When most dealers learn how to really measure efficiency and productivity (many think they do, but most don’t), they are normally surprised at how poor they are currently performing. To fix this, the first thing that a GM will say is that they need to change the pay plans of the Technicians in order to address this problem. I’ll respond with an emphatic “nope, that won’t work”.
While techs have some control over efficiency and productivity, the best gains in these areas are achieved by all the things that surround the Technicians
- Parts support – Do we have items in stock or is everything special order?
- Porters and wash staff – Are the Technicians finding the vehicles on the lot, moving them to their bays, and then washing them after the work has been completed?
- Special tools – Are the tools needed to work on the product readily available and organized, and is the diagnostic equipment up to date?
- Internet – Is a solid internet connection available and do the techs have access to the passwords and usernames required to log into the OEM dealer sites?
- Training – Have the Technicians been trained on the products they are working on?
- Dispatch – Are techs being assigned work that they are capable of completing in a reasonable amount of time (and correctly)?
- Flat rate – Are flat rate times set in consistent manner or are they just made up on the fly?
- RO Quality – Do the Service Writers do a good job of listening to what the customer has to say, asking the right questions and then getting all of that down on the RO?
One of the best tips for improving efficiency and service is to institute an end of day RO Review. Take one tech and pull his/her RO’s for the day. Sit down with the Service Manager, Shop Foreman, Service Writers, and the Technicians and review each job on the RO. What was good about how each RO was written up? What was missing? What can be done to improve how future RO’s are written up and to reduce the number of times that a tech needs to consult with the Service Writers.
Employing a formal RO review process can help a dealer to see large gains in Service.
To improve efficiency and productivity in a Service Department you really need to improve everythign that surrounds the Technicians. What are you doing to improve the profitability in your Service Department?
#RV #Powersports #Marine #ServiceDepartment #Service #Efficiency #Productivity #Management #Success #Improvement