Quantcast
Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

I have 2 great,hard working techs. Our car count is fairly consistent at about 45 cars per week. We use a worksheet to check out every vehicle that comes in and we sell a lot of recommended work from those inspections. We consistantly produce about 55 hours total per week. Is it really realistic to achieve 80 hours for these two techs?

Posted

You didn't say what level techs these are. I have two A techs who consistently pull 45-55 hours per week each, but if the second tech is a general service guy doing oil changes and other loss-leader work, it will be difficult for him/her to earn the hours.

Posted

One tech is a veteran tech with about 30th years experience. While not a strong diagnostician, he has years of experience and does excellent with mechanical work like brakes, chassis, engine, transmission work. Our second tech has just graduated from Alfred tech, a great auto tech college. He's very intelligent but only has about 1 year work experience. Both techs have a great work ethic and really hustle every day. They are both paid hourly.

Posted

When you speak of production hours, there is a lot that goes into that. It depends on tech experience, the type of work you sell, are you billing properly (especially for diag testing) and the balance of your schedule.

 

With two techs, if they are doing a lot of oil services and minor services, you labor hours will not be as high as opposed to a tech that is strictly doing repair work.

 

A production tech (one that does only repair and diag work) must be able to produce more hours than he works. So, again, it depends on a few variables.

 

Take a look at the work you do and your appointment schedule, have a balance of service, repair and diag. Make sure you are getting enough labor hours too.

 

As far as Tech classification, that also depends on the type of work and the shop. Typically, a C tech is entry level, a B tech is a production tech, but may lack in advanced diagnostics, an A tech is a Master Level and is expected to perform just about anything you give him/her.

 

I hope this helps. Great question!

Posted

Thanks for the clarification of tech levels. With that i would classify them as B and C techs. I have no doubt that our C tech will eventually be an A tech. Our B tech will likely always stay a B. Would you recommend hiring a C tech to do the oil changes and tires and keep the current techs doing repairs ?

Posted

Now you have touched on the mystery of shop management. Having the right labor mix for the work you can reasonably expect to bring in is probably the biggest challenge we all face. Assuming you are paying your techs on some kind of incentive plan based on hours earned, you probably feel pressure to feed them as many hours as possible, so you hesitate to bring in additional techs and water down the available hours. If you are short on labor, overtime can destroy your labor margins if not carefully managed. Let's say your successful in increasing car count and your SWs are selling work, when is the right time to bring in another tech? And will you be able to find a great tech? Techs leave, and the ones you hire after great deliberation turn our to be, well, not great. You don't ever solve this one - you attempt to manage it on a continuing basis.

Posted

There is always a mix of work to be done on every vehicle that comes in the shop. Since we only have these two great techs, who are happy to do the mix, perhaps it might be best to not complicate our processes by changing things up right now. I have been considering an incentive for improving billed hours. Any advice on incentives would be greatly appreciated.

Posted

If your technicians are as good as you say they are and also you are selling a lot of work maybe the problem is you are not selling the work at its full value. You could easily bump your numbers up by selling the proper time on each job and also selling your diagnostic time for proper value. Something I learned recently that I am still working on.

  • Like 2
Posted

We believe that ALL employees should end up on a pay plan that rewards them for meeting and exceeding performance goals, whatever those goals may be. We spent months with our ATI coach working on technician pay matrices that

 

1. increase pay scale for obtaining additional professional certifications

2. Reward production (hourly pay for the week increases as they achieve production thresholds)

3. Insure that we are paying time and a half for overtime

4. Tell us when we can let a tech work OT and preserve our labor margins

 

If you have a tech who has turned 20 labor hours by Friday and he ends up working 45 hours, your labor margins are probably taking a beating. If your techs are not on an incentive plan, what motivates them to pull that last car in at 4:30 in the afternoon and do a through courtesy check on it? Because they're nice guys? Because they really like you? I want them to do it because we ALL materially benefit from it.

 

Why did it take us so long? First, it's a difficult concept to absorb, it takes a while to actually develop the individual pay matrices, we're not "strongarm" managers (we're wimps), and we were taking people off of pay plans they were comfortable with and moving them to a challenging new pay plan that rewards them for performance.

