Naturally, as a business owner, you want your business to thrive and to see a substantial profit. In the automotive repair industry, this type of success hinges upon offering high-quality services. Offering your customers the right services means making sure you have heavily researched popular customer requests and ultimately if your shop can offer these types of services.
Picking the right equipment for your automotive repair shop is just as big of a decision. Aside from providing top-level service to your customers, you want them to walk away feeling they received the highest quality experience from a reputable shop. Low quality equipment breaks down causing repair delays and wears out quicker causing you to spend more money on equipment and maintenance (and may increase your service prices). All this negativity reflects on YOUR shop. Our decades of experience in the automotive industry have helped us craft these essential tips for picking the right equipment:
1. Do the research and establish expectations on the cost of equipment
You’ve done your research and you know what types of services you want to provide. Now it’s time to look at equipment to buy.
Before you make your initial purchase, it’s important to understand what price points high quality equipment sell for. When you’re running a business, there is no room for low-quality equipment that could easily break down, shutting down your business even for a day. Look at popular brands, ask other auto professionals, and shop around. That way, you can properly analyze the cost of your equipment, how long it will likely last you, and when it will pay itself off.
2. Consider the vehicle brands you want to service
When you’re picking your equipment, assess which vehicle makes and models you plan on servicing. Sticking with brands consumers frequently use can be an option, but you can also consider servicing specific vehicles, like luxury or import brands. For example, some import brands do not have drain plugs, making fluid evacuation the ideal oil change method. Equipment for this, like the JDI-6EV Fluid Evacuator, would give your dealership the opportunity to service these vehicles.
3. Purchase shop equipment with a warranty in place
Always make sure your equipment warranties are solid before you buy. This guarantee is a sure-fire way to indicate if your equipment is top-quality and durable.
It’s not easy figuring out where to begin when it comes to buying shop equipment. It can be a daunting task to sift through what works and what doesn’t. Once you apply these helpful tips to your shop purchases, you’ll find that you’ve created your own tried-and-true method that works for your own business practices.
