Labor + Parts Explained

 Labor + Parts Explained 

Written by: Suzanne Wedeven

A Reminder to Unplug (and Unexpectedly Learn Something)

Full credit where it’s due! One of my coworkers made me watch Sing 2 because, in his words, “You need to stop working for a couple of hours.” He wasn’t wrong. And somehow, even when I tried not to think about work…a movie about a singing gorilla still turned into a business lesson. So, thank you to him for the reminder and the nudge to unplug for a bit. Because, as light as that movie was, it carries a really good message for how we head into a new year.

A New Year Brings the Same Big Questions

As we head into a new year, most owners are thinking about the same things:

Numbers.

Goals.

Growth.

How to make 2026 better than the last.

The Sing 2 Lesson: Tools Aren’t the Show

But here’s a fun place to pull a lesson from Sing 2. In the movie, they’ve got:

Stages.

Lights.

Sound systems.

Costumes.

All the gear!

All important. None of it is the point. People aren’t there for the equipment. They’re there for the performance. And that’s a great reminder for our businesses as we head into this year.

Parts and Labor Are the Setup—Not the Experience

You track parts and labor.

You price parts and labor.

You build jobs around parts and labor.

That’s how the business works. But that’s not what your customers actually come for.

What Customers Actually Wake Up Thinking About

Nobody wakes up thinking, “I hope I get to buy a capacitor today.” They wake up thinking:

“Why is the house freezing?”

“Why is there water on the floor?”

“Why did everything just shut off?”

“How fast can someone fix this?”

Parts and labor are just the tools.

They’re the microphone.

The lights.

The stage.

What the customer really wants is the moment life feels normal again.

The Performance Customers Remember

In Sing 2, nobody leaves talking about the speakers or the lighting rig. They leave talking about how the music made them feel. Same thing in your world. Customers don’t remember:

The part number.

The invoice layout.

The brand of board.

They remember:

How your tech treated them.

How clearly things were explained.

Whether they felt rushed.

Whether they felt taken care of.

That’s the performance.

Coaching the Shift: Lead With the Outcome

As you kick off the year, here’s the shift worth coaching:

Don’t let your team lead with the tool.

Coach them to lead with the outcome in mind.

Same Job. Same Price. Better Experience.

Not:

“You need a circuit board.”

But:

“I found the fault in your electronic control circuit system—and great news, we have options to get your heat back on today.”

Same job.

Same price.

Way better experience.

Bigger Stages Require Better Performances

If this year already feels like a bigger stage for your company, that’s a good sign. Bigger stages don’t require better tools—they require stronger performances. And that starts with how your team thinks, talks, and shows up in the home. Also, a shoutout to my coworker, Yomi Bamidele, who made me stop working long enough to see a reminder I didn’t know I needed. Here’s to a strong, focused, and fun start to the year. 

Want to Chat?

Give me a call at 706-309-1978.