As the backbone of any new car franchise, proper staffing of the service department is essential to the financial health of your dealership. Furthermore, once you have found your winning team, you need to keep them.
Have you designed a pay plan that is going to get the most out of your technicians? In the workshop Recruiting and Retaining Technicians from NADAês 2004 Convention, it is submitted that instead of structuring a plan based on hours produced, you should reward bonuses for technician proficiency. This can be determined by dividing the hours produced by the hours available. This plan also will encourage your techs to seek training and information to increase their proficiency. Their growth, and your encouragement, makes for a happy and fulfilling workplace.
Your service department isnêt what it used to be. The average automobile today has more electronic equipment than the Apollo lander that made the trip to the moon. You need to treat your technicians with the respect that one that has that level of expertise deserves. Money talks, but according to Bob Atwood, who was one of the presenters of the above workshop and NADA Dealer Academy instructor, the #1 reason any technician works for you is the respect you show them.
The pools of prospective employees you have at your disposal to recruit from are numerous. Perhaps one of the most beneficial, to both your dealership and the community, is the Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES) program. It provides a line of communication from you to local schools that would serve to educate young people to the opportunities available with your dealership after graduation. More importantly, is the relationship youêll create with the young, eager students who will come to learn under your manufacturer-certified technicians. According to a Wirthlin Study done for ART Task Force in 2001, 45% of high school students will decide on a career in their junior or senior year.
For more information on NADAês workshop programs or the Dealer Candidate Academy, contact us at (800) 252-NADA. Or to receive more information on the AYES Program, call (888) 664-0044 or use their website www.ayes.org.
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