Tips

It’s a never-ending list of equipment, tools, improvements, upgrades, and updates. You likely have a list, and you’ve probably set priorities. Now, pick a recurring day once every week or month or whatever interval you need to handle your list. That’s your purchase day for one thing on your list. It’s good for everyone to regularly see something new instead of in bunches with long dry spells. “They are always getting something new at the shop where I work!”

When you are asked for information and know that you already handled it, and the person already received it, pretend the first time never happened whenever possible. Now, if it is a big deal or a constant issue, that’s different. But in most cases, it got missed for some reason, and the most straightforward and friendliest thing to do is to handle it one more time without pointing out the first go around. As long as it’s not chronic, this will make for a smoother and happier workplace.

Make this Step One in your onboarding process. Hand your new team member a blank legal pad and a pen. For one week, have them follow the person or persons who currently do the tasks they are to do. Tell them to ask a lot of questions and take many notes. In most cases, this will be the most efficient and effective method to get them up and running. During week two, you can get into your structured onboarding – which will go much better because of what you did in week one.

Several employees. Lots of tasks to do. Which jobs are liked by which employee? Which tasks are disliked by which employee? You could ask them. Chances are the answer will uncover one or more possible task trades increasing someone’s likes and decreasing their dislikes. Tell the employees the purpose of the exercise. Even if you find nothing to change, most will appreciate what you are trying to do for them.

Our first impression is usually wrong when something goes sideways with a customer, an employee, or a vendor. We have maybe five or ten percent of the story. Our conclusion could be correct, but odds are, it is not. So, our immediate reaction is likely to be poorly thought out. Wait twenty-four hours or as much as possible if that is not realistic. Reaction time is one of the greatest factors in successful management. Get this one right, and your odds of success improve significantly.

Install oversized, bright digital clocks with seconds. Everywhere in the building. Add enough of them so a glance is all one ever needs to know the time. Clocks don’t hurry anyone, but they cause an awareness of time. Awareness brings efficiency. The display of seconds makes timing something simple. Explain the reason for them to everyone. Odds are there will be just a bit less wasted time. A few minutes a day adds up to many hours per year.

The map lady says, “I found a faster route.”

Did you take it?

Too often, we do not.

Not just route options but all sorts of better, yet different, options that present themselves daily. Resist the urge to say no, and take the offer. In most cases, you will come out ahead

When adding anything to your to-do list, always include the date. The simplest way to do this is with six digits. November 20, 2022, becomes 112022. After a set time, maybe three or six months, delete the item. If it truly is essential, you will think of it again later and add it back. But most things won’t return. It was not all that critical if you didn’t handle it in three to six months.

It seems that today everyone wants everything immediately. That includes people contacting your shop by phone, email, website form, chat, text, in person, and carrier pigeon.

Treat every contact like a ringing phone. Assume they expect a reply in minutes. Customer service will be much better, which means you will be happier. Plus, you will destroy most of your competition since very few others will do it.

Many surveys aim to get positive (often misleading) results, and most have replies that do not match the customer’s actual thinking. Usually, customer surveys are way too long.

To get great feedback that you can use, pose three to five questions, each with an open field to enter a reply. It will take you longer to review the results; however, the information you receive will be more valuable.

You know that background music you hear at high-end restaurants – usually some light jazz? There are thousands of offerings like that on YouTube, and many have some very cool videos. Often, they play for hours. Try that on the TV in your customer lounge instead of all the yammering one typically hears in waiting areas.

When your shop opens every morning, the goal should be to complete every car coming in today and every car still here from the day before by 5:00 today. I can hear you laughing. You learned that cars must languish at your shop for a while. That’s how it works. Says who? While you may never fully attain the 5:00 goal, odds are you can improve dramatically with the right mindset. Total vehicle stays of 24 to 48 hours are doable. Change policy. Change prices. Increase capacity. Move. We know you can do it because other shops are already doing it.

Q: Why are my employees always depending on me to solve every problem?

