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Auto Repair Shop Owners need help dealing with the silent thieves in their automotive business. Determining how they are losing money.

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Lack of employee motivation, poor inventory strategies, and accounting snafus might not seem like they have much in common. However, they can all be silent thieves in your auto repair shop. By that, we mean that they can all lead to big problems when they’re not managed properly.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to recover from these three silent thieves in your auto repair shop so that you can keep your business running smoothly.

Thieves Identified #1: Lack of Employee Motivation

One of the most common silent thieves in auto repair shops is employee motivation. When employees aren’t motivated, it can lead to all sorts of problems. Poor performance, low morale, and high turnover are all examples.

If you want to recover from this silent thief, there are a few things you can do:

First, try to get to the root of the problem. Why aren’t your employees motivated? Perhaps you have not challenged them enough. Is it because they don’t feel like their work is meaningful, or is it something else entirely? Once you know the problem, then you can start addressing it.

Second, try to create a more motivating workplace environment. This might mean providing more employee training and development opportunities, or offering incentives for meeting certain goals. Whatever you do, make sure you’re proactive about addressing employee motivation; otherwise, it will continue to be a silent thief in your shop.

Thief #2: Poor Inventory Strategies

Another common silent thief in auto repair shops is loss due to poor inventory strategies. You may have a bad handle on your inventory. If you’re overstocking certain items, or understocking others, it can eventually lead to big financial losses.

Start your recovery by closely examining your inventory strategies. Are there any areas where you could improve? Are there any changes you could make to reduce losses? Once you’ve identified some potential improvements, implement them as soon as possible.

#3: Simple Accounting Issues

The third and final silent thief we’ll discuss is simple accounting issues. Believe it or not, even a small error in your monthly financial statements can lead to big problems for your business.

To recover from this thief, review your financial statements carefully each month and correct any errors immediately. You should also consider automation tools that can help reduce errors and save time (and money) in the long run. 

These are just a few of the most common silent thieves in auto repair shops, but they’re certainly not the only ones out there. To protect your business from these thieves (and many others), it’s important to be aware of them and take steps to prevent them from causing damage.

You Net Results Can Help!

Contact You Net Results and we will guide you through the process of identifying, itemizing, and neutralizing your silent thieves today! Book a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis and his 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 this the best month of your business life!

Silent Thief
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Silent Thief

You have heard us speak about silent thieves before. You Net Results’ game plan starts with helping your auto repair shop identify which thief or thieves lurk in your midst. In this clip from our Daily Operations meeting, Brian quizzes members on their own experiences. Is your auto shop losing money, but you don’t know why? Then watch this video and find out!

Auto shop losing money – silent thieves on the prowl

Is there a silent thief in your auto repair shop?

Brian opens up by explaining the concept of a silent thief, which is money leaking out of your shop undetected. He asks members what those thieves look like in their shops, starting with inventory.

Once Andy’s business started growing, he noticed that he started to lose track of inventory. His shop’s process of transporting waste oil for reuse, for instance, needed improvement. Therefore, he bit the bullet and invested in new equipment.

Joe’s parts were not properly being charged out, so he implemented a new process to keep track of this expense.

Then, Jim Ryckman talks about the priorities of owners and managers. Whenever the boss doesn’t manage time well, silent thieves can creep in.

Next up, Leon mentions labor inventory. In his case, this is a huge chance to lose money. Because it can be hard to keep track of, labor rates may be a shop’s #1 money loser.

Finally, Brian discusses one thief we may not have thought of previously. Let’s say our advertising is on point, and customers are jamming your phone lines. If your service writers don’t know what to say to them to close the sale, then you may as well be throwing money out the window. This is why proper phone skills and scripts are crucial.

A few tidbits discussed afterward revealed the importance of taking notes on procedures, as well as being open to change. Surprisingly, many shop owners still use pen and paper instead of computers to keep up with shop supplies and tickets. Doubtless, these shops must update procedures and conquer their fear of change in order to survive.

Stop your silent thieves!

Do these problems sound familiar to you? By now, you might be wondering how you can solve these problems. We have your answer! Try one of our coaching groups for free. Each week, you can join fellow shop owners to identify your problems. Then, apply our systems to start turning record profits!

Sign up today!

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