Pub. 1 2011 Issue 1

16 AUTOMOBILE DEALER NEWS ILLINOIS www.illinoisdealers.com Wheel-off Prevention Many times we hear “our technicians would never forget to reinstall and tighten the lug nuts on a wheel.” However, real-world cases tell another story. Loose and missing lug nuts have resulted in terrible car wrecks, se- vere injuries, fatalities, bad publicity and expensive litiga- tion. And the business owners involved probably thought their technicians wouldn’t make this mistake—until it happened to them. In the insurance industry, these type incidents are known as “completed operations” claims, and may result in nuisance or catastrophic claims. Nuisance claims, such as when a wheel falls off a customer’s car and causes minor damage after your technician rotated the tires or changed the brakes, can adversely affect profitability. Catastrophic claims, such as when a wheel comes off while your customer is on the highway and causes a multi-fatality accident, can cost millions of dollars and put you out of business. General recommendations Protect your business by using basic Quality Control (QC) techniques. Many businesses wait until they have suffered a catastrophic accident to implement QC pro- grams. It is critical to be proactive. Review your current work practices, identify weaknesses and implement the necessary QC programs. Be sure to address everything from hiring procedures and employee training to job procedures and quality checks of completed work. The following guidelines will help you implement an effective program at your business. It starts with people • Hire the best people you can find. • Conduct pre-employment and post-accident drug screens. Make sure to consult with legal counsel before conducting drug tests. • Confirm prior job history. • Verify qualifications – ASE certified technicians are preferred. Establish job-specific procedures • Develop written job procedures for all critical tasks or duties. • Teach them “your way” of performing the job correctly – it is dangerous to rely solely on previous job experience and employers that may have used haphazard training methods. • Focus extra attention (training, supervision, etc.) on new employees. • Provide initial, ongoing and refresher training on critical job functions. • If you need help, the Tire Industry Association (TIA) has excellent training programs. Visit their website at www.tireindustry.org . • Have managers or supervisors observe technicians on a regular basis to ensure that they adhere to written job procedures. Loss Prevention Protect your business by using basic Quality Control (QC) techniques.