  • Like 1
Posted

You have an average hours per ticket of 0.81 hrs per car, that is low. You should be up around 1.5 hrs per car where you would be looking at 67.5 hrs. Which would be 84-85% efficiency. You have a good car count coming through your shop but you aren't selling enough hours per ticket.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Your per vehicle average is low. I suggest you should be averaging about 2.0 hours per vehicle as an initial goal. Along with that, an equivilent amount of parts. The actual ratio is .80 parts to 1.00 labor. For your shop, 45 cars with an average of 2.0hrs per r.o., you will have 90 hours of production for those two technicians. That would be about 110% productive. This is a realistic goal, and can be achieved with some good processes in place. There needs to be a graduated pay scale to create incentive to find and do the work, I know with the numbers you mention, you are leaving work on the table. This is a particular concern because your customers count on you to let them know what is going on with their car. If you miss something during their last visit, they may wind up at another shop that will show them everything that is wrong with their car. However if you document and prioritize all the concerns, you will develop loyalty with your clients. I call it "we report, you decide". Give them what needs repaired first, then things in the near future, then recommended services, etc. They will be happy, you will also make more money, which means a brighter future, all because you are doing it right. I love this part of the business. You have good car count....now you need to make the cars count.

Edited by Shopcat
  • Like 2

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Available Subscriptions

  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         0 comments
      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.
  • Similar Topics

    • By carmcapriotto
      Thanks to our Partners, NAPA TRACS, and Today's Class Mike Coley and George Arrants from the ASE Education Foundation address the ongoing technician shortage in the automotive industry. They highlight the importance of education, mentoring, and industry involvement in developing career-ready talent. Coley discusses how ASE certification improves retention and productivity, while Arrants emphasizes the value technicians place on a positive shop culture and proper equipment. The episode urges shop owners to actively support schools, nurture entry-level talent, and create environments that promote long-term career development.
      Mike Coley and George Arrants, ASE Education Foundation: https://www.aseeducationfoundation.org/ Show Notes:
      Watch Full Video Episode Technician Shortage Discussion (00:00:00) Always Be Recruiting (00:03:43) Hiring Challenges (00:05:07) Importance of Career Path (00:06:17) Understanding Technician Turnover (00:09:11) Evaluating Technicians (00:14:11) Engaging with Schools (00:15:27) Importance of Brand Recognition (00:16:30) Career Fair Engagement (00:18:41) Understanding Young Workers' Needs (00:22:00) Role of ASE in Education (00:23:42) Aligning Education with Industry Needs (00:26:54) Impact of Accreditation (00:29:03) Elevating Student Expectations (00:33:17) Industry Accountability (00:34:14) Success Stories in Education (00:36:24) Turnover and Technician Shortage (00:38:12) Benefits of ASE Certification (00:38:25)
      Thanks to our Partner, NAPA TRACS NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Thanks to our Partner, Today's Class Optimize training with Today's Class: In just 5 minutes daily, boost knowledge retention and improve team performance. Find Today's Class on the web at https://www.todaysclass.com/ Connect with the Podcast: -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on X: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/ Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/ Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/ Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/ The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/ The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/ Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size. https://craigoneill.captivate.fm/
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By stevefry
      I have a client looking to sell their Auto Body Shop in Monteagle TN called Lakeside Collision. He is asking $1,500,000 and the property did a little over $1,200,000 last year. Profitable business with lots of equipment and inventory, newer paint booth and includes 2 lots and 2 buildings with 8 bay doors.
      Also have another client looking for an Auto Body business to purchase in Davidson County (Nashville) TN. Looking for a shop with the business and the real estate. 
    • By Joe Marconi
      Over the weekend I met a 67 year old shop owner who has been in business for 41 years, and still involved in the day to day operations. He added that he has done nothing to plan for his future and his exit. 
      Life can throw us a curve ball at any age, are your properly prepared.
      I know it sounds a little crazy, but the right time to get you business ready to sell, is when you first go into business.
      What are you doing to prepare for your exit, sale or if life throws you a curve ball?
       
