Ispleasedtopresent

AttractandKeepTechs

WithValerieZiebronPresidentofVRZConsultingwww.vrzconsulting.com313-506-8069

ValerieR.Ziebron ValerieZiebron’sbackgroundissteepedintheserviceandpartsindustry.Startingintheautomotiveindustry,Ziebronexpandedtotechnology,retail,realestate,motorsports,andmarine.Ziebron’sclientshaveincluded:Chrysler,GeneralMotors,ShelbyAmerican,Yamaha,EastmanKodak,IPIX,Ruritan,AmTech,Regulator,Pursuit,andmanyothers.Shehasdeliveredmorethan10,000presentationsdomesticallyandinternationallyandhasworkedwithover3,000dealershipsbigandsmall,specializinginfamilyrunorganizations.Ziebronbelievesincreatingacomfortableandengaginglearningenvironmentthatfocusesonrealworldsolutions.Valeriehasbeenpresentingforovertwodecadeswithhermantraof:Educate,Motivate,andEntertain.SpecialThankstothemanydealershippersonnelwhohaveparticipatedinmyworkshopsthroughtheyears.Youhaveprovidedinsight,relevanceandcountlessbestpractices.Yourthoughtsandideasenergizeourprogramsandcontinuetoraisethebarinprofitable,proactiveserviceexcellence.

TopTenReasonsGreatTechsQUIT

10) and/orunorganizedworkenvironments.9)Beingthrownintojobswithoutthenecessarybackgroundor .

8)Open-door-closed-earmanagementthat ordoesn’tlistentoideas,concernsorthoughts.

7) managerwhoisnottherementallyorphysically–notpullingtheirweightorcontributing.

6)‘DoitbecauseIsaidso’management.Notsharing orreasonsfordecisions.

5)Stressedoutbosseswhoinflicttheir onsubordinates.

4)

3)No praiseand/orinsincerethanks.

2)

1) Managementignoring ofco-workers.

Whatisareallygoodshopfromatech’sperspective?

Ashopsetupfor

• Solid -consistentlybeingusedandimproved

• Proper -supportstaffandmanagementwithclearjobdescriptions

• Working -tension/drama,spacecleanandorganized,equipmentinworkingorder,etc..

Checkinregularly:• Howareyoudoing?• Doyouhaveeverythingyouneed?• WhatcanIdotohelp?• Doyouhaveany ?

Whatisareallygoodshopfromatech’sperspective?

Compensationandjob

“IsthisaplaceIcanmakeacareerorisitjustajob?”

• financiallyand/orupintheorganization

• Bonus/IncentiveBased -withinmycontrol

• -Retirement,vacationtime,sicktime,holidaypay,ongoingtraining,etc.

• Isthedealership ?

Whatisareallygoodshopfromatech’sperspective?

Meaningful and

Behaviorthatgetsnoticedgetsrepeated

……………………………………………………………………………………..Goal:Increasehoursper R.O. by0.5Behaviors:PullhistoryWalkaround PresentbenefitsSafetyinspectionsEtc.……………………………………………………………………………………..

EmployeeRewardsSheet

Name:

Whatisyourfavoritecandyand/orsnack?

Whatisyourfavoritefastfoodrestaurant?

Chipotle PaneraBread KFC Arby’s

McDonald’s TacoBell Subway Wendy’sFirehouse Starbucks Chik-Fil-A BurgerKingOther:

Whatisyourfavoritemid-levelrestaurant?

Chili’s Friday’s Applebee’s Carrabba’s

Other:

Whatisyourfavoriterestaurantintown?

Doyouliketogotothemovies? Yes No Whatareyourhobbiesandwheredoyoushopforthem?(onlineandlocalstores)

Whatisareallygoodshopfromatech’sperspective?

ofassociation

• Professionalism• Reputation/ • TakecareofthecustomerVSLowestprice• PremiumbrandsVSEverybrand• involvement• Good

Wheredoyoufindnewtechs?

