sucession plan Exit Strategy-Step 5- Have Great Systems in Place
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By Joe Marconi in Joe's BlogIt always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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By marxautocenter
Hello all,
I'm currently the General Manager of a pre-owned vehicle sales and service center. The business has a great reputation in the community, and has done well for 35 years. The current owners are ready to retire and enjoy a life of less responsibilities. They have deemed me fit to take control, and are helping me out by carrying the note, with a good down payment of course. We are still working on the nuts and bolts of the deal, and it has me thinking of all the avenues I could pursue in the future. Which leads to my question, should I continue to sell cars, or just focus on service? I know I'm not giving much information, but I'm looking to hear from other owners who may have experience on both ends, on some pros and cons. I know the 2 segments are symbiotic, as sales gives us future service work, and service has the option of offering vehicles for sale when a service customers vehicle is deemed not worth repairing.
The current numbers are skewed, as service gives a discounted rate to sales in the manner of 50 dollars per hour of labor, as opposed to the 134.77, and also parts are at cost. I am a numbers guy, and would like to make a decision on what would be most profitable, and I will have a better idea as we work over the reports.
I'm just looking for opinions from knowledgeable folks. We don't have a master technician at the moment, so we struggle on diagnostics sometimes, and I would have to resolve that should I decide to remove sales from the equation.
Sales end is currently handled solely by one owner, other than myself talking to customers on the lot. We have a license now for 30 cars.
Fenced in yard behind building capable of storing 40+ cars, with a front lot that displays the 30 vehicles for sale.
Great customer base, minimal advertising in the 35 years of business. ARO is 426.20 currently, and we average around 2000 RO's annually in the last 4-5 years.
I know I'm not providing enough information, but I can update when more becomes available.
Thanks in advance!
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By JustTheBest
Welcome! Hope everyone had a great holiday and Christmas! It’s been a struggle around here but that’s only because I had to bite the bullet and move! So now, I’m proud to say that we’ve moved… well, digitally that is.
Unfortunately, most of my old links and links on YouTube videos are going to evaporate!
But wait, there’s more!
And the “more” part of that statement is pretty crazy!
I wanted to start 2025 with a splash, (so you may want to take a step back to avoid the splash!)
Because of our new digital home and the fact that Google search has made huge changes in what you get whenever you search, we’re starting 2025 with a brand new service.
With almost 2 decades in website design, development and hosting, auto repair shops can now get their website done for FREE!
When I say “done”, I mean “done”. Qualified auto repair shops never pay for website design, development or hosting… EVER!
What’s a qualified repair shop?
You have to have a customer list of more than 200 customers.
So if you’ve read this far, I know you’re sitting back and saying “there’s got to be a catch.”, right?
I don’t want to keep you, so click the link and visit my new website and I’ll fill you in there.
Can’t wait to meet you!
Matthew
“The Car Count Fixer”
What’s a qualified repair shop?
You have to have a customer list of more than 200 customers.
Matthew
“The Car Count Fixer”
https://gomodigital.website
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By Joe Marconi
When we have low production, the first thing we often point to is the tech. But, is low production the fault of the tech in all cases?
As a former shop owner, and now a business coach, I have learned through the years, that it take a team of the right people to attain high production levels. It also take effective service advisor skills, and charging he right labor times.
From your experience, what are the main drivers to attain high production levels, and the challenges?
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By Joe Marconi
Years back, we did very little advertising. Fast forward to today, and we are seeing more and more auto repair shops using a marketing company.
Are you using a marketing company to help with advertising and marketing? How is that going? And what are the advantages?
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By Joe Marconi
We are almost at the end of 2024, a time when you need to do an assessment of 2024, and look forward to the future.
Leaders must have clearly defined written goals.
Have you taken the time to establish your goals, shared them with your team and created the steps to attain these goals?
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