Handling complicated jobs - by Jeff Smit
Fixing an ailing car was once a relatively straightforward, almost simplistic job, compared to what the average workshop faces today. The role of today’s technicians is very high-tech and extremely complex. In the space of about 30 years, job descriptions have changed dramatically, both for those just starting out on the tools, and people like me who have been forced to adapt or disappear. From my position as a trainer, I still see workshops wrestling with complicated jobs. Some know how to cope with this new and complex world, but many are still struggling. In the tips that follow, don’t expect to find any practical technical solutions, but you will note that state of mind plays a big role in the management of complicated jobs. In a way, workshops have had to undergo a big culture change. Workshop staff need to adopt a different mindset about the work that they are being asked to do. They must accept that more complicated jobs will be on their doorstep on a more regular basis. Once that fact of life is accepted, they can move to the next step – identifying complicated jobs early, adapting work procedures in order to protect the business and its reputation , and establishing a communication path with vehicle owners to ensure that both parties are on the same page and understand the diagnostic and repair process. This in itself is not as easy as it sounds. It has taken me many years to gain the confidence to look a customer in the eye and inform them that their vehicle’s problems are most likely not going to be an easy or cheap fix. Another thing workshop owners and their technicians need to accept is that nobody can know everything. It is not possible for any technician to have experienced every potential problem on every make and model of vehicle. It is most likely that there will be a technician somewhere
24 CAPRICORN IGNITION SEPTEMBER 2021