       
    • By JustTheBest
      If you're ready to skyrocket your car count so that you can finally make the money you know you and your family deserves, you're in the right place, because it's never been easier to grow your repair shop, as long as you have the right offers and deals to attract customers.
      But I will warn you if you make the same flimsy and lame offers that are just like your competitors, you’re actually making it harder to grow than it ever has been before.
      Because I want to make this easy, you’re lucky. Right now I’m starting a brand new Private Case Study Group where I will help 3 repair shops deploy my “Perfect Offer Formula” that lets you generate car count immediately, and if you start today, you can do it before Mother’s Day (May 11, 2025) and continue to do that month after month.
      The best part is, you’ll do it all without ever discounting your prices, adding free services, or tossing in Give-a-Ways that only attract the bottom feeders and car owners without money.
      In this case study, I’m going to give you the exact formula that you need so you can grow quicker without wasting time trying to figure out how to get car count and what to do next or what offers you should run this month. 
      Look, there’s only three reasons you’re not getting the car count you want right now…
      #1) Either you don’t have a compelling offer that focuses on value -not price
      #2) Your offers are just plain terrible and they aren’t what people want or need.
      Or 
      #3) You don’t have the correct packaging or (as we call them, wrappers) for your offer. 
      What I see a lot of repair shops do is they literally just use flimsy lame offers that look just like what your competitor is doing… 
      Or they try to duplicate offers the big box auto repair shops are making… 
      Or they continue to discount their prices… trying to come up with that secret formula that makes some phony illusion of a great deal.
      But all of that is just a race to the bottom.
      This private case study program's going to solve all of that for you because I'm not only going to literally take you by the hand and show you everything that you need to do, I’m actually going to do it for you! 
      And this doesn’t matter if you don’t think you can do it, or you’re not good with that math and calculating prices, or even if the last offer or ad you ran was a total big fat loss!
      We're actually going to be working together. And I'm literally going to tell you everything you need to do, starting from you spending 20 minutes setting up your pricing profile, 
      Then I’ll build out your personalized plan, 
      I’ll be tweaking things and helping you decide exactly what offer to create, and then do all the heavy lifting to create the three Value Wrappers… that make your offer stand out in your market; get car owners to stop and see your offer; then book their job immediately…(not next week, next month, or when they get around to it!) and much, much more
      And then after that, you're going to get 30 days of check-ins where you can ask me questions. 
      I'll ask you to share your sales statistics and analytics so that we can improve them. 
      I'll send you new ideas for the other 3 Perfect Power Offer Strategies that are proven to work, and even do so much more, and by the end of that, you’ll have the complete “Perfect Offer Program” that will let you stop chasing car count once and for all!
      And since I'm going to be coaching you throughout this program for your specific account, know that it doesn't matter what market you’re in; it doesn’t matter if you don’t have one of those fancy main street locations; and it doesn't matter how much marketing experience you have because I'm literally going to be meeting you exactly where you are. 
      No matter what you need, I'm going to help you do that. 
      If you need better wrappers (to actually get people to see your offer), I'm going to help you do that. If you need help putting your perfect offer together, I'm going to tell you exactly how you should be doing that differently so that you can skyrocket your car count.
      In just the past few months, the typical repair shop that's gone through this program has grown their car count within 15 days of starting, and nobody has ever gained less than 10 new jobs the first month if they implement everything that I show them to do continually. (Your results may vary, depending on how well you follow our directions)
      Now, there is one catch.
      Actually, there’s three catches.
      #1- This is a nationally advertised program across United States and Canada, and it’s limited to only 3 qualified repair shops. 
      #2- This private case study group is limited to only one repair shop per market. In other words, I won’t compete against myself.
      #3- This may be the last time I offer this Exclusive One-on-One Case Study Opportunity to grow your car count immediately - because I'm still only one person, so I can only work with so many shop owners.
       
      The longer you wait to grow your car count, the harder it's going to get started.

      Please do not make the mistake that I made, which I literally regret every single day. That is that I didn't start growing car count earlier when I was a shop owner. Car count is the solution to just about every auto shop problem.
      So if you don't sign up right now, it could decrease the odds that we can actually work together, because once we get the three shops we’re looking for, I'm going to have to shut this opportunity down.
      That just means it's going to be even harder to grow your car count.
      Remember, nobody else can provide and guarantee you results before Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025, so please stop procrastinating.
      Go below, register right now. I cannot wait to help you hit your goals because at the end of the day, you actually have nothing to lose. 
      I'm literally going to tell you everything that you need to do. You are going to implement it, and you're going to get the results that you want, period.
      And oh, in case you’re wondering, there’s no money back guarantee… because this is a totally FREE Case Study Group. 
      That means there's zero risk to you if you sign up right now while you still can. 
      https://thecarcountfixer.com/go

      Hope this helps! See you in the case study group!
      Matthew
      "The Car Count Fixer"
    • By JustTheBest
      Do you find your shop doesn’t even come up on Google search like the big shops or chains and delivering great customer service is hard, especially when you’re busy or short staffed?
      Do you find it hard to keep customers coming back? Is retaining customers a real struggle, never mind getting them to leave you a review on Google or begging them for new customer referrals. 
      If you’re tired of the car count rollercoaster, I’ve got a short (5 minute) loom video that shows you exactly how I can help you in less than 15 days… and it’s FREE! No, really!

      Check it out here!

      Matthew
      "The Car Count Fixer"




  • Our Sponsors

×
×
  • Create New...