Howareyoucurrentlyfindingtechs?

The#1waytofindtechsis:

MEMOTOFABULOUSEMPLOYEES

FabulousRV is pleased to announce ournew “EmployeeReferralBonusPlan.” In anticipationof ourbusy season,wewillbelookingtofillthefollowingpositions:

• Part-time-partsrunner• Seasonal–detailcrew• Seasonal-lotattendants• Full-time-techs

If you know of someone who could be a FabulousEmployee, have that person fill out an application (seeattached). Ifwehire himandhehas a successful 30-dayreviewwewillpayyou$ .If he stays through Labor Day, we will give you anadditional$ .The bonus will be added to your paycheck and onlyappliesifyouarestillemployedwithus.Thank you in advance for helping us build our FabulousTeam for the busy season.With your helpwe canmakethisyearourbestyet.

ThankYou!Mr.I.M.Fabulous

Wheredoyoufindnewtechs?

Whatareotherindustriesdoing?

Startyoursearch • EmployeeReferrals• CustomerReferrals• Advertiseatthedealership,shows,events• Socialmediaandyourwebsite

TheInternet• Yourdealershipwebsite• LinkedIn• Facebook• Craigslist• IndustryJobBoards

° vrzconsulting.com/jobs• •

•

•

InternetRecruiting

Rule#1forinternetapplicants:Meetthecandidateinpersonbeforehiringormakinganypromises.Resumes don’t tell the entire story and phone interviews cannottaketheplaceofaface-to-faceinterviewprocess.Useyourwebsiteandsocialmediatopostavailablepositions:• Registeryourrecruitmentwebpageandspecifykeywordsthat

marine workers might use in their search (rv jobs, techswanted,techrecruiting,enginejobs,etc..).

• Make sure that electronic documents (job application, jobdescription,etc.)are inaformatthat iscompatiblewithmostcomputers.

• Offer several ways for the applicant to contact you easily(directline,email,etc..)

There are many sites beyond Craigslist that have been effectivetoolsforconnectingwithjobseekersincludingtechnicalschoolsites,non-activeandretiredmilitarysiteslikewww.military.com,industryspecificjobsboardslikevrzconsulting.com/jobs.BesuretohaveaplantoacclimateanyprospectsselectedwithnopreviousRVexperience.HavethemvisitsomeotherRVdealershipsand talkwithor shadowgood teammemberswhohavemade theswitch.Discusswiththemthedifferencespriortostartofwork.Thisgreatlyincreasesthechanceofsuccess.

Wheredoyoufindnewtechs?

Beg,Steal,Borrow

GrowYourOwn

HighSchools

CollegeandTradeSchoolApprenticeshipPrograms

Non-ActiveMilitary

YouthTradeShows/CareerDays

Wheredoyoufindnewtechs?GrowYourOwn

MentorshipandApprenticeships

• “We pay thementor a percentage of the hours theapprentice turns. This gets them up, running andprofitableASAP.”

• “Wehavethemspendtimewitheachofourtechs.”

• “Wehaveourapprenticestartasanassistanttotheservice and parts counters so they understand howthe shop works and how important their role is inprofitabilityandCSI.”

• “Wepaythetech’snextmonth

foreachsuccessfulmonththeycompleteinourshop.”

Whatdoesyourdealershipneedtodotobetterattractandkeeptechs?

WhyShouldYouBeAnRVTechnician?ByValerieZiebron

Americanshavemore 'toys' than ever but less people tokeepthemrunning.Oneofthetopquestionsaskedinourindustry is, "Do you know of any good techs looking forwork?"Thetechswehavearenotgettinganyyoungerandnot enough quality young people are getting into theprofession.Here are ten reasons to encourage energetic,self-motivatedyoungpeopletoconsidertheRVindustry.1) JOB SECURITY: Go to almost any city and chances areyou'll have shops fighting over you. Try to get that with acomputer,communications,oralmostanyotherdegree.

