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Posted

Yes indeed! 

We're a brake and front end shop. We're busy a shop in the summer. People travel and want their car in top shape.

Keep in mind the Texas heat hurts the entire vehicle. Tires, brakes and cooling system.

 

We're a small shop, if I take vacation, we closed. There's only 3 of us and we work hard.

When it comes to vacations in the summer, either we take long weekend once in a while or/and if the entire week, we just close.

My belief is that People deserve to be off for more then just a long weekend. We need to be away to come back fresh and ready for the 2nd half of the year.

JP

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Posted

I had my shop in a smaller town outside of Detroit, and had 5 guys. I shut the shop for my vacation the last two weeks of Aug and first week of Sept. I paid the guys by check in the mail 40 hours pay every Friday while we shut. That was my vacation, they got 2 weeks vacation on their anniversary and could take it when they wanted. Or, just not take that time and get the pay. Since we shut for those 3 weeks in the summer most never took any other time off and collected the money. We were very busy all the time and if I didn't take the time I wanted we would be working all year. Thats how we worked time off.

  • Like 3
Posted

That is a good point, one I didn't need to worry about. I suppose if our season was say just summer and we were slow the rest of the year I probably would have had to change my vacation times. Shutting down and paying the guys worked for us. It will be interesting to hear what others do.

  • Like 1

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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