Strategies for Avoiding Transmission Rebuild Comebacks

The biggest threat to your productivity and reputation as a transmission rebuild shop is the risk of comebacks. When your rebuild job is unsuccessful the first time, not only do you usually have an unsatisfied customer on your hands, but this warranty work takes up the space in your shop and the time of your technicians when you could be moving on to new jobs. The good news is that you have plenty of opportunities to avoid these losses in the first place with a little bit of careful planning and quality service.

The steps you take today to reduce your risk of a comeback can boost the profitability and reputation of your rebuild shop now and for the future. Not sure where to start? In this post, we've outlined some changes you can make in order to avoid transmission rebuild comebacks going forward.

How to Avoid Transmission Rebuild Comebacks

There are countless parts of your process that could help decrease the rate of comebacks in your rebuild shop. While having an organized process map and management plan for rebuild jobs will certainly help overall, here are some of the key areas you can optimize to reduce future comebacks.

• Conduct a thorough diagnosis and inspection of every unit. This includes before and after the rebuild has taken place. Diagnosing and inspecting a unit beforehand is critical to understanding what caused the transmission failure, as well as which parts (if not all) must be replaced.

  After the tech has finished the job, checking the unit with a keen eye after the rebuild ensures that all risks have been removed. This may include watching data streams with a scan tool to verify that the original diagnosis has been addressed. 

• Encourage staff education and training. Your techs and staff should be familiar with all facets of the rebuilding process, including new developments in transmission technology that affect their ability to get the job done right. By providing educational resources and training for your staff, you'll ensure that they have the skills to tackle any diagnosis that comes through the door.
  
  
• Use the right overhaul kits. Even if your technician does a perfect installation, using an inferior overhaul kit increases the risk of a comeback. When you're choosing your overhaul kits, look for brands that have experience in the industry. Their kits should include true OE content as well as every part you need for a complete rebuild. The quality of the rebuild is dependent upon the quality of the parts you use to carry it out.
  
  
• Provide quality customer service and sales. Treating customers with respect and empathy instantly improves the customer experience associated with your shop. What you might not realize is that building customer relationships also helps you avoid comebacks, too. Improving your listening skills can help you correctly diagnose transmission issues, while providing careful and generous service helps ensure that your process is smooth and complete. Even the most frustrating comebacks can be simply caused by a technician that isn't paying attention and making mistakes that could have been avoided with a little extra care.

Stay Productive With the Right Parts and Service

While it may be impossible to eliminate all risk of transmission rebuild comebacks, optimizing your management techniques and rebuild process can drastically decrease those risks relatively quickly. The changes you make can be big or small, but the impact they have on your business will be noticeable. When you boil it down to the basics, avoiding comebacks is about preparing your staff with the right parts, process, and skills to conduct a quality repair. If you do, you'll certainly see fewer comebacks in the long run.