Quantcast
Jump to content


Encourage Bad News


Recommended Posts

The other day, one of my service advisor’s came to my office to discuss the past week. We made an agreement that we would meet in private at least once a week to discuss his successes and challenges, and also discuss ways to improve our service. After telling me all the good stuff, he informed me of a situation where he dropped the ball, which resulted in a very upset customer.

 

My initial thoughts were anger and disappointment. The last thing we need these days are unhappy customers. But, thankfully the years have taught me a few things about employee behavior and employee management.

 

I remained calm and thanked him for bringing this up and we discussed ways to correct the situation. I told him that while we need to celebrate the success stories, it is crucial to our long term success to admit when things have gone wrong. I made a bigger deal about him coming clean, than the successes he had that week.

 

If I were to erupt in anger, he would have shut down. Also, he would not come to me the next time we had a customer issue. By thanking him and praising him for being honest, he now knows that people can make mistakes, and that we will work together to correct the problem.

 

No one wants to hear bad news, but it’s a lot better than not knowing. What you don’t know, you can’t correct. And that’s a recipe for disaster.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • 2 weeks later...

How would you go about keeping the customer?

Is this something the service adviser should do or is this something the owner should do?

If the service advisor wasn't able to calm the customer the owner should get involved to see if he/she could salvage the relationship with the customer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It takes a lot of candor and integrity for an employee to do that. It says a lot about them, and the fact that you have created an environment where you get all the news, not just the good stuff. Kudos on having such a good relationship with the folks that work for you.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It takes a lot of candor and integrity for an employee to do that. It says a lot about them, and the fact that you have created an environment where you get all the news, not just the good stuff. Kudos on having such a good relationship with the folks that work for you.

 

Thanks for those kind words. I have to admit, it is not easy. And, it is a struggle to maintain the right environment. But, if we "Kill the Messenger", we will never know how to improve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         1 comment
      Have I got your attention? Great.
      Let me start by saying that I believe in giving praise when deserved and letting employees know when they dropped the ball. However, the truth is that no one enjoys being reprimanded or told they messed up.  
      The question is, what is the appropriate balance between the right amount of praise and the right amount of critical feedback? According to studies done by Harvard Business School, the ratio of praise to critical feedback should be about 6:1 – Six praises for every critical feedback. I am not sure if I agree with that.
      From personal experience, I would recommend a lot more praise. The exact ratio doesn’t matter. What’s important is that before you consider giving critical feedback, ensure you have given that employee a lot of recent praise. If not, whatever you are trying to get through to an employee, will fall on deaf ears.
      When you do have to give critical feedback, remember a few things:
      Focus on the issue or behavior; never attack the person, and remain calm in your actions and words Ask the employee for feedback, their side of the story Speak to the employee in private Address the issue soon after it happens; never wait Don’t rely on second-hand information; it’s always better if you have experienced the situation yourself that you want to correct Have an open discussion and find things that both of you can agree upon Have an action plan moving forward that the employee can take ownership of Use the experience as a learning tool Make sure you bring up positive attributes about them Remember, you don’t want the employee to be angry or upset with you; you want them to reflect on the situation and what can be improved. One last thing. Everyone makes mistakes. We need to be mindful of this.
  • Similar Topics

    • By ASOG Podcast
      Meet The Garage Network from Australia
    • By carmcapriotto
      Recorded Live at Vision 2023, Al Wright and Travis Troy discuss the benefits of joining MWACA's S.O.S. (Shop Owner's Support) Group. When we can support and learn from other shop owners, we continue Advancing the Aftermarket and raising the bar for the industry. Travis also gives us an overview of Vision's newest class for general service technicians.
      Al Wright, John’s Automotive, Cedar Rapids, IA. Al’s previous episodes HERE
      Travis Troy, Honest Wrenches, Akeny and Des Moines, IA. Listen to Travis’ other episodes HERE
      Show Notes
      Travis Troy- 21 team members attending Vision 2023 MWACA SOS Shop Owner’s Support- What is an S.O.S. Group? Think of it as your advisory board. Our S.O.S. Groups consist of no more than 10 shops that meet on a monthly basis. Meetings are similar to “twenty groups” without the intense financial focus or expensive monthly commitment. Groups meet monthly at a participating shop to discuss relevant issues, set and review goals, and evaluate the hosting shop.    Be vulnerable, and be transparent, not as a business owner but as a friend. We are not each other’s competition.  Learning from others, raising the bar for the Automotive industry  FTI- failure to implement, the number one failure for shop owners. Debrief after the SOS meeting with a list of items to work on and change.  Elevate before you grow. GSTA General Service Technician Academy - 2-day course. This program benefits the technician and the shop with increased efficiency, knowledge, and safety, as well as cost-savings by helping prevent beginning mistakes. Certifications will come from Tire Industry Association (TIA), Automotive Lift Institute (ALI), and Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS).  GTSA will cover- Tire Safety – hands-on mounting and dismounting, repair procedures and balancing, Tire pressure monitoring basics, Lift safety – Including Information access for proper lift placement, OSHA and shop safety training, Alignment basics, Intro to Air Conditioning, Electricity Fundamentals, Introduction to Digital Vehicle Inspections - a systematic approach to test drives, inspections, photos and videos and the benefits to the tech and to the shop of performing the DVI. Surviving a Health Scare [THA 316]
      Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS. Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2023. Mark your calendar now … October 31 - Nov 2, 2023, AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at AAPEXSHOW.COM 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 NAPATRACS.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
    • By ASOG Podcast
      A Game Changer for Automotive Service Advisors?
    • By Joe Marconi
      For all the veteran shop owners who have been around the block a few times, and have experienced the roller-coasted rides of being an auto repair shop owner, what advice could you give those shop owners just starting out or planning to go into their own business? 

    • By carmcapriotto
      Erich and Lauralee Schmidt went to a 4 day work week during COVID and haven't looked back. They also have an app for their shop with benefits to customers.
      Erich and Lauralee Schmidt, Schmidt Auto Care, Springboro, OH    Show Notes:  
      4 day work week- exhaustion during COVID, started cutting Fridays with three day weekends. Prefaced it as summer hours and would go back to 5 days in the fall. They never went back to 5 day work week. Revenue, productivity, and efficiency increased. 8-7 pm work hours. The check-in process includes 4 day work week schedule.  40 hours of training a year minimum- observing efficiency, open communication, partnering with employees with their training. Training is a requirement when hiring employees. “Where are your interests?” Service Advisor=Serice Specialist  Free Schmidt Auto Care App- started 6 years, App Fueled is a customizable garage for clients and a bevy of services outside of just communication. Special pricing, birthday specials, loyalty touch points. 30% of the customer base has the app.  Had ADAS for 3 years, one of the first in the area to get it. Program and calibration.
      Thanks to our Partner, Dorman Products. 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
      Connect with the Podcast:
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Subscribe on YouTube
      Visit us on the Web
      Follow on Facebook
      Become an Insider
      Buy me a coffee
      Important Books
      Check out today's partner:
       


      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...