Leading the way with a revolutionary way of work for Australian businesses, Iain Kippen from Bissell’s Paint and Panel has cracked the code for creating a healthy and sustainable balance between personal life and work.
A four day working week and year round sunshine sounds pretty idyllic. For Bissell’s Paint and Panel in Noosaville, Queensland, this dream lifestyle is fast becoming a reality.
Having been nominated and awarded three best bodyshop of the year awards since 2021, there is something that Bissell’s Paint and Panel is doing that is working in their favour.
Spearheaded by businessman Iain Kippen, Bissell’s Paint and Panel is a workshop embracing a new way of both working and living.
National Collision Repairer sat down with Iain Kippen to discuss how workplace productivity has risen since going to a four-day work week, and how he promotes and maintains a happy, and balanced community of staff.
The early stages
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Kippen and his family relocated to Noosa from England for a change of scenery in 2001.
The Bissell’s Paint and Panel business had already been in operation for over two decades before Kippen took over in 2010.
Coming out of retirement after nine years, Kippen bought the panel shop for his son who had experience in the automotive industry.
Despite not having experience in the technical side of automotive, Kippen had a keen interest in collecting cars. In the early 2000’s, Kippen would take his cars to the former owners of Bissell’s who had a niche for restoring old cars.
“When they offered to sell the business to me, I initially had no plans of going back to work. As a family we took the challenge on, and built it up to what it is now,” Kippen says.
In 2010, the shop was relatively small, but it already had a solid reputation locally.
“As a family, we decided to build a purpose-built workshop. We are now a medium to large sized workshop. My son is now at the helm of the business, and my daughter is also the business accountant,” Kippen says.
Embracing change
A businessman with a good eye for opportunity, Kippen brought his British expertise to Australian shores to create a well-respected workshop where staff are treated as the main priority.
Before Bissell’s, Kippen had no prior experience in the automotive industry, but that has not stopped him from creating an efficient and streamlined business that is always looking for areas of improvement and staff satisfaction. Kippen identified how the Australian automotive scene in 2010 was starkly different from the UK.
“It was quite a shock to begin with, there was no real regulation. After a few years, and a few workshops uniting to initiate change, we were among the first onboard to welcome and embrace the new ways of operating,” Kippen says.
“I come from a business background, not a panel background, so I view change quite differently. I have been very fortunate to have also had great staff who have embraced the change as well.”
Embracing change has helped Kippen to propel his business into new territory on how a business can potentially operate in Australia.
Making work a liveable lifestyle
What makes Bissell’s Paint and Panel stand out from other businesses and repair shops, is their revolutionary four-day work week; effectively covering the full allotment of working hours with one less day on the roster for staff.
Kippen cites the COVID-19 pandemic as the major instigator for the four-day change. Bissell’s was still operational during the COVID lockdowns, and it was during this time that the idea was planted in Kippen’s mind to really consider a major dynamic shift in the workplace.
“The pandemic was life changing, and it changed everyone in some way. Our business certainly changed after COVID,” Kippen says.
“It was during a smoko break, around the time when the Queen passed away, and the guys were talking and joking about how great it would be to have a four-day work week every week.”
Kippen’s business mind quickly clicked into gear, and he began thinking of the logistical side of implementing such a change.
“If you run a workshop correctly, you are only billing hours, not selling days or weeks. You have X amount of hours you can use. So, I told the guys if they wanted to work four days, go for it, it shouldn’t make much difference,” Kippen says.
After consulting his family, and discussing the potential side effects, they decided to run with the idea. However, with twenty-two staff members under Kippen’s leadership, the change didn’t come without precautionary measures.
“I put out a survey for everyone to fill out. I had to make sure that everyone was happy to have a four-day work week to start with,” Kippen says.
Addressing the advantages and the pit falls was also part of the process in changing the work structure.
“With a go ahead with the survey results, and through increasing the hours each day slightly, we were able to make it work,” Kippen says.
Kippen outlined how his staff have 20 per cent less travel time each day, and the equivalent of nine extra weeks at home.
“By reducing our work week from five to four days, our turnover went up by 20 per cent. Everyone got a wage rise, so everyone was happy. I also found that there was less downtime, as everyone wanted to complete the work,” Kippen says.
After the three-month trial Kippen had a meeting with each staff member individually to discuss the four day work week.
