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Virginia Automotive Association


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We are very fortunate in Virginia to have an organization that lobbies for our industry in the state capitol. The Virginia Automotive Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having started out as primarily tire-oriented organization then evolving into a group that represents all independent auto service shops. In addition to lobbying, they have great deals with selected service providers for uniforms, credit card processing, insurance. We have about 250 members state-wide and we have a great convention each year at very nice places. Last year it was at the Homestead and this coming Spring it will be held in Colonial Williamsburg. Scheduled speakers include Dave Crawford, CEO of The Hybrid Shop and Chubby from ATI. If you own a shop in Virginia, you should join. If you are from another state, you are welcome to join us at our convention or one of our quarterly board meetings. We would like to hear about activities of similar organizations in other states. Check out vaauto.org

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         4 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
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