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By Joe Marconi in Joe's BlogI 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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By carmcapriotto
Thanks to our partners, NAPA TRACS and Promotive
Did you know that NAPA TRACS has onsite training plus six days a week support?
It all starts when a local representative meets with you to learn about your business and how you run it. After all, it's your shop, so it's your choice.
Let us prove to you that Tracs is the single best shop management system in the business. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at NAPATRACS.com
It’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Great news, you don’t have to go it alone. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit www.gopromotive.com.
Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair
Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com
Email Hunt: [email protected]
Get a copy of my Book: Download Here
Aftermarket Radio Network
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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By Joe Marconi
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By carmcapriotto
What does it take to become an A-Tech in the automotive aftermarket industry? Scot Manna, Matt Fanslow, and Ryan Kooiman share their perspectives, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning, individual effort, and natural talent. They also discuss the role of shop owners in investing in their employees' training and development, as well as the challenges faced by the industry in assessing skill levels. The episode provides valuable insights into becoming an A-Tech and how the industry can support and cultivate talent. Scot Manna, Trainer, ACDelco Technician of the Millennium. Scot’s previous episodes HERE.
Matt Fanslow, lead diagnostician and shop manager, Riverside Automotive, Red Wing, MN. Matt’s previous episodes HERE
Matt Fanslow Podcast: Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z
Ryan Kooiman, Director of Training, Standard Motor Products. Ryan’s previous episodes HERE.
Show Notes:
Watch Video Episode HERE Importance of Individual Effort and Natural Talent (00:04:21) Ryan Kooiman discusses the importance of individual effort and natural talent in becoming an A-tech. Being a Perpetual Student (00:02:51) The importance of being a forever perpetual student and committed to being at the top of your craft. Opportunity and Drive (00:05:17 The importance of opportunity and drive in becoming an A-tech and how it can lead to personal growth and experience. Investing in Training (00:07:18) The importance of investing in training for technicians and how it benefits both the individual and the shop. The Determination and Motivation of an A-tech (00:10:28) Matt Fanslow describes the qualities of an A-tech, including determination and self-motivation, and how they seek out training opportunities. The Importance of Training and Shop Culture (00:11:11) Training and shop culture is important in developing A-techs, including the need for mentoring and a supportive work environment. Different Gifts and Skill Sets of Technicians (00:13:06) How can a shop assemble a team with a good blend of abilities and a supportive culture? The importance of individual effort and natural talent (00:14:50) The role of individual effort and natural talent in becoming an A-tech, and how it can be recognized and cultivated by management. Networking and sharing knowledge (00:17:31) The importance of networking and sharing knowledge with other technicians in the industry to become an A-tech. Levels of Supervision (00:21:52) The history of the A, B, C technician designations and how they relate to levels of supervision, as well as the potential use case for assigning work based on technician skill level. Mentoring for Succession (00:24:11) The importance of mentoring individuals to take over for lead technicians in the future and the possibility of a new way to assess skill levels in the industry. The Importance of Experience (00:27:10) The value of experience in the automotive aftermarket industry, using case studies and trial and error to learn from mistakes. The Role of Individual Effort in Becoming an A-tech (00:28:03) The importance of individual effort and experience in becoming an A-tech, using the example of Michael Jordan's dedication to practice. Learning from Mistakes (00:24:37) The challenges of answering complex diagnostic questions and the importance of learning from mistakes and experience in becoming an A-tech. Creating an Environment for Success (00:31:12) How to cultivate an environment that can help technicians achieve their top potential. Importance of Mentoring (00:34:41) The importance of having a mentor, networking, and finding a coach to help young technicians learn from their mistakes. Reading Comprehension (00:37:17) The importance of reading for leisure to develop reading comprehension skills, which are essential for understanding service information and diagrams. Learning from Mistakes (00:36:05) Investing in Tuition (00:38:56) The importance of investing in training and education for employees and the productivity benefits for the shop. Virtual vs. Live Training (00:41:11) The panelists discuss the pros and cons of virtual and live training, with live training being the preferred method for complex topics and networking opportunities. Networking (00:46:26) Learning from Peers (00:47:19) Building self-awareness and confidence (00:48:50) The importance of building self-awareness, self-confidence, and career assurance to become a successful A-tech. Documenting work in the bay (00:50:45) The importance of documenting work in the bay, using tools like PowerPoint and phone cameras to capture information and data. Commitment to learning (00:52:32) The commitment to learning and investing in professional development, both for shop owners and technicians, to build a culture of learning and keep people in the industry. Thanks to our Partners Shop-Ware and Delphi Technologies
Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com
Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. DelphiAftermarket.com
Connect with the Podcast
-Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider
-All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books
-Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom
-Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm
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Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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By carmcapriotto
More and more privately owned businesses have been the victims of ADA Title III compliance lawsuits than ever before, and a growing number of these lawsuits are due to lack of compliance on the business’ website.
It’s more important than ever that your auto repair shop’s website is compliant.
Join Brian in this episode to talk about what it means for shop’s website to be ADA compliant.
Talking Points
I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice Just like your office door needs a ramp and bathroom needs handrails, your website needs to be able to be viewed by those with vision and hearing impairments This is not just total blindness and deafness but any impairments including colorblindness, poor vision, and hard of hearing. There are 2 main reasons you need your website to be ADA compliant The number of lawsuits happening It’s the right thing to do What makes a website ADA compliant? Over 100 factors Most important factors are: Skip nav Image alt text Proper heading structure Labels on form fields Contrasting colors Clear, easy to read fonts Descriptive link text Subtitles on videos We use a free plugin with some nice features I won’t guarantee a website ADA compliant Do the basics and you’re probably good to go. Remember, I am not an attorney. Where to start - wave.webaim.org
How To Get In Touch with Cinch CRM
Website - https://cinch.io/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cinchplatform/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CinchPlatform/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@CinchPlatform
How To Get In Touch with Shop Marketing Pros
Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
Website - shopmarketingpros.com
Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros
Thanks to our partner, RepairPal. Visit the Web HERE
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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By carmcapriotto
Recorded Live at Vision 2023, Dave Hobbs, Scot Manna, and Eric Ziegler have an open discussion on the importance of training, leading to the question, "Does the public really know what we do?" Dave Hobbs, senior technical trainer and curriculum developer for Delphi Technologies. Dave’s previous episodes HERE. Scot Manna, Trainer, ACDelco Technician of the Millennium. Scot’s previous episodes HERE. Eric Ziegler, EZ Diagnostic Solutions. Eric’s previous episodes HERE. Show Notes
“What scan tool should you buy?” Class at Vision 2023 with 6 trainers They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care The outside of class experience is just as important or maybe more important. You're going to create connections that are going to serve you for almost your entire career As long as you continue learning, your mind stays young You must read the service information! The people that need the training, aren't in the training classes. Some people don't go to updated training, struggle to get out of their shop, and don’t network with other shops. How many vehicles are on the road that needs ADAS calibration? 70%? Critical thinking is root problem solving. The public does not know what it takes and the tireless amount of dedication to do this career. We're all in this industry together. If you raise the lake, everybody's boat floats higher. Do the job. Do the job right. Everything else will take care of itself.
Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS. Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2023. Mark your calendar now … October 31 - Nov 2, 2023, AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at AAPEXSHOW.COM NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at NAPATRACS.com Connect with the Podcast: -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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