“The emotion in the guy’s faces was unbelievable. They were happy to come to work,” Kippen says.
“I had one guy say that for the first time ever, he was able to pick up his children from school. I had another guy, who was a surfer and he loved surfing on Friday when nobody else was on the waves. The benefits are fantastic,” Kippen says. “The four-day work week works. It absolutely works.”
Creating a community in a workplace is one of Kippen’s strengths. Listening to staff and implementing their feedback on work/life balance was the driving force for Kippen’s decision to move to a four-day work week.
“Over the last three years, I have really focussed on the mental state of everyone who works with me. I ensure it is a positive place to work. We put work happiness and satisfaction over a profit,” Kippen says.
Streamlined efficiency
Constantly analysing efficiency standards and processes is Kippen’s speciality. Working one week on-site in the workshop in Noosa, and three weeks remotely from his home in Victoria’s High Country, Kippen has the luxury to be that one step removed from physically working in the business.
“Any business needs to run efficiently, with streamlined processes, with very little waste. It needs to be easy,” Kippen says.
Bissell’s Paint and Panel’s streamlined processes include low cycle time, high quality repairs and equipment and quality service to the customer and work provider.
“Getting your car repaired isn’t a nice thing to do. So, we try and make sure that the experience is as comfortable as possible,” Kippen says.
For Kippen, refining the booking systems and progress reports allows for a streamlined structure that benefits not only the flow in the workplace, but the clients as well.
“If the car isn’t being touched, it shouldn’t be in the workshop. Having everything in check and operating well allows smooth and efficient sailing throughout a work day,” Kippen says.
Creating an atmosphere where the staff are happy to work and challenge themselves is also part of Kippen’s streamlined efficiency ethos.
“After implementing the four-day work week, our business was more streamlined because our staff were happier. Everyone wanted to be there, everyone cruised through their work,” Kippen says.
Staff meetings once a month allow Kippen to touch base with his staff and ensure everything is on track.
“When I am up in Noosa we have a training day after work. But it is really just a chance for everyone to catch up and have a chat,” Kippen says.
“It is the staff that make a business, you have to listen to them.”
Identifying weaknesses within the business structure is also a strength of Kippen’s, and acknowledging the limitations in the chain is something Kippen embraces.
“For a panel shop, repairing 40 to 50 vehicles a week is optimum, and the most efficient profit per vehicle. We have the capacity to repair more, but we ensure quality is our main target,” Kippen says.
With one successful shop with happy staff and a system that works well, Kippen is not too interested in expansion at the present time. However, fine tuning the existing structures will always be a priority.
Training for the future
Bissell’s Paint and Panel have embraced the new technologies of the future. With I-CAR Gold Class Collision Status under their belt, they are constantly upskilling and training their staff for the new developments on the horizon.
“We always stay up to date with the latest technologies and trainings. You can fall behind really easily, so it is important for us to remain ahead of the game,” Kippen says.
Working on EVs has broadened Bissell’s Paint and Panel clientele, but the EV landscape hasn’t taken over ICE vehicles just yet.
“I’m still not convinced that the volume of electric vehicles will overtake petrol cars in the expected time frame,” Kippen says.
“But there will still be a good percentage of EVs coming through our workshop, but it is not the 30 per cent we expected. Yet, you still need to be able to handle that.”
“We focus on keeping ahead of the game through upskilling our staff and equipment. We need to stay aligned with the evolution of the industry.”
Even with each workshop member either an I-CAR Gold Class or Platinum member, there is always something new to learn in the next wave of automotive developments.
“There is always something to keep up with, whether that is the different metals being used, or the carbon fibres, there is always something to keep up with. EVs and ADAS are the latest and biggest thing,” Kippen says.
An attractive workplace
Since implementing a few key changes, including the four-day work week, Bissell’s Paint and Panel has not had any trouble retaining or finding staff.
“People want to come and work here. We are lucky to have loyal workers as well,” Kippen says.
Bissell’s Paint and Panel has four apprentices who stayed on after their training. They are now fully qualified panel technicians and they are still working in the shop.
“We are fortunate to have good staff, including our apprentices. We have really focused on creating a community where people want to stay,” Kippen says.
“We don’t give our staff any reason for them to go elsewhere.”