2) NO CUBICLE: Do you get frustrated sitting at a desk?ImagineyourworkspacebeingabeautifulRV.Anotherdayatthe office for you. Good thing you did not become anaccountant,right?

3) VARIETY:Notwodaysareeverthesame.Evenifyouareworkingonsomethingyou'vedonebefore,you'llfindthatnotwoRV’sorcustomersarethesame.

4) SENSEOFACCOMPLISHMENT:It'sagreatfeelingtotakesomething that is broken, figure out why, and fix it so itworks. It's even better when you figure that the guy whoownsitcouldn'thavepulledtherepairoff!

5) GIFTS:Giftsofgratitudecomeintheformofcash,bakedgoods, beer and other such niceties provided by gratefulpatrons who understand that no matter how much theyspentontheRV,YOUaretheonewhocanensuretheygettoenjoyit!

6) WORKWITHYOURHANDS:Ifspreadsheets,boardroommeetings, corporate red-tape, andbackstabbing co-workersdo not sound like your bag, you may prefer day-to-daydealingswith amotorhome. Youwon’t hurt its feelings nomatterwhatyousay!

7) AMORERELAXED ENVIRONMENT:Theremay bemoremoney available to techs in other fields, but there issomething to be said for sanity. Most RV shops expectefficiency, but they rarely have the pressure of a waitingroomfullofimpatientcustomerswhowanteditdonehoursago.

8) COMFORTABLE CLOTHES: While it is important tomaintain a professional image, this can be done withoutnoosingatiearoundyourneckorshovingontiny,shinywingtips.Someplacesevenallowshortsinthesummer.

9) A SHARP BRAIN: You will never stop learning as yourcareer progresses.Most dealerships arewilling to invest inyourcontinuededucationfromcomputerlearningtocuttingedge diagnostics and factory training. You’ll learn fromexperience, co-workers, and manufacturer sponsoredworkshops,allmakingyouamorevaluableproblemsolver.

10) CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Consider how many RVcompany executives, dealers, consultants, suppliers, andsmall businessowners startedwithawrench in theirhand.As a tech, you can learn a lot about selling time efficientlyandrunningaprofitablebusiness.Thenextthingyouknow,someone wants you to be a servicemanager, buy out thedealership or work in another capacity you had not evenconsidered.

NotmanypeoplerealizeallthepotentialbenefitsthatareconnectedwithbeinganRVtechnician.Whileitisnotall funandgames theuniqueadvantages that comewiththis career path make it work exploring. America’s toysarecountingonyou.

Managers:Areyouhelpingorhurtingwhenitcomestobuildingyourdealership’sdreamteam?

ByValerieZiebron

Wouldn't it be fantastic if your dealership had ateam of employees who were dedicated to thebusiness, and genuinely tried to go the extra mile ineachsituationwitheverycustomer?It's easy to come up with excuses as to why it's

impossibletobuildthedreamteam:there'sashortageof qualified candidates in your market, you can't payyour employees enough, the general work ethic isn'twhatitusedtobe,etc.Mostoftheseexcusesarecopingmechanisms that allowmanagers to feel better aboutthe situation because they believe that it's outside oftheircontrol.Inordertotakecontrolandbuildadreamteam for yourdealership, youhave to have thick skinandbepreparedtoholdyourselfaccountable.As a manager, you hold the keys to creating your

dreamteam.Whetheryourealizeitornot,activelyandpassively you are constantly building up or tearingdown your team. When you look at it this way, itbecomes abundantly clear that as a manager, yourbehaviormatters.Let'slookattwocommonreal-worldexamples:

Active vs. Passive* Communicate *Don’tcommunicate* Micromanage *Letpeopledotheirjobs

