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LEADERSHIP

Columns STRAIGHT TALK Joe Marconi

ACHIEVING ACCOUNTABILITY

How do you put an end to the employee blame game?

From the first week of his employ-

ment, there was something about Chip (not his real name) that just wasn’t right. Chip was qualified for the position and was a good technician. He had the experience, certifications, and skill level. But the “chip” on his shoulder was so large, it closed his mind to accepting any help or advice. Every problem was someone else’s mistake, never his. It got to a point where Chip became unapproachable, which never creates a good work environment.

In that first week, Chip damaged a control arm during the installation. When the manager approached him to ask what happened, Chip replied, “I told the service advisor not to buy that brand. It’s not an exact fit. Go talk to him about it.”

Two weeks later, Chip was rebuilding a Jeep rear differential. He damaged two pinion bearings while installing the pinion shaft. Chip’s excuse? “I told the advisor to get OE bearings, not aftermarket bearings.” At this point the foreman stepped in and offered to help Chip rebuild the differential. Chip’s reaction was, “You don’t trust me?” The foreman replied, “We have two destroyed bearings. I just want to make sure this rear differential goes back together right.”

Joe Marconi has more than three decades of experience in the automotive repair industry. He is the owner of Osceola Garage in Baldwin Place, N.Y., a business development coach for Elite Worldwide and co-founder of

autoshopowner.com.

The foreman watched as Chip began to install the bearings. He could clearly see that Chip was struggling. The foreman stepped in and said, “Chip, let me help you.” With the foreman’s help the rear differential was finished in about an hour and a half. With a feeling of accomplishment, the foreman said, “Chip, it’s all done. What do you think?” Chip replied, “It’s not the way I would have done it, and it’s because we used the OE bearings that it got done at all, like I said.” Chip was spiraling downward and he was distancing himself from the rest of the team.

Then, one day, a change occurred. I could clearly see that something was bothering Chip. I walked over to him and asked if everything was OK. He hesitated for a few seconds and then said, “Well, I’m not OK; my uncle died over the weekend. We were really close.” I immediately replied, “Chip, I am so sorry for your loss. There is nothing more important than family. What are you doing here? Take time with your family.” Chip replied, “I will take time, but for now I’d rather work to get my mind off things.” I replied, “Whatever you need, please let me know.”

Later that day, Chip walked up to me and asked if we could talk in private. I said sure, and we headed to my office. Chip sat down and was quiet for a few seconds. Then, with his head down, he said, “Joe, I need to apologize. I have not lived up to my expectations, and I know I haven’t lived up to yours. I will leave if you want me to.” I could only imagine how hard it was for Chip to tell me that. I replied, “Chip, you are an important part of the team. Let’s work together to make our team even stronger.” I saw another side of Chip that day. It would take a lot more bumps in the road, but Chip eventually became a valued team member.

My 40 years in business have given me a pretty good understanding of people. There are some that find it hard to hold themselves accountable or admit they made a mistake. The bigger issue is that people with this behavior tend to be loners and isolate themselves from the rest of the team. They usually end up jumping from job to job, always blaming their misfortune on their previous place of employment.

We also need to understand why some people develop that chip on their shoulders. It could be that they’ve never worked in an environment where they were recognized and praised for their contributions. Combine that with a work environment when the only time the boss speaks to you is to reprimand you, and some people shut down and create a hard emotional shell around themselves.

The takeaway here is to not give up on people. We don’t always know why people act the way they do. We don’t always know what will make a change in them; and in some cases, nothing we do will make a difference. In Chip’s case, I want to believe that I reached him emotionally when he told me his uncle had died. My hope is that he realized that my culture was not all about business and that I did my team and what they do for the company. But, in truth, I don’t really deserve any of the credit. You see, the only person who was able to knock that chip off his shoulder was himself.

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SHOP SPOTLIGHT Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive: Tim Suggs RUNNING ONE OF THE HIPPEST & MOST HELPFUL SHOPS

Tim Suggs has always had an independent streak. In 2006, at just 23, he opened his own shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive. The shop has grown a reputation for being one of the nation’s most unique shops. Tim, his technicians, and service advisors are currently making big moves by expanding to a second location and creating a nonprofit side of the business. We recently caught up with Tim to learn about the history of his shop and his vision for the future. Here’s what he had to say:

Creating a Unique, Relatable Culture

The first five years of business were tough, but it was apparent that if I put people first, the money would come. I focused on building a fun, professional atmosphere. One of the most instrumental, yet unintentional, parts of our culture came from Bobby, a stray cat I found at a machine shop and brought back to my shop.

Having animals around has influenced our culture. Good people generally care about animals, which means they’ll likely care about people, too. Bobby also positively affected our marketing. Halfway through our growth, we began branding ourselves with a cat logo inspired by Bobby. Today, customers who put Bobby bumper stickers on their cars get 10% off for life.

Implementing a New Shop Management System

We switched to Tekmetric during the pandemic. My service advisors and technicians were instantly excited about it. They told me:

This is it. This is what the future is.

