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I bought a small engine and power sport repair business a year and a half ago. We have been aggressively adding auto service to the mix and downsizing the unprofitable small engine work. Anyone have any idea how difficult it is to maintain a high average on repair orders when working on $75 weed eaters? We have an interesting mix in our shop at any given time and that keeps life interesting. Last week we did a head job on an international dt466 and a 14.5hp Briggs and Stratton on the same day. Glad I found this forum and have been getting lots of great ideas so far.

 

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Posted

Thanks. I've learned a lot from here already and greatly appreciate everyone's input.

 

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Posted (edited)

Pengilly.

 

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Just a hop, skip and jump away! Beautiful area up there.

Edited by PAPShop
Posted

Just a hop, skip and jump away! Beautiful area up there.

Where are you located?

 

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Posted (edited)

Brainerd - besides general auto repair, we do performance. Retail store for aftermarket performance parts & performance services, auto repair on collector & classics, restorations, custom alignments, fabrication, engine building, chassis dyno services on cars, trucks, motorcycles & atvs, tuning, and ask if we don't list it.

 

Read your post about boats. We work on inboard motors and tuning. Not our favorite because they want it done now and the tech is doing yoga in a tiny box, but it is very profitable.

Edited by PAPShop
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Posted

Brainerd - besides general auto repair, we do performance. Retail store for aftermarket performance parts & performance services, auto repair on collector & classics, restorations, custom alignments, fabrication, engine building, chassis dyno services on cars, trucks, motorcycles & atvs, tuning, and ask if we don't list it.

 

Read your post about boats. We work on inboard motors and tuning. Not our favorite because they want it done now and the tech is doing yoga in a tiny box, but it is very profitable.

Looked up your website. Looks like what I'm trying to create for my shop. We do the regular day to day work on cars and wheelers, but it's the classics and "something different" projects I really enjoy doing. Been looking at moving to a bigger shop and trying to grow, but finding top notch techs has been a challenge here. I'm on the third day this week being the only person here.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Anyone have any idea how difficult it is to maintain a high average on repair orders when working on $75 weed eaters?

I can imagine. If it helps at all, my friend is in charge of the power tool department of Home Depot. I had no idea that you could bring a weed eater to Home Depot and get it repaired, but apparently you can. Anyway, his main complaint is exactly the same as yours. The guys at the counter gave away repairs, did not charge for small tune ups, etc. It was a giant profit loss center for Home Depot for years. He remedied this in two ways... First, he made a standard menu price for all repairs. This was not difficult, because there are probably ten total repairs you can do on a weed eater. The front counter guys were not allowed to deviate from this list. Then, he changed their employee pay plan from hourly to commission based. While they still don't make a killing in this department, these two changes did bring them out of the red.

Edited by ATLAuto
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Posted

Looked up your website. Looks like what I'm trying to create for my shop. We do the regular day to day work on cars and wheelers, but it's the classics and "something different" projects I really enjoy doing. Been looking at moving to a bigger shop and trying to grow, but finding top notch techs has been a challenge here. I'm on the third day this week being the only person here.

If you are ever in the Brainerd area drop by (hard when you're working all the time). I'd be happy to give you a tour and a little history about our shop.

 

When looking for a tech, try doing a working interview. It tells a lot about the prospect. We did that with the 3 guys we have now, which we feel are rock stars.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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