As you can see from these examples, both active andpassive behavior can help or hurt your staff, andultimatelyyourbusiness.Thekeyistochoosetherightcourseofactionforthesituation.Now, let'sexaminesomescenariosand thinkabout

how your actions could help or hurt your business inthesesituations.Scenario #1: You have an employee who is (pick asmanyasapply):• Habituallylateforwork• Usingtheirpersonalphoneduringworkinghours• Breakingrules• Slackingoff• CreatingdramawithintheworkplaceWhat would you do? Would you choose an active orpassiveresponse?Oneofthebiggestreasonswhygreatemployees quit is that management often ignoresunacceptablebehavior inotheremployees. It'seasytosee how thesenegative actions could affect the entireteam.Otherteammembersmayhavetoworkhardertomake up for the personwho is not pulling his or herweight. Or, evenworse, teammembersmay concludethatthistypeofbehaviorisacceptableandbeforeyouknow it, thebadbehaviorandhabitshavespread liketheflu.Habitualpoorbehaviordemandsanactiveresponse,

buteffectivemanagersknowtheymustusetheright

sort of action. Flying off the handle and yelling at theemployee is certainly not how you create a loyal dreamteam.Scenario#2:Youhaveanemployeewhohasoffendedthebusiness,oryoupersonally,throughhisorheractionsorwords.How would you react? Chances are you could be quiteupset.Wouldyourreactiontothembeactiveorpassive?Wouldyou talk to them,orabout them?Somemanagersthinkthe'coldshoulder'approachispassive,butthatkindof behavior is actually active and potentially verydamaging.

So what is the right course of action? How can younavigatethesesituationsandusethemtohelpbuildyourdreamteam?First. it's importanttorecognizethattheseimperfectionshavetocomeout.Muchlikerefiningsteelinfire,youmustusethese'fires'tostrengthenandbuildupbothyourteamand your management skills. It's impossible to avoidconflict,andifyoutryto,thefireswilleventuallyconsumeyou. It'snotwise toenflame thesituationsandaddyourownnegativeemotions to them; thiswill create thekindofworkerswhoviewtheirpositionas'justajob.'Tocreateadreamteam,youmustbuildyourteamup.

Builduptheirconfidence,theirskills,andtheirenthusiasmforthebusiness,itsgoalsanditscustomers.

Tocreateadream-teamyoumustsetyourteamupforsuccesswith strong processes and clear directives. DaveAnderson, presidentof Learn-To-Lead said it best: "Poorperformerslovegreyareas.Clearlydefinewhat'sexpectedand accountability is a cinch. Fail to do so and it'simpossible."

Time for a reality check: you've probably alreadyrealized it, but doing the right thing to help build yourteamwillnotalwaysfeelgoodornaturalforthemanager.If a team member has done something that makes youupset,it'shumannaturetoreacttothatbehaviorinawaythatmakesyou feelbetter.Youmightwant to ignore theperson or lash out at the individual, but these kind ofreactionsultimatelyonlyhurtyourbusiness.

Someoneverywiseoncesaid:"Peopledon'tcarehowmuch you know unless they know howmuch you care."Ultimately, this is the best piece of advice for building adream team. If your team members feel that yougenuinely care and have their best interest at heart,you'vewonmorethanhalfthebattle.Whataresomeofthewaysyoucantangiblybuildyourdealershipdreamteamonadailybasis?

• Providesteadyandconsistentaccountability-don't

saveitupforaperformancereview.• Notice the good, the improving and the areas thatneedwork.

• Recognizegoodworkbybeingasspecificaspossible;the more specific the praise, the more impact andmeaningitholds.

• Encourage any area where you see improvement,evenifthereisstillalongwaytogo.

• Hold bad behavior accountable quickly and withoutany negative emotion- it's about the work, not theperson.

• Praisepubliclyandcoachprivately.• Workonyourcommunicationandcoachingskillswitheachinteraction.

• Solicit your team's input and ideas. Use them andcreditteammembersaccordingly.

• Hold regular meetings and trainings; keep thesemeetingspositive.

