Courtesy of Tech Shop
In today’s world, clean has taken on a whole new meaning. In addition to the absence of dirt or grime, it now also means safe, disinfected, no germs. Like it or not, this is the way things are, and the days of a dirty, greasy automotive repair shop are numbered. Adding to it, the expectation of cleanliness goes beyond the customers walking through the front door; it’s a cultural shift, part fueled by the anxiety surrounding the COVID pandemic, and part fueled by the “green” movement – taking care of our planet.
We’re faced with all generations – from the old who got us where we are to the young who are the future of the workforce and future of the industry – expecting a clean, safe work environment. If they haven’t already, automotive repair shops will have to step it up from all sides – in the shop, in the waiting room, inside and out.
This doesn’t mean if you’re a shop owner or shop manager that you are solely responsible for this effort.
Employees need to pull their weight keeping the shop clean, but the expectation of cleanliness comes down from the top. Naturally there’s a cost to it and that’s just part of business today. Having the proper cleaning and disinfecting supplies in a shop, and the organizational prowess to enforce it, is the only way to meet the expectation.
This all might just be my opinion, so to see where things stand in the field, I visited some local shops in the area to get a feel for the overall cleanliness culture, and here are some of the common trends that may indicate what is on the horizon for a clean, green automotive repair shop.
