How to Document Systems in Your Detailing Business: Work Less While Growing More
Talkin’ Paint Podcast: How to Document Systems in Your Detailing Business: Work Less While Growing More
The episode of Talkin' Paint Podcast, Gabe Fletcher discusses how documenting business systems transformed his detailing shop from chaos to consistency. He explains why putting processes on paper is crucial for growth, allowing him to reduce his work hours from 75+ to under 40 weekly while increasing revenue by 30%. Gabe shares practical documentation techniques and emphasizes that "being irreplaceable doesn't make you valuable, it makes you trapped."
Timestamp:
00:22 - Detailing Growth Sponsor Message
01:02 - Introduction to Systems Documentation
03:02 - Why Document Your Shop Systems
04:29 - Where to Start With Documentation
06:06 - Practical System Documentation Approach
08:25 - Morning Meeting System Benefits
09:37 - Quality Check Process Implementation
10:22 - Client Communication Timeline
11:28 - Getting Started With Documentation
14:43 - Detailer OS Facebook Group Info
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Companies mentioned in this episode:
- detailing growth
- Detailing Growth
- Detailers OS
- Detailer OS
- Detailer OS Magnified Growth
detailing systems, documentation in detailing, improving shop efficiency, detailing business coaching, sales process for detailers, documenting processes, PPF installation guide, ceramic coating techniques, automotive detailing strategies, client communication in detailing, SOP creation for detailing, business growth in detailing, effective detailing workflows, systems implementation for detailers, reducing operational chaos, maximizing productivity in detailing, training staff in detailing, client check-in process, optimizing detailing services, detailing growth strategies
Transcript
Gabe My shop has a hundred different processes.
Speaker A:Where do I start?
Speaker A:Your documentation is only good as somebody else's ability to follow it.
Speaker A:I went from working personally inside the shop at 75 plus hours a week to under 40 because being irreplaceable doesn't make you valuable, it makes you trapped.
Speaker B:The Talking Pain podcast is brought to you by detailing growth.
Speaker B:That's detailing growth.com detailing growth is the industry's only US based full stack agency that provides you with full custom web design, ongoing SEO, local SEO via Google Business profile, ad management for Google and Meta, and an entire business suite of automations with our Grit suite CRM.
Speaker B:Detailing Growth also helps businesses with consulting and business coaching and systems implementation.
Speaker B:Head over to detailinggrowth.com and sign up for a free strategy session.
Speaker A:Foreign welcome back to another episode of the Talk and Paint Podcast.
Speaker A:The podcast for detailers and PPF installers who want actionable strategies that actually work.
Speaker A:I'm Gabe Fletcher and today we're going to be talking about something that transformed my own shop from just inconsistent chaos to creating a documented system.
Speaker A:And that is systems.
Speaker A:And every shop has a way of doing things.
Speaker A:How you prep cars for ceramic coating and PPF and tint, how you check people in, how you have them pick up their cars.
Speaker A:But most shop owners keep these processes locked away in their heads.
Speaker A:And today I'll show you why.
Speaker A:Documenting these systems is the difference between staying stuck working 80 hours a week and building a business that can run without you consistently.
Speaker A:Let's start with something straightforward.
Speaker A:Your shop already runs on systems whether you realize it or not.
Speaker A:And in my shop we had an unspoken system for our pads.
Speaker A:The microfiber cutting pads in the blue bin, foam finishing pads in the red bin.
Speaker A:But when we hired our third detailer, he couldn't find anything without asking.
Speaker A:And that's when I realized if it's not written down, it's just a habit, not a system.
Speaker A:So look around your shop.
Speaker A:Right now you have a specific way you organize your ppf.
Speaker A:You have places where you put certain tools when they're not in use.
Speaker A:You follow a particular process for paint correction on black cars versus lighter cars.
Speaker A:Now, these aren't just random preferences.
Speaker A:These are the systems you hear us talk about all the time.
Speaker A:They're the potential systems waiting to be documented.
Speaker A:The problem is, right now, they only exist in your head.
Speaker A:And anything that only exists in your head can't be scaled, can't be taught, and ultimately will become the ceiling that prevents your business from growing beyond just you.
Speaker A:And that means it Starts with you, ends with you.
Speaker A:And you are where you are because of you.
Speaker A:Now, a true system needs two elements to help your business grow.
Speaker A:It must be documented, written or recorded.
Speaker A:And it must be be teachable.
Speaker A:So this is what happened when I finally documented our ceramic coating process.
Speaker A:I've been doing coatings for a couple of years and I thought our process was really solid.
Speaker A:But something was different after I wrote it down.
Speaker A:Step by step, not only could our new hire learn it faster, but discovered three steps that were costing us time.
Speaker A:So we found a huge inefficiency.
Speaker A:Just the act of documentation forced me to question why we did certain things, certain ways.
