It happens in every shop: despite putting forth your best effort, training your technicians, and following your service process, eventually a vehicle you services will come back with an issue after the repair. Sometimes, it could be the result of your mistake, while in other situations, the failure was inevitable for one reason or another. In either case, you're still responsible for this vehicle and the additional work it needs. So what do you do now?
In this post, we'll explain what to do when a repair comes back to your auto shop and give you some advice for maximizing productivity by avoiding comebacks in the first place.
What You Should Do When You Get A Comeback
- Communicate with the customer: Your first concern should be creating the right experience for your comeback customer. Understand that your customer is likely a little frustrated with the situation, but do your best to respond objectively without getting emotional. One of the best strategies for handling a customer in a comeback situation and turning their negative experience in a much more positive one is by providing detailed explanations and answers to their questions. As you address the repair failure and start working on the solution, keeping your customer updated will show that your shop cares about your customers in a genuine way.
- Consult your process: In order to get the vehicle on the road again, your first step will be to pinpoint what caused the failure that led to the comeback. By reviewing your service notes and records, you should be able to identify whether the failure was a result of your technician's work. Did the tech miss a step in the repair or rebuild process? Did someone make a diagnostic or service mistake? Going over what happened during the service with the technician who completed the work will ensure that you determine the actual cause of the comeback so that the misstep can be corrected.
Run thorough diagnostics: However, if you determine that the failure was not the result of a mistake on your shop's part, it's important to identify the source of the issue that brought the vehicle back to the shop. It's possible that a problem that was unrelated to your original service is affecting the work you did on the vehicle. There may be additional issues with the vehicle that your original service didn't account for, and a complete diagnostic scan can help uncover those hidden complications. This information helps ensure that you choose the right solution that will keep the vehicle on the road after your additional work.
Fewer Comebacks = Increased Productivity
Comebacks make up some of the biggest productivity pitfalls your auto shop can face. In some cases, the failures that bring vehicles back into your garage are unpredictable, based on the information you have when the vehicle comes in as well as any unforeseen issues that don't take effect until your repair service is finished. Of course, the first step to getting your productivity back on track is to get the comeback repaired and back out of your shop as soon as possible so that you can move on to more paid work. However, there are a few strategies you can use to preserve or even increase productivity by avoiding the majority of potential comebacks in the first place.
First, use your past comebacks as learning experiences that help improve your repair and rebuild processes. During your failure diagnosis and service review, take detailed notes on the mistakes that occurred while the vehicle was in your shop. When you isolate the issue, you can use that information to update your official processes in ways that take steps toward preventing the same mistake from plaguing you in the future. When you build an effective process and stick to it, you can expect consistently successful repairs from your entire technician team.
Speaking of consistency, not only is following a strict process a way to reduce the risk of a comeback, but choosing to stick with trusted parts and providers for the components you need can also help you get the job done right the first time, every single time. When you can rely on consistent quality in your components and the aftermarket brands that supply them, you won't have to worry about your parts jeopardizing the value of your tech's hard work. By committing to single, trusted supplier for your parts, you're investing in not only your shop's reputation for great service but also your own success and peace of mind.
