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Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?
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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
Mo Ali from Lock Labs discusses the challenges facing the automotive locksmith industry due to new credential requirements for accessing the immobilizer functions on aftermarket tools. Mo also discusses the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) and the Vehicle Security Professional credentials. It's not just about cutting keys; it's about navigating a maze of electronics, modules, and regulations.
Show Notes
NASTF and Vehicle Security Professional credentials (00:02:32) Impact of the credential requirement (00:03:54) Role of NASTF and implications of the new requirements (00:09:14) Debate on key programming (00:11:44) Potential consequences of the new credential requirements (00:14:28) VSP Credentials and Key Cutting (00:18:54) Implications of Key Making Outside Locksmiths (00:22:21) Predictions for the Locksmith Industry (00:24:20) Challenges and Opportunities for Locksmiths (00:29:40) Perception of Locksmiths and Technicians (00:32:41) Forced Collaboration and Industry Changes (00:33:27) Complexities of Key Making (00:37:01) EPA Regulation and Emissions-Related Information (00:39:23) Acquiring Immobilizer Data (00:50:55) The learning process and lack of knowledge (00:51:50) Security measures and protecting investments (00:52:45) Government intervention and industry governance (00:56:58) Advocacy and industry collaboration (00:57:59) Engagement with NASTF and advocating for changes (01:00:01) Progress and understanding in industry changes (01:02:48)
Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech napaautotech.com
Email Matt: [email protected]
Diagnosing the Aftermarket A - Z YouTube Channel HERE
Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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By Joe Marconi
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By Hands On
Hi folks. A quick search and I did not see any recent alignment machine posts. I have a quote from Hunter, $86,000 includes a scissor life and the concrete work to flush mount it, shipping, the machine with wall mount cameras. Some accessories. If I do conservatively 3 alignments a week my break even is approx 4.5 years, a bit longer depending on financing cost.
I lease my shop, and one of my biggest fears has been getting kicked out of here. Should I be looking at obtaining a location instead? I am always nervous about taking on the massive cost of a bigger building, especially when I struggle so often to hire good people. I talked to a friend that went from a small shop like I have to a larger facility and he said it was a lot more headaches with very little increase in income. I want less headaches, less stress.
Maybe it is my small shop that makes it hard to hire? Is this the right time to try to get a new location? How do I even start finding financing, I do not have a ton of cash saved up right now. Should I get the alignment machine now, and continue to save up for a new location? How much do I need down for a new spot? Should I keep my eye open for other shops that might fail in the coming year and hold off on the alignment machine and continue to stack cash? I am kind of tired of loosing an employee for 30 minutes to an hour to run an alignment across town that may or may not get done to the same quality standards I hold my employees to.
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