Elite Podcast - First in series - Bryan Lagas of SST with Joe Marconi
-
Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?
-
.thumb.jpg.2b345efc275b9df0af2bbb306a10a78a.jpg)
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!”
-
-
Similar Topics
-
By Joe Marconi
Premium Member Content
This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.
-
By carmcapriotto
Industry experts discuss the future of the automotive industry, focusing on training, technology, and business strategies. They explore the importance of simplifying communication, utilizing video content for customer education, and the benefits of in-person versus virtual training. The panel also discusses the challenges of management training and the need for a holistic approach to business issues, emphasizing collaboration and a positive company culture. The episode provides insights into adapting to economic changes and fostering industry growth through shared knowledge and experiences. Matt Fanslow, Riverside Automotive, Red Wing, MN, Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z Podcast Hunt Demarest, CPA, Paar Mellis and Associates, Business by the Numbers Podcast Kim and Brian Walker, Shop Marketing Pros, Auto Repair Marketing Podcast Chris Cotton, AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching, Chris Cotton Weekly Blitz Podcast Show Notes: Impact of COVID on business (00:02:37) Analysis of the impact of COVID on business performance and consumer behavior. Economic indicators and business mindset (00:06:40) Discussion of economic indicators, including credit card delinquencies, and the importance of mindset in business performance. Influence of external information (00:11:01) The impact of external information on mindset and decision-making within the industry. Proactive vs. Reactive business approach (00:13:35) The importance of a proactive approach and avoiding a reactive mindset in business management. The importance of long-term perspective (00:15:28) Discussing the need to take a step back and wait for trends to play out before making reactive changes. The impact of timing and consumer confidence (00:15:42) Exploring the delayed impact of business decisions and the importance of considering consumer confidence in financial planning. Dealing with business cycles and financial pressures (00:18:03) Understanding the impact of property taxes and the need to avoid overreacting to short-term financial fluctuations. Planning for financial obligations and cash flow (00:19:17) Discussing the importance of planning for taxes and managing cash flow to avoid financial stress. Balancing long-term trends and short-term anomalies (00:19:38) Emphasizing the need to focus on longer-term business trends and avoid getting caught up in short-term fluctuations. Consumer confidence and economic impact (00:20:53) Analyzing the influence of consumer perception and economic factors on business decisions. The importance of video marketing (00:24:05) Highlighting the significance of video content in marketing strategies and encouraging businesses to embrace video marketing. Community involvement and communication (00:29:02) Exploring the value of community engagement and face-to-face communication in marketing efforts. The customer's questions (00:29:56) The importance of answering customer's questions through video and blog content. Technology and future training (00:31:32) Trends in training, including in-person and virtual options, and the need for diverse training methods. Training workforce and team culture (00:33:06) Discussion on the training workforce, the importance of team culture, and the impact of training on company culture. Commitment to training (00:37:39) The commitment of independent shop owners to training and the challenges in getting employees to participate. Virtual training and lunch and learn (00:40:55) The increase in virtual training and the implementation of lunch and learn sessions with virtual trainers. Business management and training (00:42:07) Comparison of business management to car repair, addressing the need for a holistic approach to business issues.
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 (X): https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -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
-
By carmcapriotto
Radio advertising can be very successful for marketing an auto repair shop, but we have a specific strategy we like to employ.
Thank you to RepairPal for sponsoring The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast. Learn more about RepairPal at https://repairpal.com/shops
How To Get In Touch
Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
Website - shopmarketingpros.com
Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros
Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
Instagram - @shopmarketingpros
Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
-
By carmcapriotto
Recorded Live at AAPEX 2023, Greg Bunch and Matt Fanslow discuss the impact of the current economy on the automotive aftermarket industry. They explore various aspects of business such as margins, marketing, training, hiring, labor rates. The conversation also covers the potential loss of independent repair shops, and the need for better communication with customers. Greg Bunch, Aspen Auto Clinic, Transformers Institute. Listen to Greg’s previous episodes HERE. Matt Fanslow, Riverside Automotive, Red Wing, MN, Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z Podcast
Show Notes:
The state of the economy and its impact on the automotive aftermarket industry (00:00:01) Discussion about the current state of the economy, including worldwide conflicts, division, interest rates, and inflation, and how it may affect the automotive aftermarket industry. The importance of customer loyalty and salesmanship (00:03:51) Exploration of the significance of customer loyalty and salesmanship in retaining customers and attracting new ones, with a focus on providing a frictionless experience. Improving business operations and paying attention to every area (00:05:52) Discussion on the need to run automotive businesses more efficiently, including honing sales skills, improving phone skills, enhancing customer service, and reducing friction in customer interactions. The customer journey (00:09:50) Discussion about the concept of a customer journey and its importance in the automotive repair industry. Engineering touchpoints (00:11:41) The importance of considering and engineering each touchpoint of the customer journey to create positive feelings and experiences for the customer. The Bear TV show (00:16:07) A discussion about the TV show "The Bear" and its relevance to the automotive repair industry, particularly in relation to providing the best customer experience. The importance of customer experience and communication (00:19:25) Discussion on the significance of providing a frictionless experience for customers and improving communication in auto repair shops. The impact on 'mom and pop' shops (00:33:17) Discussion about the challenges faced by smaller independent repair shops in keeping up with technology and training. The misconception about dealerships and independent shops (00:35:46) Exploration of the false narrative that dealerships are better equipped to handle newer cars, while independent shops are only suitable for older vehicles. The future of shops and the role of technology (00:39:45) Debate on the potential impact of technology, such as remote programming and diagnostic tools, on the survival and success of automotive repair shops. The challenges of the current economy (00:42:20) Discussion about the impact of the economy on the automotive aftermarket industry and the challenges faced by businesses. Thanks to our Partners Shop-Ware and Delphi Technologies Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management https://getshopware.com/ Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. http://DelphiAftermarket.com Connect with the Podcast -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -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
-
By Joe Marconi
Premium Member Content
This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.
-
-
-
Our Sponsors
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now