Fixed Ops Journal - October 2021 - F21

FIXED OPS JOURNAL
down, which frees up technicians to work on recons.
To meet the demand for clean pre-owned
vehicles, the dealership has come up with incentives
for its staff . " We're paying technicians to
come in on their days off , " Somoza says. " If he
works a fi ve-day workweek and wants to come
in a sixth day, we'll pay him 120 percent of what
he normally earns for that day. "
Delayed turns
At the Nissan dealership, pre-owned sales
run about 130 vehicles per month. But in this
overheated used-vehicle market, it moves 200
a month - and it's not unheard of for prospective
customers to meet transporters loaded
with pre-owned vehicles as they arrive.
Recon used to require fi ve days or less, but
lately it's been running eight to 10 because of
the " volume we have to push out, " says Brian
Rogers, who manages pre-owned inventory
for Central Houston Nissan. " Plus, if it's not a
Nissan, in a lot of cases we'll have to wait for
parts, which will take a day to get to our store. "
All pre-owned vehicles go through Central
Houston Nissan's own 190-point inspection.
Before a vehicle can be sold, it must also pass
Reconditioning best practices
MAKE A LIST: A thorough checklist such as those in certifi ed pre-owned programs can
prevent recons from becoming lost in the ground clutter. An inspection list also can
help reduce after sale comebacks that waste time, resources and customer goodwill.
INCENTIVES: Put techs on the fast track to higher earnings by rewarding them for
wrapping up each recon in a specifi ed amount of time. " I've learned in the last 7 or 8
years that if you incentivize, you make a lot more money, " says Nick Anderson, general
manager of Chuck Anderson Ford in Excelsior, Mo.
COLLABORATE: Develop the expertise and teamwork between service and sales to
avoid taking on vehicles that require hard-to-fi nd parts or automaker software and tools.
RECON R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Recon can be a path to career advancement and tech retention.
Ruben Perez started working at Jeff Haas Mazda in the quick lube department. Seven
years later, he's a Mazda senior certifi ed technician there.
a state inspection, which can take 45 minutes.
Rogers says on a Nissan recon, the dealership
will spend a minimum of $1,500.
" I've seen technicians work three bays at a
time doing inspections, " says Rogers, who has
three techs assigned full time to engine, transmission
and electronics reconditioning.
Th e dealership relies on an outside service
that refurbishes the interior, exterior, glass and
upholstery and does deodorizing or wheel repair
. Business is so brisk - about 230 recons a
month - the vendor keeps two workers stationed
at the Houston store to help " knock it
out and make the cars front-line ready. "
" When we're done, " Rogers says, " that vehicle
is selling itself. " 
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OCTOBER 2021 PAGE 21

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Fixed Ops Journal - October 2021

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