It goes without saying that training —  ongoing train­ing — is the key to the success for any dealership detail department. If dealers want their employees to be efficient and become more effective in their jobs, they have to train them, review and correct on an on-going basis. How often is this happening in your detail department?

One of the problems most dealers have with this approach to training in the detailing department is that in most cases, there is no formal training and the people hired were not even capable of being trained. It was easier to hire someone “with experience” and put them to work. But what is their experience? And those with experience are only good if you let them do what “they” want. Where is the control then?

Where to Begin

Like any procedures, detailing procedures must be written so the employee has something to read during ini­tial training and something to refer back to later on. Cer­tainly, something that the supervisor can use to evaluate performance — if there is even a competent supervisor in the detail department, which is most often, not the case.

By having procedures and putting them in writing, a dealer can insure consistency from vehicle to vehicle, employee to employee, each and every day. They will increase productivity and reduce labor with these written and enforced proce­dures for detailing a vehicle.

The procedures are no good, however, unless the supervisor updates them and constantly reviews employee performance and adherence to the procedures. When our company operated its own freestanding retail detail centers, the hardest thing I personally had to do was to get the manager to fol­low the procedures and review the employee adherence. The detail employees, who I per­sonally hired, were never the problem. It was the manager.

A great deal of time should be spent on the initial employ­ee orientation and training. In fact, I suggest at least a half-day to a full day in a classroom situa­tion, discussing equipment and tools, chemicals, paint finishes, carpets and upholstery, leathers, and then the how-to of each detailing job.

If you expect someone to do something with their hands, first you have to get into their head. That is where the classroom comes in. After the classroom, you can put them into the detail bays with some assurance that they have an understanding of what they are expected to do.

Remember that a good employee does have a produc­tive attitude when they begin a new job. They do want to learn and make a favorable impression and be productive. If they do not, you have done a poor job of hiring. The lack of supervision or poor supervision causes employees to fall down in per­formance. Remember who is in charge, or at least who is supposed to be in charge.

Detailing Job Procedures

Starting with the premise that detailing is not an art as some detailers would have you think, but a learned skill, I have developed an exten­sive, yet simple set of proce­dures for each job in a detailing department.

The jobs are divided into five main categories:

• Exterior cleaning process
• Interior cleaning process
• Buffing, pol­ishing and waxing process
• Final detailing process
• New-car get ready

Under each category are a number of specific jobs.

Exterior Cleaning Process

1. Engine clean
2. Wheel clean
3. Car wash (automatic car wash and final if you have an automatic car wash; pre­wash and hand wash if automatic is not available)
4. Door and trunk jamb cleaning
5. Vinyl or convertible top cleaning (if applicable)
6. Tar removal

Interior Cleaning Process

1. Trunk clean and shampoo
2. Vacuum
3. Headliner cleaning
4. Carpet shampoo
5. Upholstery shampoo
6. Vinyl dressing
7. Leather conditioner
8. Interior window cleaning
9. Deodorizing

Buffing, Polishing, and Waxing Process

1. Buffing (correction of a problem)

2. Polishing (swirl removal)

3. Protecting (wax or paint sealant)

Final Detailing Process

1. Wax residue removal

2. Chrome cleaning and polishing

3. Exterior rubber/vinyl dress­ing

4. Window cleaning

5. Final inspection

There may be more, but these jobs and their proce­dures allow you to efficiently, consistently and profitably detail vehicles.

The outline followed for each job is simple.

First, the purpose of the job is described. That is, what you are attempting to do. Sim­ple as this seems, many employees really do not know, or bother to think about, why they are doing something.

Second, the areas of con­cern are identified. For exam­ple, in the engine area it is noted to inspect the underside of the hood, edges, etc.

Third, the equipment to be used is listed. In the hand­book, each and every tool and accessory is identified.

Fourth, the tools and chemicals to be used are listed.

Fifth, the procedure to be followed is outlined.

Manpower

With the job procedures in place, you must set a time standard to be followed by the employees in performing the job. Because the labor is the largest expense in the detail business, you can only control labor by controlling the perfor­mance of the employee.

The following chart will provide a formula in calculat­ing the labor requirement.

Detail Service                                                            Man Hours Required

Engine Clean                                                                          .5 hour

Hand Wash                                                                             .5 hour

Trunk clean & shampoo                                                         .5 hour

Complete interior shampoo                                                    1–1.5 hour

Carpet shampoo                                                                     .5 hour

Upholstery shampoo                                                               .75 hour

Window cleaning                                                                     .25 hour

Tar removal                                                                            10 minutes

Buffing                                                                                    .5 hour

Swirl removal or polish                                                           .5 hour

Wax/sealant                                                                            .5 hour

Final detail                                                                               .5 hour

Complete detail                                                                       3–5 hours

Exterior/Interior                                                                       2–2.5 hours

Exterior                                                                                    1–1.5 hours

Interior                                                                                     1–1.5 hours

 

By correlating the services to be performed on a given day with the standards above, the department manag­er can easily calculate the number of employees required for the day. For example, let us look at a potential day's busi­ness:

Four completes (4 hours each for a total of 16 man hours).

Two exteriors (1.5 hours each for a total of 3 man hours).

Three engine cleans (.5 hours each for total of 1.5 man hours).

Two exterior/interiors (2.5 hours each for a total of 5 man hours).

The total man hours involved is 25.5. When divided by 8 hours in a day, it will take 3.18 employees.

Normally, the manager or supervisor would not be a reg­ular detailer. Therefore, in addition to three full time employees, you would have a part-time person, or you could use the supervisor.

The key to employee time performance is to be clear as to when you want a job done. Instead of “hurry up and get this job done,” be specific. Give a set time, which leaves no room for interpretation.

As involved as this may seem for the detail business, remember this is what McDonald's did to make the simple production of hamburg­ers into a billion-dollar busi­ness. Remember, too, that the detailing business today is where the hamburger busi­ness was when McDonald's started.

Applicable to All Dealerships

Keep in mind that this concept will apply to all detail shops, not just those dealer­ships using the sophisticated equipment. However, in most dealer detail shops, the organi­zation will be more difficult because of the use of spray and squeeze bottles, portable vacuums, and cumbersome electric tools. But do not use that as an excuse for not set­ting standards and procedures for your employees.