weighit

52 minutes ago, Joe Marconi said:

Wow. You bring up so many critical issues. I do feel that the work environment and ownership/management has an obligation to provide a workplace that takes care of it's people.  As you said, money is not the only factor.  Another thing, most shop owners are former techs, with little to no training in employee management or leadership. Perhaps this needs to be addressed, or the problem will only get worse. 

Exactly, saw way too many times an excellent tech was promoted to management, and that was NOT his strong suit, fixing broken things was where he excelled, not dealing with people. then we would see another good tech call it quits and leave the employment becasue of the way they were treated.

I was mostly on the body shop side of dealers and bodyshop managers tended to stay a few years then move to different dealer. That reason was almost always pay based or not getting along with the ownership somehow. And in many cases the Bodyshop techs would if they liked the managers style and attitude, would leave and follow that manager. Was not uncommon to see 3 or 4 techs up and leave with the out going manager. That normally told you that manager treated those fellows well, respected them and they him. When a dealer went through 4 or 5 bodyshop managers in 4 or 5 years that told you is was pretty unlikely that that dealer found 4 or 5 poor managers, but that the dealer principle was poor in his management style. Things have changer over the years with employees, but I think all of us/them still require some level of respect for us to want to continue working for that person/manager/ corporation or business. Money is not always the factor keeping someone working for you. Just my opinon.

This is so true, many will not tell the owner or person in charge of any short fall, but will tell others. I was in a Wendy's eating a lunch one day and watched a Buick pull in and park and an older fellow with his wife get out. They ordered and sat down across from me. Another fellow walked up and said to them, I see you own a Buick. Just in case you ever need body repair do not go to so and so collision shop. They are terrible and say they are Buick experts. Just wanted you to know and he proceeded to leave and get into his Buick and drive away.

You have to wonder how poorly he was treated to stop just anyone and vent his frustration. Did he let the so and so shop know? don't know but that always stuck with me that bad treatment and bad work travels to areas you have no idea about as a shop owner. I always asked my customers if they were happy and if there was anything we could do to improve what they experianced. Sometimes we did get a suggestion and we took it to heart. 

I have in the past been a service advisor for a very large Cadillac dealer and I was one of 5 advisors. We all got paid the same, a flat weekly salary and then the commission. The weekly pay was barely enough to say we got a check every week, back then it was $300 per week. Maybe at that time is was good but seemed low. Commissions were paid the second week check of the month for the previous month. As I recall it was 1% for the first $10,000 is parts and labor, not including any warranty sales, 2% for the next $10,000, 3% for the next $5,000 and 4% for the next $5,000 and 5% there after for the months sales. Way back then we were each writting anywhere from $45 to 60 grand a month is sales, again not inclulding warranty or sales taxes on the repair orders. Then there was "spiffs" added if a sale incorporated any of the few items on the list that month, tire rotation & balance, transmission flush, detail cleaning and waxing. That kind of extras. It was a flat $$ figure per sale added to the commission check. Owner was very concerened we didn't sell things that were not nor even needed. No funny business to add to your checks. This was back in 1975  or so,  a long time ago, but all of us advisors were pleased at that time with our incomes. Times have changed and I'm sure pay has changed upward a lot. 

It has to have been 35 years ago I worked for Avis Rent A Car and had the opportunity to attend a management class. I learned then that yes a good income was a factor in hiring and keeping employees, but this class was a workshop on building a repore with each employee, to let them know they were part of a winning team. If all the team had a goal of making our/their customers feel like they were happy to be employed with a good company it would help keep employees and customers. Looks like not much has changed. This class stuck with me through out my working career and I always made it a point to let each employee know that without them being part we could not have the great company we have. 

When I had my business I always said if I could live my life style I was living without a single employee I would have none of them. BUT, I knew that was not ever going to be the case, so I treated them with the most respect I could muster. I paid them more than any of the competition paid their guys and instilled in every one, that when a customer entered our building, that was their payccheck coming in. They were to treat and talk with those customers, if they were involved with them, as I did almost all the interactions, with respect.  I also let them know if they for some reason were to tick off that customer it would be said our business was the problem, not that employee. Anything they did was a true reflection on our business and conversly, their payvheck. Seemed to work for the 11 years i kept that business.