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Free Auto Repair Management Tips Blog


In this clip from on of our Working On It Tuesday sessions, Brian and the class discuss Action Flow Charts. Specifically, Brian brings up the question of which color coding should designate who is performing the listed tasks. Pam suggests that instances where both technicians (blue) and service advisors (red) share the load, the chart should be color coded purple.

Color coding that form would help this Service Advisor to stay organized.Color Coding Your Action Flow Charts

Pam expanded on her answer, indicating that the Service Advisor at the front desk sells the job. Then, the technicians will perform the repair work. Therefore, many automotive repair tasks require a shared responsibility.

Pam brought up the Test Drive step in the Trip Check Inspection form. Jim Ryckman mentioned that his shop’s team performs an extensive test drive. He then explained how this test drive is part of his Preventive Maintenance Inspection process. The question arose on whether to charge for such an inspection.

Brian mentioned that any job that you are color coding for technicians to work on is worth their time, and you should charge for it. Some folks may take advantage of your free inspection offer, and then take their vehicle elsewhere that they know is cheaper. They may even perform the repair themselves, now that you have diagnosed the issue for free. Chances are that if you explain why they must pay for their vehicle inspection, they will agree to the inspection and repair.

Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!

Brian Gillis - You Net ResultsYour auto repair shop is lacking direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You definitely are not meeting your goals. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Here is a clip from one of our weekly Working On It Tuesday training webinars. This week, the topic in question is our leadership process. Brian details the six steps to auto shop leadership mastery, also known as The Lotus Code.

Use the Lotus Code to learn leadership mastery for your people.The Lotus Code in Action for Auto Repair Shop Leaders

When automotive industry owners want to up their leadership game, it’s great to have an ordered list which they can refer to. Our Auto Repair Leadership Process is based on the Lotus Code, which is an ancient six step method for success. In order, the six steps are:

  1. Thinking
  2. Words
  3. Action
  4. Habits
  5. Perseverance
  6. Attainment

The other owners on the call recalled Gary Gunn teaching this age old concept to them many years ago. Brian then goes over the history of the Lotus Code, which is over 2500 years old. Mastering your goals always involves these six steps, in this order. Whether it’s a simple task such as cleaning your house, or a more complex one like managing your auto repair shop’s daily operations, this is how it comes together.

When the Lotus Code is applied correctly, we think through our task. Then, we verbalize our plan. We take action, and with repetition, those actions grow into habits. Although obstacles can (and will) arise, we take step five, which is Perseverance, to conquer them. Finally, through that perseverance, we reach step six, Attainment. Only then can we call ourselves masters. As any shop owner knows from experience, mastery will only come through hard work and focus.

Learn More – Schedule Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Here is a great discussion on how we can document an auto repair invoice. In this clip, Brian and our guest Keith begin the process of writing a ten step SOP on building automotive repair invoices.

Auto Repair Invoice - Service Advisor Helping Automotive CustomerAuto Repair Invoice – When And How

Brian starts out the segment by setting the ground rules of the SOP. The front of house staff, specifically the Service Advisor at the desk, is responsible for writing the auto repair invoice. When you write a Standard Operating Procedure, you number the steps in order to clearly describe how the job is done. In this case, your front of house staff will have  a handy guide to refer to when questions come up.

It is also a great idea for you to review this and other SOPs regularly when in team meetings and one on one’s in order to keep everyone sharp. Sometimes, it will help for individuals to taylor certain steps and scripts to their own strengths. However, when you have one standard form on hand for the whole team to reference, it makes a huge difference.

Auto Repair Invoice SOP Step 1

Next, Brian called on Keith to provide step one. Before we fill anything else out, we will need to gather the customer’s contact and vehicle information. The first question we always need to answer is “Why is the vehicle here?” Then, from there, we can fill in the rest of the blanks on the SOP.

Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session Today

Does your independent auto repair shop business lack direction? Maybe your initial business plan has stalled out. You need to hire an experienced automotive industry coach who can help you. So why not schedule a FREE business strategy session today with Brian Gillis? You have got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

 

Key Performance Indicators - KPI for Auto Repair Shops

Key Performance Indicators Photo By Stratocaster

Understanding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Your Auto Repair Shop

Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, are important tools for achieving success. They provide a clear measure of progress toward organizational goals. These help auto repair shops both to stay on track and to reach their objectives.

KPIs offer insight into how well the business is doing and also reveal areas that need improvement. All these work together to increase your ROI and then help scale your efforts. In this blog, we’ll discuss:

  1. What KPIs are and why they matter
  2. How to create KPIs for your auto repair shop
  3. How working with a business coach can jump start this process. 

What Are Key Performance Indicators? 

KPIs are measurable values which assess your company’s performance. They provide insight into what’s happening in the business in real time. When companies track KPIs over time, they can identify trends in performance. Those trends then allow them to make informed decisions about the future. 

Why Do They Matter? 

KPIs are essential for measuring success. Without them, businesses may not be able to accurately assess their progress and make improvements where necessary. Furthermore, setting performance targets allows businesses to have realistic goals to strive for while also providing motivation to reach those goals. When you use them correctly, KPIs help you optimize your organization’s operations and drive growth.

