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As Shop Owner,letting go of control of the shop is still so hard to do

Joe Marconi
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Marksas Enthusiast

Marksas

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I just try and stay out of their way. I get frustrated when I have purchased tools (software) and they are not utilizing them to the full potential. My team actually does a great job of getting cars done and utilizing the scheduler. I tend to take more cars in when I am there. If someone wants to give me keys I take them and set the expectation. If I load the guys up they get it done. I've come to realize that I just need to set the expectation and get buy in from them, then let them run with it. I write this from a cabin in the Rocky Mountains where I've been for the past week hiking. I just checked the daily numbers and they are above plan for the week, month, and year and I received several great reviews. So I can't complain. I did receive a bad review because of a screw up from the rental car company that made us look bad and I would bet that the manager is already on top of it with the customer and rental car company.

When my manager is out I will hang around more but I just stay out of the way. It's the manager's job to have his assistant and the lead tech handle the day to day operations. I tell them I don't want to fix cars or customers, my job is to fix the business. I trust those guys to handle business and I am actually going to start working out of my home office to make room for some additional employees to support our collision operation. I'll still come in on a daily basis but do the bulk of my work from home. I think this is going to be a little bit difficult for me in that I am used to being there almost everyday. Just last week I moved all of my tools to my house to create space and I haven't worked on a customer car for years so they were just taking up valuable production space. It was still a bittersweet moment to see all my boxes loaded up on a trailer. Working from home will help prepare me for the opening of our new shop this next year where I just won't be able to be at our collision operation and general service operation at the same time.

 

I don't always agree with everything they do and as long as they work within our core values then I am ok with it.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
         0 comments
      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.

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