Gary Gunn polls our YNR group on Repair Shop Staff Roles. What should we expect from our people? How do we make that clear, and what must we do to help them meet our expectations?
Defining People – Repair Shop Staff Roles
This clip from our Leadership Process opens up with Gary requesting class members to define “people”. Broad? Maybe. Simple? Definitely not.
Pam believes all people are created by God for specific purposes. She also believes it is impossible to actually “manage people”. Fred adds that people are just “impossible” altogether! A good manager’s role is to identify each staff member’s strengths and weaknesses and help them fit in, if possible. Managers manage the systems, and the systems manage the people.
Are you an owner or manager who hates dealing with customers? Then you don’t need to take on the repair shop staff roles of Service Writer or Service Advisor! A good manager can also recognize what their own best role is. Maybe it’s in the back helping train technicians.
Different Viewpoints on Auto Repair Shop Staff Roles
Joe made the point that two people can observe the same object or concept and see completely different things. Mike points out that this is because those two people have different worldviews and agendas. Every repair shop hire may bring their own baggage in. Likewise, an astute leader can recognize said baggage.
Gary reminds us that we as auto repair shop owners and managers are all people ourselves! Like it or not, we are all in the people business. Whether you work with customers at the front counter or technicians in the back of the house, it’s up to you to recognize your systems and how to help staff run them.
Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session
Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, so you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Brian and YNR Member Andy read a passage from Gary Gunn’s book Turnaround Point – The Recipe for Going Broke. Are poor auto repair systems and processes leading to you ultimately shutting your doors? Read on for some tips to dig your shop out of the hole.
Going Broke Discussion – Is It Too Late?
Andy opens the clip reading an account of Larry, a shop owner who was definitely going broke. His shop was not open on Saturdays, and potential customers instead went to a competitor. He also required clients to set appointments for their repairs. The reason? He was worried that too many cars in the queue would cause chaos that his staff couldn’t handle.
Brian tags in to read the hard fact that the automotive industry has changed. You can’t require every customer to set appointments anymore. Limiting your potential business like that makes you a “no” company. If your customers do not get a “yes, today” answer from your service advisor, they will take their money elsewhere. A six day per week 7am-7pm schedule is a great idea to help open yourself up to new business by adding convenience. Besides, if you are worried about handling more customers, then maybe it is time to think about hiring more staff and examining your current systems and processes.
In addition to understaffing and delaying your customers, low parts margins and poor phone skills are factors in going broke. Leave no stone unturned, because your livelihood and your staff’s financial wellbeing, could depend on it.
Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session
Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Could you really be going broke? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out. Therefore, you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Defining People – Repair Shop Staff Roles
