Many technicians who have worked in shops for a while
might think they know all they need to about efficiency.
But attendees of Thursday’s “Increasing technician
efficiency — It’s a team effort!” found out that there
still is a lot to learn.
“The responsibility for an efficient technician rests
not only on the tech, but on the entire team at the shop
from the shop owner, to the service writer, to the
janitor,” says Ryan Kooiman, training developer for
Standard Motor Products, who led the class.
Kooiman worked throughout the afternoon to shed new
light on the team effort and the responsibilities of
each team member to the class attendees.
Kooiman explained the individual roles of each team
member and showed how they all interact and impact one
another. Shop owners who don’t promote ongoing training
or supply needed tooling, and service writers who don’t
gather needed information are just a few examples he
shared of conditions that can add to overall
inefficiency. He also demonstrated specific diagnostic
techniques the techs themselves could use to speed up
their troubleshooting, and backed up his words with
real-life case studies that demonstrated the advantages
of following a logical diagnostic strategy, committing
to learning new diagnostic techniques, and following the
OEM published service procedures.
Attending shop owners and techs added even more value to
the class by sharing perspectives and personal
experiences of their own.
“If those who attended apply what they learned today,
the result will be better customer satisfaction, better
morale for the team members involved, and a better
bottom line for the business,” Kooiman says.
Kooiman has the practical experience to back up his
teaching. Before joining SMP’s Professional Technician
Series training arm (an online, interactive training
offering from Standard Motor Products), he worked as the
lead tech/drivability specialist for a 20-bay
independent Michigan shop. His 19 years of field
experience is highlighted with numerous accomplishments,
including appearances on Good Morning America and the
CBS Early Show.
