-
Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?
-
.thumb.jpg.2b345efc275b9df0af2bbb306a10a78a.jpg)
By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog0 commentsAuto shop owners are always looking for ways to improve production levels. They focus their attention on their technicians and require certain expectations of performance in billable labor hours. While technicians must know what is expected of them, they have a limited amount of control over production levels. When all factors are considered, the only thing a well-trained technician has control over is his or her actual efficiency.
As a review, technician efficiency is the amount of labor time it takes a technician to complete a job compared to the labor time being billed to the customer. Productivity is the time the technician is billing labor hours compared to the time the technician is physically at the shop. The reality is that a technician can be very efficient, but not productive if the technician has a lot of downtime waiting for parts, waiting too long between jobs, or poor workflow systems.
But let’s go deeper into what affects production in the typical auto repair shop. As a business coach, one of the biggest reasons for low shop production is not charging the correct labor time. Labor for extensive jobs is often not being billed accurately. Rust, seized bolts, and wrong published labor times are just a few reasons for lost labor dollars.
Another common problem is not understanding how to bill for jobs that require extensive diagnostic testing, and complicated procedures to arrive at the root cause for an onboard computer problem, electrical issue, or drivability issue. These jobs usually take time to analyze, using sophisticated tools, and by the shop’s top technician. Typically, these jobs are billed at a standard menu labor charge, instead of at a higher labor rate. This results in less billed labor hours than the actual labor time spent. The amount of lost labor hours here can cripple a shop’s overall profit.
Many shop owners do a great job at calculating their labor rate but may not understand what their true effective labor is, which is their labor sales divided by the total labor hours sold. In many cases, I have seen a shop that has a shop labor rate of over $150.00 per hour, but the actual effective labor rate is around $100. Not good.
Lastly, technician production can suffer when the service advisors are too busy or not motivated to build relationships with customers, which results in a low sales closing ratio. And let’s not forget that to be productive, a shop needs to have the right systems, the right tools and equipment, an extensive information system, and of course, great leadership.
The bottom line is this; many factors need to be considered when looking to increase production levels. While it does start with the technician, it doesn’t end there. Consider all the factors above when looking for ways to improve your shop’s labor production.
-
-
Similar Topics
-
By carmcapriotto
Thanks to our partners, NAPA TRACS and Promotive
Did you know that NAPA TRACS has onsite training plus six days a week support?
It all starts when a local representative meets with you to learn about your business and how you run it. After all, it's your shop, so it's your choice.
Let us prove to you that Tracs is the single best shop management system in the business. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at NAPATRACS.com
It’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Great news, you don’t have to go it alone. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit www.gopromotive.com.
Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair
Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com
Email Hunt: [email protected]
Get a copy of my Book: Download Here
Aftermarket Radio Network
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
By carmcapriotto
Thank you to RepairPal for sponsoring The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Learn more about RepairPal at https://repairpal.com/shops
How To Get In Touch
Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
Website - shopmarketingpros.com
Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros
Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
Instagram - @shopmarketingpros
Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
-
By Ruben Van Zenden
Today, we simply cannot ignore social media, everyone is using it whether you are a fan or not. Personally, I think it has its negative and positive sides.
I have been looking at 100+ car repair shops and noticed that only a hand full are using social media marketing, for example, Facebook advertising.
Why are so few car repair shops making use of this, in my opinion, great opportunity to increase car count?
-
By carmcapriotto
How do you know when to use Google Ads vs. when to use Facebook ads? The answer is rather simple but not always obvious. Join Kim and Brian as they explore the various situations when you would use each very effective digital advertising type!
Thank you to RepairPal for sponsoring The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Learn more about RepairPal at https://repairpal.com/shops
Talking Points
The difference between Google ads and Facebook ads (00:00:52) The speakers discuss the surface-level differences between Google ads and Facebook ads, with Google being used for search and Facebook for brand awareness. Using Google ads for retargeting (00:01:41) The guest shares a pro tip on using Google to search for products and then getting retargeted ads on Facebook from other potential companies. Using Facebook to find things (00:03:28) The speakers discuss using Facebook to find products or services by searching on Facebook Marketplace and getting targeted ads. The importance of Google ads (00:06:56) Google ads are effective for reaching people who are actively searching for auto repair services. The minimum budget for Google ads (00:07:34) A minimum budget of $1200 per month is recommended for Google ads to compete with other sponsored shops. The need for brand awareness advertising (00:10:47) Brand awareness advertising is necessary to replace lost customers and stay in front of potential customers. Staying in front of people and educating them (00:14:08) The importance of educating your audience about the services you offer and staying in front of them to retain clients. Facebook and Google ads for brand awareness (00:15:29) The differences between Facebook and Google ads for brand awareness and staying in front of people who are not necessarily looking for auto repair services. Targeting and geographic parameters for Facebook ads (00:19:00) The importance of setting geographic parameters and targeting correctly when running Facebook ads to avoid wasting money and getting poor results. Housekeeping and Engagement Opportunities (00:21:16) Housekeeping matters such as sending marketing questions, joining the Facebook group, and leaving podcast reviews.
How To Get In Touch
Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
Website - shopmarketingpros.com
Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros
Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
Instagram - @shopmarketingpros
Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
-
-
Our Sponsors
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now