HOW TO MANAGE AN AUTO REPAIR MECHANIC SHOP?

There are so many auto repair shop owners who are searching for one way or another to maintain their store without any flaws. Most people have become leery of using just any auto repair shop and prefer to stick with one they trust. Make sure you are one of those trusted auto repair shops.

How to Manage an Automotive Mechanic Shop?

In this article, we are going to share with you specific tips to run an auto repair shop.

Increase Mechanic Productivity

Sometimes even the most hardworking technicians and service advisors can find it difficult to stay productive.

Keep cool or warm – If at all possible, try to sustain a comfortable ambient temperature in the shop and in the bays. It is a good idea to bring in fans or heaters to circulate air and/or heat the air if it is necessary.

Stay hydrated – Some days fans just aren’t enough. Employees appreciate if you offer cold bottles of water or sports drinks. Not only does it boost employee moral and appreciation, but it prevents dehydration and decreases chances of workers becoming dehydrated.

Say “Thank You” -Acknowledge your team for a job well done. When your staff feel appreciated, they are more likely to stay motivated and productive. By making it a habit to notice the good and then saying something in gratitude, this will do wonderful things for your culture.

Technology changes – If you want your business to remain competitive in today’s world, you must embrace technology. With the right systems and processes, you are able to enhance reporting, accountability, customer service, and much more! Technicians’ ability and willingness to be productive is majorly enhanced if you (as the employer or manager) are clearly always striving to make their work life easier. They may take a little bit of time to get used to technology, but once they are adjusted, they usually appreciate the fact that you are an industry leader and looking out for the future of the company.

Increase productivity of your mechanic’s helps you to better manage your mechanic shop.

Use Automotive Management Software

Change is happening at a rapid rate through the uptake and use of digital technology so it is essential for you to keep up with the digital change and start to use an automotive software platform that puts you on par and better yet ahead of your competitors. Owning a vehicle has become one of the necessities these days, the responsibility of running and maintaining it has become more challenging and therefore the need for better communication through a range of channels including live in-app booking, inspection approvals and payment will reduce some of those challenges through a platform like 5iQ simplified workshop software.

With these features as standard it will reduce missed appointments and overbooking therefore saving yourself time. It also takes care of other simple incidents like digital inspection with videos and photos with instant approvals in real time. It helps in creating a consistent and reliable service.

The effective use of automotive management software will lead you to remove the question “how to manage an auto repair shop?”.

Reduce Employee Turnover Rate

High employee turnover rate is never a good idea when it comes to an auto repair shop and it’s becoming more common than we would like. Reliability and consistency is extremely important and is hard to accomplish when you have a high turn over rate of employees which can lead to inexperienced new workers who need to be guided into better mechanics which can take time.

Effective ways of reducing your employee turnover rate by treating your employees well, giving good benefits, perks or incentives and paying them well. This will also make your customers more comfortable dealing with you when they see the same mechanics each time they come in for auto work. It’s hard to trust an auto shop when they have a different mechanic working on their vehicle every single time they come in.

Give Discounts And Introduce Sales Offers

No matter which business one is in, the practise of offering discounts to lure customers in certainly has it appeal and success, and the automotive industry isn’t an exception. There are so many workshops that use this marketing strategy to provide special offers or discount to obtain more customers and sales.

You too can create a marketing plan or simply create a monthly special by offering either a percentage or dollar value discount to attract more customers. These marketing campaigns will help in marketing your store to attract new customers and increase brand awareness, and you will potentially earn some loyal customers in the process.

Offer Guarantee & Stand Behind Them

There are so many auto repair shops in the market, why should a customer come to your shop? Yes, you should be able to answer this question promptly when you are asked. The service that you provide should be the best in the market not only on paper but in reality.

In order to prove that you provide the best kind of service, it is important for you to give a guarantee for the work that you do. This guarantee will make your customers trust the store and put their mind at ease.

Make sure your customers know that you trust your own work by giving a guarantee on your repairs for either a period of time or based on km’s / miles . If you repair someone’s brakes, for example, this will show them your not doing a shoddy job, causing them to come back in a few months to have the work done again. Give customers a reason to trust your work and come back to you again. As we all know it is easier and cheaper to retain a customer than to acquire a new one.

Display An Ethics Statement

Mechanics are a vital part of the automotive industry as they keep private and commercial vehicles in good repair, which ensures the safety of drivers and passengers. It is essential that mechanics be trustworthy and follow a code of ethics.

Given the unease that many people have when dealing with an auto mechanic, create an ethics statement describing your stand on honesty, workmanship, knowledge, safety, standards and reputation. State that you provide reliable service and are not trying to scam anyone. Explain that you will only provide necessary repairs and service and will not try to charge them for services that they don’t need. Once you’ve created the ethics statement, display it in a prominent place in the guest waiting room where anyone can see it.

This ethics statement is another way to build trust with your clients. In the end, it all comes down to the satisfaction of your customer, so ensure to give them the satisfaction that they want, need and deserve.

Store Budget

Having a store budget is one of the most important things you require to manage your auto repair shop. A budget is part of your auto shop setup and the monthly ongoing indicators which you need to monitor and managed so that you can make necessary changes if required. Reporting gives you great insights so you don’t go overboard with the spending in any month. Regular reviews with you accountant will ensure you keep on track and in the black. Ensure to keep emergency funds for rainy days as setbacks in business are pretty common and you have enough funds to cover.

Reward Your Loyal Customers

You need to keep your loyal customers intact and yours! So, don’t forget to reward them with a simple token of appreciation from every now and then. Make your regulars feel appreciated by rewarding them for being loyal customers. Send them vouchers for discounted work or give them a free oil change from time to time. There may be some upfront losses in revenue but will end up paying out in the long run as you start to build up a client base who will only come to you for auto repairs and refuse to go anywhere else. History tells and shows us that those customers are also more likely to refer you to their friends and family.

Moving Forward

The wave of change is not going away any time soon and the digital transformation in our industry is happening right now! It is not a case of later, it’s right here, right now and you must act and adapt or simply get left behind.

Hope this information will help you to solve your question about how to organize an auto repair shop.