If someone were to come up to you right now and ask you how to start a car (yes, I know that sounds funny), what would your answer be? Most people will answer like this:
- Step 1: Open car door
- Step 2: Get in car
- Step 3: Insert keys
- Step 4: Turn ignition and vroom vroom!
Now you maybe asking yourself why on earth would someone need instructions on how to start a car? It’s something we do multiple times per day. I can close my eyes and still get it done.
You are correct. It’s a task that we set on auto mode. We do it everyday that it takes no mental willpower to muster up the thought process on what to do.
That’s the same mentality a lot (if not most) professional detailers have when it comes to cleaning and detailing cars. You’ve cleaned dozens and hundreds of cars that everything is second nature to you.
You don’t need to think about what you’re going to do, you have a system and process set in your mind that you follow each each time. So as you’re detailing, you’re basically in auto mode going through the motions.
Is there anything wrong with that? No, not really. But can your system be improved? MOST DEFINITELY.
If you’ve watched any of my YouTube videos, you’ve probably heard me say a few times that venturing out of the detailing industry for knowledge is a great way for growth. You’re probably thinking, “well I’m a detailer, I provide detailing services and run a detailing business, why on earth would I look somewhere else for advice??”
Think about it like this, if every detailer is learning from each other, how on earth is anyone going to spark new information to pass on? There’s a lot of things we can learn from other industries and niches that we can directly apply to our detail businesses….
And that’s where the checklists come into play…
[bonus]Featured Bonus: [link]Click here to download[/link] THREE of my personal checklists. Tweak them as you see fit![/bonus]
Most of this information comes from the great book by Atul Gawande called the Checklist Manifesto. I HIGHLY recommend you pick it up. The stories alone are entertaining enough to pick up his book!
Anywho…
There are two main reasons why I am such an advocator for checklists:
- It helps us check our work and maintain quality
- If we need a helper for the day, the checklist will give them their playbook
It Helps Us Check Our Work and Maintain Quality
How long can you detail in a day before you start getting tired and fatigued?
3 hours? 5 hours? 7 hours?
Just look at this scientifically proven statistical graph shown below. The longer we work, the more tired we get.
We start off strong, but as time progresses, our energy level decreases.I live in Texas. It can be scorching hot and humid. It sucks. On top of that, add that I don’t drink enough water (solely because I don’t always have a restroom readily available) and don’t have a full meal during the detail. So my willpower dramatically starts to decrease.
What does that mean?
It means my focus, patience, and positive energy is greatly reduced. Which results in me starting to rush because I want to get out of there. So when it comes towards the end of the detail, I’m speed checking everything.
I do my best to hold my quality to the highest standard, but I am human, so when I’m pushing my time and energy, I’m much more prone to miss simple areas or not double check certain spots.
“(Checklists) not only offer the possibility of verification but also instill a kind of discipline of higher performance.”- Atul Gawande, MD, “The Checklist Manifesto”
Taking it a step further, when I need to take the after photos and videos, they won’t come out as good or I’ll forget to take a shot that would have been a GREAT before and after.
The after photo could have been framed a lot better- making for a more dramatic photo.Checklists are not there because we’re dummies and we need to treat ourselves like 5 year olds because we can’t remember to do anything right. It’s nothing like that AT ALL.
Atul Gawande is a surgeon. He has one of the most risky and complex jobs on this planet. When he proposed the idea of checklists in surgical rooms, many doctors dismissed the idea of a simple checklist improving anything in their operations.
“It’s tempting to believe that no one else’s job could be as complex as mine,” says Gawnde. “But extreme complexity is the rule for almost everyone.” Your job may not involve life-and-death outcomes, but you’ll get the same benefits by using a checklist to organize your most crucial tasks.
It’s basically your accountability partner that will not fail you no matter the circumstance or situation you’re in. It will help double check your work.
Are you starting to realize the importance of checklists? Let’s cover a bit more about checklists before diving into HOW to actually make them…
Do-Confirm vs Read-Do Checklist
Who knew there were different types of checklists?! I sure didn’t…
There are two types of checklists:
- Do-confirm checklist: Team members perform their job from memory and experience often separately. But then they stop and pause to run the checklist to confirm everything that was suppose to be done, was done.
- Read-do checklist: People carry out the task as they check them off
There’s no right or wrong checklist to use. Just like the products, tools, and processes we do in our everyday details, you’ll just have to play with both and see which method you like better.
