James William

On 3/29/2022 at 12:47 AM, DUFRESNES said:

Does anybody have a sign stating if parts coming off to make a repair are broken, the customer is responsible.  I don't want to make a new sign if someone already has one.  Such as bolts, plastic pieces and windshields that have rock chips and split.  I am not talking about abuse, just warn parts.

I guess it depends from case to case and there shouldn't be any hard and fast rule. For example you may prepare an estimate of a repair order and later while repairing procedure, you discover that some other parts need your attention. This doesn't mean you are going to to the additional repair for free. You have to charge for this and hence you revise the estimates after your customer's approval. 

Moreover, your customers are not easy people to deal with. They do not trust you easily. In worst cases, where customer actually complains that you are responsible for the additional broken part, you can look into the case.

Another case would be that you gave your best and the vehicle looks absolutely fine when your customer leaves your shop. But returns on the same or next day complaining that the part broke off. What should you do here? You again have to look into the case. It may be your customer fault but it could be yours too. In this case, I believe you should just go for free repairing of the particular part. After all, it may give your customers confidence into your shop that you did not try to upsell them. Hence, its your gain ultimately. But, remember, this is a rare case. May happen twice in 6 months. Do not let your customers deceive you! You have to be smart here. 

On 9/17/2021 at 10:27 PM, Joe Marconi said:

I was asked recently if it's possible to be a true absentee owner. Here are my thoughts.  First, it really depends on the staff, your position in your business and how the business is structured. There are shops that are run totally by a manager and the owner is not involved in the day to day. There are shop owners with multiple locations. There is no way to be at all locations at the same time. 

Build the business by having a strong team. Find leaders in your business.  Give others control and allow others to grow.  You, the owner, do not have to be in on every single situation, and you should take time away from the business. 

But remember, you are the owner and the primary leader. You set the tone. 

Those are my thoughts...yours? 

 

I believe that the concept of absentee owner can work only in a case where the organization has reached the maturity stage. This is when the organization and its people knows how to streamline their tasks without the authorization and accountability of an owner. 

The owner has given years of his hard-work, effort and sleepless nights to the company, and hence, he now deserves to rest at the backend. Moreover, becoming an absentee owner can be used as a strategy in itself. Such that the owner may want to get an insight into how his team operates when freedom is given to them in his absence.