When I managed a collision repair shop there were times I would think, “This would be the ideal shop if….” How many times have you imagined what your perfect shop would be? If we are going to dream, let’s do it one step at a time, starting with the front office—the setup, staffing, processes, paperwork flow, workflow and the effect on production.
In your ideal shop the first thing you need to consider is the customer’s perception of the facility. With that in mind, what’s the first thing a customer will see? Signage. Is it readable and clear? Does it direct the customer to the correct parking area? Is the office easily accessible from the customer parking lot? As a customer drives past your facility, your entrance signage must be easily visible, and they should easily be able to find your designated parking area.
Customer parking and vehicle storage are important for two main reasons. First, most customers may never have had any dealings with a collision repair center and are not sure how the process works. An accident is a stressful event and it should be made as easy as possible for them. An array of damaged vehicles in plain view may actually be upsetting to customers, so be aware of their feelings and do what you can to alleviate that stress. All vehicles awaiting repairs should be stored in a designated area once they arrive so time is not spent searching for them when they are ready to enter the shop. This will ensure proper production flow and should improve your shop’s curb appeal.
After the customer parks, it must be clear where he or she needs to go to get service. The entrance to the office must be clearly marked, and when customers get inside, they should find a well-organized, clean facility.
Front office setup and procedures will have a direct effect on the production process. The reception area should be well lit and clean, with seating for both adults and children. Notice I called this a “reception area,” not a waiting room. The goal is to not have customers wait, for extended periods of time, but if they must wait they should be comfortable and at ease. A television and current reading materials ought to be available. If you’re feeling really progressive, consider adding an Internet surfing station. Hot and cold refreshments for customers to enjoy and perhaps donuts are a nice touch as well. For children, have toys and books available.
The front office of your collision repair facility doesn't have to be boring. Gerber Auto Collision and Glass (left) and Uptown Body and Fender (right) both created a unique, comfortable environment for their customers.
At this point you must be wondering how this will affect the production process and your bottom line. Think of it this way: If you do not sell customers on using your facility there will be no vehicles in the production process. Keep in mind that your primary goal in the ideal shop is to generate new jobs. Only then can you showcase quality repairs and operate your facility at its peak capacity. And it all starts with that first impression of your potential customers.
Your first communication with potential customers may be over the phone, but it is still the setup and staffing of the office that will affect the outcome. You must staff the office with not only the proper number of people, but also quality people. Ensure that all staff members who come in contact with customers have been properly trained in people skills and customer handling. Phones should be answered within three rings and calls should never go directly into voicemail. If a customer calls for someone who is not available, employees should ask before putting someone into voicemail. When someone enters the facility, he or she should be acknowledged immediately—that means the office should never be left unattended. If a customer enters and those in the office are currently helping others, they should make eye contact with the person who has entered and let him or her know someone will be with him or her shortly.
When customers enter the office, they should be able to see a staff member, preferably the customer service representative (CSR). And there should be an area to conduct the first point of business—finding out why they are there. Once the reasons behind their visit are determined, the CSR should explain the process that will follow and introduce them to the person who will help them.
If a customer is there for an estimate, the first step should be verifying if he or she had previously scheduled an appointment. If so, obtain the information collected at the time the appointment was made. If not, confirm the availability of an estimator and collect the customer, vehicle and insurance information on the appropriate form. Advise the customer which estimator will oversee the repair and what will happen during the estimating process—vehicle inspection, gathering accident details, documenting damage, entering data into the estimating system, reviewing completed estimate and repairs to be performed, scheduling of the repair appointment and obtaining necessary authorizations. Ask the customer if he or she has any questions, then introduce the estimator.
When possible, a 30-minute appointment should be scheduled for all estimates. Scheduling helps estimators better manage their time and concentrate on the task at hand, which should result in better estimates. Use the same schedule as your estimate appointments when coordinating daily tasks–establishing time to write supplements, conducting estimates for towed-in vehicles, handling outbound status communication and deliveries.
Office staffing will be determined based on how the production process is set up. You must have the staff to support both the customers (vehicle owners and insurance companies) and the production staff. The number of estimators will be determined by their job duties. For instance, will estimators be responsible for production job assignments and monitoring throughout the repair or will there be a production manager? For the sake of making this an ideal office, there will be a production manager. The office staff will be composed of a collision center manager, customer service representative, administrators and estimators. The number of people in each position will be based on the facility size. Keep in mind this does not include any production personnel.
The correct staffing and quality of those people will have a direct effect on paperwork flow and communication—both of which are vital for productivity.
What exactly happens in the front office? This is where the groundwork for a smooth repair begins. From the first contact with the customer, all communication and items related to the repair must be documented. The documentation may be notes on a file folder or in a management system. Either will work as long as everyone understands and follows the process. Each documented item must note the date and time, as well as the initials of the person making the entry. Anytime someone speaks with anyone related to any given job, they must review all previous documentation.
Without proper communication and documentation the production department will not know what the office staff may have committed to. For example, target delivery dates may come into consideration when a job is assigned, but if the production manager does not know the completion dates the job may be assigned to a technician who can’t meet that date. If additional work is requested that is separate from the estimated damage and no one is advised, what happens? In most cases the additional work does not get done or delays the delivery date. This won’t happen if communication and documentation processes are in place.
To ensure communication is current, there will be a daily production meeting with the office staff following the production meeting held with the technicians. This 10-minute meeting will be facilitated by the production manager and include all office staff who have direct contact with customers. The meeting ought to take place where the work in progress files are retained.
Now everyone is communicating, all necessary information is documented. Let’s ensure the processes are in place to get the vehicles into production for repairs. As we know, this will not happen just by moving a vehicle from the front parking lot to the back lot. As a matter of fact, sometimes during this move it seems as if the vehicle vanishes into thin air. The vehicle is only found when a customer calls to check the repair status. This magic trick is a direct reflection of how the office is running.
Not to worry; in the ideal shop, customers will not have to call for status reports. There will be written procedures and accountability to ensure the estimator initiates the contact to communicate with customers.
A file rack system will be in place in this ideal office. It will reflect each stage in a vehicle’s flow, starting with dispatch. At the time a vehicle is ready to move into the production process the estimator will place it in the “dispatch” rack, meaning all approvals have been received and it can go into production. At this point it becomes the production manager’s responsibility to continuously monitor the rack and assign jobs based on a technician’s availability and skill set, target delivery date and parts availability.
Using a file rack system will give everyone a clear picture of where each vehicle is in the process, as well as alert everyone to any problems or bottlenecks. There will be a file rack for each phase of the repair based on who performs the task—disassembly, frame, metal, prep, paint, reassembly, mechanical, sublet, detail, hold. The system may be basic or detailed, depending on your viewpoint. Updating the file rack system is the responsibility of the production manager, and will be updated throughout the day. Estimators should monitor the “detail” rack for their jobs, and no customers will be contacted until all steps are completed.
It sounds ideal and it can be done. Of course it will take work and continuous review to get the office running just how it should, but it will be worth the effort. To make sure it happens, include your employees. They are the ones who will make it happen. Explain to them what you are trying to accomplish and why. Put all processes and procedures in writing, train employees, delegate responsibilities and meet regularly to check on the overall progress. If changes are needed, make them together.
Now enjoy the benefits the ideal office will bring to the rest of the business.