What they love the most about Tekmetric is how the software helps them be transparent with customers. We’ve always valued that. Tekmetric makes it easier than ever for them to send customers estimates and other details, especially now that they aren’t interacting with many customers face-to-face due to COVID. They also find the Tekmerchant payment processing integration and the text-to-pay features extremely convenient.

Tekmetric has streamlined our processes and led to business gains. In our first month using it, we had our most hours billed per RO average.

SHOP STATS

Owners: Tim Suggs & Rachel Grewell Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Staff: 21 Average Monthly Car Count: 500 ARO: $550 Number of Bays: 19 Shop Management System: Tekmetric

Even during the pandemic, we keep beating our records.

As a shop owner, I’ve been using labor reports to manage my staff more fairly. For example, if the reports show me that a technician is doing a disproportionate amount of oil changes, I’ll make it a point to assign him different tasks.

Turbocharging the Community

We’ll soon be opening a second shop that’s only two miles away from our original location. I’ll be trying new creative marketing methods at the second location. Tekmetric’s reports will make it easy to analyze what works and what doesn't.

We’re also starting our nonprofit, Community Automotive, for low-income auto repair. With Tekmetric, we’ll be able to track the nonprofit arm and the two for-profit shops so we can see how much we’re helping while balancing our business needs. I want to make sure that we’re not undercutting local shops while also providing quality auto repair to those in need.

To learn more about Turbo Tim’s, visit Turbotims.com. To read the full interview, visit Tekmetric.com/shop-spotlight.

THE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

The best leaders inspire their teams

By Tess Collins

For Roy Foster, owner of Roy Foster’s Automotive in Reno, Nev., when it came to road trips, it was all about the destination and not the journey—until close to 20 years ago when a road trip with the bishop of his church changed his perspective.

Foster and his bishop were chaperoning their kid’s school trip and drove separately alongside the bus. During the trip from Reno to Santa Cruz, Calif., Foster says they stopped “at least six times” to help people along the road that had car trouble. Even more surprising? Foster’s bishop didn’t actually know anything about cars; he just wanted to extend help.

“It’s a lesson on selflessness. Doing for others and paying it forward,” Foster says. “All of the sudden, time wasn’t important. It was all about being in the moment and helping someone.”

That trip forever changed Foster’s outlook on leadership and what it meant for him to be an effective leader. Twenty years later, the experience is still top of mind for him.

“I’m happy we didn’t blow by those people—it’s been a lesson,” Foster says. Leadership means taking the time to help others, not shouting demands. It’s all about paying it forward and inspiring others. By doing this, you’ll have people who want to follow you, not people who feel required to carry out your demands.

There are many other shop owners that have had realizations that have led them to becoming a more successful leader. Mixed in with insight from the 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey data, shop owners and leadership experts share their most important rule for being an effective leader. Here are the seven laws of leadership.

1LAW NO. 1: Encourage autonomy. “Because of my experience and my excellent memory, if someone ran into a problem, I would take care of it myself because it was the quickest fix.”

How many of you can relate to Bryan Kauffeld, owner of Ulmer’s Auto Care Center, a three-location MSO in Ohio?

When it comes to working on vehicles, Kauffeld is in the majority. Forty-one percent of 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey respondents said that they occasionally work on vehicles and 31 percent say they do every day. For many, it’s difficult to let someone else find the answer when it’s so readily available to you.

But, that’s the only way they’ll grow, which is a valuable lesson that Kauffeld had to learn when he stepped into a leadership position.

Kauffeld started on the counter and worked his way up to owner and is currently running a shop with an ARO of $536 and over $6 million in revenue per year. Working in all of the different positions,

Kauffeld is able to answer almost any question or solve an issue that a staff member

may have and for a while, he did, until he attended John C. Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You training and then Developing the Leaders Around You training. For six months, Kauffeld was trained in real-life leadership scenarios that taught him to step back and stop micromanaging. Now, instead of just solving the problem, he talks out how he would handle the situation so that, the next time, the person can do it on his or her own.

Before, it was quicker, but it didn’t teach them anything, Kauffeld says. By teaching, eventually that person will develop autonomy and won’t need to rely on you, which will free up time for you to work on the bigger picture rather than focusing on the day to day, he explains.

This isn’t something he’s perfected, however. Kauffeld is quick to point out that he is still working on his patience. Before taking over, Kauffeld suggests taking 30 seconds to calm down, take a deep breath, and then calmly walk your employee through it to explain how a situation should be handled next time.

Leading the Charge Meet the shop owners and industry experts using key strategies to best manage their teams

bryan kauffeld owner, ulmer's auto care center

mitch moncur

owner, denny’s auto inc.

amanda clements drake

vp and manager, c&c automotive

mike jones president, discover leadership training

harry cohen leadership coach

THE 7 LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

2LAW NO. 2: Make the call. Mitch Moncur’s wife was the them and they would make one that called him out. the decision for me.”

