Quantcast
Jump to content

[Podcast] Automotive Management Institute: Looking Ahead with Chuck Searles [RR 585]


Recommended Posts

Chuck Searles has played an active role in the automotive service and training community for 28 years. He is a proud supporter of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and is a member of the ASE Training Managers Council (ATMC).

He was born in Alaska and spent childhood years on the North Slope in small rural villages. After his Fathers retirement from the Alaska educational system, the Searles family relocated to the Big Island of Hawaii, where Chuck attended high school. After high school, he attended post-secondary technical school in Phoenix, Arizona, and then moved back to Alaska to begin a career in the automotive industry.

Chuck served as a Line Technician, Service Advisor, and eventually Shop Foreman at Nissan Dealerships in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Phoenix, Arizona. He was then hired by Nissan North America as a Technical Support Specialist in Los Angeles, CA. Over the next 19 years, he served several Sales and Technical Training roles, including Sales Training Senior Planner, Technical Training Operations Manager, and Instructional Design Manager.

He is currently the President of the Automotive Management Institute (AMi). AMi’s mission is to identify, provide, and promote qualified business education for the success of automotive service repair professionals.

Chuck resides in a quiet suburb outside of Nashville, TN with his wife of 23 years and 2 daughters. Time away from work is spent in the outdoors with the family on hikes or kayaking.

Key talking Points:

  • Career pathDidn’t know what to do after high school, did not want to become a teacher or educator 
  • Attended Universal Technical Institute- focus on heavy diesel industry but ended up working at a dealership in Alaska then hired by Nissan as technical trainer.
  • Two things you will always remember in your career- best boss and worst boss. Training will help you be the best boss you can be.
  • AMI valuable for succession planning with learning management systems 
  • The current president of AMIWants to increase the presence of the service side of the industry- the value of designations. Networking with former contacts and making new relationships as well. 
  • Working on new designations- service advisor and shop foreman
  • You can pay by courses at AMI or a yearly subscription    
  • AAM/AMAM- prestigious titles  
  • Looking aheadRecruiting new trainers- AMI has an audience of over 100,000 and is an ideal platform for any trainer. Head to the website and contact them.
  • If you’re not involved with AMI you need to be- training is ongoing no matter what stage you are at in your career, even as a shop owner.
  • Employee retention is based on the owner- is the owner offering training to employees and getting training themselves? Invest in your employees.
  • Look for AMI elective credit courses/classes because you can use it towards a certification/accreditation

amionline.com

Resources:

  • Thanks to Chuck Searles for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
  • Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page, highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
  • Listen for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Podchaser, and many more. Mobile Listening APP's HERE
  • Find every podcast episode HERE.
  • Every episode is segmented by Series HERE.
  • Key Word Search HERE.

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:

Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email

Join the Ecosystem - Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE.

Buy me a coffee

The NAPA Smart Sign, previously known as Digital Menu Board, gives your shop a professional, state-of-the-art look and feel. It’s a great way to educate and inform your customers about needed repairs and service, plus increase awareness of your current promotions. NAPA AutoCare Center that have installed a Digital Menu Board found one out of five consumers ask for a repair or service they’ve seen on the board. Targeted promotions resulted in double-digit increases. You choose the content from a library of auto care service and repair topics. The latest NAPA national promotions are downloaded to you automatically. And with the Digital Menu Board it’s easy to change your services, prices, and video content anytime you’d like. Talk to your servicing NAPA store to find out more.

Learn more about The NAPA Smart Sign and the hundreds of other benefits NAPA offers. visit the NAPA Benefits Center at www.napabenefitscenter.com or call the NAPA Benefits Center at 844-627-2123.

Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         1 comment
      Have I got your attention? Great.
      Let me start by saying that I believe in giving praise when deserved and letting employees know when they dropped the ball. However, the truth is that no one enjoys being reprimanded or told they messed up.  
      The question is, what is the appropriate balance between the right amount of praise and the right amount of critical feedback? According to studies done by Harvard Business School, the ratio of praise to critical feedback should be about 6:1 – Six praises for every critical feedback. I am not sure if I agree with that.
      From personal experience, I would recommend a lot more praise. The exact ratio doesn’t matter. What’s important is that before you consider giving critical feedback, ensure you have given that employee a lot of recent praise. If not, whatever you are trying to get through to an employee, will fall on deaf ears.
      When you do have to give critical feedback, remember a few things:
      Focus on the issue or behavior; never attack the person, and remain calm in your actions and words Ask the employee for feedback, their side of the story Speak to the employee in private Address the issue soon after it happens; never wait Don’t rely on second-hand information; it’s always better if you have experienced the situation yourself that you want to correct Have an open discussion and find things that both of you can agree upon Have an action plan moving forward that the employee can take ownership of Use the experience as a learning tool Make sure you bring up positive attributes about them Remember, you don’t want the employee to be angry or upset with you; you want them to reflect on the situation and what can be improved. One last thing. Everyone makes mistakes. We need to be mindful of this.
  • Similar Topics

    • 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
    • By Joe Marconi
      Many auto repair shops are still busy, and many are booked out from a few days to weeks.  After the initial shock of Covid, the recovery for our independent auto repair industry has been quite good, with many positive indicators for the future.
      However, how many of the auto repair shops that did suffer a great loss in business during the lockdown phase of Covid would have survived if not for the SBA loans, the Pay Protection Program and the Employee Retention Credit?  
      Building a cash reserve is crucial to prepare yourself for the next economic downturn.  How much should you set aside?  That depends on your business model, how much debt you have and other financial conditions.  Speak to your accountant, financial advisor and business coach, if you have one. 
      Rule of thumb, you should have at least three months of operating expenses set aside in a dedicated bank account.  Some accountants and financial advisors may suggest up to six months. 
    • By Transmission Repair

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Transmission Repair

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      Recorded Live at Vision 2023, Al Wright and Travis Troy discuss the benefits of joining MWACA's S.O.S. (Shop Owner's Support) Group. When we can support and learn from other shop owners, we continue Advancing the Aftermarket and raising the bar for the industry. Travis also gives us an overview of Vision's newest class for general service technicians.
      Al Wright, John’s Automotive, Cedar Rapids, IA. Al’s previous episodes HERE
      Travis Troy, Honest Wrenches, Akeny and Des Moines, IA. Listen to Travis’ other episodes HERE
      Show Notes
      Travis Troy- 21 team members attending Vision 2023 MWACA SOS Shop Owner’s Support- What is an S.O.S. Group? Think of it as your advisory board. Our S.O.S. Groups consist of no more than 10 shops that meet on a monthly basis. Meetings are similar to “twenty groups” without the intense financial focus or expensive monthly commitment. Groups meet monthly at a participating shop to discuss relevant issues, set and review goals, and evaluate the hosting shop.    Be vulnerable, and be transparent, not as a business owner but as a friend. We are not each other’s competition.  Learning from others, raising the bar for the Automotive industry  FTI- failure to implement, the number one failure for shop owners. Debrief after the SOS meeting with a list of items to work on and change.  Elevate before you grow. GSTA General Service Technician Academy - 2-day course. This program benefits the technician and the shop with increased efficiency, knowledge, and safety, as well as cost-savings by helping prevent beginning mistakes. Certifications will come from Tire Industry Association (TIA), Automotive Lift Institute (ALI), and Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS).  GTSA will cover- Tire Safety – hands-on mounting and dismounting, repair procedures and balancing, Tire pressure monitoring basics, Lift safety – Including Information access for proper lift placement, OSHA and shop safety training, Alignment basics, Intro to Air Conditioning, Electricity Fundamentals, Introduction to Digital Vehicle Inspections - a systematic approach to test drives, inspections, photos and videos and the benefits to the tech and to the shop of performing the DVI. Surviving a Health Scare [THA 316]
      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


  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...