Tracy and I participated in an exercise that you may have done in the past. If you belong to a national, regional, or local networking group, you may have worked together to do Repair Order Audits. A good thing!
For this exercise, no one was there to examine labor rates or charges—there were no competitors in the room!
We were looking for the client's perspective, transparency, too much or not enough information, and layout, among other things. The contributions were immense. Different perspectives were provided. The focus was on the Repair Order, showing Concern, Cause, Correction, and Confirmation.
We found a ton of acronyms that the client just doesn’t get or understand. That has always been my pet peeve in my major push for a language shift.
The best came from Tracy's perspective as a consumer. Her analysis of over 15 ROs from a woman's perspective and as a consumer had a very powerful impact.
What struck me most about our collaborative effort was how diverse viewpoints can transform a seemingly routine task into a rich, revealing experience. Our audit wasn't just about checking boxes or finding errors—it was about understanding communication, design, and the client experience from multiple angles. Remember, there were no competitors in the room, even though all the shops were from the local marketplace.
Tracy's consumer lens brought an invaluable dimension to our review. The shop owners might have overlooked subtle nuances, so she zeroed in on elements that spoke directly to client comprehension and engagement. Her insights revealed that an invoice or repair order is more than just a transactional document—it's a communication tool that can either build trust or create confusion.
The collaborative approach demonstrated the power of what I call "vibrant collaboration." It's not just working together but working together with intention, curiosity, and openness to different perspectives. Each participant brings their unique background, expertise, and lens to the table, creating a mosaic of understanding far more comprehensively than any individual could achieve alone.
In our audit, we weren't just reviewing documents. We were decoding communication strategies, identifying potential points of friction, and reimagining how information could be presented more clearly and effectively. Tracy's consumer perspective complemented the more technical observations, creating a holistic view that could drive meaningful improvements.
When we create spaces where different perspectives are tolerated, actively sought, and valued, we unlock the potential for profound insights and transformative change.
At this meeting, we heard of a shop owner in a nearby city that doesn’t have a local networking group. He said no one would do it because they looked at each other as competitors. In this local group, there is nothing further from that unkept premise.
A local networking group can produce results that can be nothing short of revolutionary. Collaboration is precisely what we provide on our almost ten-year young podcast.
