When you think about boosting your shop's performance, increasing your car count or average repair order might be the first things that come to mind. Of course, those are definitely areas you should focus on, but are you also focusing on your team? Your people are at the core of your shop's operations, so in order to increase your shop's performance, it's crucial to invest in developing their skills.
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If you want to see a measurable increase in your shop’s output, a commitment to training is the first step — but it can’t fall only on technicians. For training to truly be effective, leadership has to set the tone.
A culture of learning has to be fostered by owners and managers first. When leadership supports training and treats it like a real priority, it sends a clear message: learning isn’t “extra,” it’s part of how the shop runs. That buy-in also makes it easier for the team to take training seriously, because it’s backed by expectations — not just suggestions.
Read More: How Shop Owner Training Sets the Standard
Measurable growth comes from consistent, sustained effort. If training only happens when things slow down, it’ll always get pushed aside (because let’s be honest—most shops don’t really slow down). The goal is to build a routine your team can stick with, so learning becomes normal, not something everyone dreads or forgets about.
A few ways to help that routine actually stick:
Daily training makes consistency realistic. Instead of trying to carve out big blocks of time that never seem to work out, short sessions help your technicians and advisors build skills steadily without disrupting the day. In just a few minutes, they can reinforce key concepts, stay sharp on new procedures and technology, and strengthen their confidence over time.
And that consistency pays off with fewer “hold on, let me look that up” moments, smoother workflow, and a team that’s better prepared for whatever pulls into the bay.
Most shops have that one superstar technician everyone relies on — the person who can diagnose anything, fix it fast, and keep the day from going off the rails. And in the middle of a tech shortage, it’s normal to feel a little nervous about what happens if that person leaves, gets injured, or even just takes a much-needed vacation.
The goal isn’t to replace your top performer, it’s to strengthen the rest of the bench. When you make development a priority across the whole team, you reduce the risk of being stuck when one key person is out. A more balanced team also gives you more flexibility as an owner: you can schedule smarter, delegate more confidently, and take on a wider range of work without crossing your fingers every time something complicated rolls in.
Daily training makes it easier to support every role and experience level without forcing everyone through the exact same material. The bigger win, though, is what happens when you track it. To increase your shop’s performance, you need to be able to oversee and manage your team’s development, and you can’t manage what you don’t measure.
When you have progress tracking in place, you can answer questions like:
With in-depth reports, you can pinpoint exactly where team members need more support — whether that’s fundamentals, new technology, diagnostic thinking, or role-specific processes. That makes coaching more targeted, and it helps your team feel supported instead of criticized.
Over time, those individual improvements start showing up where it matters most: smoother workflow, fewer slowdowns, and a shop that runs stronger because the entire team is getting better, not just one person carrying the load.
Boosting your team’s efficiency is a direct path to improving shop performance. When jobs move through the bays faster (without sacrificing quality), you can handle more vehicles, keep schedules on track, and generate more revenue without constantly feeling behind.
Knowledge retention sits at the center of a smooth workflow. When technicians and advisors can quickly recall the right steps, specs, or diagnostic approach, work keeps moving. But when someone has to stop mid-repair to search for an answer, double-check a process, or ask around the shop, everything slows down, and those little pauses add up fast throughout the day.
Daily training helps prevent that “stop and start” cycle. Because learning is reinforced regularly, your team members are more likely to remember what they need in the moment, which means:
Productivity also takes a hit when your shop has to turn away work. If your team doesn’t have the skill set to handle certain jobs, you lose revenue and create gaps in the schedule that are hard to fill.
Daily training helps broaden what your team can confidently take on. As your technicians and advisors consistently build their skill sets, you’re improving both speed and capability. That means a shop that’s better prepared for the mix of vehicles and repairs that shows up every week.
Over time, consistent development sets your team (and your shop) up for a stronger rhythm: better flow, fewer bottlenecks, and more work completed with less stress.
Increasing your shop's performance starts with growing and developing your team. By making training a daily part of your shop, you'll begin to see real, tangible changes in your shop's output and performance. It's time to invest in your team to help your shop thrive, and that's where we come in. Get in contact with our team today to learn more about how we can help your team grow tomorrow.
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Q: What does “shop performance” mean beyond car count and ARO?
A: It’s how consistently your shop runs day to day—steady workflow, quality work, fewer slowdowns, and a team that can handle more jobs without everything relying on one “superstar” tech.
Q: Why does training have to start with leadership?
A: Because training only sticks when it’s supported. When owners and managers treat learning like a priority (not an afterthought), the team is more likely to follow through and take it seriously.
Q: Why daily training instead of occasional longer sessions?
A: Daily training builds a habit and improves knowledge retention. A few minutes a day helps techs and advisors recall what they need faster—without pulling them off the floor for big chunks of time.
Q: How does measuring training progress actually help the shop?
A: It shows who’s improving, who needs support, and where skill gaps are. That makes coaching and training decisions way more targeted—because you can’t manage what you don’t measure.
Q: How does training increase productivity and revenue?
A: A stronger, more confident team works faster and more smoothly, spends less time stopping to look things up, and can take on more types of jobs—so you complete more work and turn away fewer customers.