MADISON, Ind. (June 25, 2012) — Failing to keep auto servicing equipment updated can cost repair shops dearly, according to the results of a survey of U.S. auto repair shop owners done on behalf of vehicle lift maker Rotary Lift.
More than half of the 327 shop owners surveyed anonymously said they have had to turn away business worth an average of $1,582 per month — or nearly $19,000 a year — because they lacked the capacity to do the job, Rotary Lift said.
In light of this, 92 percent of the shop owners surveyed said they would be interested in equipment that would enable their technicians to complete at least one additional job per week, especially if that equipment paid for itself within a few months.
Of those surveyed, 70 percent reported that the size of their average sales ticket has increased over the last five years, and 46 percent reported that the average number of tickets their shops handle also has risen during that time.
In response, 71 percent said they are focusing on improving bay productivity and speed of service so they can handle more business. Profits have increased as a result of these steps for 77 percent of shop owners surveyed, Rotary Lift said.
John Rylee, Rotary Lift director of marketing, said the vehicle lift is among the pieces of equipment most scrutinized because it's in use for most service jobs.
“By making the lift faster and easier to use, we can help technicians work more quickly, improving bay productivity and, as a result, shop profitability,” Mr. Rylee said, referencing Rotary Lift's Shockwave system, which are rated at 25 seconds to lift a vehicle and 19 seconds to set it back down.
Coupled with the system's laser-spotting guide and easy-set superstructures, the system reduces the time spent positioning the vehicle for service. Rotary claims time and motion studies it has conducted have shown that adding a Shockwave-equipped lift to a single bay can enable a shop to complete at least one additional job per week, which Rotary calculates could generated annual profit of at least $3,259.
Rotary Lift is a brand within Dover Corp.'s Vehicle Service Group.