When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, people tend to fall into one of two camps. The first group goes absolutely nuts for New Year’s. They agonize over the decision to learn German or Spanish, mull over the idea of cutting bread out of their diet, running a marathon or dusting off the ol’ guitar and finally learning how to play. If you’ve ever been approached at a New Year’s Eve party and excitedly asked if you’ve set any goals for the upcoming year, you know you’ve met a resolution lover.
Conversely, we have the holdouts; those who never make a resolution and they can’t quite grasp what all the fuss is about. (It’s just another year, right?)
Regardless of whether you’re dodging the resolution question at all costs or are furiously scribbling down what you hope to accomplish in the next 365 days, here are a few resolutions those of us in the fast lube industry should be making.
Lose Weight
Losing weight is a recurring resolution. Someone makes it every year. Have you ever been to the gym the week following January 1st? You can hardly find an open treadmill. But in this case, we’re talking about all the superfluous things that are no longer needed in your shop. Tattered, out-dated magazines in the waiting room? Toss them. Promotional materials left over from the holiday? Get rid of them. Empty boxes stacked in the storeroom? Time for them to meet the dumpster. Once you’ve done a clean sweep of the shop, you can see about that treadmill.
Exercise Regularly
Training is one of the constants in this business. It must happen regularly if you want your team to stay in shape. With the 2015 models continuing to roll into your bays, the start of the year is the perfect time to go over any new processes and procedures that should be in place and discuss any potential issues that may arise (Like convincing the owner of a new vehicle that, yes, your vehicle requires a full synthetic.) Also, it’s a good time to review any new products 2015 models may need and make sure your inventory is sufficiently stocked.
Get Involved
You are a vital part of your community (yes, you). What better way to bring new customers into your shop than getting to know them? People want to buy from businesses they know and trust. Now is the time to join your chamber of commerce, plan a charity event, sponsor a sports team or visit a local drivers education class and teach them how to check their oil and tire pressure. Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of advertising. By positively impacting your community, you’ll be able to have some say in the conversation.
Manage Your Time
Someone once told me saying, “We’ve always done it this way,” is an invitation for innovation. It’s something that takes a little research and bit of help from your trusty point-of-sale system, but maybe it’s time to consider mixing up your hours of operation by offering extended hours for your customers’ convenience or shift work to eliminate idle hands in the shop. Every operation is different, but you’d like some guidance our NOLN team has done a bit of exploration regarding hours of opportunity.
Regardless of your goals (I’m sorry, resolutions), we’re blazing full steam ahead into 2015. If you have any you’d like to share, give us a shout at: [email protected]. In the meantime, here’s to another new year and another chance to get it right.
