Employee Needed

[Gary A]

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

[xrac]

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

 

We pay our service advisor a weekly base plus 2% of gross sales. Some people pay a percentage of profit. There are a lot of different plans out there.

[Joe Marconi]

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

 

Do you have any employees now? I think you need to first sit down and begin to write some sort of business plan. It does not have to be a perfect plan, but something that outlines your present position and where you want to go. Take from me, in 1991 after being in business for 11 years I was nearly broke. Why? I built and business around ME and the busier it got, the worse it got for me. Busy is supposed to be a good thing, but when you are doing everything yourself, as you describe, it will only lead to trouble.

 

Your problem cannot be solved easily. It will take time. You need to start hiring people. Find out what a decent pay scale is for your area. Take it slow, but do it.

 

Here’s what I did back in 1991 when I could not work any harder anymore: I outlined on paper all the job titles I held; tech, shop forum, service advisor, bookkeeper, janitor, etc. And, one by one I replaced what I was doing with an employee. I started with a booker keeper, then another tech, then a few more techs, a cleanup crew and finally I hired a few service advisors. I gave myself a 5-year plan to accomplish this. Once I put the plan into motion, my business grew and grew it keeps growing today because I cultivate people around me, good people to help me succeed.

I hoped I helped you. I may have given you too much at one time, but you sound like you need the help. Good luck, keep in touch.

[CARMandP]

Thanks for that info Joe. I am in the same position myself so anymore info like this you can hand out the better

[Dan Reichow]

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

[Dan Reichow]

You need to figure out which is best for your business plan , hiring an service advisor can make or break your business. You have explained you do a lot of the expertise of your reapir side , can you hire yourself to do the mechanical. It still will be hard to leed when you are busy with the wrench's. Thier are many dedicated s/a's but you own the buisness and not being at the counter will not build boneding and committment that a business neeeds to servive today's competition.

I hate the frt , but it was a decision after taking ATI training that was needed for our business model to servive. I loved wrenching and was an excellent tech. By changeing and getting the owners up frt we have increased revenue and stabilized profit. We still have hard work each day due to the economy. The roller coaster effect is an cop out for slow times , need to make a bwetter marketing plan if you still have a roller coaster effect.

This may be harsh but most shops wait for work to come in , We aggressively seek work every day.

 

Thanks Dan R.

[Gary A]

Thanks for the respnose Dan. Part of the reason for a service advisor is when I need to be away from the shop I must close up or I have left my apprentice there for a few hours if I have to. I would like business to go on if I have to be away. If I have a service advisor with tech experience and an apprentice I could leave if I have to. Right now everything depends on me.

You need to figure out which is best for your business plan , hiring an service advisor can make or break your business. You have explained you do a lot of the expertise of your reapir side , can you hire yourself to do the mechanical. It still will be hard to leed when you are busy with the wrench's. Thier are many dedicated s/a's but you own the buisness and not being at the counter will not build boneding and committment that a business neeeds to servive today's competition.

I hate the frt , but it was a decision after taking ATI training that was needed for our business model to servive. I loved wrenching and was an excellent tech. By changeing and getting the owners up frt we have increased revenue and stabilized profit. We still have hard work each day due to the economy. The roller coaster effect is an cop out for slow times , need to make a bwetter marketing plan if you still have a roller coaster effect.

This may be harsh but most shops wait for work to come in , We aggressively seek work every day.

 

Thanks Dan R.

[Dan Reichow]

Thanks for the respnose Dan. Part of the reason for a service advisor is when I need to be away from the shop I must close up or I have left my apprentice there for a few hours if I have to. I would like business to go on if I have to be away. If I have a service advisor with tech experience and an apprentice I could leave if I have to. Right now everything depends on me.

 

 

This is a rough position we all have been thier starting out. One thing tech experiance is not your best sales person on front counter we have found.

[Gary A]

I have been through quite a bit of training myself and have been looking for a tech for a few years now and it has been very hard. Been through a few. It might be because I started out my business a s transmission specialty shop, one day I am rebuilding transmissions another I am diagnosing and another doing engine work etc. Its hard to find someone who can do it all. As far as the easy work brakes, front end etc I hate to compete and lowball for the work that everybody wants. I could use more of that work though.

This is a rough position we all have been thier starting out. One thing tech experiance is not your best sales person on front counter we have found.