• Provide a positive example bywalking thewalk andfollowing the same rules and code of conduct youexpectfromyourteam.

• Ownuptoyourmistakes.Buildingadreamteamisaboutbringingouttheverybestin your team'smembers, and also bringing out the verybest in yourself. it's not always easy but it's definitelyworththeeffort.

TenHRTipsfortheRVIndustryByValerieZiebron

Howgreatisittogointoabusinessandseeafamiliar,friendlyface?Happy,loyalemployeescreatehappy,loyalcustomers.IthasbeenproventimeandagainthatCSIiscreated by ESI (Employee Satisfaction Index). Thisgeneratesmoreprofitsandfewerproblems.Sowhataresome of the best practices used in the RV industry tofind,hire,andretainqualitypeople?

1) The number one method of effectively recruiting

staff is word of mouth “networking” of youremployeesand customers. Leteveryoneknowwhatyou are looking for, what qualifications are neededand how the new staff member will fit in theorganization. If you don't tell them, they will likelycatchwindofitandthinkyouarelookingtoreplacethem!

2) Give a specific call to action on how youwould like

theapplicanttorespond.(example:"callbetween2-4 p.m." or "come in and fill out an application inperson."). If they cannot follow simple instructionssurroundingtheinterviewprocess,youmaynotwanttogoanyfurther.

3) Jobdescriptionsshouldbewrittenforallpositions.Thiscan be a daunting task. Ask your employees to writedowneverythingtheycurrentlydo.Whattheycomeupwithcanbearealeye-opener!Thisstartsthecreationofanaccurateassessmentofwhoisresponsibleforwhat.

4) Ask the same prepared interview questions (based on

thejobdescription)ofeachapplicantandtakenotesonthe responses. This will give you a clear, apples-to-apples comparison and will help you choose the bestapplicant. Take your timewith the interview. Youmaybe working with this person for years- spend a fewminutesgettingitright.

5) Knowwhat answers you are looking for. Some peopledon't interview well but are excellent workers andothers are smooth-talking slackers. If you know theanswersyouseek,youcanbetterassessiftheresponsehad"meatonthebone"orwasaneloquentdisplayoffluff.

6) Don't talk too much or lead the conversation. You

should be speaking less than 30 percent of theinterview.Addresstheirquestionsaboutthejobbeforeorafteryourpreparedquestions.Besure toaskopen-ended questions that determine how they think orbehaveinasituation(example:"Whatwould

yousaytoanupsetcustomerwhohasnothadhislastthreephonecallsreturned?").Theseresponseshavenoperfect "right"answerbut theygiveyouan indicationof how the candidate thinks about certain things orreactstosituations.

7) Requestmorethanthebasicsofthejobdescriptionfrom

bothyournewhiresandexistingemployees.Layoutyourmission plan and future goals for the organization andhow they play a critical part in achieving it. Example:"Your job as detailer and lot attendant may seemstraightforward but you are one of our most importantmarketing assets - your ability to smile and greetcustomersonthelotdoesmoretobringussalesthanfull-colorprintads.Areyoucomfortablelookingcustomersinthe eye, smiling, and asking if they need help?" If youdon'taskforit,youwon'tlikelygetit.

8) Stealing people from other industries is okay IF you arewillingtotakethetimeUPFRONT,BEFOREyouputthemintheposition,totrainandacclimatethem.Peoplefromthemotor sports, boating, insurance, automotive, andmanyother industries, have crossed over and become verysuccessfulassetstous.Butnothingisworsethanthrowingsomeoneintoajobtofigureitout.Failurewillstartthemomenttheyutterthewords,“well,intheautoindustry…”

9) Doingnewhireorientationswhereyouassignamentor,performance reviews and exit interviews are aninvestment of time well spent. Having up-to-dateemployeefilescreatesahealthyworkenvironmentthatisfair to the employees. Good and bad work is beingnoticed andacknowledged. Storeswhodonotdo thesethingsusuallylosethebestpeoplefirst.

