Partner Voices: Build a Flash Report

TO MANAGE MY SHOPS effectively without prematurely hiring a high-level executive, I’ve adopted a strategic approach that allows me to stay involved as CEO while streamlining operations. I’ve hired two administrative staff members who handle the data analysis and operational support I need, which keeps our overhead low. This approach gives me the support I need without the costs associated with hiring a general manager or COO. Down the line, when we grow to three or four shops, I’ll likely bring in a general manager, but I still plan to rely on my admins for critical data processing and task oversight.

Each week, I hold meetings with my managers to go over key benchmarks. These meetings are essential for tracking quality control and productivity. We look at things like digital inspections, work orders, quality control sheets, and customer communication. Digital inspections are especially important—we track how many are done, how many get sent to customers, and how many images or videos we include in each. By measuring these, I ensure that we’re not only following protocols but also providing customers with clear, detailed information about their vehicles.

In these weekly meetings, I use a performance sheet that shows each metric as either “green” or “red.” Green means we hit the benchmark, while red shows where we fell short. If we didn’t meet a goal, there’s a section where managers can add an explanation so we can discuss what went wrong and how to improve. This red-green system simplifies things, allowing managers to quickly assess the shop’s performance without getting bogged down in too much data.

I also keep a close eye on technician productivity, both individually and as a team. We track who’s the most productive, who’s falling behind, and how each shop is performing on average. For example, if a technician is scheduled for 40 hours, we assess whether he or she actually worked those hours and billed accordingly. This tells us a lot about each technician’s efficiency and contributions to the team. Our productivity expectations vary a bit depending on the role; general service technicians have a broader range, which allows for some flexibility in pacing suited to their duties.

Sales performance is another topic we cover in these meetings. I check to see if our income is enough to cover daily expenses and if our gross profit on parts aligns with our shop’s standard—usually around 53 percent. We also track the number of cars we see daily, averaging it over the week, which gives us a good snapshot of shop flow and customer demand. By covering these aspects weekly, we stay proactive and ensure that we’re making decisions grounded in real-time data.

Once per month, I hold a meeting with the entire team where I go over highlights from our weekly discussions and introduce additional topics, such as customer feedback and online reviews. We track reviews, and I make it a point to read Google reviews aloud to everyone. Positive or negative, these reviews are vital for keeping the team connected to customer sentiment and service quality. This also gives me a chance to highlight the great work the team is doing and identify areas for improvement.

In addition to online reviews, we work with an external phone company that calls our customers for feedback on their experience. This service gathers information on what went well and what needs improvement, which I share with the team. It’s a powerful tool for helping us understand how customers feel about our service and where we can make changes. We also set benchmarks for the number of reviews we want to see come in, motivating the team to keep up the quality service that draws positive feedback.

The structure of these weekly and monthly meetings has been crucial for keeping us aligned on our goals and making sure everyone is accountable. By having admins manage much of the data, I can stay focused on high-level strategy and long-term growth without losing touch with the day-to-day details that matter. This system lets us grow sustainably while maintaining the quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction we’ve built our reputation on.

The original Article can be found at Auto Service Leader: https://autoflow.autoserviceleader.com/cloutier_1124