A forum member writes:
“What does everyone else do about lunch breaks? Do your techs eat at different times, or do you send them all to eat at once?”
Tom Ham responds:
“Same time—noon to 1 p.m.”
A shop owner from West Bend, Wisc., replies:
“We generally take lunch at the same time, from noon to 1 p.m. We schedule around the lunch hour. I really enjoy using the lunch hour to eat with my staff whenever I can, which is almost every day.”
Another forum member writes:
“Noon to 1 p.m., unless a customer is waiting, and then my techs may take a later lunch. I also allow my techs to take a different lunch time if they give me notice. I cover the front office myself during lunch and may take a later lunch myself.”
Another forum member replies:
“I keep one tech on from noon to 1 p.m. ( for walk-ins) while the rest of the shop eats. That person goes to lunch from 1-2 p.m.”
Another forum member replies:
“We never get unannounced waiters, so I give them the flexibility to go when they want unless there is a waiter or a deadline. They'll take a late lunch if they have to get a car out. I always liked to go at 11:30 when I was a tech—I'm hungry then, and you beat the lunch rush so you can get back quicker if you don't pack a lunch.”
The questions and responses are posted on the Automotive Management Network website, which is operated by Deb and Tom Ham, owners of Auto Centric (formerly Ham's Automotive) in Grand Rapids, Mich. The comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.