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It's Feb, Business is slow, but that's ok

Joe Marconi
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Jerrys Auto Center Apprentice

Jerrys Auto Center

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And I thought my February was bad!…

I HAD 2 1/2 technicians ( 1 was really, really short!😂)

My part time man works nights for the City of New York and worked for me M-Th 8-12… He got transferred to days 2 weeks ago… So I lost him. 
One techs cat had puppies for the last time on my watch… He’s gone!

The last tech unfortunately lost his mom in El Salvador and needed the week off to fly home. 
I literally went to work with ZERO employees this past week!!

I made appointments for next week, did end of year stuff, caught up on planning and changes for this year. 
After being in business since 1979… You learn to accept what you can’t change, You change what you can and with QUALITY customers it all works out. Every customer scheduled for this week got rescheduled for next week.
The comment from EVERY customer… “Is everything OK?”

I love my customers!

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Jerrys Auto Center Apprentice

Jerrys Auto Center

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I’m in Long Island and grew up in Brooklyn/ Queens, I also grew up in the gas station (Esso) and race car (Island Porting Service) sector of this industry. I’m just waiting on my son to determine where he’s going to settle down, he graduates The Ohio State U this year and then I’ll work on getting out. I would love to find a medical tenant for my property and do a land lease. We’ll see, all in the works, all in time. 

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Obsidian Motors Apprentice

Obsidian Motors

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3 hours ago, Joe Marconi said:

Yes, I do go in about once a week to pick up mail and I am still cleaning out old files and personal items. But, for the most part, I am out.

Emotionally, it was and is hard.  I grew up in this business and in my own business for 41 years. I do miss the employees the most, and strangely, when I look back, it was the toughest times that brought the team together. For example, during a bad winter with many snow falls, when we spent hours in the cold and snow cleaning up. We would take a break from the cold and would huddle in the shop over coffee and egg sandwiches, and shoot the breeze.  That's what I miss the most.

Sounds like you've practically seen it all Joe. So I have a question; the landlord owns a small shop in front of mine that primarily does oil changes and smaller maintenance jobs. But he just recently added brakes. There is language in my lease that stipulates a clause that prevents me from advertising oil changes and I adhere to it. So I recently started advertising brake specials. So the landlord comes to me and says that I can't mention price. I believe he is way out of line here. I left the sidewalk sign up but wondering if going to "war" with him over this issue is worth it in the long run....although truthfully I want to since he appears to be a bit of a bully and the only way to beat a bully is to stand up to him.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

    • Joe Marconi
      The Toolbox is Last to Leave, First is the Heart
      By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog
         0 comments
      It 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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