Page 24 - On The Move 18-4

By Joe Keagy
Consultant/Performance Coach at
M5 Management Services

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 to lunch each week. They don’t talk about work, they just
the department and the company. Are we keeping them chat and bond over sports, family life, and current events.
informed of what is happening with the company? Are we Imagine an express tech having lunch with an owner? What
asking them for their ideas on solutions to issues that arise? kind of long-term loyalty is being developed here?
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 We all work hard every day to retain customers. Could we
you had a shop meeting? Why not grill burgers at lunch put some additional effort into retaining employees, as well?
once a month and talk with the technicians, make them feel Being told you’re appreciated is one of the simplest, yet
like an important part of the team? Why not have regular most incredible things you can ever hear, and an employee
meetings to accentuate positive things going on and praise who feels appreciated will always produce more than one
their successes? Do you know what your employees are who doesn’t.
going through in their professional lives? Yes, of course,
but what about their personal lives? We all know that you Companies that do a good job of creating a bond with the
need to separate work from home, but it is impossible to employees generally do not have a problem recruiting new
completely do so. employees. This allows them to be selective and hire the
best of the best, rather than taking on anyone just to fill a
What if during our walk around through the department slot.
we took a little time to get to know something about their
families and made some inquiries about their hobbies, We all know how difficult it is to fill our bays and service
where they are going on vacation, how the kids are doing? drives with quality employees. Why not work hard to retain
When we connect on a personal level it helps to bond with your great employees and create an environment at your
the employee and make them feel part of the team, creating place of business that separates your dealership from
a more personal connection to the company. the competition? This can give you an advantage when
needing to hire new employees because your store is the
One retailer I visit makes it a point place to work.
to take a group of technicians out

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