It is estimated that there may be a shortage of automotive repair technicians in the coming decade. According to projections from the U.S. Department of Labor, the automotive industry needs to increase the number of new techs by 7% through 2024. While your business cannot make more people go into the field, there are steps you can take to help increase employee productivity, helping you to make the most of the technicians you do have. Here are a few tips to help you with employee productivity at your auto repair shop.
Find Out What Tasks Employees Feel They Complete Quickly
One of the first steps to improving productivity among your employees is to find out what repairs or tasks they feel they complete the fastest. You may have one employee who can repair brakes quickly, while it may take another employee a while to complete that specific task. By asking employees what tasks they feel they do their best at in a timely manner, and which ones they feel they are slow at, you can assign employees to the tasks they are most productive at.
Utilize Repair Shop Software
Repair shop software can be an amazing tool for boosting employee productivity. This type of software can help you to see which employees are completing what tasks, how long it takes them to complete tasks, and how they spend their day. This holds employees accountable, while once again, allowing you to assign tasks to employees who are fastest at specific maintenance or repair tasks.
Offer Incentives
Finally, studies have shown that employees are extremely motivated when incentives are offered. You can offer contests, gift cards, money, or even office parties when certain goals or targets are reached. We all like to be acknowledged and rewarded, and incentives help employees to feel that way. In turn, this can boost their job satisfaction and their productivity.
If there does happen to be an auto repair technician shortage, you want to ensure the employees you have work as efficiently as possible. And even if there isn’t a shortage, it still makes business sense from a financial standpoint. Utilizing repair shop software is one of the best ways to see what types of repairs are coming into your shop and how long they take employees to complete, helping you to maximize your employee productivity. If you’re looking for repair shop software, we can help you find the software ideal for your company. Reach out to our team at Shop4D today to get started.