It’s Your Turn: Quality control during peak chaos season

Navigating the challenges of increased demand, supply chain woes and distractions when the margin for error is already razor-thin

This winter tire season seemed abnormally busy for my shop.

At first, I thought maybe my software platform had finally started to pay off, showing consumers the value I provide. Or perhaps my customer base had upgraded their vehicle fleet to newer models, requiring tire purchases all at the same time.

But if that were the case, why were tire companies’ wait times exceeding 30 minutes? I had never before needed to call them from my cell phone, put my phone in my pocket and wait for a representative to answer. I had never waited three to five days for tire deliveries or dealt with so many errors on the suppliers’ end.

Is it because their new websites are not functioning properly? Is it the early snowfall this year, or a lingering product shortage from COVID finally catching up? Are U.S. tariffs finally affecting the economy, or has the nation’s fleet been upgraded to newer vehicles all at once?

Whatever the cause, my shop isn’t the only one dealing with this situation.

During these chaotic, busy days is when mistakes happen. It can happen to anyone or any shop, regardless of the protocols in place. Going to work on the Monday after our first sustainable snowfall last month in Southern Ontario, I knew exactly what kind of day it would be and prepared myself for the challenge. At my shop, we have a protocol: If any tire is low on pressure, we do not just top it up to match the others and install it. We take the extra time to check and repair leaks rather than ignore them.

On this particular day, I had a waiter with a high-end vehicle that required a specific grade and proprietary-rated oil, which I had purchased days in advance. While the customer waited in the office, I began the routine oil change and winter wheel service. Because I don’t believe in advisors, I was answering the phones myself. To me, advisors are just another link in the chain that can misinterpret information during an abnormally busy season. That day was especially hectic, with phones ringing off the hook from customers needing winter tire services.

As I was installing the winter wheels, the co-op student arrived and I told him to open the oil bottles and remove the foil seals carefully so none fell in. I then realized one tire had zero pressure. I had to spend the next half hour checking and repairing it, all while answering the phones and waiting for my fellow tech to return from lunch so I could be relieved of some responsibilities.

I repaired the tire, installed the wheels, lowered the car and torqued them so I wouldn’t forget. Then I told the co-op student to fill the crankcase. I proceeded to start the vehicle, and the smoke coming from the tailpipe gave me that horrible pit in my stomach. That’s when I realized I never drained the oil. Now I had to return to the dealer, repurchase the oil and filter, redo the entire job, and drive the vehicle to clean out the exhaust — all while the customer waited in the office.

I thought to myself: Maybe if I had advisors and more staff, this issue could have been avoided. But thinking back to my time working at a dealership in Toronto, where they did employ advisors, I remembered a technician forgetting to remove rags covering the engine before installing the intake manifold and another installing the oil pressure relief valve and spring backwards.

Neither situation ended well for the engines.

I also remember, during that same period, failing to tighten a belt tensioner bolt due to distractions. The customer returned the next day with the battery light on, and the tensioner and belt were lying at the bottom of the engine compartment.

I quickly realized that mistakes can happen to anyone at any time, with or without advisors present. We as technicians have to learn from our mistakes, move on and not beat ourselves up over them. Otherwise, we won’t last in this industry. While we need to remember our mistakes, we also need the mind of a goldfish to forget the grief that follows.

Another thought I had during this season was: How well are digital inspections going for the shops that use them daily? How can anyone complete a proper digital inspection amid all this chaos? Maybe shops skip them during these times. Maybe technicians rush through the green “OK” boxes without actually checking things properly. Or maybe digital inspections are designed more to benefit shops during slow times than to help consumers when they rely on them most.

Rob Nurse is the owner of Bob Nurse Motors in Peterborough, Ontario

Have thoughts you want to get off your chest? Email adam@turnkey.media and share your opinion.

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