Good Technician

These are the battle cries of our industry. But before you throw in the towel, hop in your truck and head off into the sunset, take another look at whether or not you really need more employees.
In some shops, the solution will turn out to be getting more production out of the technicians you already have. In other shops, the problem can actually be too many people on board. There is a guideline you can use to sort this out. Take your gross sales (minus sales tax) and divide by the number of production people you have. The resulting figure should be at least $12,500 per production person per month. Most shops should be in the $15,000 to $16,000 range. If you are a specialist, your numbers should be in the $20,000-plus range. If your number is a lot lower, you're not getting enough production out of the guys you already have.

All too often, an owner's solution to low production is to hire more people. However, if the shop is not properly organized for production, more employees will only add to the confusion and adversely affect your income.

But sometimes you really do need additional help or a replacement. While you may have had some frustrating “adventures” trying to find a new technician, rest assured that there are good employees out there. You just have to maintain a good attitude and persist in your search. If you believe that “there are no good techs,” or “nobody wants to work,” you probably will prove yourself right and you won't find anyone! So the first step is to do an attitude check on yourself, and adjust as needed. Once you've done that, you're ready for the next step.

In every community there is an informal communication system called the grapevine. Good technicians don't usually have to look in the paper for a job, they just use the grapevine to find out which shops in town are good to work for. Here are some people who can help you get your message out on the grapevine: