5 Tips for Managing a Successful Auto Shop

There are over 277,000 auto shops in operation throughout the United States. Are you currently managing one of them?

When it comes to running an auto shop, there’s a lot on your plate each day. Not only do you have to make sure the cars and trucks your customers bring in are being cared for, but you also have to support your staff and ensure they’re being treated in a fair and respectful way. 

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the ins and outs of managing an auto shop, read on. Listed below are 5 tips that can help you feel more confident and in control.

1. Understand the Company’s Mission and Culture

This tip applies whether your repair shop is part of a franchise or is independently owned and operated. In either case, a clear understanding of the company’s mission and culture will help to guide your management decisions and ensure you’re embodying the right kinds of values.

If your shop is part of a franchise, read through the company’s onboarding or orientation materials for a refresher on the mission and culture guidelines.

Think about the kind of service that the business owners want each customer to receive. Consider, too, what kind of a workplace they want the shop to be for all employees.

With this information in mind, it’s easier to evaluate your current performance and identify specific ways in which you can improve.

If you own and manage the shop and haven’t already established the company’s mission and culture guidelines, now is a great time to do so.

Start by drafting a mission statement for your business. Then, set some ground rules when it comes to the way the business operates. These guidelines should cover the way customers are treated,the way employees treat each other, and the way you treat employees.

2. Set Clear Goals

As a manager of an auto repair shop, it’s your job to set clear goals for yourself and your team. Goal-setting helps everyone to stay motivated and committed to making the shop a better place for employees and customers. 

When setting goals, make sure they’re “SMART” goals. SMART is an acronym. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based.

Use these criteria to set the right kinds of goals for yourself and your team. Goals are much more likely to be met if they’re specific, attainable, have clear metrics that you can use to determine progress, and have a set deadline attached to them. 

In addition to setting goals for everyone else, it’s best if you can give your team members opportunities to set goals for themselves as well. This helps them to feel more accountable and gives them a chance to take ownership over their performance and progress.

Schedule regular goal-setting meetings so everyone has a place to share their goals and explain what steps they’re going to take to accomplish them, too.

3. Evaluate Team Performance Regularly

Another benefit of having regular meetings for yourself and your car shop employees is that they give you a chance to evaluate team performance. Everyone can use these meetings to share their goals, of course, but they can also use them to share which goals they’ve met and what kinds of milestones they’ve hit over a certain period.

It doesn’t matter if you evaluate team performance each week, each month, or each quarter. The key is to have a schedule that you stick to, no matter what happens.

If you go too long without regular performance reviews, your team will feel less accountable to you and to the company. This, in turn, can lead to stagnation and can make it harder for everyone to hit their goals and keep the company on track.

4. Organize and Secure the Shop

As a manager at a car repair shop, it’s your job to ensure everything stays organized and secure.

When it comes to organization, this means establishing and maintaining a solid filing system that helps you make sure everyone’s documents are in order and are accessible to the right people.

Consider using shop management technology to manage your employees and their schedules as well. As the experts who created the Tekmetric mechanic shop program have pointed out, these systems can help you handle interactions with customers, manage inventory, and more. 

As for security, create a plan to protect the shop and its customers. This includes securing the facility itself (i.e., making sure all doors can be locked tight), protecting vehicles, and protecting cash in the register as well as people’s credit card information. All customer information and employee records should be locked down, too, to prevent potential data breaches.

5. Take Responsibility

Finally, as a manager of an auto shop, remember that everything, both good and bad, is your responsibility.

Taking responsibility doesn’t mean that everything that goes wrong is your fault. However, it does mean that it’s your job to deal with the fallout and ensure the same issue doesn’t happen again. 

Remember, too, that taking responsibility as a manager also doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. By delegating to trusted team members, you reduce your chances of making mistakes or forgetting important details that can negatively affect the shop. 

When you accept responsibility for your shop, you’ll likely find that it’s easier to stay motivated and, in turn, to motivate your team. You may experience a greater sense of purpose, too, and will be more engaged in the day-to-day processes that keep the shop up and running.

Level Up Your Auto Shop Management Today

Managing an auto shop can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. After implementing these 5 tips into your management practices, you’ll find that you have an easier time handling customers, supervising employees, and making sure the shop runs as smoothly as possible.

Do you need more advice on the right way to run your shop? Check out the business section of our site today. From best marketing practices to tips on accounting and bookkeeping, you’ll find everything you need here.