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Playing the Long Game [THA 231]


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2pWeJGVgNs Fred Gestwicki, Jr, Fix-It With Fred, Canton, OH Gilda Dykman, Cars Automotive & Muffler, Redondo Beach, CA, with husband Michael. After 16 years working in the diamond industry, Gilda began her automotive career with Edelbrock in Torrance CA in their purchasing department. From there she joined in my husband's family business and have been there for 25 years.  Russell Crosby is the owner of Russ’s Wrench Auto Repair located in Clinton, NJ. Listen to Russell's previous episodes HERE Key Talking Points

  • Technicians- you must be constantly growing technicians, hire out of local high schools/colleges and grow them. Apprenticeships are key. 
  • Shift mindset of the youth- open different pathways besides college education 
  • Don’t wait until you lose a technician to hire a technician- being heavy on technicians leads to other opportunities (satellite location, more efficient). It’s not a risk, it’s an investment. No one complains they have too many techs.
  • Don’t be afraid to have conversations with other technicians- build trust, if it doesn’t work out they will find another job within a day
  • Fear prevents you to go into a new world of greatness- changing positions isn’t comfortable but necessary to grow
  • Emerging technology- the future is here, training for new EV vehicles, start a marketing campaign for new clientele and technicians. Educating customers that hybrids need repairs. Look into charging ports. This is your opportunity to gain lifetime clientele. 
  • Total lifetime spent- customer personal ARO. Motivation isn’t the bill today but the whole driving career. This is a service industry, not a repair business. What is your mission of the business? Investing in their car invests, in their community. Let them know what you do behind the scenes (helping the community). Put the plaques and newspaper clippings in the shop, Be proud and let your customers know. Be the inspiration.
  • Change mindset- we are financial advisors to customer’s investments. Ask customers what their plan is for their vehicle, keeping it forever? Spare car? Are they looking for a new car and need advice?
  • A special thanks to Fred Gestwicki Jr, Gilda Dykman and Russell Crosby for their contribution to the aftermarket.
Facebook   Twitter  LinkedIn   Instagram  Youtube   Email   Mobile Listening APP’s HERE Join the Ecosystem – Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE. Buy Carm a Cup of Coffee  Shop-Ware-Call-To-Action-Graphic-v3.png This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at getshopware.com Shop-Market-Pros-Sponsor-Graphic-2.png This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros. Your guides are Kim and Brian Walker with a rich history as shop owners and industry veterans. When someone searches for a shop, who are they finding? Your competitors? It should be you! The good people over at Shop Marketing Pros know how to drive website traffic and make Google work for you! www.shopmarketingpros.com

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest 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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