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Posted

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

Posted

I am in need of another employee. I have a 3 bay shop and have myself doing just about everything including service writing, bookkeeping and wrenching and one employee who is an apprentice. I do a lot of hard to do stuff such as rebuilding transmissions, diagnostic work, some Euro cars. It has been very difficult to find a tech to work for what I can afford to pay and one that can do the work so I am thinking about a service advisor. I'm looking for ideas on different pay types for service advisors and any other input on this situation. I've been hesitant on hiring also because of the slow periods and uncertainty in the economy. It has been getting busier and I won't be able to work like this if it continues to get busier.

Posted

You need to figure out which is best for your business plan , hiring an service advisor can make or break your business. You have explained you do a lot of the expertise of your reapir side , can you hire yourself to do the mechanical. It still will be hard to leed when you are busy with the wrench's. Thier are many dedicated s/a's but you own the buisness and not being at the counter will not build boneding and committment that a business neeeds to servive today's competition.

I hate the frt , but it was a decision after taking ATI training that was needed for our business model to servive. I loved wrenching and was an excellent tech. By changeing and getting the owners up frt we have increased revenue and stabilized profit. We still have hard work each day due to the economy. The roller coaster effect is an cop out for slow times , need to make a bwetter marketing plan if you still have a roller coaster effect.

This may be harsh but most shops wait for work to come in , We aggressively seek work every day.

 

Thanks Dan R.

Posted

Thanks for the respnose Dan. Part of the reason for a service advisor is when I need to be away from the shop I must close up or I have left my apprentice there for a few hours if I have to. I would like business to go on if I have to be away. If I have a service advisor with tech experience and an apprentice I could leave if I have to. Right now everything depends on me.

You need to figure out which is best for your business plan , hiring an service advisor can make or break your business. You have explained you do a lot of the expertise of your reapir side , can you hire yourself to do the mechanical. It still will be hard to leed when you are busy with the wrench's. Thier are many dedicated s/a's but you own the buisness and not being at the counter will not build boneding and committment that a business neeeds to servive today's competition.

I hate the frt , but it was a decision after taking ATI training that was needed for our business model to servive. I loved wrenching and was an excellent tech. By changeing and getting the owners up frt we have increased revenue and stabilized profit. We still have hard work each day due to the economy. The roller coaster effect is an cop out for slow times , need to make a bwetter marketing plan if you still have a roller coaster effect.

This may be harsh but most shops wait for work to come in , We aggressively seek work every day.

 

Thanks Dan R.

Posted

Thanks for the respnose Dan. Part of the reason for a service advisor is when I need to be away from the shop I must close up or I have left my apprentice there for a few hours if I have to. I would like business to go on if I have to be away. If I have a service advisor with tech experience and an apprentice I could leave if I have to. Right now everything depends on me.

 

 

This is a rough position we all have been thier starting out. One thing tech experiance is not your best sales person on front counter we have found.

Posted

I have been through quite a bit of training myself and have been looking for a tech for a few years now and it has been very hard. Been through a few. It might be because I started out my business a s transmission specialty shop, one day I am rebuilding transmissions another I am diagnosing and another doing engine work etc. Its hard to find someone who can do it all. As far as the easy work brakes, front end etc I hate to compete and lowball for the work that everybody wants. I could use more of that work though.

This is a rough position we all have been thier starting out. One thing tech experiance is not your best sales person on front counter we have found.

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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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