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By Joe Marconi in Joe's Blog0 commentsIt always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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By Joe Marconi
Many shops these days are complaining that business is slowing down. While I am not against advertising, let's consider the following before you throw money at the problem:
Are your service advisors doing all they can to provide an amazing customer experience? Are multipoint inspections being done properly? Are your service advisor proactive with making sales and trained properly to handle objections? And are you booking the next appointments for deferred work, future maintenance work and other future services? What else can we do to maintain sales, BEFORE we spend more money on advertising?
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By Joe Marconi
Money Isn’t The Motivator We Think It Is
By Joe Marconi, an Elite Worldwide Blog -
We often hear that most people are money-motivated. However, when it comes to employee motivation, there’s much more than just financial incentives.
According to Gallup, a management consulting company, when people are looking for employment, money may be at the top of their list of considerations, but once hired, no amount of money can motivate someone if they are not happy in their workplace. Additionally, Gallup’s study revealed that money does not create employee motivation and that there is no direct link between salary and workplace happiness.
Understanding employee motivation is crucial for any manager looking to improve productivity and maintain a happy, high-performing workforce. Without understanding what truly motivates employees, high levels of productivity and profits will not be achieved. People are motivated by different reasons. It’s the job of the manager or shop owner to build strong relationships with their employees to find out what truly motivates them. One of the best ways to find out is to simply ask them. You may be surprised by what they say.
Now with that said, let’s address when money is important. Everyone needs to cover the basic needs of life. People need to pay the rent or mortgage, put food on the table, and take care of their families. If someone worries each week that their base pay will not cover their financial needs, they will work from a position of fear. This will eventually cause them to shut down, produce less, and start to look over the fence for greener grass.
Another area when money becomes a factor is when an employee feels that they are not getting the respect they believe they deserve. For example, you hire a top-level, experienced service advisor and pay that person a higher wage than your current top-performing service advisor. No matter what arrangements you make with the new hire, your current service advisor will find out the pay wage for the new hire, and that will not go well. In some cases, this may cause your current service advisor to quit.
Aside from a few exceptions, money is not a prime motivator. In this blog, I will outline five powerful ways to motivate the people in your company, which will also help you create the right culture, ensure long-term success, and help prevent your employees from looking over the fence for greener grass.
Satisfy The Basic Needs of Life and Career
As I mentioned earlier, when an employee worries each week about not earning enough to cover his basic financial needs, he works in a state of fear. In this state, people cannot function. The stress and worry consume them. When people realize that their basic needs will be fulfilled, they become more engaged with their work, will produce more, and are more inclined to grow and advance in your company.
As a shop owner or manager, you need to sit down with your employees. Find out about their goals, both in their career and in their personal life. Another obligation for shop owners is to create pay plans that offer competitive wages, great benefits, and a career path where they feel secure with their future with you. Financial and emotional security is important, not only for the employee but for the employee’s family too.
Create a Culture of Mutual Respect
Everyone craves respect. This is an area that is lacking in so many workplaces. While employees may be at different experience levels and in different positions, everyone wants to know that what they do gets the attention and respect of leadership. As a shop owner, create an environment of shared and mutual respect. Look to those in your company who have leadership qualities and mentor them so that they can mentor others. When your employees share in their talents and efforts as a team, combined with mutual respect for one another, you have created one powerful motivator.
Have Your Employees Compete Against Themselves
In the workplace, employees are at many different skill levels. For example, a typical repair shop may have two technicians with over 20 years of experience and one tech with under 5 years of experience. It makes no sense to have the younger tech compete against the more experienced techs. When you do this, you create winners and losers. What you want are all winners.
Encouraging self-competition is a powerful way to enhance employee motivation by allowing them to see personal progress and achievement. If you do that, each of them can win. Measure each employee’s production, whether it’s billable hours, sales, gross profit, or other metric. Find a baseline for each employee. Establish a minimum level of acceptable performance, the goals for their position, and the individual goals for each person. Provide the training, support, and a pathway for them to improve and succeed.
When people see themselves improving, by measuring their metrics against themselves, they also see themselves winning. They become more engaged, which motivates them to work harder and want to continue to improve.
Remember, create a shop filled with winners.
MBWA – Management By Walking Around
MBWA is a strategy that was written about in a book published in the early 1980s, by Tom Peters, called In Search of Excellence. The strategy is simple but powerful. It requires that managers get out of their offices each day and spend time walking the shop floor. Engage in conversation with your employees. But here’s the key component that makes this strategy so powerful; engage in conversation that helps you to find out more about them, their hobbies, their family, and what they like to do in their time off. In other words, don’t just make the conversation about business, make it personal, about them.