Speaker A:Here's another example.
Speaker A:Our client intake form internally used to have about 15 questions, usually revolving around the client's expectations as well.
Speaker A:We've been using that for two years.
Speaker A:But when I documented the process and talked through how we actually use that information, I realized that I only really referenced seven of those answers during the actual service.
Speaker A:The other eight questions, they were a complete waste of time.
Speaker A:We cut the form down, which saved clients time filling it out and it boosted our job completion rate by like 30%.
Speaker A:So when you're forced to document, you're forced to examine each step and ask, does this actually add value?
Speaker A:Is there a better way?
Speaker A:And most of the time the answer is yes.
Speaker A:Now the next thing you're going to say to me is, Gabe, my shop has a hundred different processes.
Speaker A:Where do I start?
Speaker A:And usually what I say to shop owners is start with the systems that are tied directly to revenue.
Speaker A:In my shop, we focused on documenting three processes first, and that meant first was our sales process, exactly how we qualify, consult, advise and present options, and guide prospects to a decision.
Speaker A:The next one was our vehicle inspection.
Speaker A:We ended up creating an internal 27 point checklist that systematically identifies upsell opportunities.
Speaker A:The third was how we set up the work carts and make sure that one of every single tool or need is on that cart every single day, every day.
Speaker A:Let me tell you about my client, Jason in California.
Speaker A:Jason runs a six figure shop, was frustrated because his close rate varied dramatically depending on which team member spoke to the customer.
Speaker A:And when I say close rate, I mean when they came in for inspection, some of the days they close 70% of them, other days they close 30% of them.
Speaker A:So we documented the ceramic coating sales process.
Speaker A:Every question, every demonstration, every price presentation.
Speaker A:And within three weeks, the conversion rate jumped from a wildly inconsistent average of 40% to 65%.
Speaker A:That jump in close rate for him meant an additional $14,000 in monthly revenue and he spent zero additional dollars on marketing or advertising.
Speaker A:Same leads, same services, same prices.
Speaker A:Just a documented sales system that any team member could follow.
Speaker A:So how do you document a system?
Speaker A:Going to walk you through my practical approach to how you do this.
Speaker A:First, I grab my phone and record myself performing the task, start to finish.
Speaker A:I talk through what I'm doing as I go.
Speaker A:I'm starting the two bucket wash process.
Speaker A:Notice I have one colored mitt for the lower panel which is red.
Speaker A:And when I'm done, I'm going to move on to the clay process.
Speaker A:It often shows me that I do things that I automatically wouldn't think of.
Speaker A:And once you take that, you can take your recording and you can put it into chat, GPT or another tool and create your SOP out of it.
Speaker A:For our paint correction process, we ended up with 12 specific steps from wash process prep to final inspection.
Speaker A:But sometimes writing it down isn't enough, right?
Speaker A:So certain things we need visual clarity.
Speaker A:And that's why photos are a critical point in the process.
Speaker A:Because at what point does 18 of an inch on an edge of a PPF install on a fender actually look like?
Speaker A:Sometimes you need photographic evidence in those SOPs and then you have to test them.
Speaker A:And what I do is have somebody follow my documentation without any verbal guidance from me.
Speaker A:I simply watch them and note where they get confused.
Speaker A:Because your documentation is only good as somebody else's ability to follow it.
Speaker A:Our internal PPF installation guide went through six revisions before a new installer could follow it without any questions.
Speaker A:Yes, this process takes time, about two to three hours per major system.
Speaker A:But every single time you create a system and document it, it pays off every day after that.
Speaker A:Think of it this way.
Speaker A:If every day you're documenting a system and it saves you 15 minutes of explanation or rework, it pays for itself every in less than two weeks.
Speaker A:And after that, it's pure profit in the time saved and quality improved.
Speaker A:Now, in my shop we had three systems that were huge.
Speaker A:The first is what we call our 15 minute morning meeting system.
Speaker A:Every day, 9:45, everybody on the team would gather around the whiteboard where every vehicle in the shop is listed.
Speaker A:We reviewed the status of each product, clarified priorities, and we talked about potential issues.
Speaker A:And we.
Speaker A:And we did this making sure everybody was present at the meeting.
Speaker A:And before we did this, my technicians would constantly interrupt me throughout the day asking what should I work on next?
Speaker A:Or where are we at with the black Tesla?
Speaker A:Or something else having that meeting and making sure everyone's on the same page immediately eliminated those interruptions, boosted productivity in the shop and we got at least an extra hour's worth of productivity time out of each tech every day.
Speaker A:And that gave me more time to stay in flow state to stay focused on the business.
Speaker A:And that's five additional hours of productivity time across the team from one 15 minute investment.
Speaker A:And most shops just check the final product, which means you catch problems after all the work is done when it's the most expensive to fix because the customer's coming right then.
