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By Jim Murphy of Elite

We continue to hear that it is important to be more efficient in our shops; more efficient at the front counter, more efficient techs, more efficient with our time in general.  What are we truly doing about it?  Expenses and costs keep increasing.  The collision industry has already learned that they cannot charge more because the insurance industry has capped their ability to do so. 6 to 7 hours per technician is not going to cut it any longer; the collision shops now need to get 10 to 12 hours per day per tech. How is mechanical repair going to survive?  Customers are beginning to reach the upper barrier of what we can charge. We need to improve proficiency by 50% without increasing the charges to the customer.

How do we do that?

We need to re-evaluate processes, people, equipment and technology. We then need to reassess and improve some more. The collision industry efficiencies were increased, now it is our turn! We need to reconfigure workspaces for the shop and customer service areas.  Analyze paper and people flows to minimize steps and remove the barriers that make your staff slow down or stop. We need to constantly review equipment, tools, technology and IT to speed up processes. We need to look for improvements in products to minimize comebacks, and most importantly, we need to continue to upgrade training.

The best performing businesses have the highest quality people, the right people for the right positions.  Training plus experience equals a highly trained staff.  Make sure that you have a training plan in place for each employee. You want to source the right training at the right time for the right price. Don’t just accept whatever becomes available to you at the time and expect that this will be right for your staff. Do your homework and procure what each team member will need this year to become more efficient.  Your business is going to depend upon it!

This article was brought to you by Jim Murphy. Jim the leader of Elite’s prestigious Pro Service,  a peer group made up of 90 of the most successful shop owners in North America. To learn more about the industry's top peer group, visit Elite's Pro Service page: https://www.eliteworldwide.com/20-group.html


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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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