A new Web site called Prundo.com seeks to be the Expedia for auto repair, helping registered motorists save money on their auto repairs. Prundo CEO Alka Gupta says the site is unique "because there are no Web sites currently available to help consumers compare auto services based on cost, distance, offers/discount and quality of service."

As you read this, some of your customers may be abandoning you. And who knows how many potential customers will never find your shop. There you sit with the best techs, attractive incentives, long hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment and people are actually not interested in patronizing your shop. Imagine that!

Some auto repair businesses — independent and dealership — are as crooked and deceitful as Bernie Madoff. And all too often, local TV stations are eager to exploit our industry's weak links by featuring them in consumer segments. This is probably more about not having a fire to cover on a particular day than trying to help their viewers.

So that you don't miss it, I'll give you my recommendation right up front: get in the used car business as fast as you can. To use dealership lingo, you should push, drag or tow yourself into this business. In good times and bad, this is a lucrative business if managed correctly. It's the part of the business that smart new car dealerships have used for decades to keep them profitable. And with the economy in the dumpster, many of the new car dealerships are dumping their new car business in favor of their used car sales out of necessity.

Remember when the Ford Motor Company used to advertise that it had a "better idea?" At the time that was certainly debatable, but now it may be time for Ford to resurrect the slogan for its Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers. With the recent opening of its 500th store, Ford has been determined and disciplined in its fast service approach and has built a $385 million business in just 11 years.

Our house is 80 years old and still has the original basement windows. It's not that the drafts in the house are any worse than they were when we moved in 21 years ago, but we figured this was the fall we would replace them. Call it procrastination if you want. My wife and I call it tolerance. Anyway, like with all house projects, we've had a number of window installers quote on the business. And that's where the trouble started, because we have trouble picking the right one.

Serving community Can someone explain to me why a business would think that a guy dressed in a matted-down, sweaty gorilla suit waving at passersby would get them to stop and shop at their store? Making matters worse, they may put the gorilla in their ads that predictably offer lame advertising slogans like, "Don't monkey around and come in" or "Don't be a chimp –– We wouldn't think of Cheeta you."

In light of this news, it's no surprise that the new car business is hurting. This year we may see new car sales under 14 million, down from a high of 16 million just a couple of years ago. The latest available figures from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)show that the number of dealerships shrank from 21,200 in 2006 to 20,770 in 2007, a 2 percent drop. You can expect that this year's drop will be even worse, because the weaker dealerships either will drive themselves out of business with desperate business practices or the OEMs will deem them underperformers and strip them of their franchises.

It pains me to say this, but one of my best general repair maintenance and service experiences was provided by a new car dealership. Before you cry hypocrisy, let me be clear that this was 25 years ago, so please cut me some slack. Anyway, it started when I went shopping for a new Chrysler. Not only did the dealership sell me a car but it sold me by selling its service capabilities.