This will be a quick and sweet read, Dade16. Implement these steps in your shop for a few months and see the changes.
- CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT – Pay attention to the cash flow within the shop. Every payment out & in. Finding the best products at the lowest cost. “Parts” Take a look at your mark up on parts. Are you breaking even on that part? Could you have gotten that part cheaper with the same quality? Just because you’ve been order from one vendor for the last 10 years doesn’t mean that was the best option. Are the labor times for that job correct? You could be over charging or even worse!!! Under charging a customer…
- EXPECTATIONS – Set standards for your employees. Everyone that works for you should know the quality of work you expect and the goals you strive to achieve. Do not be satisfied with below average repairs. That’s a customer that will most likely return if the job is done in the most professional manner possible. A simple oil change on a first time customer can make that same customer a life time customer to your shop.
- FEEDBACK – Improve the internal feedback within the shop. You’ll be amazed what you can learn from your employees, customers, and vendors. They all view your business from a different aspect than you do. Make sure your people know that they can come to you with anything. Share information with your employees. “if you don’t share, they wont care.” It’ll just be another job for them. Share the goals, missions, and let them know how sales are going. Too many owners want to hide in office and just look at the numbers.
- DELEGATE – Get out of the mindset that no one can do things better than you. Or “well I can do it quicker myself than showing someone how to do it”. The reality in that is if you don’t show them how to do it your going to be doing that task forever. Just show that person once or twice what to do and direct your attention to much more important task. Become a delagator, not a dictator. Not everything in the shop needs your special touch.
- CREATIVE THINKING – You have very intelligent people working for you. They have ideas too. Encourage them to think out of the box to find solutions to problems. Let them know that if they find a quicker or more simple process of completing a certain task that they can talk to about it without punishment. Once again, stop being a dictator.
Joe Lewis
Owner/Dade16
786.490.4141
info@dade16hours.com