Like many people who work in an office, there are days where I’m so busy that by the end of the day I realize I didn’t actually get anything done. My to-do list has a lot more added to it by the end of the day than checked off as completed.
It’s a fact – being busy does not necessarily mean being productive. I’m Doug Kaufman and, I’ll admit, there are times that I just can’t say no.
Many of us are like that – when something comes up that needs to be done, we drop what we’re doing to help out. It can make us feel good to move those deck chairs around, but, really, it’s not gonna keep the Titanic from sinking. It may be like that in your shop – lots and lots of cars are keeping you busy, but are you really being productive? It’s called the car count myth.
You can have vehicles and customers lined up out the door – your advisors are churning and burning, your techs are filling every hour with activity, but are you making money? Being busy and being profitable are not the same thing. Many shops saw significant declines in customer visits during 2020.
According to Babcox Media Research and the Office of Highway Policy Information at the U.S. Department of Transportation, the cumulative miles driven for 2020 was down around 15 percent compared to 2019. It’s expected that shops facing potential shortfalls would be taking on jobs in order to keep employees active. But when things pick back up and your shop is faced with the scheduling, do you know how to determine what is productive and what is just busy?
Luckily, your shop management software system has the tools to help. Using digital inspections and providing images of recommended service provides a significant increase in average repair order. Need to get a hold of a customer for an authorization right away? Text messaging is an almost guaranteed communication method.
Experts say it’s five times more expensive to attract new customers than to up-sell a current one– and current customers spend 67 percent more on average than do new customers.
The old saying “Work smarter, not harder,” is popular for a reason – because it’s true. You may have worked hard in 2020 to attract new customers – in 2021, ensure those customers come back.
This video is sponsored by BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY.
