June 2019

18 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2019 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net All the latest business tips, tricks and kit to keep you one step ahead BUSINESS ADVICE Surrey-based independent Beacon Hill says garage management specialist TechMan helped it achieve a £100,000 net profit increase over the past 12 months. Having adopted the TechMan system in November 2017, owner Billy West says business has benefitted from a increase in labour sales as a result of technicians logging on and off jobs, giving him a real-time overview of staff productivity: “We decided on TechMan because it worked well with our paperless office management system. The guys in the workshop now have all the vehicle information that they could possibly need at their fingertips. “The clocking system enables us to allocate and sell more hours, and we also like the VHC system, which has led to a huge increase in work with other faults we find on customers’ vehicles. Billy added: “Customers also appreciate the clarity provided in our system-generated email estimates – all broken down so they can see exactly what is required and how much it will cost – which can be coupled with either a video or photographs.” Looking forward, Billy said “I intend to make better use of TechMan’s reporting systems, and having checked the business’ KPIs, I hopes to double Beacon Hill’s net profit over the next 12 months.” www.techmangms.com Summer wiper opportunity TRICO is reminding garages that customers with cars being serviced during summer may have holidays on their mind, and can be open to having their wipers upgraded as a result. Sam Robinson, TRICO product and brand manager for the UK commented: “The TRICO Flex programme replaces both Original Equipment fit beam blades and upgrades hook arm blades to the latest design, allowing for the step up from a conventional windscreen wiper blade to premium beam technology at a reasonable price. This range consists of just 14 part numbers to deliver 95% vehicle coverage and so is ideal for workshops where storage space is at a premium.” Rear blades should be considered also says Sam: “Rear integral blades should be changed just as often as the front wipers. Although most drivers only change their rear blade every five years or so. Highlighting this is a great opportunity to help customers and win their loyalty. Rear blade sales now account for 10% of all wiper blade sales – workshops therefore need to offer a comprehensive programme to cover the market needs and take advantage of this additional revenue opportunity.” TRICO offers a number of ways to help technicians change blades efficiently on its website: www.trico.eu.com/Trade TRICO also has uploaded useful step-by-step fitting videos for technicians on YouTube. Reaching the summit