Each upkeep and restore job tells a narrative. The standard and accuracy, nevertheless, varies significantly, relying on the storyteller.
That is as a result of service technicians are educated to repair issues, not doc what they do. However the particulars matter — rather a lot. Poorly written studies can value dealerships time, cash and clients, stated trade veteran Joe McCue, who was decided to discover a resolution.
To assist velocity up the method and enhance high quality, McCue started creating a web-based software program platform about 10 years in the past. He is been refining the software ever since, and now heads a 40-person staff at Pencilwrench, the corporate he co-founded in 2019 to market the product.
Pencilwrench allows technicians to jot down an in depth 150- to 200-word story in as little as 30 to 40 seconds, in response to McCue. By comparability, he stated, some technicians can take as much as a half-hour to compose a service report on their very own.
“Technicians are unimaginable at their jobs, however they are not essentially the best spellers or typists,” McCue stated, noting that writing tales could be notably difficult for these whose main language is just not English. “We give them a platform to do it in a really repair-specific manner.”
Along with offering a sooner course of and extra skilled communications, Pencilwrench reduces errors and mitigates debit danger and coverage bills whereas rising profitability and throughput, McCue stated. Sellers can decide potential financial savings through Pencilwrench’s on-line calculator.
Entrepreneurs are used to rejection. The profitable ones have to be persistent — in addition to have a product with tangible advantages — to win over the staunchest skeptics.
“It took me years to tug the set off with Joe,” stated Thomas Druzynski, director of service operations for West Herr Automotive Group in West Henrietta, N.Y. “I get approached on a regular basis in my place about merchandise which can be supposed to vary the trade, and I usually discover one thing unsuitable. Once I regarded on the newest iteration [of Pencilwrench], I could not discover something unsuitable with it.”
Nonetheless, Druzynski wasn’t fully satisfied, so he enlisted the assistance of one in all his most seasoned execs, Todd Puccio, to attempt to “break” the system. With 32 years of expertise throughout a number of dealerships and types, Puccio has seen his share of fad applied sciences come and go.
It did not take lengthy for Puccio to turn out to be a Pencilwrench convert — particularly when the corporate requested for his enter, then rapidly applied it, together with a suggestion concerning a “fast click on” oil change menu.
“Two weeks after I gave them the thought, we have been utilizing it,” he stated.
Extra importantly, Puccio estimates Pencilwrench has reduce guarantee reject or resubmit charges practically in half, dropping from 7 to eight % to 4 % amongst West Herr customers.
“It is a ache to resubmit a guaranty declare, chase the man down and redo the story,” he stated. Pencilwrench “is good for easy stuff like this.”
About half of West Herr’s greater than 500 technicians unfold throughout 35 dealerships now use Pencilwrench, in response to Druzynski. Shops that carry out one of the best have technicians comparable to Puccio championing the expertise to the remainder of the staff, he stated.
West Herr additionally companions with native faculties to make use of Pencilwrench to assist educate the following technology of service technicians. One program trains present technicians to turn out to be master-level technicians, whereas one other focuses on adults seeking to make a profession change, Druzynski stated.
“It is a genius thought,” stated Manny Arguello, service director at Star Ford-Lincoln in Glendale, Calif. “If I needed to put it by way of {dollars}, the return on funding is wonderful.”
Arguello, who began as a delivery and receiving clerk at a big Los Angeles dealership in 1979, started speaking with Pencilwrench proper earlier than the pandemic. Almost all of his 26 technicians now use the software, with a give attention to guarantee work.
“The sphere service engineers from Ford at all times touch upon how good the reasons are,” Arguello stated. “Ford may be very eager on explanations and followup.”
That is very true for brand new merchandise and applied sciences comparable to electrical automobiles.
“We’ve not missed a beat by utilizing Pencilwrench for EVs,” Arguello stated. “Every part is comparable on how we do a process and full a recall.”
Dan Cummins Automotive Group confronted related challenges with its high Chevy retailer in Kentucky.
“As a result of our quantity, GM is consistently reviewing us,” stated Tim Hollifield, the group’s director of mounted operations. “Our technicians had struggled to jot down good tales and notes. There’s not a tech on the planet that may spell every little thing appropriately.
“I checked out a pair completely different instruments to assist them,” he stated. “Pencilwrench was probably the most automotive-friendly.”
Now in its second 12 months in this system, Cummins additionally makes use of Pencilwrench at its Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram retailers and a high-volume used-car unit. The outcomes communicate for themselves. Cummins has elevated service writeup effectivity by 10 % because it started utilizing Pencilwrench, in response to Hollifield.
McCue, who started his profession as a technician in 1979 earlier than advancing to numerous management roles in each gross sales and repair, has at all times prided himself on being the consummate skilled. Along with being educated and effectively ready, this implies wanting and appearing the half — “suiting up” for fulfillment, speaking with all his i’s and t’s correctly dotted and crossed and every little thing punctuated appropriately.
As a service supervisor and fixed-operations director, McCue was always encountering a pet peeve of his — poor grammar.
“Each day, my technicians generated these studies and, by nature of [the dealership management system], no matter they write lands within the buyer invoices,” he stated. “You see some loopy stuff — misspellings, horrible wording and worse.”
McCue remembers one egregious instance of a foul service report that learn: “Hey, put in particular order half, cannot assure it can work.”
“Silly stuff that makes you look unhealthy,” he stated.
McCue first had the thought for Pencilwrench when he was heading up service operations at a Ford dealership. He began creating the software after taking his subsequent job as director of efficiency administration for Markham, Ontario-based Supplier-FX, which makes a speciality of information analytics.
Engaged on the venture on his personal time, McCue stated he spent a number of holidays demonstrating the product to sellers. These early variations have been rudimentary and fewer than optimum, he acknowledges, however they regularly obtained extra refined and correct due to suggestions from clients and consultants.
After struggling to land and retain clients, McCue stated he requested for divine intervention. This led to an epiphany, and in 2019 he began devoting his full consideration to Pencilwrench. McCue is CEO, whereas co-founder Colin Snyder is CTO and co-founder Greg Thrasher (who penned the Thrasher Equation for multipoint inspections) serves as coaching supervisor. The fourth member of the management staff prefers to be a silent companion.
Gross sales greater than doubled in 2021 and once more in 2022, in response to McCue. Pencilwrench is now in practically 900 dealerships, he added.
“Stewarding Pencilwrench over the previous 10 years — constructing lasting relationships and having ongoing conversations with the technicians and sellers utilizing the software program — has been very fulfilling,” he stated. “Attending NADA final week, and seeing so a lot of our clients cease by our sales space, thanking us for the true tangible distinction Pencilwrench has made, makes all of it price it.
“Our success has at all times been pushed by our laser give attention to our clients’ wants and our ardour for customer support,” he stated.