Opportunity on the Rise for Service Departments

Earlier this year, we wrote about what older cars could mean for independent shops. With the average age of vehicles on the road at an all-time high, dealerships have a great opportunity to grow their service departments as used cars flood the market. In fact, the National Automobile Dealers Association’s latest statistical profile reports that in 2016, dealerships wrote more than 315 million repair orders—a number that has steadily grown from 2014 to 2016.

With this rise in repair demands, fixed ops teams should be focusing on strategies to increase car count and maximize technician productivity.

Bundle service offerings.
Providing special service discounts and other incentives to used vehicle buyers will encourage them to return when maintenance is needed. This will help boost volume and keep your customers returning.

Double down on technician training.
Even the best shops won’t maintain productivity if techs aren’t properly trained. And there’s more than productivity at stake – improper use of shop equipment can be downright dangerous. As tools and equipment continue to increase in complexity, even veteran technicians can benefit from a refresher course on newer equipment, although they might not admit it! Your local authorized equipment distributor can be a training resource to provide face-to-face instruction on how to use the specific equipment you’ve installed. 

Be prepared.
No surprise here. We’re pretty big advocates for making sure your equipment (not just your lifts) is up to par. The best equipment will enable your technicians to work comfortably and efficiently, while at the same time maximizing available space and ensuring smooth workflow. Also, well-maintained equipment prevents downtime and ensures yours techs are safe and productive.

To make sure that the lift you work under every day is operating at peak performance, download our Inspect to Protect Guide to make checking those recommended inspection points easier.