As people start practicing social distancing by getting out on their boats, they’re going to need service.

I talked to one dealer in Florida yesterday who said her service business is booming because people want their boats prepped; they need their 100-hour service; and they’re using their boats enough to need some other repairs and maintenance already.

But customers, especially those self-quarantining, are going to want their boats back quickly, and they’re going to expect you to offer that. If you can promise and deliver upon quick turnarounds, customers are going to turn to your dealership, and your service department will prosper, even if unit sales are down. However, if you can’t get their boat back quickly, they’ll take it elsewhere.

That’s why Valerie Ziebron and Carrie Stacey’s course “Reduce Repair Cycle Time” is a timely one to watch right now. Presented at Dealer Week 2019, this session teaches you how to look at your service department’s management efficiency to improve the time boats are stuck in your shop.

The duo define management efficiency as how much of the available tech time is used. They give a great example of a fictional tech, Mike Fast, who in a 40-hour workweek bills 25 hours and spends 18 hours working on a R.O. He’s 140 percent efficient, which is almost unheard of. BUT his management efficiency is only 45 percent, meaning 55 percent of the time he’s at the dealership, he’s not turning a wrench.

It sounds crazy, but it happens. And improving that management efficiency is the “secret sauce that makes dealers successful,” Carrie Stacey says.

In the course, you’ll learn how to determine your current repair cycle time. You’ll learn that by reducing your repair time, you’ll increase your revenue and create happier customers. And Valerie and Carrie will teach you how to reduce your repair cycle time without cutting corners.

“Customers want their boats done fast,” Carrie said “but they want them done right the first time.”