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Why You Shouldn't Forget Your Existing Employees

Joe Marconi
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Joe Marconi Grand Master

Joe Marconi

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It's a safe bet that nearly every auto repair shop is looking to hire an employee, most likely a technician.  While I am a big proponent of a plan to recruit constantly, we can never forget about the employees we have right now.

Do all you can to create a healthy workplace with high morale. Have a one-on-one with all your employees. Find out what they like about working at your repair shop and perhaps more importantly, what they would like to change. 

Ask your employees what they would do to improve your company. If you have never done this before, you may get the "deer in the headlights" look, but don't worry, keep asking and in time your employees will be a great resource for you. 

When people feel appreciated and know that their opinion counts, it helps them from looking over the fence for greener grass. 

What do you do at your auto repair shop to help retain your employees? 

 

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Joe Marconi Grand Master

Joe Marconi

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1 hour ago, Transmission Repair said:

I'm guilty of not recognizing employees enough.  I never knew of this aspect of the business till I came to this group in my retirement.  It sounds so simple, but I'm surprised that no management seminar or training class ever mentioned it.  It's all my fault for failing in this area.

It's very common.  We often get complacent. 

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      5 Reasons for Low Shop Production
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      Typically, when productivity suffers, the shop owner or manager directs their attention to the technicians. Are they doing all they can do to maintain high billable hours? Are they as efficient as they can be?  Is there time being wasted throughout the technician’s day? 
      All these reasons factor into production problems, but before we point fingers at the technicians, let’s consider a few other factors.
      Are estimates being written properly? Are labor testing and inspections being billed out correctly? Are you charging enough for testing and inspecting, especially for highly specialized electrical, on-board computer issues, and other complex drivability work?  Is there a clear workflow process everyone follows that details every step from the write-up to vehicle delivery? Do you track comebacks, and is that affecting production?  Is the shop layout not conducive to high production? For example, is it unorganized, where shop tools, technical information, and equipment are not easily accessible to every technician?  Are you charging the correct labor rate and allowing for variables such as rust, vehicle age, and the fact that most labor guides are wrong? Also, is there effective communication between the tech and the service advisor to ensure that extra labor time is accounted for and billed to the customer? These are a few of the top reasons for low productivity problems. There are others, but the main point is to look at the entire operation. Productivity is a team effort.  Blaming the techs or other staff members does not get to the root cause in most cases.
      Maintaining adequate production levels is the responsibility of management to create the processes that will lead to high production while holding everyone accountable. 

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