Automotive technicians fix cars. That’s what they do. They take a machine that is not functioning properly, find out the reason and repair the problem. Sometimes it is simple and only takes a few minutes. More often though, it is complex and takes a bit of time.
Technicians are highly skilled individuals. Not everyone can do what they do. As the machines we call cars get more sophisticated with all the features, electronics and sensors a great deal of knowledge and skill is required.
The technicians I know, pride themselves on their ability to work through this process and get the vehicle repaired. They are intent and passionately want to fix the car right the first time. On the occasion when that doesn’t happen, they are really frustrated by the situation. Not only do they continue to seek the answer for fixing the car, they also seek the answer to what went wrong to getting the job fully done the first time.
I have found there is an area, that generally, most technicians struggle. They fix the car, but the details of the documentation are challenging. This is understandable though. Technicians are not “paperwork people”. Technicians do what they do because they are “fixers”. They take broken things and make them whole again.
Documentation is another part of the process that is extremely important to running a business. Fixing cars for a hobby or helping a friend in need doesn’t require documentation. The technician can just fix the car. But running a business requires documentation. Accurate documentation.
After all is said and done, all that remains is the documentation. The car is gone. The customer is gone. The employees, even the technician may be gone. Even if all this is still available, memory fades. We don’t remember all the details. The documentation tells the story of what occurred. It is the record of the whole process, from check-in to check-out.
Providing accurate documentation is a skill that great technicians develop. Understanding the significant impact documentation has on the success of their business is important. Documentation requirements do not fall just on the technicians alone. Each and every team member along the way, with each and every customer and their car, has responsibility for accurate documentation.
Pursue Great! In all you do.
Including documentation.