Guide to Operating an Auto Repair Shop in the Middle of the Pandemic

If you look at it, we’ve been dragged into a seemingly bottomless pit ever since the virus came to town. It’s been over a year, but we have yet to claim victory over the pandemic. In spite of the arrival of the vaccines, the virus has only gotten bolder and bolder. What’s even more shocking is many fully vaccinated Americans have recently been reported to be infected by the more sinister Delta variant. The worse, thing is that many of these people came out asymptomatic.

That certainly doesn’t look good on your auto repair shop operation. Unlike the delivery of goods that can be transacted online, you can’t really be effective in putting problematic vehicles back into shape without directly getting in touch with them.

The government has listed auto repair as essential work so you should have the courage to continue. Nevertheless, you need to deal with the risk head-on should you choose to operate. As CDC guidelines make clear, person-to-person contact is the #1 way to spread the virus. The million-dollar question, therefore, is how do you keep operating while putting risks to the utmost minimum?

Fortunately for you, you share the same predicament with every automotive repair center in Openbay all over America. To note, Openbay (downloadable in Google Play and App Store) has been a great help for millions of Americans who’ve found their vehicles unwieldy and needing repair. Taking heed of the guidance of a country-trusted app should be wise.

Follow the Rules

You will be putting yourself at risk if you don’t follow the guidelines as stipulated by CDC. Also, that should mean you should follow locally mandated health protocols. As virus behavior is changing by the minute, keeping abreast of the latest advisory from your local government would be wise. It should protect you, your staff, and the customers you long to serve.

Top of the list is the practice of wearing masks and gloves. Provide your employees with medical-grade face masks and quality protective gloves at work in case they need spares. In addition, you should practice social distancing among yourselves and among customers. Plus, aim to stagger shifts so you minimize the number of people working together in your shop.

Observe Touchless Vehicle Drop Off/Pick Up

Quite naturally, this will involve a lot of strategic planning on your part. But it should be all worth it. Remember any of your workers getting infected could jeopardize your operations, or worse.

For vehicle pick-ups, you can transact over the phone before the actual pick-up. Instructions on where to leave the keys and necessary documents should be agreed upon beforehand. They can then proceed to test drive the vehicle and complete needed documents while inside.

For drop-offs, you can assign someone to be there at a distance at a particular time. After which, documents can be exchanged at a pre-assigned table.

Disinfect Vehicle Surfaces

Right off the bat, disinfecting a vehicle’s surfaces should be a top priority. A recent mind-blowing study has shown that a car’s steering wheel could be much dirtier than a toilet seat. So cleaning must be taken seriously.

Disinfecting before and after a repair service would be wise. It’s important that staff wear protective gloves and masks while doing this process.

Also, this is where quality material used in the car interior matters most. For instance, high-quality custom car mats that fit the cabin contours to a T ensure mess and spills are trapped perfectly. This makes the job of cleaning the car’s insides a lot easier. Plus, the original carpet won’t be harmed as quality car mats has an anti-skid bottom layer keeping things in place.

Creating Safe Spaces for Retail

It’s not just the vehicle that should be cleaned spotless. By regularly disinfecting the office and other waiting areas each time a vehicle is serviced, customers can be confident they’re safe from harm. This can be a great marketing tool for you too. By giving your clientele assurance that you’re going the extra mile to keep them safe, you attract more patrons.

Deploying Contactless Transactions

Payments should be seamless and without the need to hand the money over. You can use a host of touchless payment options in this regard. Apps such as Venmo should come in handy. By the same token, you can also use your website for customers to transact via credit card. Additionally, long-tested online payment systems such as PayPal can be spot on

There are tons of ways you can improve your customer service during this pandemic. It can seem like an uphill climb. But so long as you use your heart, caring for your customers should be a walk in the park.