Creating KPIs For Your Auto Repair Shop 

When creating KPIs for your auto repair shop, it’s important to make sure they are relevant to your industry and the specific needs of your business.

Some common Key Performance Indicators used by auto repair shops include:

  • Customer satisfaction ratings
  • Average revenue per customer visit
  • Number of repeat customers
  • Average turnaround time on repairs

It’s also important to set reasonable targets to measure progress without becoming overwhelmed or discouraged by unrealistic expectations.

Working With a Business Coach 

Working with a business coach is the best way to meet your goals so you can maximize your potential as an auto repair shop owner. A business coach helps you set realistic goals and create action plans, so you know exactly what steps to take each day to succeed over time. These provide valuable feedback on strategies that have worked in the past, plus new ideas that could boost performance later.

Understanding key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for any successful auto repair shop owner or manager for optimizing operations. Tracking these metrics helps owners and managers identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement. Then they can efficiently allocate resources accordingly for maximum returns on investment (ROI).

You Net Results Will Help You Start Your Key Performance Indicators Journey

Contact You Net Results today. We will guide you in the process of identifying, itemizing, and building your framework of critical KPIs! Book a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis and our team will help you build your leadership foundation. Plug into a vast network of auto repair shops, working together to strengthen the industry! Let’s make March the best month of your business life!

Do you know when to write an auto repair estimate? Brian and the YNR group talk about identifying the “one thing” – i.e. the first major item of concern on a vehicle – and alerting the customer to it. Then what? We go through a quick scenario with reassuring a price shopper that we will get the job done quickly and affordably. It’s not about money, it’s about their safety. Get the customer on their way via your shuttle, and give the rest of the vehicle a thorough inspection. Then and only then is when to write an auto repair estimate.

Auto Repair Estimate Writing for customers by Service AdvisorsAuto Repair Estimate Writing – When And How

Brian starts the conversation by reminding us not to rush into repairs before talking with our customers. Remember, the customer will tell us everything we need to know, and often will ask questions to steer us in the right direction.

Eric chimes in to walk us through his process of finding “one thing” during initial inspection that customers need to know about. Then, the Service Advisor will walk the customer back to their vehicle to explain the issue. After that, just listen to the customer. When they let you know their concerns about cost or time, let them know you can get right to work on the repair and provide them a shuttle to work. Make sure the conversation thoroughly addresses vehicle safety. You have yet to completely inspect the vehicle, so assure them you will call them shortly to let them know if there are any other concerns. You should only provide an auto repair estimate after reading the customer their vehicle’s inspection results.

Brian wraps up by remind us that both front and back of house staff should understand the “one thing” concept. Make sure you clearly mark what it is on your repair orders, so everyone knows.

Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with YNR guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

 

Auto Repair Staff huddles are a crucial factor in encouraging employee teamwork. Listen to our YNR roundtable discussion on regularly rounding up your Technicians, General Managers, and Service Advisors to make sure you are all on the same page.

Auto repair shop team huddles make a huge difference for your staff!Why Are Team Huddles Important?

Brian kicked off the clip by outlining why we don’t want to neglect staff huddles. When we do not meet hourly with our employees, the negative effects can trickle down to customers. Not communicating with your Technicians and Service Advisors? Then get prepared for chaos! Gaps in your customer service game, missed opportunities, and, ultimately, a loss of revenue will occur. Brian noted that when customers complaint about pricing, the issue usually starts with poor customer service experiences.

Second, Brian gave examples of key components from our Huddles SOP. When huddling, you may want to work with a board system. Of course, the General Manager must call the meeting to order, and employ a timer so the meetings do not last too long. Primarily, these meetings involve Service Advisors at the front counter. Occasionally, you may want to call together your technicians in order to resolve issues, or make sure everyone is on the same page.

Next, Brian asked YNR Member Leon’s take on staff huddles. Leon, an experienced shop owner, recognizes the value of this ritual. It allows him to stay in the know about how each job is progressing. Understanding such details as the need for more parts and the timeline until he can report back to the customer is crucial.

Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!

Brian Gillis - You Net ResultsYour auto repair shop lacks direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out, and you aren’t meeting your goals. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Here’s one of our handy Service Advisor tips. Are your service advisors asking the right questions up front? This is mission critical to avoid having to call customers back when your Technician finds something unexpected with a vehicle and has questions of their own. Don’t risk painting your staff as incompetent. That’s a recipe for wasting time and money.  Ask the right questions up front!

Service Advisor Tips to help your front counter staff.Service Advisor Tips – Call Recap

Brian opens up the clip by presenting Step G in the Getting Acquainted / In Person Counter Contact form. This is probably the most important step in the process. All the Service Advisor Tips and voice tricks mean nothing if you are not listening, asking questions, and verifying the customer’s vehicle problem. Remember, at the end of the day, our customers have problems, and it’s our job to solve them.

We must gather as much information as possible from the customer. Brian confirmed this to be true with our guest Nick, who is an A Tech. When a Service Advisor doesn’t gather enough information and pass it all on to the Technicians, we’ve got big trouble.

