive business. By listening, you join a community moving forward, finding that balance between daily operations and long-term growth. The podcast serves as a reliable tool for anyone committed to turning the complexities of this trade into a smoother, more successful operation. It’s about applying what you hear directly to your bays and your front office, fostering a sense of shared progress and professional development in a demanding field.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 34

Harmonic Motion Automotive Business Podcast
Podcast Episodes
EP 23: Technical Synchromesh - The Dream Team [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:02
In a rare turn of events during the summer holidays, we managed to get the Technical Topics training team in one room to record a podcast episode. The team behind the scenes: Kev - 2021 Top Tech Winner, Kev is an awesome…
EP 22: Jeff Taylor - Moving To A Land Down Under [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:38
Jeff Taylor is the owner of Sydney Eco Tuning and co-founder of The Garage Network - a community in Australia that provides support, networking opportunities and a safe space for technicians. Jeff made the move from Blac…
EP 21: Technical Synchromesh - John, Marc and Simon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04:15
We'd like to introduce you to our new mini-series - Technical Synchromesh. Technical Synchromesh is an opportunity for techs in the trade to chew through the issues that affect them on a daily basis. From problem jobs an…
EP 20: One Year Anniversary Special - Part One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:28
One year later… Welcome to the special anniversary edition of the Harmonic Motion Podcast. We're delighted to share with you our first Podcast birthday and present to you a special anniversary episode; part one of two. I…
EP 19: Gareth Davies - The Ultimate Side Hustle Success Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:32
Gareth Davies, Director of Euro Performance (independent German Vehicle specialist), and James Dillon chat about what it's like to be an entrepreneur in the automotive industry. They discuss how Gareth navigated upscalin…
Episode 17: Continuing The Legacy with David Massey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45:03
Hello and welcome to the first Harmonic Motion Podcast episode of 2024! We're delighted to share this episode with you as we introduce to the podcast, Mr David Massey. Dave, son of industry legends Frank and Gene Massey,…
EP 16: The Journey From Apprentice to Doctor - Darren Darling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:14
Hello and welcome back to the Harmonic Motion podcast! James is delighted to be joined by the awesome Darren Darling from DPF Doctor. In this episode, you can find Darren sharing his journey in the motor trade, his early…