ACCOUNTING FOR PROFITABILITY

(Article published in L’Automobile Mechanics magazine, February 2024)

By Raynald Bouchard

How do you maintain a climate of trust with customers and guarantee their satisfaction? By demonstrating professionalism, honesty and transparency, says Lise Chabot, co-owner of Autotec Chabot Marcil, a five-bay service garage in Longueuil.

But, according to Ms. Chabot, there’s an essential ingredient to cement these entrepreneurial virtues: accounting for profitability! It’s not just a question of adding numbers to columns, it’s a matter of making them talk, of identifying specific points that can make each of the company’s activities profitable, and turning them into profit centres. “I’ve learned to develop ‘deep accounting’ in the search for the best acquisition costs for specialized equipment, such as a recent alignment system, which take longer to become profitable.”

Autotec Chabot Marcil prides itself on developing the skills of its seven technicians to offer a range of state-of-the-art services. “Two of them act as technical advisors, which ensures customers get the best estimates for the job, including parts and service.”

Lise Chabot joined forces with her husband Sylvain Marcil, purchasing their first building in 1986 and expanding it over the years as the business grew. Their son, Pierre-Luc Chabot-Marcil, joined the organization more recently and is ideally placed to take over.