IAME Segment

Better Practices for your Business

The automotive industry is suffering tough times at the moment in various ways and mainly in the lack of parts, new vehicles and skilled technicians.

The concern that we see at the moment is that a number of state-based consumer protection authorities are reporting an increase in claims from consumers due to incomplete or inferior repairs due to lack of parts. I have just experienced the right way to deal with a customer when you can’t obtain the correct part to do the job.

A family vehicle required a windscreen. It was identified at our friends at O’Brien Glass that this particular model variant had no less than nine options of front glass. The differences were fairly small and one could be tempted to fit a piece of glass that would do the job, but may not do it as good as the genuine component. Being that there was no glass available through aftermarket or genuine suppliers, I was politely told that we must wait until the exact component became available. It was suggested that this could have been a combination of safety, longevity, fitment or performance of the heads-up display but, none the less, O’Brien would not compromise on fitting something that was not perfect. They did all of this not knowing who I worked for or my understanding of fit for purpose parts. The attitude was perfect for our industry and perfect for consumer confidence and satisfaction.

Conversely, we have my opening remarks where we are seeing all too often the return of a vehicle due to a component not being fit for purpose and our practitioners reaching for something that would fit into the bracket of yesteryear and the term “she’ll be right”. That saying may have had a place in the ‘70s or ‘80s, but not with the technology that surrounds the motor vehicles of today. We should claim money as a professional, highly trained technician, and we should give advice and service to our customers in the same manner. No longer can we find something that will fit or “should do the job” – we need to be more than precise these days.

In referring to professional advice and companies that have supported your IAME for many years, I wish to again publicly thank our sponsors Atlantic Oil, NATRAD Radiators and Spirit Super. When it comes to advice these companies do excel.

TIME TO EMPLOY NEW APPRENTICES
Being that it is September, our mind should be focused on growing our own new technicians by employing our new group of apprentices. As school leavers start to wind up their year 10 and year 12 years, their minds are focusing on obtaining employment, possibly prior to Christmas, and getting prepared to embark on their training early next year. By the time a lot of host employers get around to finding new staff in late January, after the holiday period, most of the super keen apprentices have already been employed. Trying to find apprentices today is a real task and I would advise most host employers to consider this job the property of companies such as ‘Apprenticeships Are Us’ and wrapping this payment up by your Capricorn account. It is not an easy task to vet a young person who does not really have much of a work history to go on. There are certainly ways that companies such as Apprenticeships Are Us have to identify the right type of candidatefor your job needs, but we must get in quick.

The use of your Capricorn account can always be made with companies such as ‘Apprenticeships Are Us’ to help gather points, have all your apprentice’s employment billed in an orderly fashion and ensure that provisions that are often missed on an apprentice are well covered.

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE HYBRID CAR ERA
There has been some wonderful advancements in our lithium battery technology and there is now a product that is on the market which has been advertised as an excellent product to assist in extinguishing a lithium battery fire, if you were ever to experience one. As we used to have spill kits and first aid kits, our workshops of today should be equipped with defibrillators and products to assist in extinguishing fires. Along these lines it has also been brought to our attention that modifications to plug-in hybrids and EVs for performance enhancements is becoming more prevalent. This is a practice that should not be engaged in as some of our first responders and service technicians are just getting their heads around safe working practices without introducing the added risks of amplifying voltages in these types of vehicles. Not enough is known about the impacts of lifting voltage from 600 (thereabouts) to 1,000.

BE COMPLIANT
Although in most of the articles that I have written in the past I have spoken about compliance, yet the IAME still has members asking what they should do in business to be compliant. As most of you would know, it is not a singular answer. We have to be aware of signage, police/parts books, insurances, signed job cards, accurate quoting practices, the list goes on…

The IAME’s Business Services Division covers these subjects in a monthly mentoring session which is held one-onone with you or your management team.

Please contact inbox@iame.com.au for more information on this comprehensive service that your IAME offers.

Additional service fee on annual subscription is required.

Send this to a friend