Shop Operations Archives - Page 52 of 73 -
Insurance Checkup

Insurance can be a large fixed cost for any auto repair shop. Periodic reviews of insurance needs and coverage, however, can help reign in costs. Follow these tips in your next insurance checkup to make sure your business is covered and getting the best bang for its buck.

The Industry’s Talent Gap: Is It A Crisis Or An Opportunity?

Have you taken a look around our industry lately and made the same observation that I have? We are getting pretty old. From the parts house counterman to the shop owner, we are seeing a lot more grey hair and maybe a few more comb overs. In fact, statistics indicate that the average age of a shop owner is 55!

Hiring new employees
The Truth About Stealing Employees

There is an expression that has been around our industry for decades that says if you run a good, ethical business, the one thing you should never do is “steal” employees. If you agree with that philosophy, this is one article you may want to read.

The Silent Killer Of Auto Repair Shops

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of watching hundreds of shop owners go to the top, and truly become industry leaders. I have also seen thousands of shop owners who struggle from day to day until they finally either try to find someone who is willing to take over their business at any price, or they simply close their doors and walk away. There are many reasons why shops fail, including lack of business skills and the unwillingness to reach out for help before it’s too late, but there is one silent killer that I have seen take even the best shops down.

Tips On Hiring The Superstars In Competitive Times

One of the single greatest challenges shop owners face today is finding and hiring the superstars. Regardless of whether you are looking to hire technicians or service advisers, here are some tips that will help you hire the stars.

Encourage Bad News

The other day, one of my service adviser’s came to my office to discuss the past week. We made an agreement that we would meet in private at least once a week to discuss his successes and challenges, and also discuss ways to improve our service. After telling me all the good stuff, he informed me of a situation where he dropped the ball, which resulted in a very upset customer.

Are Low Car Counts The Real Issue?

Car count is a key performance indicator (KPI) that shows you the health of your business. But before we blame low car counts for why we are not achieving our sales goals, we need to take the time to look at all the numbers and analyze labor and part margins, average repair order (ARO), production issues, other critical KPIs, customer retention and workflow processes. Only after a thorough analysis can we begin to work on the issue of car counts.

New Year Means New Rules And Time To Review And Revise

Each New Year brings with it new laws, rules and regulations based on the trends of business and human resources management. Here are just a few things that are happening in 2015 that employers need to be aware of and apply to their business if it makes sense.

Tennessee Shop Offers Discounts To Customers In Need

Price is often the biggest sticking point in an auto repair job. Some customers just have no feel for what certain services or parts cost, others have perhaps been treated poorly in the past (or are cheap), and some just flat out do not have the money. Choices need to be made between fixing a vehicle or paying rent or buying groceries. For those customers, a shop in Gallatin, TN, is going beyond typical customer service and actively trying to help.

Winning Over A Tough Customer

If you close your eyes and picture a tough customer, what image do you see? Is it a price shopper on the phone? An argumentative customer at the front counter? A Yelp reviewer who went directly to the Internet instead of giving you a chance to address his or her concerns? Each of these kinds of tough customers can put a kink in our day if we let them.

customer service
Earning The Continued Trust Of Your Internal Customers

Many years ago, I read an article that featured an interview with Herb Kelleher, the co-founder of Southwest Airlines. In the article, he stated that he and his mother (who was a Harvard graduate) would often debate who was more important. He argued that it was the employees of a company, and his mom argued that it was the customers. With all due respect, I would argue, why does it need to be one or the other?

shop management award
7 Business Building Tips For The Holiday Season

Now that we are coming into the holiday season, there are a number of things you can do to drive up productivity, sales, customer satisfaction and profits. Each one of the below tips worked wonders for me when I was still in the auto repair business, and they are still effective today for many of our coaching clients, so I know they can work for you as well.