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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
Host Carm Capriotto welcomes Lee Rhodus, Territory Sales Manager for Deckman Oil, to discuss the current state of the oil industry. They delve into the history of Deckman Oil, the importance of oil in various industries, and the different types of motor oil available. They also touch on engine oil viscosity grades, the advancements in additive technology, and the challenges faced by repair shop owners in managing different oil inventories.
Lee Rhodus, Territory Sales Manager, Deckman Oil.
Show Notes
Watch Full Video Episode The history of Deckman Oil (00:00:44) Lee Rhodus discusses the origins and history of Deckman Oil, a fuel distributor that started in 1924 and will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary next year. The science behind synthetic oils (00:01:06) Carm and Lee talk about the creation of synthetic oils after World War II and the fascinating science behind them. Different types of motor oil and their marketing (00:04:30) Lee explains the differences between synthetic blend, conventional, and full synthetic oils, and how they are marketed in the industry. The rise of lighter grade oils (00:09:01) Discussion on the shift from 0W-20 to 0W-16 and the increasing popularity of lighter grade oils for fuel economy. Additive packages and oil quality improvement (00:12:35) Exploration of the advancements in additive technology and the overall improvement in the quality of motor oil over the years. Managing oil inventory in repair shops (00:15:25) The challenges faced by repair shop owners in managing the increasing variety of oil viscosity grades and the shift towards smaller packaging options. The lithium supply issue (00:18:23) Discussion on the tight supply of lithium and its impact on the prices of oil and grease. The use of calcium grease as an alternative (00:20:26) Exploration of calcium grease as a viable alternative to lithium grease due to its competitive pricing and water wash out protection. Changes in API specifications for motor oil (00:24:39) Explanation of the updated API requirements for motor oil to meet the needs of modern engines, prevent issues like low speed pre-ignition, and ensure turbo and engine integrity. Oil analysis for automotive fleets (00:27:51) Discussion on the limited use of oil analysis in automotive fleets due to conservative drain intervals.
Thanks to our Partner, NAPA AUTO CARE
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By carmcapriotto
Guest host and shop tour with Niko Sougias, Charlie's Foreign Car, Encinitas, CA. Niko says customers want explanations about their car repair and he has found a way to connect with them on his YouTube Channel. Find out how he does it.
Niko Sougias, Charlie's Foreign Car, Encinitas, CA
Show Notes:
Building was built in 1988- waterless car wash on every car, 17 bays, 16,000 square feet in total (with showroom) People want explanations- make videos; technical education should have a time limit (60 seconds) Most watched video of 2023- control arm bushings Full-time employee (Jax) is the editor of videos Audio- quality is important with wireless mics Pre-Covid work- maintenance Post Covid work- boom of work, customers are authorizing more work to be done, almost doubled ARO Challenges- keeping loyal customers happy while being booked 2 weeks out Future think for 2023- monitoring new car sales with interest rates rising Lead technician is moving to the foreman position
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Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour
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By Transmission Repair
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By carmcapriotto
Are you ready for an inspiring story that will leave you with goosebumps? I’m with Eric Dallas at Vision 2022, one of the Technician of Tomorrow scholarship winners, who shares his story about taking a pay cut from a dealership to work for ChangingGears. Their mission is to empower people who are working their way out of poverty by providing affordable transportation. Listen and be inspired and realize the good that scholarship programs are doing to invest in our future.
Eric Dallas, ASE Certified Master Technician, ChangingGears, Cincinnati, OH.
Key Talking Points
ChangingGears in Cincinnati- provide transportation for people breaking out of poverty. Providing freedom by leaving bus lines/public transportation. Volunteer with habitat for humanity with clients. Doner will get the maximum donation possible instead of the vehicle going to auction Won Vision 4 day all training classes access/meals/hotel scholarship, is ASE mastered certified Eric Ziegler was providing training in Cincinnati, told him about Vision The deadline for the scholarship had expired- applied anyway, received an email that he won 3-4 weeks later In 2009 started working at a dealership- no mentor, new people were “shunned” at first. Didn't have fulfillment/purpose working at the dealership. Found Craigslist ad looking for entry-level technician, applied, and realized it wasn’t located in the ideal place but was warmly greeted, learned about the mission, and was fully on board. Took a pay cut. Eric provides 1 on 1 dialogue and education with clients about their vehicle Funding- vehicles not suitable for clients will sell at auction and that money goes to overhead, fundraising, doners Changing-gears.org
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Important Books
Check out today's partner:
Learn more about NAPA AutoCare and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family by visiting www.NAPAAutoCare.com
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By carmcapriotto
Kent Bullard. Find Kent's other episodes HERE.
Key Talking Points:
Gamification- changing behavior, designing an experienceHow do you engage people with game theory? Focus on process orientation than goal orientation- not outcome focused, be action focused Customer’s want to come back again The Big E’sEnvironment: Physical triggers for customers and employees- is it distracting them or focusing? Putting mirror by phone so service advisors smile when they answer the phone Engagement: What, how, when, do they interact with each other? Instruction- walk in door, reward is smell of cookies Rules of play- “restrictions” calling customer back by certain time determined by shop and try to beat that time Effect: What are possible outcomes during experience? Illusion of choice- simplify set of outcomes that you can control Design experience- three service advisors, two on phone, one has green light on desk and is waiting to help customer Emershion: How do I continue to convince customers to keep coming back? Marketing and advertising- emails or phone calls as touch point Easy and positive experience equals customers wanting to come back Evolution: Adding new things to your process, always be evolving, constant and consistent growth. People get bored easily DVI in shop Experimentation- Customers using rules and restrictions to create difference experience Be aware and flexible- have limitations or expiration on promotional discounts Enjoyment and EventsExpected to pay certain amount and ends up paying less End game: what ways do we continue to engage customers? Mentor-ship, rewards points, events, involve customers with community Resources:
Thanks to Kent Bullard for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast. Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers. Love what we do, buy a cup of coffee HERE. Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
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This episode is brought to you by AAPEX, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo. AAPEX represents the $740 billion global automotive aftermarket industry and has everything you need to stay ahead of the curve. With 2,500 exhibiting companies, you’ll see the latest products, parts, and technologies for your business. As a result, the event also offers advanced training for shop owners, technicians, warehouse distributors (WDs) and auto parts retailers, as well as networking opportunities to grow your business. AAPEX 2020 will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3 through Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Therefore, more than 48,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend, and approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals. They will be from 135 countries which are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX 2020. For information, visit aapexshow.com
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