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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
Nichole Bennecoff and Tenise Chapman are steering the automotive conversation toward new horizons. We're shifting gears to talk about the power of female presence in the industry, from technicians to service advisors, and the impact it has on businesses and customers alike. Nichole shares her success in creating a team dynamic that's as inclusive as it is efficient. She's proving that leadership knows no gender, and her approach is magnetizing more women to the field. Tenise drives home the importance of visibility. She's out there in a rural setting, changing the landscape and inspiring the youth to dream of a career in automotive with Camp Drive, a two-day camp for kids ages 12-15. We also touch on the art of customer service, crafting spaces that make everyone feel welcome, and the quest to bring more female technicians into the fold. Nichole Bennecoff, Subie Guys, Traverse City, MI. Nichole’s previous episodes HERE Tenise Chapman, Black Hills Tire, Rapid City, SD
Show Notes: Recruiting Women Employees (00:01:04) Discussion on the importance of recruiting women employees, including female technicians and service advisors, and the need to promote careers in the automotive industry. Building a Female Team (00:02:18) Nichole shares her experience in building a female team at her shop and the reasons why women were attracted to her business. Women in the Automotive Industry (00:03:46) Tenise reflects on her experience as a woman owner in a male-dominated industry and the lack of female representation in her local area. Creating a Welcoming Environment (00:06:25) The importance of creating a welcoming and professional environment for customers, including the design and atmosphere of the waiting room. Customer Experience and Image (00:08:28) Discussion on the customer experience, including the quality of coffee, and the impact of small details on the overall image of the shop. Maintaining High Standards (00:11:53) The importance of maintaining high standards and the pride that staff takes in upholding the cleanliness and professionalism of the shop. Recruiting Female Technicians (00:12:55) Efforts to promote the recruitment of female technicians, including outreach to younger girls and the challenges faced in a traditional rural area. Work-Life Balance (00:14:19) Considerations for implementing a four-day work week to accommodate employees, especially women with families, and attract more people to the industry. Promoting Careers in the Automotive Industry (00:17:40) Efforts to promote careers in the automotive industry, including speaking engagements at career fairs and middle schools to change perceptions about the industry. Educational outreach (00:18:14) Discussion about the need for more technicians and efforts to promote automotive education in high schools. Maternity leave policy (00:20:59) Challenges and insights into creating a maternity leave policy for female employees in the automotive industry. Uniform policy (00:22:42) Discussion on the uniform policy for female employees and the need for a more inclusive approach. Workplace culture and retention (00:25:26) The importance of creating an inclusive and supportive workplace culture, especially for female employees, to promote retention. Family-friendly workplace (00:27:01) Emphasizing the importance of supporting employees' personal and family needs in the workplace. 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. https://www.delphiautoparts.com/ Connect with the Podcast -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -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
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By Joe Marconi
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By carmcapriotto
"The art of asking the right questions: this approach, inspired by the Socratic method, helps uncover valuable insights and ensures a thorough understanding of situations. Authenticity is key in every interaction."
Carm Capriotto introduces a panel to discuss the importance of listening to service advisor calls. Rena Rennebohm and Clint White are service advisor coaches, while Collin Ashin and Tyler Nichols are their clients. They discuss the benefits of reviewing recorded calls, such as identifying areas for improvement, enhancing problem-solving skills, creating a safe environment for feedback, the value of coaching, and the need for continuous improvement. Remember, the journey to self-improvement begins with a single step.
Rena Rennebohm, CEO Empowered Advisor. Listen to Rena’s previous episodes HERE.
Collin Ashin, European Auto Garage, Knoxville, TN Clint White, Service Advisor Coach & Shop Consultant with CWI and currently holds multiple ASE certifications. Clint’s previous episodes HERE Tyler Nichols, X-tra Mile Auto Care, Stillwater, OK Show Notes:
Listening to service advisor calls (00:00:28) Discussion on the impact of listening to service advisor calls and how it improves their performance. Coaching style and empowerment (00:03:56) Exploration of the coaching style that focuses on empowerment and positive experiences for service advisors. Enhanced problem solving (00:09:20) Discussion on the benefits of reviewing recorded calls for service advisors to improve their ability to respond effectively and professionally. Drawing attention to extended silences and lazy language (00:10:25) Conversation about the importance of avoiding extended silences while speaking and the impact it has on customer confidence. Trust building and providing lessons before listening to calls (00:14:27) Explanation of the approach to establish trust and provide education and tools before giving critique on recorded calls. The Importance of Coaching and Training (00:16:41) Discussion on the value of coaching and training in various industries, using examples like Tiger Woods and football players. Working with Top Advisors (00:17:37) Exploring the concept of working with top advisors and keeping them at the top of their game. Using Scripts as a Guide (00:18:51) The benefits and challenges of using scripts in client interactions, emphasizing the need for authenticity and personalization. Improving Call Structure and Clarity (00:24:32) Discussion on the importance of having a structured call and how it helps in assessing improvement. Seeking Feedback from Spouse (00:25:15) Sharing phone calls with a spouse to get their input on how the calls sound and if they seem forced. Building the Clock Analogy (00:32:56) Explains the analogy of building a clock to illustrate the importance of not overcomplicating things in the automotive industry. Realizing You're Still a Good Advisor (00:34:17) Discusses the realization that having a coach doesn't mean you're a bad advisor, but rather an opportunity to improve and fine-tune skills. Pain Points in Listening to Calls (00:35:24) Explores the discomfort and growth that comes from listening to difficult phone calls and the benefits of having a coach to provide objective feedback. The value of consistency in customer interactions (00:48:01) Emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistent service across multiple locations for customer satisfaction. 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
-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 Beep
Interested to hear how you like these systems and also how you're using third party integrations and/or Zapier as a bridge to external systems.
We have an integration with Shop-Ware in development and are scoping an integration with Shopmonkey. At present our Buy Now Pay Later product allows you to generate an invoice with a web form. After we onboard the customer and wire payment to you the next day, you have to manually mark the RO as paid. An integration eliminates most of the manual work. You just select an RO and we can do the rest behind the scenes -- pull in relevant customer and job info, notify the customer, and then mark the RO as paid when funds transfer to you is complete.
Looking for any insight or feedback from folks on how easy (or difficult) your experience has been bridging your SMS with external systems, and if there are specific things that would make these integrations work more smoothly for you.
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