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Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?
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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 Joe Marconi
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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
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 podcast episode, Coach Chris Cotton from Auto Fix Auto Shop Coaching hosts a conversation with Coach Al and Kevin, a service manager, about the importance of team culture in an auto repair shop. They share their experiences with team-building activities like axe throwing, camping trips, and Christmas parties, emphasizing how these events enhance employee relationships and work dynamics. The discussion also covers their thoughtful approach to hiring and the necessity of appreciating staff. Coach Chris admires their methods and reflects on the value of investing in employees, while Coach Al highlights the inclusion of these practices in their hiring process to attract and retain a committed workforce.
Culture and team building exercises (00:01:00) Discussion about the importance of culture and team building exercises in the auto repair shop industry.
Creating a positive culture (00:02:50) Description of the strong chemistry and positive culture in the shop, emphasizing the importance of mutual support and camaraderie among the employees.
Hiring process and culture fit (00:03:54) Insights into the hiring process, including assessing candidates for their skills and cultural fit through interviews and observations.
Annual Christmas party and other events (00:06:02) Details about the annual Christmas party and other team-building events organized throughout the year, such as axe throwing and other outings.
Christmas party preparations and employee appreciation (00:08:00) Discussion about the process of selecting personalized gifts for employees, the budgeting for the party, and the significance of showing employee appreciation.
Appreciating employees through events (00:11:15) Explanation of the financial investment in employee appreciation events, such as the Christmas party, as a reflection of the shop's commitment to valuing and retaining great employees.
Camping trip tradition (00:16:24) Origins and evolution of the annual camping trip, including the planning process, activities, and the inclusive nature of the event for employees and their families.
Inclusive camping trip and its cost (00:19:07) Inclusion of employees' families in the camping trip and an overview of the costs associated with organizing the event.
Maintaining order during the camping trip (00:20:32) Anecdote about managing noise levels and potential disruptions during the camping trip, highlighting the challenges of organizing a large group event in a campground setting.
Camping Trip Planning (00:21:57) Discussion on the timing and survey process for the annual camping trip organized for employees.
Employee Bonding (00:23:50) Kevin emphasizes the positive impact of team-building events on employee relationships and work dynamics.
Investing in Employees (00:25:27) The importance of investing in employees and showing appreciation for their efforts is highlighted.
Recruitment Strategy (00:26:05) Incorporating team-building events into recruitment discussions to emphasize employee appreciation and engagement.
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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By Joe Marconi
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By Changing The Industry
The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - Balancing GP per Hour and Productivity
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Zs Automotive
Thanks Xrac. I'm going to look into that. See if there are large fleets around here.
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ATSAutomotive
Just keep in mind, if you keep building these after hours clients. When you do go full time you will probably lose a lot of them if you don't stay open for them late. Double edged sword. Ill tell you that when I first started there is no way I could have made it if my fiancée hadn't of supported me personally. She kept me afloat while the business grew to a point where it could then cover me. That was just over 4 years ago. Now I have four full time employees, it was a scary ride but its been fun.
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Zs Automotive
Thanks for reply ATS. I'm trying to find a way to go full time. I can see how this can be a double edge. Thanks again
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ATLAuto
Fleets are an excellent idea for how you are currently setup.
Be careful on how you structure your fleet invoicing. As a lean start-up, you probably are not going to have the cash reserves to float the net 30 to 90 days worth of invoices that many fleets will be expecting. Here's an article that will help you get started in it (link).
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phynny
Keep in mind that 95% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years. Another thing is that wrenching is by far the easiest part of the business. You will also do 3 times the work for less money.
Not trying to deter you, but I'm sure you have a family that depends on you so you should know EXACTLY what your getting into.
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Jmazur
When i started 5 years ago, I was the only income for my family, and it was really tough for the first 6 months. But 5 years later, I own 2 shops doing around 2 million in sales, and still growing. It was not easy, but we were determined. I would recommend that you give some serious thought to whether you want to be a business owner, and dont dabble in it. Either get determined that you will do what is needed to make it work and dive in with both feet, or decide to stay with the safety of a job. You can not continue with the schedule you have right now. It is not good for you or for your family, and will not last long term. You will get burnt out. If your overhead is only $1700/month, it will not take long to offset that and generate income for yourself. Assuming that you are working 40 hours at your other job, and 34 at this business, if you take and put 74 hours a week into your business, you should have no problem growing your clientele rapidly enough to support your family. You can always go back to a J-O-B if this doesnt work out, but just decide what direction you want to go, and then figure out a plan to get you there. Most everyone here has been in your shoes and had to face the same fear you are dealing with. It is scary, but once you get to the other side, you will be glad that you did. And like others have said, learn to be a business owner, because fixing the cars will be the easiest part of your job. Message me if you would like to talk about it more in detail. I would be happy to help.
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SmartAutomotive
I did the same thing you are doing. Kudos. I also did Sundays too. Three months of that and I finally just quit my job and went headfirst. You can do it alone man! Plan on spending any down time on getting business education. Learn and implement marketing(not advetising) first then focus on learning reading financials next. You will grow so fast you will wonder why you ever worried.
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newport5
You are getting some great information.
Start encouraging online reviews. Even referral customers check your online reviews.
In CA it's Yelp, which is free. I say, "Hey, if you liked my service, please go online and leave me a review."
I'd heard that the simply satisfied customer doesn't refer you. it's after you do something special for them.
Victor
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