Holiday Time Again

Is it just me or does the Holiday shopping start earlier and earlier every year? The other day I saw big box stores were already stocking the shelves for the holidays. It’s only October!

October in our industry means it is time to get the shop ready for our customers who will be traveling during the holiday season. Traditionally, the week before Thanksgiving through Christmas is make-it-or-break-it time. Forget about Black Friday, this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the “black” season.

What are you doing to get ready for the holiday travel? Have you started training your staff to prepare vehicles for winter driving? Not to mention the 2016 vehicles rolling through our shops — some of those might end up under the tree with big bows on them. Have you visited with your distributors about your inventory needs? Last year many shops had a 10-12 percent increase in traffic during this period. With fuel prices down, analyses are predicting this year’s holiday driving will be even more than last year. It may be time to consider bringing on some additional help to ensure your customers are getting the quality of service they are use to receiving. Be sure they’re hired and fully trained before things get too busy.

October is the month to pay attention to the big three — inventory, employees and training — to ensure this year holiday season will be a huge success. 

Keep on lubin.’