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People In Overdrive

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Methods To Improve Your Technicians’ Productivity

What is the one thing that every successful auto repair shop has in common? All of them provide their customers with a detailed Preventive Maintenance Inspection form, or PMI. How important is this form? YNR Guide Brian Gillis discussed the ins and outs of the PMI with Service Advisors on a recent Advisor Results Academy meeting. Watch and learn how this vehicle “bill of health” makes a difference in cultivating repeat business. This form effectively helps customers budget and create a game plan for needed future repairs and services. See how it builds trust yet?

Mechanic Technician reviewing the PMI Preventive Maintenance Inspection FormPMI – The Name of the Game

Preventive maintenance is the name of the game when it comes to making a vehicle last longer. Do your customers want proof of how thoroughly you have inspected their vehicle? Then you need to provide them with a detailed Preventive Maintenance Inspection form. In short, a PMI.

This gives them the peace of mind that your Technicians have gotten to closely know their vehicle, both inside and out. Your Mechanics and Service Writers will recommend the services that they would perform on it if it were their own. Your front of house staff can then confidently present and review this PMI form to customers. This gives them the chance to either sell customers additional repairs on the spot, or plan out a timeline for those services to be done in the future.

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

Brian Gillis - You Net ResultsYour independent auto repair shop lacks direction. Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You definitely are not meeting your goals for growth. You need an experienced automotive repair 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!

Daily Operations Process

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Shop Owners Who Take Action…

0519- SOP Action Flow Charts Review

  • What do we charge for inspections discussion?
  • So that you can lead with Processes and UP
  • Your communications for a more productive shop
  • That leads to increased sales and profit.

Action Flow Chart Story….

  • Mr. Jones tells the Service Advisor something…
  • Then the Service Advisor tells the Technician something…
  • Then the Technician tells the Service Advisor something…
  • Then the Service Advisor tells Mr. Jones something…
  • Then the Service Advisor tells the Technician something…

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Gary Gunn, AAM shares some examples of flexible auto repair hiring processes and how they can benefit automotive repair shops. Would you consider changing to four day work weeks, or even hiring only technicians who hunt or have farms? Gary provides examples of shops who did – and, believe it or not – these hiring practices for employees were huge successes for decades!

How could being more flexible in your hiring practices benefit your mechanics and service writers? What about you? Couldn’t you use less stress in your daily life as an auto repair shop owner? Can you think of any other benefits to attract quality mechanics and front of house staff? Don’t miss this video – it could save your automotive shop!

Is your auto repair shop's hiring process attracting the right technicians, managers, and service advisors for your staff?Hiring Process Discussion Recap

When this Working On It Tuesday clip opens, Gary quizzes Brian Pickens on what he’s learned from the class. Brian listed several areas of his automotive business that needed work. He admits he is currently understaffed and his people are burnt out. His previous hiring process proved ineffective and he needs to become more flexible in order to attract the right people.

When Gary polled the class about whether changing hours to help employees’ work-life balance would help, they agreed. Perhaps they should poll staff to see what would work for them. Brian added that he needed to put his foot down, because the current work environment was leading to squabbles between coworkers and grumpy customers.

Hypothetical Candidate Interview

Gary then paints a picture of an interview with a potential new technician. The candidate required a four day work week before he would accept the position, and that is unprecedented in your shop. Otherwise, he is the perfect candidate, and you need him. The next step is gathering your staff and making that four day work week possible. Gary and the callers all provided examples of how to make that happen, including many nurses’ three day work week working 12-hour days.

Flexible work schedules in auto repair are not a new phenomenon! Gary told a story about a shop he used to sell lifts to in Texas. They implemented a four day work week, and employed staff who only liked to hunt. Hunting was an important part of the culture in that area. Since the staff knew they wouldn’t have to work on certain days, they could all relax and bond over their common interest. Some of you reading may think that’s chaotic, and it gives employees too much power. That hiring process worked out fine for the owner of that shop, who sold it after 27 successful years in business!

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your 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? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Let’s talk about auto repair business ethics. Picture this: you are an auto repair service advisor. You present a necessary service to a customer. They tell you that they just can’t afford it right now. Do you let them go without fixing the issue, potentially letting them risk more harm to their vehicle? What about the other issues you haven’t even gotten to writing up for them yet? Automotive Service Writers have a professional obligation to tell customers about needed repairs, just like doctors are obligated to tell patients about illnesses they may not know about.

Service Advisors must apply business ethics to phone calls with customersGroup Discussion on Business Ethics in Auto Repair

In this video, Brian talks with shop owners in our You Net Results group about that obligation. Don’t let your worries about your client’s money troubles get in the way of your ethics. Whether you display integrity or not, the word gets around!

Brian then surveyed the group members on what they defined professional obligation as. Karen said business ethics means treating your customers with respect. It’s the only way to ensure they become repeat customers. Next, Bryce pointed out that auto repair shop owners should ensure that technicians watch their language around customers. Finally, Jared reiterated that we are all obligated as professionals to ensure each client a safe, reliable vehicle.

Each caller provided a correct answer. In conclusion, Brian provided the example that we must report everything wrong with the vehicle. Even if the customer is already hurting financially, we do not have the right to withhold that information from them. In short, that is business ethics.

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!

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