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Just realized how much a single hour of downtime can cost a shop
I was reading an industry report from the Automotive Service Association last week, and they said the average independent shop loses about $150 for every hour a bay is empty. That number hit me hard. I always knew downtime was bad, but seeing it as a real dollar amount changes things. It's not just about being slow, it's about rent, the lift payment, the tool loan, all that stuff still ticking away while nothing gets done. I've been trying to be better about scheduling and making sure we have the next car ready to roll in, but that stat makes me want to run a tighter ship. It really shows why the push for efficiency isn't just boss talk, it's survival. Has anyone else found a good way to cut down on those dead hours between jobs?
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wadeyoung1mo ago
Yeah, that stat is brutal. @morgan.cameron has the right idea with the calls. Something that helped us was getting the parts guy to pull everything for tomorrow's jobs before he leaves. No more morning scramble waiting for deliveries.
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morgan_jenkins9020d ago
That's the real hack right there, having the parts guy stage everything the night before changes the whole game for the morning. I've seen shops where the parts guy just tosses stuff on a cart with the work order number and it saves at least 20 minutes of walking around hunting for shit. Plus it gives you time to catch backordered parts instead of finding out at 7am when the customer is already pulling in. The morning scramble is a morale killer for sure, that one change alone kept my guys from quitting.
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Tell me about it, that number is a gut punch! My shop's schedule used to have more holes than my favorite work jeans. We started doing quick phone check-ins the day before appointments, which cut our no-shows in half. It's not perfect, but those ten minute calls save us from staring at an empty lift.
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