When you find out what’s important to your employees, you will also find how to increase employee motivation. Imagine this scenario: Through your MBWA you find that your superstar service advisor enjoys taking her kids to dinner and a movie, and you surprise her with tickets and a gift card for the entire family for a night out. Tell me that’s not a powerful motivator!
Praise and Recognition
Praise and recognition are perhaps the greatest motivators of all. There’s not a person on this planet who does not want to be recognized and praised for a job well done. Look for reasons to praise your employees. Let the little mistakes slide. If you want your employees to grow and improve, then praise and recognize the behavior you want to see repeated. For example, you speak to an employee about coming in late. If that employee comes in on time for the next three days, praise and recognize that! After all, it’s the behavior you are looking for, right? What happens all too often is nothing is said when the employee comes in on time for a few days but is handed a heavy reprimand when the employee once again arrives late two weeks later. If you only point out when people don’t perform the way they should, that is what you will get; an endless occurrence of people not performing up to expectations.
There’s a phrase from the book The One Minute Manager, but Ken Blanchard, “Find people doing things right!”
Conclusion
At Elite, one of our core values is to never put money ahead of people. We believe true employee motivation comes from fostering a culture where individuals feel valued and respected, rather than relying solely on monetary rewards. When a company focuses on building the right culture and prioritizing employee well-being, great things happen, and success becomes inevitable.
This concept is woven into the fabric of what we preach, teach, and coach. Whether it’s our service advisor Master’s Program, our Top Shop Coaching Programs, or our Pro Service peer groups, we will never abandon what has made Elite the company it will always be… a company that will never put money ahead of people.
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By Changing The Industry
Why Toyota Champions Repair Shops and Consumer Experience #podcast #autorepairbusiness
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By carmcapriotto
The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.
Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo:https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/
Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
If you would like to join their private Facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind
In this episode of "The Weekly Blitz," Coach Chris Cotton from Auto Fix Auto Shop Coaching delves deep into the crucial role of coaching in the auto repair industry. He discusses how coaching enhances performance, accountability, and long-term success for shop owners, service advisors, and technicians. Chris shares insights on the benefits of having a coach, including improved business strategies, goal-setting, and overcoming challenges. He emphasizes that coaching is a valuable investment, leading to significant returns and sustainable growth.
Throughout the episode, Chris elaborates on the transformative power of coaching, illustrating how it can turn struggling shops into thriving businesses. He provides real-world examples of shops that have seen remarkable improvements in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability after implementing coaching strategies. Chris also touches on the importance of personalized coaching, tailored to address the unique needs and goals of each shop, ensuring that the guidance provided is relevant and actionable.
Moreover, Chris highlights the role of coaching in fostering a positive work culture. He explains how regular coaching sessions can boost team morale, enhance communication, and create a cohesive environment where everyone is aligned with the shop's vision and objectives. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, coaching helps shops stay ahead of industry trends and adapt to changing market demands.
The episode encourages listeners to consider coaching to elevate their business and achieve excellence in the competitive auto repair landscape. Chris underscores that investing in coaching is about immediate gains and building a foundation for sustained success. He invites shop owners to take the first step towards transformation by exploring coaching opportunities, ultimately leading to a more prosperous and resilient business.
Introduction and Podcast Overview (00:00:22)
Coach Chris Cotton introduces the podcast and its focus on insights for auto repair businesses.
Coaching Importance (00:01:16)
Discussion on the significance of coaching for business owners and its impact on performance.
Performance Through Coaching (00:02:23)
Coached individuals consistently outperform those who go it alone, highlighting the value of accountability.
The Role of Accountability (00:03:31)
Accountability is crucial for achieving goals, ensuring follow-through on commitments.
Perspective in Coaching (00:04:27)
Coaching provides perspective, helping clients see the bigger picture amidst daily challenges.
Long-Term Investment in Coaching (00:06:22)
Coaching is a process that requires time, focusing on sustainable change rather than quick fixes.
Commitment to Improvement (00:07:18)
Successful coaching fosters a commitment to continuous improvement and resilience in tough times.
Conclusion and Call to Action (00:08:20)
Encouragement for listeners to embrace coaching for personal and business growth, emphasizing the importance of progress.
Connect with Chris:
[email protected]
Phone: 940.400.1008
www.autoshopcoaching.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
AutoFixAutoShopCoachingYoutube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
#autofixautoshopcoaching #autofixbeautofixing #autoshopprofits #autoshopprofit #autoshopprofitsfirst #autoshopleadership #autoshopmanagement #autorepairshopcoaching #autorepairshopconsulting #autorepairshoptraining #autorepairshop #autorepair #serviceadvisor #serviceadvisorefficiency #autorepairshopmarketing #theweeklyblitz #autofix #shopmarketingpros #autofixautoshopcoachingbook
Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
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