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Unstoppable with Amy and Kelly Michel [RR 663]


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Amy and Kelly Michel- In 1965, at the age of 3, little did Kelly know Kelly's Auto Repair was going to be founded one day. At 3 years old he could screw nuts and bolts together and was always intrigued with taking things apart, figuring out how they work and putting them back together. After working for his father in his auto repair business for 15 years and then moving to Dunnellon he realized he wanted to follow in his footsteps. To repair cars as well as him and to deal with people as respectfully as he had taught him. And so, 30 years later, in 1995 Kelly's Auto Repair & Service was born. Listen to Kelly's previous episodes HERE Key Talking Points
  • 26 years in business and Kelly’s been in the industry for over 40 years- build shop ground up, started with 2 people, has now expanded to 8 bays and 4 technicians. Kelly is still working in the bays. 
  • Amy manages the business side, Kelly manages the shop, and employees
  • Take separate cars to work- both work 5 days a week, working on second in command (their son who is 33 years old), nephew is second service advisor, niece PT customer service representative 
  • Succession planning for son- succession classes for both Kelly and his son, continue to have open conversations together, setting up finances for their son to succeed  
  • Marketing- what can you do differently? National fun holidays, trivia, giveaways etc. Look for all opportunities. Market differently to different target audiences.  
  • Staying ahead of curve- adopted DVI’s and text to pay early, always looking to keep business efficient, stays up to date with technology, looking for a new point of sale software 
  • Drop key customers- hard work, ATI mentorship 
  • Thanks to Amy and Kelly Michel for their 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  LinkedIn   Instagram  Youtube   Email   Join the Ecosystem - Subscribe to the INSIDER NEWSLETTER HERE. Buy me a coffee NAPA Autotech Training helps your technicians keep their skills sharp and their NAPA Know How up to date. It’s the highest quality technical training that covers almost every vehicle system and every make and model. NAPA Autotech is presented by experienced instructors who are ASE master certified technicians. Even after a class is over, techs can access course information online with ClassPass. So when questions come up later they can get the answers. AutoCare Center owners who have taken advantage of Autotech Training say that well-trained technicians are helping to increase their shop’s repair capability and raise bay productivity. That results in fewer comebacks, more satisfied shop customers, and reduced technician turnover. Learn more about NAPA AutoCare and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio

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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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