Using Diagnostic Time
Using Diagnostic Time
This time really is valuable and not a loss leader like you might think.
Brian Canning/Motor Age — Probably one of the most misused and abused members of the technician team in many shops is the diagnostic technician. I am not talking about inexperienced and unskilled guy that we through at weird noises and unexplained symptoms because we don’t really trust him and have nothing else to give him.
I am talking about the highly skilled, highly experienced guy that is, or should be, our diagnostic tech because of sheer knowledge, broad experience and strong diagnostic ability. This guy is worth his weight in gold, though far too often we sell services very similar to the way we sell and advertise a $15 oil change. Diagnostics in today’s environment are tough; require a very special skill set and temperament, but far too often we give these services away, missing huge opportunities for sales, profits and believe it our not, customer good will.
The selling of diagnostic time is one of the most misapplied, mismanaged activities out there and often finds us by necessity using our most experienced and highly paid technician and charging the customer as though he or she has a coupon for 25 or 50 percent off. By description, diagnostics are undefined and open ended and therefore need to be managed very carefully, assuring that they are thorough and complete for the customer’s sake and profitable for the sake of our shop.
Source: Motor Age
