Often, we throw out the word “Family” way too quickly and loosely in our advertising and our employee manuals. How do you make your employees feel like a valued team member? How do you retain employees? What is the turnover rate in your service department? All employees want to feel that they are a vital part of the department and the company. Are we keeping them informed of what is happening with the company? Are we asking them for their ideas on solutions to issues that arise? This can go a long way to making them feel they are valued and an integral part of the operation. When was the last time you had a shop meeting? Why not grill burgers at lunch once a month and talk with the technicians, make them feel like an important part of the team? Why not have regular meetings to accentuate positive things going on and praise their successes? Do you know what your employees are going through in their professional lives? Yes, of course, but what about their personal lives? We all know that you need to separate work from home, but it is impossible to completely do so.
What if during our walk around through the department we took a little time to get to know something about their families and made some inquiries about their hobbies, where they are going on vacation, how the kids are doing? When we connect on a personal level it helps to bond with the employee and make them feel part of the team, creating a more personal connection to the company.
One retailer I visit makes it a point to take a group of technicians out to lunch each week. They don’t talk about work, they just chat and bond over sports, family life, and current events. Imagine an express tech having lunch with an owner? What kind of long-term loyalty is being developed here?
We all work hard every day to retain customers. Could we put some additional effort into retaining employees, as well? Being told you’re appreciated is one of the simplest, yet most incredible things you can ever hear, and an employee who feels appreciated will always produce more than one who doesn’t.
Companies that do a good job of creating a bond with the employees generally do not have a problem recruiting new employees. This allows them to be selective and hire the best of the best, rather than taking on anyone just to fill a slot.
We all know how difficult it is to fill our bays and service drives with quality employees. Why not work hard to retain your great employees and create an environment at your place of business that separates your dealership from the competition? This can give you an advantage when needing to hire new employees because your store is the place to work.
From a complete Service Department Assessment to targeted Classroom Service Advisor Training options, I am here to assist you with all of your Fixed Operation improvement custom-tailored to your specific needs. For more information feel free to contact me anytime at (267) 897-5364 or joekeagy@m5ms.com.