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When you’re in your autoshop, do you often find yourself thinking, “So much work—so little time!” ?

Unfortunately, a busy autoshop can make you feel exactly that way. But don’t despair. Some of today’s best business practices—specifically applied to autoshops—can help you dramatically save time and boost shop efficiency. Here are a few of the most crucial time-saving tips:

Reduce Your Employee-Turnover Rate

Losing an employee—and having to bring a new one onboard—can cost you dearly in terms of time and money. Training drains time better devoted to other jobs and activities—like the ones that help you serve customers and earn money. So don’t cripple your time management with a high turnover rate. Strive to make your autoshop a “Best Place to Work” by treating your employees as you would like to be treated (or better!) … offering them attractive benefits … and paying them well. This will MAXIMIZE the odds of your shop running like a time-efficient, “well-oiled machine,” and will grant you the added benefit of nurturing customer loyalty and repeat business.  People feel much more comfortable bringing their car to a shop where they already know, like, and trust the mechanics and other staff.

Track Your Time

In order to spend your time in the smartest way possible, you must gain a clear, deep sense of how you actually spend your time NOW. So take a few days and write down everything you do in your autoshop, and how long it takes. Include EVERYTHING—not just auto repairs and maintenance, but such things as coffee breaks, time on the phone, email, etc. When you actually write down how you currently spend your time, you begin to clearly see what you might be wasting it on.

Use Appointment-Scheduling Software

When you list the specific ways you spend your time, you don’t want to see that much of it is being drained by customer phone calls and emails. Today’s smartest autoshops solve this problem by using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management software) such as that offered by Auto Bookings Online. When you do so, new and existing customers and prospects enjoy the ease and convenience of booking their car for repairs or maintenance from the comfort of their own home. And—meanwhile—you are free to spend your time on money-making work you’ll accomplish in less time.

One Final Thought . . .

Your customers and prospects are looking for an autoshop where they can confidently bring their car for quality work, and have the additional confidence that that work will not take an unreasonable amount of time. This demands that you place the highest priority on using your time efficiently. By taking the steps we’ve highlighted above, you can help build a more profitable, valuable, time-efficient autoshop for many years to come.

Auto Bookings Online is an online tool specifically designed to help auto-repair shops maximize profitability through better-managed customer bookings.