10) CONSISTENCY in your HR practices is the mostimportant thing.Playing favorites, ignoringunacceptablework,micromanagingsomeandneverspeakingtoothers,the list goes on. In most cases when a good employeequits or an HR issue turns into a legal issue it happensbecauseofinconsistency.HavesolidHRpracticesinplaceandrunthembyyourlocal legalcounsel.DocumentandkeepHR files current. All thiswill help to keep smiling,customer-focusedemployeesonstaffandpullingforthedealership’sgoals.

TheRVTechShortage-andwhatcanbedoneaboutit.

ByValerieZiebron

AskmostanyoneintheRVindustrywhatkeepstheirbusiness from growing and often the lack of skilledtechniciansmakes the short list. There are solid reasonsas to why this has become an increasingly pressingchallenge but in addition to gaining a betterunderstandingof those,we reachedout to find solutionsfromproactivedealers, tradeschoolsandmanufacturers.Their insights move the discussion from complainingaboutthetechshortagetoactivelysolvingit.Challenges

ThecareerpathtobecomeanRVtechnicianisnotassimpleor inexpensiveas itoncewas. Today’sRV’shavemore sophisticated motors, electronics and creaturecomfortbellsandwhistles thaneverbefore. Werequiretoday’s RV tech to have higher levels of communicationandcomputersavvythaninthepast.Feweryoungpeopleareexposedtoworkingwiththeirhandsascarsandsmallengineshavebecomelessconsumerself-maintenanceandrepair friendly. High schools and junior highs have shutdownmany shop classes. These schools oftenplacehighimportanceonwhatpercentageof their graduates goontocollegewithlessconcerndevotedtohelpinguncoverasolidcareerpaththatfitstheindividuals’naturalability.

Addingtotheproblem,theaverageageofexistingRV technicians is getting older. Many are retiring,moving to serviceorparts counter jobsor simplynotturningasmanyhoursastheyoncecould.Thepoolofavailable techs is smaller but the demand for techs ishigher.

This has created a compelling platform for tradeschoolsintheUSandCanada,butsuggest‘tradeschoolhiring’ to a room of RV dealers and they will quicklyuncoveranotherlistofchallenges.Mosttechprogramstend tohave a goodpercentage of studentswhohaveneverhadadayofactualexperienceinaworkingshopandwhoultimatelyarenotwellsuitedtoaRVcareer.Another big issue is that these schools are expensive.Graduatesrequireahigherwagethanisgenerallypaidto entry-level techs due to their school loans. A techmustcreateenoughbillablehours tomore thancovertheir pay packages and that is a challenge for manytrade school graduates.While some trade schools aregettingbetteratpreparingtheirgraduatesforworkina real shop, there is still a strong belief that thesestudentsarenotpreparedtohitthegroundrunning–especially in shops that run on flat rate or incentivebased pay. Many dealers who have hired from tradeschools feel they’ve been burned due to poor workethic, costly issues with comebacks and damage toRV’s,ortheyinvesttimeandmoneytraining them

onlytohavethetechleave.Allofthesechallengescanpresentableakpicturebut

there are also tremendous opportunities that someforward-thinking dealers, trade schools, andmanufacturersarepursuingtoensuretheirfuturegrowth.OpportunitiesandSolutions-Dealerships:

Dealerships have been looking for, and trying outsolutions to the tech shortage with varying degrees ofsuccess. Stealing techs away from other dealerships is apopular but shortsighted approach since the pool ofavailabletechsisbothagingandshrinking.Inresearchingsolutions, I lookedatdealerships frommanyindustries–farm/tractor, automotive, motorsports and more. Asuccessfulmarinedealershipstoodoutfortheirsuccessinattracting and keeping techs - and they have the addedchallenges of being in a climatewith long, hardwinters.Vanessa Orchard, manager at C.A.S. Power Marine inOntario, Canada shared her store’s multiple strategies:"Both of our technicians completed their collegeapprenticeshipplacementwithusaspartofa three-yearprogramandarenowcertifiedmechanics.Thankfully,wehad other technicians on staff that could mentor themthroughouttheyears.Wenowhaveathirdapprenticeonstaff that is currently working on his level two. We'vebeenreallyhappywiththeoutcome.Wehavealsoworkedwiththelocalhighschoolsforco-opplacements,havealsoattended some local youth trade shows

