It’s also a good calculation to perform when you think of anything that pulls that technician away from working steadily on vehicles. Every time that technician has to go look for a part or a tool, every time that technician is writing their own supplement notes or having to walk to the office for something, that’s costing your shop the equivalent of $100+ per hour in gross profit. That’s one of the reasons I’m a huge proponent of having an estimator/repair planner working out in the shop, to help ensure the technicians are able to stay on task.
In any case, I think we all have to start thinking a little out of the box in terms of recruiting and retaining technicians, and making an investment into “growing your own” can have a significant return.
Mike Anderson