| Unless your collision shop personnel are | | | | estimators to customer service to |
| up on the latest knowledge and repair | | | | detailers, if you want to have a |
| technology and are constantly learning | | | | successful and strong business that puts |
| more, your business is probably falling | | | | out high-quality work, you must invest |
| behind the competition. Yes, training | | | | in continuing education.One reason many |
| can be expensive sometimes. But by not | | | | shop owners give for not investing more |
| devoting part of your budget to this | | | | in training is they feel that newly |
| important aspect of your business could | | | | trained personnel will just go to the |
| cost your shop more in the long run.The | | | | competition - so why pay to train some |
| collision repair industry is changing | | | | other shop's personnel? This is a very |
| faster and faster every year and so are | | | | bad philosophy to have. It is |
| the vehicles. Just when you think | | | | demotivating, shows a lack of trust, and |
| everyone is up to speed, changes are | | | | can breed contempt amongst employees. If |
| made. Your techs need to know about any | | | | you don't trust your techs and staff, |
| and all changes - all the time. Think | | | | they won't trust you either and you |
| about all the computers and wiring on | | | | probably shouldn't be working together |
| today's vehicles. Hook up a wire | | | | anyway. This is not to say that every |
| backwards and you might burn up a car. | | | | new employee should immediately be sent |
| Or take aluminum. It is being used in | | | | to specialized and advanced training. It |
| more and more newer cars and this metal | | | | may be a good idea to have a stated |
| requires completely different | | | | policy that employees must work for the |
| procedures, techniques, and even special | | | | company for 90 days before they may |
| tools to repair it properly.And don't | | | | attend any training. Some companies even |
| forget about your non-tech staff. | | | | have employees sign an agreement that |
| Everyone in the shop - from the front | | | | states if the employee leaves the |
| end to the back end - needs to | | | | company within 12 to 24 months of any |
| participate in continuing education. | | | | paid training, the training fees must be |
| Think about your front office and | | | | repaid. This is fair and may work for |
| customer service staff. Could they | | | | your business.Actually, training builds |
| benefit from going through a conflict | | | | loyalty. Research has shown that most |
| resolution training course? Could the | | | | employees who consistently participate |
| estimator produce better estimates if he | | | | in continuing education are more loyal |
| understood how to use the P-Pages | | | | to their employer. They know that |
| better? And, since the estimator is | | | | training helps separate the good shops |
| really the front-line sales | | | | from the bad ones. It also helps to |
| representative, would advanced sales | | | | build camaraderie within the entire |
| technique training make this person a | | | | shop. Whether personnel should |
| more valuable asset to your business by | | | | participate in training should not be a |
| closing more jobs? And don't forget the | | | | question. It is something that just |
| detailing department. They can be taught | | | | needs to be budgeted for on an annual |
| new tips and tricks, too.The bottom line | | | | basis. |
| is this: From your "A" techs to the | | | | |