that showcase different trades and we are a part of agroup that puts onmini career seminars in schools. It'sincredibly tough in our area finding and keepingexperienced techs. I thinkwe've been lucky it'sworkedout as well as it has for us." Many would suggest thatOrchard and the team at C.A.S. have created their ownluck.Their dealership is actively pursuingmany solutions

that couldwork forothersandbekey to thegrowthoftheRVindustry.Let’shavealookatsomeofthem:• HighSchoolCo-OpPrograms-

° Inmanycases,your investment isminimal. At theendof theprogramyou simply administer a gradeor feedback. Young people are farmoremoldablewhentheirfocusis“WhatwillI learn?”ratherthan“WhatwillIearn?”

° Theseprogramsallowstudentstotryoutwhattheymightwanttodoanddiscovertheirtalents.Perhapsturning wrenches is not for them but they likeservicewriting, working the parts counter or filingwarrantyclaims.

° Some students work themselves right into morepermanent part-time and eventually full timepositions.

° “We have our co-op student start out with yard-handwork.Oncewecouldseehowtheywork,wehave the studentwork alongside a technicianwithbasicjobslikeanoilorgearlubechange.

Theyalsoworkwithourdetailerandhelpoutinourpartsdepartmenttogetanideaoftherangeofjobrolesavailable.”saidOrchard.

• College Apprenticeship Programs - I personallyattendedoneof theseprograms and found it tohavetremendousvalue.

° The student spends time both in the dealershipandintheclassroom.Thisgivesthemtheabilitytobetter figure out what is required to succeed inthe real world making them better students andultimatelybetternewhires.

• YouthTradeShowsandCareerDaySeminars° Somearefreetoattend° Manyschoolswelcomespeakers° Someencourageapplicationsand interviewsrightthere

• Mentorship-Havingcurrenttechsmentorisoneofthemost effective solutions for growing quality youngtechnicians.Somedealerships:

° Pay the mentor a percentage of the hours theapprentice turns as an incentive to get them upandrunningASAP.

° Have the apprentice spendonemontheachwiththeirtopthreetechs.

° Starttheapprenticeasanassistanttotheservicewriter so they can see how the shop works andhow important their role will ultimately be inprofitabilityandCSI.

° Have the apprentice assist with walk-arounds andthendo thequality checkbefore theunit goesbacktothecustomersotheyarethefirstandlasteyesontheboat.Thisalsogivesthemanopportunitytoseewhat ultimately becomes of a great number ofcustomer complaints, technician diagnostic findings,and corrections in a short period of time trainingthemtothinklikeaskilledtech.

Orchard said this of C.A.S.’s mentorship program: “Wedidn’t offer any type of incentive (to our techs formentoring). When we were considering the firstapprentice,wesatdownandspokewithourmostseniortech at the time. He understood the issue with theindustry and our issues with hiring new techs. He waseagertomentoranddidn’texpectanythinginadditiontowhat he was already receiving. Any tech we have hiredsince,ithasbeenpartoftherequirements.Iftheyarenotinterested in mentoring, then they cannot help thedealership move forward and we would therefore notconsider them for hire. Now that we have two certifiedmarine mechanics on staff who have completed theapprenticeship program, they are more than willing tomentorthosefollowingintheirfootsteps.”

ActionPlanforIntroducingIncentiveBasedTechPay

Anytime management mentions changing pay plans, it cansend shockwaves of uncertainty through the shop - even if theintentionistosharethebenefitsofhigherefficiencywiththeteam.

