Thank you to everyone that joined us for our 7 Secrets to a Successful Auto Repair Shop webinar! We also want to thank Kathleen Long, Vice President/General Manager, RepairPal for joining us and providing so much knowledge of the industry. If you couldn’t attend the event live, don’t worry — we have the recording below!

Watch the Full Webinar

Webinar Highlights: 7 Secrets to a Successful Auto Repair Shop

 1. Be “On Your Mission”

  • Shops need to develop a mission statement that explains their purpose and values. 
  • A mission statement should stand for something and show the shop is here to solve a problem.
  • Allow technicians to participate in creating your mission statement, or even run it by some of your loyal and trusted customers.
  • Once you have your mission statement complete, you need to promote it everywhere (i.e., website, social media, marketing materials, in the shop, etc.).

2. Hire the Right People

  • The average cost of a bad hiring decision is at least 30% of the individual’s first-year expected earnings.
  • Shops need to hire technicians that fit the shop’s culture.
  • We know that the hiring process can be stressful, but don’t try to rush a hire to just get a body in the shop. You don’t want to waste time and money to find an employee that isn’t the right fit. 
  • When it comes to hiring the right technicians, be proactive, transparent, and hire for aptitude and attitude.

3. Focus on Training and Development 

  • Three-fourths of employee turnovers can be preventable by showing commitment to your technicians.
  • It is crucial shops work to retain the technicians they have and provide them with opportunities to learn and grow.
  • Take time and figure out which learning and communication style is the most effective for each individual technician.

4. Fair and Transparent Pricing

  • Forty-nine percent of consumers check the price of a product/service before making a purchasing decision.
  • RepairPal’s estimator allows you to build trust and price fairly to earn profit and invest in your shop.
  • Check your labor rate to see how it compares to other shops in your area. 

5. Focus on Employee Retention

  • Top reasons technicians leave: Not feeling challenged, higher salary, and feeling uninspired. 
  • Employee satisfaction > customer satisfaction. You can’t expect your customers to feel satisfied if your technicians aren’t happy with the work they are doing. 
  • Tips for retaining technicians: Pay competitively, focus on work environment, provide career development, and communicate regularly.

6. Be Trendy

  • Having a “modern” auto repair shop and online presence will attract technicians to your shop. 
  • Advancements in technology have made it almost a requirement for businesses to have a website and social media platforms. 
  • Plan ahead and have goals set for how you can create and execute an online presence. 

7. Work on the shop, not in the shop

  • Stay up-to-date with industry trends and things that are changing/advancing in the industry.
  • Put processes in place and set KPIs for your technicians and the shop as a whole. 
  • Hold your technicians accountable. They should be responsible for their tasks and how efficient they are working in the shop.