Repeating the customer’s problems back to them builds their confidence in us, as well as helping us avoid missing an issue later. Nick verified that he has had many questions for Service Advisors immediately after receiving work orders. For example, he may not know how long a car’s transmission has been slipping. This question should have come up when the Service Advisor initially talked with the customer.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Learn how to document auto repair shop systems the YNR way – using Action Flow Charts! Never again wonder what the steps are to any repair process your team must complete. Brian reviews a sample brake job checklist form to demonstrate how technicians and service advisors can confirm every task is completed. Do you want to download Action Flow Charts that your team can customize for your shop? Get the whole package here!

Action Flow Charts helping auto mechanics and automotive technicians.Action Flow Charts to Document Automotive Systems

Brian starts off by recalling a customer in his former shop. When they brought an error to the staff’s attention, everyone worked together to fix it. After that, they had a customer for life. In fact, that customer’s word of mouth brought a lot more business in. Just one interaction caused an explosion in revenue!

But how? The staff fell back on their systems to resolve the problem. Those systems were meticulously documented using Action Flow Charts. Therefore, everyone knew the chain of command. Everyone in the shop wrote down their tasks, so going back in time to find out what when wrong was easy.

More applications

Moving on, Brian suggested a great way to ingrain Action Flow Charts into your staff’s culture. Do you hold weekly one on one meetings with each staff member? If not, then why not? When your meetings take place, you should add an Action Flow Chart review to your agenda. Pick one from your folder, and make sure your technician or service writer knows it front to back. When you do this, you will have a strong gauge on how knowledgeable they are.

Next, Brian showed an example of the ABS Brake Problem Initial Analysis form. When using this form, technicians will not miss any potential causes of the customer’s brake problems. The YNR group were well versed on the form, and found great success with them. They all use Action Flow Charts every day, and they teach it to their staff.

Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!

Brian Gillis - You Net ResultsYour auto repair shop lacks direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out? Not meeting your goals? You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Gary Gunn quizzes YNR Members on how they define auto repair leadership. Repair Shop Owners need to learn key skills in order to be effective leaders in their automotive businesses.

Auto Repair Leadership - your vision is handed down to your staff and customers.Auto Repair Leadership Defined

Gary opens by asking the group how they define auto repair leadership. Each of our YNR members contribute valuable takes in this clip.

Joe says a true leader knows the direction that automotive business is going. Pam adds that that leaders set the tone and pace of the business. The owner leads by making sure everyone focuses on the main goals and the team doesn’t go off on tangents. Brian Gillis has mentioned before that every auto shop has a “speed up / slow down” rhythm. The owner must ensure that everyone keeps that pace.

Fred reminds us that leaders must set month to month goals for staff. Owners lead by creating processes. They also have to continually seek ways to improve those processes.

Jerry adds that auto repair leadership means defining a repair shop’s vision. Then it is up to the owner to lead by example.

Gary Recommends Leadership Resources

All of these definitions included aspects of leadership. However, Gary has more to add. Since he is a certified eMyth coach, Gary Gunn has learned leadership methods inside and out from Michael Gerber. John Maxwell also has great leadership training resources, which dig much deeper. Remember, core tenets of the job may never change. However, changing times could mean new problems to solve.

Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your independent auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out. So you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Auto Repair SOP - Standard Operating Procedures with You Net Results

By Paradee

The Benefits of an Auto Repair SOP

As an auto repair shop owner, you know a streamlined, efficient process is the best way to succeed. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are key to meeting this goal. SOPs help standardize processes, reduce overhead, and improve service. All the while, you establish a more positive, predictable outcome for customers. Let’s look at why SOPs are so important in auto repair shops. 

Reducing Costs & Overhead with SOPs 

Each auto repair SOP reduces costs and overhead. You will streamline your processes, thus saving time and money. SOPs also make it easier to train new employees, since they won’t have to learn everything from scratch. Staff just need to follow the established protocols. This can also help reduce mistakes as everyone follows the same process each time. 

Providing Better Service with SOPs 

Using SOPs in your auto repair shop helps you provide better customer service. Having known protocols makes sure that all repairs are done efficiently. When customers know their cars are being fixed by a pro, it eases their minds. Also, if a repair job goes wrong, clear SOPs help resolve issues quickly.

Establishing Predictability with SOPs 

Finally, SOPs establish predictability. SOPs clear up expectations for both employees and customers. This creates a sense of order and consistency. Thus, everyone feels more at ease.

Using SOPs critically reduces costs and overhead. This provides better service and predictability for both employees and customers alike!

These systems are a must in today’s market! Clear, concise rules make training new employees much easier. All the while, you still provide excellent customer service. In order to stay ahead, invest in comprehensive SOPs for your business!

You Net Results Will Help You Start Your Auto Repair SOP Journey

Contact You Net Results today. We’ll guide you in building critical SOPs! Book a free call. Brian Gillis and team will help build your foundation. Plug into a vast network of auto repair shops who work together to strengthen the industry! Let’s make February the best month of your business life!