Howyouintroduceincentivebasedpaytoyourteamisjustasimportantaswhattheendplanis.Thisisaguidethatwillhelpyoudetermine if incentivebasedpaymakessenseforyourshopatthistime,andhowtogoaboutintroducingitinapositivewaythatbuildsmoraleanddealershiployalty.

Step 1: Track current efficiency. Do you currently trackefficiency for the entire shop and for each individual tech? If not,check out the article “No More Excuses – Track Efficiency Now”(availableatwww.vrzconsulting.com/articles.html)toseehowtogetstarted. Comparing each month’s numbers to past yearsperformancewill give youaballparkofwhathasbeendonebut itoftendoesn’tscratchthesurfaceofwhatispossible.

Step2: Share efficiency.Doyou share efficiency resultswithyour techs? This should be an ongoing discussion that is based onnumbers not emotions. It works best to spend one- minute dailybetween management and each tech in an informal discussion“Abouthowmanyhoursdoyouthinkyou’llclocktoday?”Thismaynot be what he actually turns but it keeps the tech focused onefficiency and gives management important info quickly on thingsthatmaybehurtingtechefficiency.Thisisthenfollowedupwiththemore definitive end-of-week report. The actual report is what theperformancebasedpaywillbebasedonbutdailycheckinswillstartto get more accurate the more you follow through with thisconsistently.

Step3:Identifybarriers.Whatiskeepingyourtechsfromturningwrenches? If efficiency isbeing regularlyheldupdue to factorsoutside of the tech’s control, management has two choices:remove thebarriersoraccount for themso theydon’thurt thetech’spay.Oneofthebiggestmistakesmanagementcandoistoignore the barriers or worse yet call it ‘whining’. Some of themost common barriers include waiting on parts, approval, ordispatch–justtonameafew.Youcanstrengthenyourprocessestoensurethat thesebarriersare therareexceptionrather thanthenorm,youcanassignthesetaskstootherstaffmembers,oryoucancredityourtechsacertainamountoftimefortheirextraeffort in moving units, looking up parts, etc. Anotherconsiderationishowevenlytheworkloadisdispatched.Ifoneofyourtechsgetsallthedifficultjobs,istaskedwiththemajorityofdiagnosticwork,orhelpsother techs in the shop, the incentiveprogramneedstoaccountforthat.Thetopperformersshouldberewardednotpenalizedandsometimeswehavetolookbeyondflat ratetodeterminethat.Don’tconsidermoving forwardwithincentive based pay until these first three steps have beencarefullyaddressed.Step4:Getbuy-in.Thebestwaytogetyourteamonboardwithanychangeistoshareyourchallengesandgoalswiththemandthenfacilitatetheirinput.Chancesare,theywillcomeupwithalot of the same ideas you were leaning towards anyway. If itseemslikeitwastheiridea,itwillgosomuchsmoother.Gettingthemtoagreetoanincentiveisn’tusuallyhardaslongasyouarenot jumping fromhourlypay to flat rate– thatdoesn’thappenovernight! It is best to take things in incremental steps. Manystores start with a strong base of around 80% leaving a 20%possiblebonus.

Step5:Implement.Beforeyoujumpin,itcanbehelpfultohaveatrialperiodofacouplepayperiodswhereyoustillpaytheteambasedontheold hourly planbut show themwhat theywouldhavemadeonthenewprogram.Thisgiveseveryonethechancetovoiceconcerns,tweak itandtest itoutriskfreebefore it impactstheircheck.Whendone right, the techs will be asking you to pull the trigger andimplementit.That’swhenyouknowyou’vereallydoneitwell!Step6: FollowUp.Nonews isnotnecessarily goodnews. Seekoutthe opinions of your techs. This is important not only during thetransitiontoincentivebasedpaybutinthemonthsandseasonsthatfollow. Few shops do the same amount of business year round. It’simportantthatyourpayplantakesthatintoaccount.