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Cheryl

We have just joined this group and I was reading your post. We are also a 4 year old shop that is family run. My son-in-law is the tech and I run the office, order parts, schedule appoinments and write service tickets. It can some days be a challenge.

I have learned a lot over the last four years. Even now, I will ask questions before I call the customer if there is something I don’t know or understand, trying to anticipate any question that the customer will have. When I call customers to review estimates and sell the job I do my best to answer any questions. When I don’t know, I let them know that I will get the answer and call them back. That way I’m getting trained when I ask the questions. Customers have been very understanding and when the message is delivered with sincerety and a smile on your face, it comes through in the delivery making it more acceptable.

I also read the trade magazines that come into the shop to learn things as well as a text book on automotive repair that Scott had in school.

We have just hired an apprentice that graduated from the local trade school. Our last one did not work out well but I have high hopes for this one. We did learn from our previous hire and made a list of jobs that he is expected to be able to do on his own within 30 days without supervision. He was given a copy of this list on his first day and signed a copy.

Many of our weeks are scheduld at least 50% full before we get into the week. We always ask when a customer needs their car back when we make appointments. We try to save some room on the schedule for the emergency that walks in the door or when something else shows up wrong on a vehicle.

I hope this helps you some. I’d be more than happy to discuss things further if you like.

Lorraine