A: Because you do.

What you don’t do is tell them to “Figure it out.” and go back to what you were doing before they asked.

It’s often not easy at first, but it doesn’t take long for better employees to learn the new rules. The solutions won’t always be the ones you would have selected, but they will likely address most issues satisfactorily. Start trying it today.

We want Harry to move from tech to advisor. Or advisor to the manager. Or tech to shop foreman. Etc. So, we have him work in the new role while maintaining the old one. While that can work, it rarely works great because it’s hard to be two things simultaneously. Instead, have him take on the new role 100% one day per week while doing nothing of the old position. When ready, move it to two days a week, etc. The odds are that everyone will like this better, and the process will take less time to complete.

The list will never get done, and it’s not supposed to get all done. Realize and accept that. Did you pick several things off your list today? That’s a win. Good job. Tomorrow, you can pick off a few more.

The problem with trying to be the person who does the least whining, complaining, and nagging is that you often end up being the person they shove to the back of the line. Don’t let that be your business. For the health of your shop, always place the highest profit people at the front of your line.

Stop what you are doing and walk around your shop right now. Ask everyone: “What one thing slows down the repair process the most?” If the majority say “parts,” and you don’t have a full-time parts person, you need one. (Or, if you are a small shop, a half-time parts person.) A competent, focused parts person will speed things up and pay for themselves. Try it for several months. You can always go back if you find it doesn’t help (but it probably will).

Some folks will seldom or never say something at an employee meeting even though they have things to say. While you cannot change that, you can use messaging, email, lunches, and other one-on-one communications to get their input. Consider every issue you want to address and determine whether it is a meeting issue or a one-on-one issue. You’ll receive better feedback overall.

The best advisors usually make less than great managers. The best managers typically are less than great advisors. They think differently, and they see things differently. Advisors sell. Managers are air traffic controllers. Training one to be the other will generally achieve limited success. Position your people accordingly. Your shop will probably run better, and your sales will likely increase.

#327 WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT FROM YOUR SERVICE ADVISOR?

Sales.

That’s pretty much it. A service advisor is a professional salesperson, and the best ones have few other duties because they detract from selling. Get someone else to estimate, handle parts, deal with building maintenance, and all the other things we often ask of advisors. Odds are your sales will increase, and maybe a lot.

Tip #326 – FIRST RULE OF SUCCESSFUL SHOP OWNERSHIP

You must, MUST learn to let someone else handle it – whatever it is. We’ve all heard it a thousand times, but it does not register well enough with many of us. The quicker and better you learn this, the better. Conquering this is a critical key to business growth – place it at the top of your to-do list. Practice it daily.

#325 STRESS, LEAKS, NOISES, AND ENGINE MISS

Daily we diagnose and fix three of those. Do the same with the other one. Take the same logical diagnostic approach: complaint, cause, correction. There is a reason that stress exists. Can you eliminate it? Probably not. Can you reduce it significantly? You bet you can. Take some time this weekend to diagnose it, then start the repair on Monday.

TIP # 324 I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

Why? Because I packed up my office and moved it to my favorite vacation spot for 30 days. I can still be pretty involved with the shop with available technology. But, with fewer distractions and interruptions, I can take an overall look at my business and organize, plan, assess, manage, and monitor. The funny thing is when most shop owners do something like this, they often have one of their most profitable months ever. Don’t wait. Try it—next month.

#323 WHO RECEIVES YOUR MARKETING?

It should include you and all your vehicles. Sure, you approved the proof, but what does it look like in the real world? Specials, oil change reminders, thank-yous, recommendation reminders. Email. Direct mail. Texts. Make sure you get it all.

#322 CUSTOMERS LOVE IT – FEW SHOPS DO IT WELL

Today, everyone wants everything now. Getting a car repair back fast is enormous. Yet, few shops today focus enough on a speedy turnaround. The list of excuses is endless. End the excuses. Be the shop in town that turns cars over faster than any other. Then, tell the world about it.