Speaker A:So what we did is we implemented quality checks at the critical points in the process and that's right after wash, clay decon, after paint correction and right before final delivery.
Speaker A:And what this did is allowed us to cut the amount of times we had to retouch a car by like 70% because we eliminated all those various missed spots that customers might pick out.
Speaker A:When you catch a swirl mark or towel mark right after paint correction rather than at delivery, you save yourself a bunch of effort and you save your brand reputation as well.
Speaker A:The third system that really helped our shop and our brand process was the client communication timeline.
Speaker A:We documented exactly when clients hear from us throughout their service.
Speaker A:They get a confirmation text upon booking a reminder two days before their appointment.
Speaker A:They get a check in photo when their vehicle arrives.
Speaker A:That's we send it to them manually.
Speaker A:They'll typically get a few random photos throughout the job that is never communicated to them, so it's always a surprise.
Speaker A:And then they'll get a notification when the job is done and they'll get a message with instructions and communication for 14 days later and they get a text message with follow up care instructions seven days later.
Speaker A:Now just this system reduced the where my car calls from about five or six daily to maybe once per week.
Speaker A:That was five fewer interruptions each saving at least 10 minutes of productive time.
Speaker A:That's nearly an hour recovered each day just from one simple communication system.
Speaker A:The biggest mistake I see shop owners make is trying to document everything at once.
Speaker A:You get overwhelmed and you end up documenting nothing.
Speaker A:So let me give you a simple way to get started today.
Speaker A:Even if you're skeptical about how important this is.
Speaker A:Pick one process to document this week.
Speaker A:I recommend starting with your client check in procedure because it's customer facing sets the tone for the entire experience.
Speaker A:Brand and customer experience is extremely important.
Speaker A:You don't need fancy software.
Speaker A:Create a Google Doc or use your Google Notes app, title it client vehicle check in process and then write out every step in order from greeting the client all the way to Storing their keys.
Speaker A:The secret to making this valuable is the context.
Speaker A:Not just what, but why.
Speaker A:For example, always provide the client with an estimated completion time even if they don't ask.
Speaker A:This prevents follow up calls and shows professionalism.
Speaker A:Then add photos of inspection form where keys get stored and other visual elements that make the process clear.
Speaker A:Now this is super important.
Speaker A:You gotta have somebody on your team test the documentation.
Speaker A:So tomorrow you hand them the document, ask them to follow it exactly as written and watch what happens without helping them.
Speaker A:This is a real world test that will show you where your documentation is needs improvement.
Speaker A:In the automotive world, you would call this the electric wiggle test.
Speaker A:Where they would send extra voltage through the system to see if it stays within spec or if it moves outside of normal specifications.
Speaker A:In my shop we started with one process per week.
Speaker A:After three months we documented our most 12 critical systems.
Speaker A:The result was night and day.
Speaker A:I went from working personally inside the shop at 75 plus hours a week to under 40 while our revenue still went up and increased by like 30%.
Speaker A:And those aren't made up numbers either.
Speaker A:Those are the actual impact that documenting systems had on my shop.
Speaker A:Now let me leave you with this.
Speaker A:Systems are the fundamental truth and are the bridge between working in the business and working on the business.
Speaker A:They are what sets you free.
Speaker A:Every documented process is another brick in that bridge, so to speak.
Speaker A:Because when I started my shop I thought being irreplaceable is what made me really valuable.
Speaker A:And I was the only one who could sell services, the only one who could handle certain clients, the only one who knew exactly how we did things.
Speaker A:Quickly I realized how much of a bottleneck that actually was.
Speaker A:Because being irreplaceable doesn't make you valuable, it makes you trapped.
Speaker A:Because true value comes from building a business that can function well even when you're not there.
Speaker A:And that only happens through documented systems.
Speaker A:So here's your homework and I want you to actually do this.
Speaker A:Not just think about it.
Speaker A:Document just one process this week.
Speaker A:Take before and after photos, time how long it takes.
Speaker A:Watch the difference when someone follows your system versus figuring it out for themselves.
Speaker A:Until then, remember that the documentation thing isn't bs.
Speaker A:That's the foundation that your business can grow on to get beyond just you.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening today.
Speaker A:Hopefully this was helpful for you.
Speaker A:We have launched Detailers os.
Speaker A:Detailer OS is our free Facebook group where we hold nothing back when it comes to marketing and business advice.
Speaker A:And it's highly vetted to keep out low quality, low effort people.
Speaker A:So if you're looking for a place where you're not going to be judged when you are seeking help inside of your business, please join us on Facebook@ Detailer OS.
Speaker A:And you're also going to have access to our new program, Detailer OS Magnified Growth, which is our paid monthly program.
Speaker A:You can head over to Detaileros IO for more information regarding that just by clicking the link in the description or in the show notes on your favorite podcast.
Speaker A:Apparently.