If you’re going with the do-confirm checklist, you can use it a few ways:
- If you’re barely starting to track your detail systems. Write the steps down as you go and turn that into the checklist
- When you’re completing the detail, run through the checklist to double check your work (or your helpers work)
- Improving your checklist. Just because you’ve written your checklist down doesn’t mean you have to follow that exact method each time. If there’s a part you can improve, do it
If you’re going with the read-do checklist:
- If you’re just starting to detail and want to make sure you’re doing it in the right order
- If you’ve developed your checklist and you’re implementing the steps
- If you have a helper, the checklist will be it’s accountability partner. Just tell him/her to follow the checklist and they’ll get (most) of it done
Checklists only work if YOU make them work. You have to actively check them when needed, you have to tweak them, and you have to take them serious.
Don’t just create it (or download mine) and complain how they were ineffective by your passive actions.
Checklists are meant to keep you on track. They’re not in-depth how-to articles teaching you what to do. This is where they can be a distraction by having too much information.
Your checklist is a quick and simple tool.
Okay, I think we have a pretty good understanding of what a checklists can do for us. Now let’s dive into HOW we can create these magical checklists
Creating Your Checklists
Okay, so if you’re brand new to creating checklists or you’re too busy/lazy to make them yourself, simply start off with the ones I provide and tweak ‘em as you see fit. Or use them as is- up to you!
If you want to create your own, then there’s two primary methods you can do so:
- Track your progress as you detail: Your detail will take a lot longer because you’re going to stop a lot to jot down your steps as you work. Let’s say you’re doing an engine cleaning. It’ll look something like this:
- Open hood
- Remove leaves and debris with hands/blower/vacuum
- Inspect bay- any tears? Exposed wires? Intakes?
- Tape off any sensitive areas
- Spray hood with APC
- You get the point..
Another method is to simply perform a few steps and then write them down. Do step 1 through 4 and then write them down instead of going through 1, then 2, then 3, etc…
- Close your eyes and visualize yourself detailing: Instead of physically detailing and writing the steps down, simply close your eyes and visualize yourself performing the detail. Imagine it as detailed and real as you possibly can. This method will take awhile to get down as you’ll probably skip a few steps since you’re not used to visualizing the entire detail in your head. Write the steps down as you see fit.
At this point, you’re primary task is to simply write down your steps. You don’t need to worry about making it pretty as if this was the final draft.
Write ALL the steps down first and then go back and see which ones you can combine so it doesn’t seem so mundane. For instance, back to the engine detail:
Too much:
- Walk to driver side door
- Open door with hand
- Kneel down and look for hood release latch
- Close door
- Walk to front of car
Good:
- Open hood
- Remove leaves and debris with hands/blower/vacuum
- Inspect bay- any tears? Exposed wires? Intakes?
- Tape off any sensitive areas
- Spray hood with APC
- You get the point..
You’ll most likely go through a few revisions before you feel confident in your checklist. That’s okay. It’s always a work in progress.
But where should you create these checklists?
You don’t need any special software to create these checklists. If you have MS Word, MS Powerpoint, Keynote (Mac), Adobe Acrobat, or Google Docs, then you’ll be able to make your own checklist.
I created mine in Keynote. It’s a basic design, don’t sweat what you use. You just need to write a bit of text with a box or circle next to it to mark it off.
Look at whatever apps are on your tablet or laptop and go with that. Google Docs is completely free. So if all else, you can use that or go with a free trial of another software.
Paper vs Electronic
What’s better to use; mobile phone and tablets or paper? As my personal preference, I’d go with a physical copy.
What I do is print it out and laminate it so it’s much more durable and can be written on with a dry erase marker (I have this laminator). I’m able to throw it around a lot more and can access it much quicker than pulling out my phone each time.
Since it’s laminated and I’m using a dry erase marker, it’s easy to clean up and reuse for the next one. Highly recommend it!
Just like pilots have access to both a physical copy or electronic screen for their checklists, try it out yourself and see which one you like better. There’s no right or wrong answer here.
Now what?
So there you have it.. Now you have a strong framework for creating checklists.
You can use this as a tool to dramatically help you in your business or you can brush it off and continue to do it your way. There’s no problem with that 🙂
I’m going to post a new article like this every Friday (at least I’m going to aim for that). There going to get better and more in-depth each time.
Till next time!