Panel:
- Rachael Wacha, City Auto Repair, Gainsville, FL
- Kate Jonasee, K-Tech, Sebastopol, CA (MSO)
- Donnie Hudson, Troy Auto Care, Troy, MI (MSO)
- Jeremy Winters, Service Manager at Weavers Auto Center, Shawnee, KS
Talking Points:
- Kate’s big thing was the improvement in her company culture and the psychology of herself as a leader was impactful.
- Rachael, getting yourself centered so you can make a change with your team
- Some on your team will exit themselves as they choose not to be team players
- Technical and management training is so important to the development of your team
- Donnie does cross-training so each other knows the other job
- Training happens when the culture breeds continuing education
- Localize training needs to be more hands-onHire a national trainer and split costs with fellow shop owners and set up a Saturday for a daytime hands-on
- Labor rates are a reflection of your value proposition.
- Labor rates should be a function of the business not of the market
- If you did your job right it is never about the labor rate
- Customers want to trust you
- Rachel sells here value vs price or labor rate
- Customers ask price or rates because they don’t know what else to ask
- Focusing on the customer is part of your culture. They will now it and feel it
- You can offer a value proposition for your customers even if you just started. Start out strong with a strong culture and commitment to your team and your customerSurround yourself with people smarter than you
- Ask other shop owners 90% of them want to help. Put your ego on the shelf. Be humble
- Weavers got completely off of flat rate. They have six-figure technicians on an hourly planYou can tie many performance bonuses
- Donnie and kate has put in place an IRA plan for their techs
- Comebacks:Handled as a #1 priorityThis show the character of the company by how you handle come backs
- Consider a system to track every come back to spot a trend
- Kate and Jeremy are watching the growth of EV’s
- Kate and Donny are not heavily into Hybrids
- Rachael feels that having peers and colleagues helping her has had a big impact on here business
- Kate feels that her business coach has had a huge impact on her businessShe recently had 36 other shop owners touring her facility where there was knowledge transfer happening for everyoneBonding and Q & A happening
- Idea sharing
- Jeremy has seen the impact of a business coach on the business. A game-changer
- Donnie’s coaching experience is from his local business development group. Sharing, caring, teaching
- Succession planning. How do you plan to doEvery decision you make should be on succeeding the business
- Family businesses have unique dynamics. Open communication is critical
- If you can’t find a successor with the passion necessary you don’t have a good candidate
Resources:
- A special thanks to Donnie Hudson, Kate Jonasee, Rachel Wacha and Jeremy Winters for their contribution to the aftermarket.
- Books Page HERE
- Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
- Listen to all
