Toronto, Ontario — Dave Flockhart, chief operating officer of BETAG says facilities could significantly boost their productivity and gross profit margins by embracing a ‘repair first’ mindset post-pandemic.
During an Elite Body Shop webinar yesterday, Flockhart, alongside Dave Luehr, president of Elite Body Shop Solutions, discussed the benefits of embracing a ‘repair first’ mindset in post-pandemic operations.
“I’m not suggesting that a repair-first mindset is the only way to drive gross profit and labour margins,” said Flockhart. “But it can yield both early and long-term benefits.”
Flockhart said, as the percentage of both total loss vehicles and non-structural repairs continues to increase, business owners should take a look at their staff’s skillsets to ensure they align with their work volumes. He says business owners often see a concentration of skills when it comes to dealing with total loss and structural damages, but see shortages in other areas.
With non-structural repair frequency increasing, Flockhart says business owners should focus on training well-rounded technicians to align themselves for the future.
“More total loss vehicles means more competition for repairable vehicles,” said Flockhart, suggesting businesses invest in their team’s repairing skillsets. “Take those lower experienced technicians or apprentices and develop them. Upskill and motivate.”
Using data from a BETAG case study on nearly 100 independent repair facilities, Flockhart said nearly all facilities saw an increase in repair percentages after embracing a “repair first ethos.” Success factors were based on both communication and effective training.
“Look at your current data—your team’s touch times, your work mix, revenues—and understand where you need to be,” he said. “To quote Wayne Gretzky, we want to ‘skate to where the puck is going to be.’”
Click here to watch the full webinar.
