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By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog5 commentsI 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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By carmcapriotto
In this Mastermind style podcast episode of the Aftermarket Radio Network's Town Hall Academy, host Carm Capriotto discuss the significance of training, customer loyalty, and the challenges of business expansion. Matt Wagg, AJ Neely, and John Long share their experiences investing in their teams' development, creating memorable customer experiences, and the personal growth required for successful leadership. They also delve into the complexities of scaling from a single shop to multiple locations, discussing the importance of readiness, strategic planning, and learning from both successes and failures in the expansion process.
Matt Wagg, Accelerated Diagnostics and Automotive, Bennington, NE AJ Nealey, Nealey Auto and Tire 5 Locations, Edgewater, Deale, Owings, Pasadena and Rockville, MD John Long, Total True Automotive 3 Location MSO, Shertz, and New Branfels, TX Show Notes: Experience of first-time attendees at Vision 2024 conference Creating memorable experiences for customers Investment in training and its impact on team loyalty and development Personal and professional growth, challenges, and resilience Intentional leadership and instilling core values in team members Challenges and opportunities of business growth Considerations and challenges of expanding from one automotive repair shop to multiple locations Transition from one to two locations and the feelings and challenges associated with it Impact of the pandemic on plans for expansion and the need for preparation Acquiring new locations and ensuring a smooth transition for employees TIME STAMPS
Matt Wagg's journey (00:00:39) Matt Wagg shares his journey into the shop business, including his business plan and speaking at a college. AJ Neely's experience with the podcast (00:01:08) AJ Neely discusses his experience with the podcast and his approach to business. Earning customer loyalty (00:05:14) The panel discusses the importance of earning customer loyalty and creating memorable experiences. Creating a positive customer experience (00:07:08) The panel talks about creating a positive customer experience and the importance of communication. Unexpected extras for customers (00:10:13) John Long shares examples of unexpected extras for customers, such as giving out stuffed animals and matchbox cars. Investment in training and loyalty (00:13:33) AJ Neely and Matt Wagg discuss the investment in training and the impact on employee loyalty. Significant others attending the conference (00:15:38) Matt Wagg discusses bringing significant others to the conference as part of the training investment. The impact of closing for training (00:15:46) The positive impact of closing for training on staff and customer perception. Empowering employees through training (00:16:45) The importance of empowering employees through training and the impact on customer and employee satisfaction. The importance of operational excellence (00:22:23) The focus on operational excellence, cross-training, and creating a consistent guest experience. Leadership and business growth challenges (00:26:12) Challenges faced in leadership, business growth, and the need for personal and professional development. Adapting to leadership role and business redefinition (00:28:02) The need for redefining the role as a leader, making difficult choices, and redefining business operations. Growth and future business plan (00:31:29) Discussion on surpassing business plan goals, the need to plan for the future, and the desire to spread skills to the community. The feeling of going from 1 to 2 (00:32:09) Exploring the decision to expand from one to multiple stores and the passion and drive required. Preparation and access to capital (00:32:37) The importance of being ready with processes, systems, and access to capital before expanding to multiple locations. Different approaches to expansion (00:34:23) Considerations and challenges of different approaches to expanding, such as new build, brownfield, or acquisition. Challenges and surprises in expansion (00:37:06) Challenges faced in opening new locations, including marketing, demographics, and unexpected surprises. Learning from mistakes and failures (00:39:53) The importance of learning from mistakes and failures in the process of expanding and growing the business. Adapting to different store cultures (00:42:42) Understanding the differences in store cultures and leadership styles as businesses expand to multiple locations.
Thanks to our Partner, NAPA TRACS 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 http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -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
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By carmcapriotto
Recorded Live at MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems) 2024 Training Event & Trade Show, Pam Oakes discusses life after selling her shop and the transition into training. She also focuses on the role of 609 certification, EPA regulations and the importance of continuous learning and education. As professionals, we must adapt, learn, and embrace changes to ensure we're not left behind. Show Notes
MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems): https://macsmobileairclimate.org/ The MACS event (00:00:01) Introduction to the event, including the number of speakers, hours of training, and expo highlights. Transition from shop ownership to training (00:00:58) Discussion about the transition from owning a shop to training and the challenges involved. Importance of EPA compliance (00:05:03) Discussion about the EPA's enforcement of regulations and the consequences of non-compliance. ASE subject matter expert team (00:12:31) Discussion about the benefits of being part of the ASE subject matter expert team and the approach to creating fair and effective exam questions. The shop owner's passion for learning (00:16:08) Discussion on the shop owner's continuous learning and involvement in an ADAS project. The importance of training and continuous learning (00:17:28) Emphasizing the significance of ongoing training, learning, and the value of a supportive team. Training and certification for industry professionals (00:19:46) Exploring the efforts to provide training and certification for technicians. Changing the language and perception of automotive roles (00:21:51) Addressing the need to redefine and standardize the language used in the automotive industry to better represent roles and improve customer understanding. Automotive technology and industry evolution (00:23:30) Comparing the evolution of automotive technology to the advancements in other industries and discussing the challenges of acceptance and adaptability. The future of automotive technology (00:28:26) Discussing the future of automotive technology, including autonomous vehicles, hydrogen fuel, and battery electric vehicles. The impact of new automotive technology (00:30:16) Discussion on the challenges and potential drawbacks of new automotive technology, including the push for certain technologies and the future of hydrogen fuel. Porsche E-Fuel (00:32:11) Conversation about Porsche's development of e-fuel. Hydroelectric Power Plants (00:33:57) Exploration of the potential for hydroelectric power plants to produce electricity for e-fuel production. Post-Sale Life and Support (00:35:24) Reflection on life after selling a business and the importance of support systems in the automotive industry. Training and Education (00:36:09) Discussion about the importance of industry involvement in training and educating automotive professionals at all levels. Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2024. Mark your calendar now … November 5th-7th, 2024. AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at http://AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR 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 http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -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
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By Changing The Industry
Episode 152 - A Blueprint for Financial Independence in Auto Repair Shops with Rick White of 180Biz
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