Every good business invests time and money in training its teams and this is especially important in the automotive workshop business now that electric and hybrid vehicles are here to stay and new skills need to be learned to stay profitable in the automotive world of the future. Now more than ever, training is not an option. Education and training are essential components for achieving quality and effectiveness in your workshop.
| "Implementing a training strategy in your business could see your profit margins increase by 47%" |
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In fact, regardless of the electric revolution, training has always been key to success in the automotive aftermarket. In short, training protects the workshop. Untrained mechanics may not fully understand how to do their jobs, spend too much time seeking help or do the work the wrong way, which could negatively affect your workshop’s reputation. Poorly trained mechanics may also be more vulnerable to injuries, which may cause legal issues and, at the very least, reduce your workforce if they need to take time off. All of these factors can be bad for the business because poor or delayed work can result in dissatisfied customers who may not return.
Training gives your mechanics a chance to deepen their knowledge. Although nothing can replace practical experience, an in-depth theoretical background is a huge benefit because your mechanics will not only know how to solve problems but also why they occurred in the first place. The ability to recognise patterns and causes is essential for preventive maintenance and is sure to boost the reputation of your workshop, as car owners will value the fact that your mechanics have prevented problems with their vehicles before they have even occurred.
To discover how a modern workshop owner achieves business success, we met with Matthias Jendrossek, owner of Jendrossek Autoteile GmbH, Germany. Matthias believes that a key element of business success is training.
The company was founded in 1985 as a one-man business and Matthias intends to keep it going long into the future, so he’s firmly looking towards tomorrow. For example, he’s planning to expand into the servicing of fleets, and of e-vehicles to ensure that Jendrossek Autoteile GmbH meets customers’ needs in the future.
“If you have a well-trained team,” says Matthias, “who know the latest technologies, you have happy customers – and business success.”
Every mechanic in your workshop has different skills and almost all of them will have some weaknesses in their skill set. If you notice any weaknesses in your workshop team, take steps to address them. Some weaknesses can be resolved in-house, because you can ask your more skilled and well-trained mechanics to pass their knowledge to those who lack a given skill. However, if there are major training gaps in the team you should consider sending mechanics to specialised training programmes.
Training will improve the skill level that you and your team have, increasing the capabilities of your workshop. It can also make your workshop more efficient by reducing any weak links; automotive workshops rely on the ability of mechanics to cover and assist each other in order to carry out the successful and efficient completion of work tasks. And because your mechanics will have been trained to perform their jobs according to industry standards, they will contribute to the success of the workshop. A higher standard of trained mechanics and technical expertise will improve your service and help bring more business to your garage.
Training can also unlock new business opportunities for your garage by providing you with the latest information on even the most complex vehicle systems. As vehicles become more technically advanced, it can be a challenge to keep the skill sets of your workshop mechanics up-to-date without reliable sources of information they need to make vehicle repairs. But with professional training through, for example, ZF [pro]Tech, you can boost profitability because you will be able to accept work that you previously may have had to turn away because it required a deeper level of knowledge. According to consultants Ripley Training, implementing a training strategy in your business could see your profit margins increase by 47%.
The automotive industry is evolving rapidly – on a daily basis, new technologies and systems are introduced. Every one of them brings in new maintenance-related challenges, putting additional demands on automotive repair workshops. Therefore, staying in touch with the latest trends in the industry is mandatory. Continuous education is the only way to keep you and your crew up-to-date. If you do, you will be able to keep your workshop competitive in the aftermarket world of the future.
What are your preparations to succed as a "workshop of the future"?
