When your shop is operating at full speed, it’s a busy place, and everyone has plenty of things going on. Technicians and service writers shouldn’t have to interrupt each other’s work just to clarify where their time is best spent. Here are five ways you can reduce unnecessary interruptions by enhancing non-verbal communication in your shop.
#1) Make new service orders easily visible to technicians – Technicians should easily be able to see when new jobs are ready for their attention without flagging down the service writer. There are high-tech ways of doing this – shop management software that sends repairs through a workflow, alerting technicians when attention is needed. There are also low tech ways, such as hanging approved work orders (along with vehicle keys) in an area where techs can visibly see if the work has been assigned to them.
#2) Indicate prioritization on service orders – Service orders should prominently display not only the technician assigned to the job, but also when the repair has been promised and the expected time any needed parts will be in the shop and ready for installation.
#3) Make delivered parts more visible to technicians – Rather than having delivered parts live in the front office, consider having them delivered to a desk in the technician area which is easily visible from all bays. This way, technicians will know immediately when their part has been delivered, even if they are in the middle of another repair.
#4) Improve technician documentation – Thorough documentation is beneficial from technicians as well as service writers. When technicians complete inspections, for instance, make sure that the notes minimize the chance that the service writer will need to solicit more information before they call the customer for repair approval.
#5) Measure your results – All of these process improvements should drive better efficiency and productivity numbers. Make sure that you’re measuring these results, and asking employees what situations have the biggest negative impact on their efficiency. Rather than using these numbers to punish employees, use them to improve your processes and maximize the efficiency in your shop.
To learn more about how Repair Shop Websites can improve your business results, call us at 855-219-7506 or email us at Team_RSW@repairshopwebsites.com