The auto repair industry has been hit by a perfect storm: Industry vets are retiring at a rapid pace, and shops have struggled to find and hire employees with the proper training to take their place. With high demand for auto repairs and the cost of parts not dropping anytime soon, auto repair shops are staring down a labor shortage.
Shops need to make their technicians’ jobs as stress-free as possible to help retain them. As it currently stands, 29% of auto technicians consider their work environment to be the biggest factor in deciding whether or not to leave their current position. If a technician is unsure of what part of the vehicle needs to be worked on, or which car has priority due to timing, the work environment can quickly become chaotic and stressful. Something as simple as organized workflows and easy-to-access digital tools can make a big difference.
Enter Shopmonkey. We surveyed 125 of our auto shops across the country and found that, like many shops, they are feeling understaffed and finding it difficult to hire new techs. The big difference? Shopmonkey is helping nearly 40% of shops limit turnover at a time when hiring auto technicians has been a challenge. By keeping techs on staff, our shops have still felt able to meet high repair demand. This means that the technology is supporting shop employees in crucial ways that help keep them in the door.
So how is Shopmonkey helping auto shops retain their technicians?
Shop owners need to provide their employees with the tools and support that will keep them engaged and prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed and worn down. Shopmonkey’s auto repair software can help streamline operations and limit burnout for auto technicians in a few key ways:
Provide clear workflows and assignments
Shopmonkey provides an easy way for shops to create clear workflows that help technicians understand not only when the work is ready for them, but also quickly see exactly what work needs to be done on each vehicle. Our workflow management software for repair shops helps provide clarity around how a vehicle must be processed through the shop, allowing your technicians to prioritize workflow tasks and communicate clearly about the status of each vehicle. This type of organization eliminates stress and avoids technician burnout.Enable them with digital tools
Shopmonkey’s digital tools give technicians the ability to efficiently handle day-to-day auto shop tasks. They can use pre-built jobs and pricing to crank out digital estimates fast, check vehicles in a timely manner using a VIN and license plate, streamline inspection processes with digital inspections, and look up parts and labor guides without ever leaving their bays. These time-saving tactics allow technicians to remain focused on repairs instead of using valuable energy and attention on repetitive or tedious tasks.Give them training and development opportunities
Shops operating on Shopmonkey’s platform are better able to understand how technicians are using their time and what types of repairs take them longer. This information is helpful not only for owners to understand service pricing and labor costs but also helps them assign work that matches technicians' strengths. For the services where the technicians need to be more efficient, they can provide customized growth and development opportunities and training – showing that they also care about their teams’ career development.
Making the most out of a technician's time by limiting discussion about workflows, and clearly defining what work needs to be done on a vehicle and how to do it means that technicians will be able to focus on what they love doing most—fixing cars! At a time when unhappy technicians are not thinking twice about leaving their jobs, providing employees with the time and tools necessary for their favorite parts of the job and investing in their training and development will keep them satisfied and engaged.
Let's chat about how we can partner with you to attract, retain, and invest in your technicians. Schedule a time.
