Fuel Maximizer Service Opportunity, when fuel prices are higher than normal – so we can help our customers achieve the best fuel efficiency by offering service that can make a difference and save them $
Carm Capriotto’s Friday Town Hall Academy #265 streamed live on February 25, 2022. The subject was “Coaches Lab: Turn Around a Struggling Shop”. The guests Chris Cotton (AutoFix), YNR’s own Brian Gillis, and Murray Voth (RPM Training) circled around the mic to discuss the ways that automotive service centers can turn their fortunes around.
Opening Up About Struggling Shop Issues
Murray Voth opened up the discussion, emphasizing that your employees probably have an idea that the business is struggling. This may be a conscious or subconscious suspicion, but generally, owners control the flow of information. There is such a thing as telling your people too much about the status of your business. However, if rumors about your auto service center closing are swirling, you need to set the record straight. When you’re having trouble keeping up with the channels of communication, hiring a business coach may be necessary.
Do you see signs of an unavoidable downturn in business? Don’t wait until it’s too late to seek help. Chris Cotton detailed some shop owners calling him when they were three weeks away from closing. When he asked how long they were on the decline, they told him six months. They should have called at the first sign of trouble. Depending on the actual issues, a few weeks may be enough reverse course, but it’s unlikely.
Brian chimed in to agree that no automotive shop owner is an island. We can’t do it alone. Sharing the overall health with your team creates buy-in from them. Your transparency and honesty will motivate your employees to help improve your business’ fortunes. Regularly scheduled, mandatory meetings help accomplish this goal.
How NOT To Fix Your Issues
Murray reiterated that delegating more tasks to your team needs to happen, so you can focus on improving the business. Chris agreed, adding that flat rate technicians can work more hours, but it will only help them and not the business. When systems and processes within the business are broken, working harder just means hastening the inevitable.
Chris mentioned that we must ask our team members for help, but reaching out to other shop owners is also crucial. Many of his referrals have come from shop owners in Facebook Groups.
When inquiring about a struggling shop’s financial records, Murray often finds out there are none. Many shop owners think a CPA or Bookkeeper isn’t affordable. They often learn the hard way that not hiring one is even less affordable. Shops in financial trouble may or may not be salvageable. Again, the key is catching your problem early.
Another issue many struggling shop owners face is the temptation to pay themselves last. While caring for your employees and their families is important, when you don’t cash your own checks, you are putting your own family last. Sometimes, showing compassion means helping a technician find another job when you truly can’t afford to keep paying them. Do what you need to do to keep your business going, but don’t neglect your family at home.
Bottom Line – This Is Your Passion. Get Help If You Need Help.
If you need help, ask for help. We in the auto repair industry are independent. Often, we auto service center owners haven’t felt like we fit in, be it in school or past jobs. We landed in a niche that catered to our learning challenges, and we are passionate about it. This is too important to you to keep spinning your wheels.
Do You Own A Struggling Shop? Can A Coaching Company Really Help Your Auto Repair Business?
Have you owned a struggling shop for years? Then you have probably had some bad experiences with business coaches that serve the automotive service industry. After all, not every one of the auto repair shop coaching companies out there are created equal! For instance, some coaching companies are strong with financial matters, yet weak regarding phone sales techniques. We here at You Net Results want to help you focus on the total picture and get the results you need. Contact us today for a free strategy session.
Is Your Auto Repair Shop Ready For The Next Step? Book Your FREE Strategy Session!
Your independent automotive repair shop is lacking in direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You are definitely not meeting your shop’s goals for financial growth. You need an experienced automotive industry coach who can guide you along the way. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with You Net Results guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose, so sign up today!
There is power in mastering your actions. It gives customers the peace of mind that your auto repair shop will stand the test of time. You want the people in your personal to understand that your actions are backed by practiced consistency and dedication to your goals. This translates to your automotive business as well; how consistent are you?
How do you document invoices?
With Consistency?
Are you documenting every transaction and every invoice you produce? Is there a dedicated method for documenting invoices? Does your auto repair shop use an SOP for logging and filing your invoices? Is everyone on your staff on board with the process, or are things getting lost in translation? This is where you can really benefit from structure, which includes documented SOPs and Action Flow Charts.
Poorly?
Do your invoices lack details? Is it difficult to discern what information is relevant when you need to reference it? “The devil is in the details,” as they say, and this has never been more true than with your invoices.
What are your step-by-step procedures?
Where exactly do you start? Do you have the entire process documented? Have you written SOPs, and is everyone on board with following the process? A well-documented step-by-step procedural outline is essential for both seamless training and consistent improvement over time.
Beyond that, if and when you sell your business, you want the buyer to know what makes you so great. Why does your business consistently achieves great results, and how can they replicate them when they take over? Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) serve as a handbook to all of your success, and, furthermore, they will net you a higher selling price when you decide to sell your business. They make it easier to phase yourself out of day-to-day operations, thus giving you more time with your family and loved ones.
Action Flow Charts – WHY?
How can Action Flow Charts help you run your shop?
We believe in the power of consistency! When you center your operation around effective action-based flow charts, it will create a consistent business. You can reduce bottlenecks and lead to a less stressful business future.
Communication is the key to success, so action flow charts fill in the gaps where humans naturally fail. It’s impossible for everyone to communicate perfectly, every time. However, we can design a system of Action Flow Charts, tools that fill the spaces where we fall short.
Through YOUR Power of Consistency
In the end, it comes down to your power of consistency and how ready you are to take your dream future into your hands. We all have a vision of what we want our future to look like, so let’s work together to turn that into a reality.
The best way to get started is to start! We can help you with the process by plugging you into an invaluable community of fellow auto repair shop owners! Then, we will help you design your SOP and Action Flow Charts to meet your next revenue goals.
Are you having difficulty designing and writing your SOPs? Is it impossible for your to figure out your Action Flow Charts? Don’t worry, You Net Results is here to help you. This is exactly the value you get when you choose an effective business coaching program.
Contact us today for a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis will walk you through the process and help you get started, connecting you with like-minded individuals, all dedicated to improving each other’s businesses and lives.
SOP Formation and Review
Have you owned a struggling shop for years? Then you have probably had some bad experiences with business coaches that serve the automotive service industry. After all, not every one of the auto repair shop coaching companies out there are created equal! For instance, some coaching companies are strong with financial matters, yet weak regarding 
