Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by running an automotive repair shop? Clint White’s presentation at Amplify 2024 offers solutions to rescue you from the chaos! Let’s explore Clint’s practical advice, easy-to-understand solutions, and real-life examples that can transform how you manage your shop.
Meet Clint White: A Journey in the Automotive Industry
Clint White has been part of the Automotive Repair Industry for almost 30 years. He started as a technician in a small shop and has since become the Owner of Coaching With Integrity, CWI. Over the next two and a half decades, he has honed his technical, sales, and leadership skills by embracing the “Never Stop Learning” philosophy. Clint is dedicated to excellence and aims to improve the industry’s standards nationwide.
Shift in the Automotive Industry:
Challenges Faced in the Industry:
- Short Staffed: There aren’t enough workers.
- Harder to Find Parts: Getting parts for repairs is more difficult.
- Speed Over Quality: Clint believes fast repairs aren’t good because they might not be done well. Instead, he values quick responses, personal attention, and quality service.
- Issues with Scheduling Models:
– No Plan for Walk-Ins: Many shops don’t have a plan for unexpected customers.
-Impact on Productivity: Emergencies disrupt the schedule and slow down other repairs.
Next, Clint offered solutions to the challenges he discussed earlier. These were the key insights he shared during his presentation, so let’s examine them more closely.
Key Insights from Clint's Presentation
- Dualistic Approach:
- Clint suggests viewing shops as having two parts working together like yin and yang.
- This means running two different shop functions under one roof.
- Shop Number One: Investigative Facility:
- In the morning, the focus is on testing, inspecting, and doing oil changes.
- This shop is like an investigator, finding out what repairs are needed.
- No repairs are started until all investigations are complete.
- Bay Management:
- Cars come in, get inspected, and go out quickly.
- Leaving cars on the rack slows down production and wastes time.
- Technician Efficiency:
- Technicians work better in the morning when they’re rested and focused.
- Doing inspections early saves time and helps in making accurate diagnoses.
- Quick Turnaround:
- Early inspections mean estimates and parts orders happen sooner.
- This leads to faster job completion times and better customer service.
- Shop Number Two: Production Facility:
- After inspections are done, scheduled repairs and mechanical work happen.
- This keeps technicians focused on production and efficiency.
- Preventing Rack Flowers:
- A “rack flower” is a car left on the rack for too long.
- This wastes space and hurts productivity.
- Ensuring all needed parts are available prevents delays.
- Organized Parts Management:
- Many shops lose time searching for parts.
- Having a transparent system for incoming parts saves time and money.
- Checking parts upon delivery ensures accuracy and avoids mistakes.
- Landing Zone for Parts:
- A designated area where parts are checked upon delivery.
- No more “drop and flop” where parts are left without verification.
- This prevents mistakes and ensures the right parts are used.
- Scheduling and Productivity:
- Utilize block scheduling methods to allocate time for investigations and repairs.
- Track technician productivity potential to optimize scheduling.
- Differentiate between promise time and production time to manage customer expectations effectively.
- Incorporate buffer time (“silly time”) to ensure early completion and enhance customer experience.
- Employ a visual scheduling model, like a Google Calendar, for easy monitoring and adjustments.
- Use visual cues like color-coded schedules to optimize workflow and prevent scheduling conflicts.
- Empowerment and Change:
- Encourage the empowerment of technicians in scheduling and decision-making processes.
- Highlight the need to implement changes to improve shop efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- Emphasize taking action and embracing change to enhance overall performance in auto repair shops.
Wrapping Up:
Clint stresses the need for a servant’s heart in the industry. He believes that chaos can be avoided by taking care of people and effectively managing the shop.
