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Put 2020 Behind you, Build a strong shop for 2021

Joe Marconi
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JustTheBest Rising Star

JustTheBest

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Affected by COVID is an understatement! What's really surprising is the number of people this affected - and not just in a "business" way. Everyone has a personal story - good or bad.

I think one of the biggest lessons learned (overall) is that we all seemed to get back to what really counts - the people! In the heat of a busy day, we all tend to take a lot for granted.

But when it comes down to it, no matter if they're the "penny pinching" customer or the so called "bottom feeders" - everyone has a goal and from what I'm seeing. the goals are changing and there's more respect for those, even if their goals are different from ours.

Here's to a safe, healthy and prosperous 2021!

Matthew
"The Car Count Fixer"

 

Edited by JustTheBest
correct spelling ;)
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JimO

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Joe is correct that Covid-19 has affected everyone to some degree. Our gas volume is still off by 30-40% which is both a concern and hardship but repairs have been good so I feel very fortunate. There are a handful of varied businesses that have prospered during Covid such us drug chains, Urgent Care facilities, testing labs etc. Sadly there are so many businesses such as restaurants, movie theaters, hair/nail salons, catering halls, fitness centers, hotels/motels ..... that have closed up permanently. A shopping mall near me has a severe failure rate with 40-50% of the stores shuttered for good. A Hilton in my backyard closed permanently. Huge corporate office buildings in my area still lay dormant with all employees working from home. The overall business climate is still very poor in our are and concerns me.

To answer Joe’s question as to what lessons I have learned - Adapt to change as quick as possible, do not financially over extend yourself, realize and react to untapped opportunities, increase and improve communication with customers and employees and be thankful to be able to come to work every morning because too many people are unable to do that.

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JimO

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On 1/11/2021 at 9:58 PM, xrac said:

And it keeps on affecting. One of my techs and yours truly have tested positive.  I have the shop with no one to enter the building except people that I have no symptoms and are waiting on test results. Trying to clear out cars that are in the shop so people don't go days or weeks without them.  Maybe not perfect but I think it will be effective.   So far it only feels like a mild head cold.

As if getting Covid is not enough you also have to try your best to finish all of the “in progress” jobs and contend with being down for an unknown amount of time. Running a small business has it’s rewards but I bet right now you wish you could just go home and get paid for hibernating under the covers like the majority of the population has done. I wish you and your tech a quick recovery.

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JimO

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13 hours ago, Joe Marconi said:

I know what you mean, and I get it.  Shop owners, techs and other auto-related employees in our industry have always been on the front lines. We come to work in the middle of a snow storm, go to work when we feel sick, and try to drum up work when it seems impossible during an economic downturn. We work in conditions that makes us cold in the winter and hot in the summer. For once, it would be nice to hide and get paid for it.  It's just not us. But, I get it.

Joe managed to capture an accurate description of our lives in a few sentences. I bet everyone read his words and thought “Wow...that’s me....that’s my life”. Given that should we really wonder why our trade struggles to find qualified employees? 

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      Want to End Your Technician Shortage? Focus on Retention!
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
         5 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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