It Starts with the Manager with Jason Winters

Description

Why do some rent-to-own stores turn around almost overnight while others stay stuck for years? On this Season 3 finale of The RTO Show Podcast, host Pete Shau and guest host Jason Winters explain why every store's success starts with the manager. They cover morning paperwork, accountability, cross-training, building the right team, and the daily habits that separate a struggling store from a top performer.

A candid conversation full of practical insights for RTO store managers, district managers, and anyone preparing for their first management role.

What You'll Learn

Why the manager sets the minimum standard for everything in the store, from tags and clean trucks to on-time deliveries
How to turn daily paperwork into your best training tool
What a "bailout" payment is, how it hurts collections, and how "good job, bad job" coaching fixes it
Why sales-minded and credit-minded people need each other, and how to put them in the right seat
How swapping roles for a week builds better salespeople, collectors, and drivers
Why removing an underperformer can make a short-handed store stronger
How to schedule distractions, prioritize your day, and finish the few things that matter most

Episode Highlights

02:43 - Why fixing a store always starts with the manager
03:00 - You decide what the minimum standard is
04:44 - Daily paperwork: the "wax on, wax off" of RTO management
05:42 - Bailout payments and why you end up at the back of the line
13:34 - Catch people doing it right
16:45 - What is your store known for?
17:41 - Sales vs. credit and putting people in the right seat
21:46 - Swapping roles to make cross-training real
26:22 - Speed up by slowing down: plan an achievable day
29:27 - The rowboat: everyone rows or the store goes in circles
33:26 - Phones, notifications, and the cost of distraction
37:02 - When to shut down sales and fix collections first
41:46 - Start a thousand things or finish two?
43:44 - Same customer, two stores, two very different results

Meet the Guest

Jason Winters is a longtime rent-to-own leader and guest host of The RTO Show. He has led and supported hundreds of stores over his career and brings real-world lessons on management, collections, and store operations.

Tools, Frameworks, and Strategies Mentioned

Good job, bad job: consistent daily feedback that builds habits
Paperwork as training: find one issue, talk to the coworker, and follow up
The seven-day payment rule: every payment should move the account at least a week and match the customer's pay cycle
Right seat on the bus: place sales-minded and credit-minded people where they shine, then cross-train
Role swap week: let team members work another position for a week
Addition by subtraction: an underperformer slows the whole boat
Scheduled interruptions: check email and messages at set times

"The bad news is everybody does a minimum, and the good news is you decide what the minimum is." Jason Winters

Closing Insight

Store-level outcomes rise and fall with leadership development. When a manager sets the standard, inspects what they expect, and coaches every day, the whole team rows in the same direction. Struggling stores and great stores both work hard, and the great ones are already working on tomorrow. Plus, stick around to the very end for a special guest making their podcast debut.

If this episode helped you, follow The RTO Show Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a rating, and share it with a manager on your team or a new leader in the RTO community. Have a question for Jason? Email Pete at pete@thertoshowpodcast.com and keep the conversation going.

Sponsored by APRO, Vox-Pop-Uli, and Dialectic.

APRO
Association of Professional Rental Organizations

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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