“She said, ‘you read all of Now, unless the decision these [leadership books] but is a huge one that requires complain every day—you’re everyone’s input, Moncur not applying it,’” Moncur says. makes the call. The key, he

The owner of the $1.5 says, is learning that you million-per-year, 272-cars- can be both fair and firm— per-month Denny’s Auto it’s not necessary to be your Inc. in Riverton, Utah, knew staff’s best friend. The mohis wife was right. Reading ment he realized this was all of the books in the world when he started to gain redoesn’t mean you’re applying spect, he says. the principles. “I thought the best way to

Moncur says that when he earn respect was people pleasstarted, he didn’t have the re- ing—that is not the best way,” spect of his entire team. The Moncur says. “Keep the shop’s reason, he says, is because he best interest at heart; it’s usuwouldn’t make a decision— ally your staff’s as well.” even something as simple as a So, the next time you have tech coming in late or a ques- to make a tough call, ask tion on how to bill someone. yourself if it’s what’s best for

“Before, I would run to business. It may be unpopusomeone else and not make lar at the time, but in the long a decision,” Moncur says. “I run, the staff will thank you would bounce my ideas off and respect you more.

WORKING 9 TO 5? Today’s shop owner works more than the standard 40-hour workweek

14%

less than 40 hours

39%

40-49 hours

30%

50-59 hours

17%

60 hours or more

achieve your goals The right style will get you to where you want to be

Interested in taking more vacation? Increasing sales? Becoming more efficient? Here’s a breakdown of how each leadership style performed according to the 2020 Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey.

Leadership style

Visionary Sales over $1M

36%

Efficiency over 100%

24%

Productivity over 100%

69%

Hands-off

53% 24% 22%

Direct involvement

22%

11% 11%

16 or more vacation days

30%

23%

27%

3LAW NO. 3: Be open to change Mike Jones, president of Discover Leadership Training, says that one of the biggest mistakes that he sees in leaders is that they are not malleable.

“They’re rigid. They’re afraid of other people’s ideas,” Jones says.

The best leaders are open to change and they don’t have to prove other people wrong to be right, Jones says. The best leaders look for input from others and are willing to try ideas that are not their own and take a risk. In order to be successful with this, you need to make sure your staff knows that they can communicate ideas and input openly with you and that you will have their backs. That’s when you’ll become a leader that people want to follow rather than have to follow, Jones says.

If you don’t have this type of relationship with your staff already, it’s not a lost cause, Jones says. During a morning or even weekly meeting with your staff, encourage them to start offering their opinions. If this isn’t something you’ve already been doing, many people may be discouraged from voicing their opinions so start out by “brain writing,” as Jones calls it. If you’re looking to change something in the shop and want unfiltered, honest feedback, ask your staff to write down their ideas and keep them anonymous, rather than speak up. All of the answers can be pulled out of a hat and the team can discuss the ideas together.

This is even good practice for those that already have open communication from their team.

Jones says that many times, the most powerful answers come from people who would never voice their opinions out loud.

Staff isn’t the only resource for new ideas. Peer networking groups and business coaches can also help take you to the next level (See: Benefits of Coaching).

annual revenue above $1 million

average repair order above $400

effective labor rate above $90

technician efficiency above 100%

technician productivity above 90%

Benefits of coaching When it comes to a successful business, an outsiders’ opinion really pays off

32%

35% 63%

67%

54%

53% 70%

73%

24%

26% 58%

61%

17%

17% 29%

33%

22%

22% 34%

39%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Works with business coach

Doesn't work with business coach

Works with peer networking group

THE 7 LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

4LAW NO. 4: Push for collaboration. Employee Benefits Attract top talent by offering the unexpected You won’t catch Foster demanding his staff do something. The environment at Roy Foster’s Automotive 88% 85% 63% in Reno is not a monarchy. Foster, who took over his father’s auto repair business in 1992, is all about teamwork vacation days uniforms sick days and everyone being a part of the solution. Doing so has helped raise ARO 26.5 percent and revenue 11.6 percent year over year in 2020. 58% 56% 43% Foster, who is heavily involved in the community and gives support to local businesses, says his leadership is inspired by his faith. His church training reimbursement health insurance retirement plan/401(k) has no paid leadership, he says.

Rather, everyone enters having little to no experience and then they learn the position and 35% 22% 15% take over.

“Everybody has something to bring—different perspec- disability life equipment tives,” Foster says. insurance insurance reimbursement

The same holds true for running a business. When developing or revising a new policy or practice, the entire staff at Roy Foster’s is consoled. This helps get different, valuable input from those that will To stand out, try getting creative and offering more than the norm, such as bonus programs, actually carry out the processes gym memberships and flexible hours. and it helps get greater buy-in,

Foster explains. It’s not him telling them to do something, it’s them all coming together to find a solution, which makes it much more likely that it will be followed long term and not just something they do because the “boss is making them.” Roy Foster’s has both a vision and a mission statement, as well as core values. Frequently, during meetings, for example, Foster and the team will discuss each of these and how to best put each in practice. Doing this helps filter out those that 5LAW NO. 5: Set clear expectations. In the beginning of 2020, Bruce Crittendon, an ASE-certified master tech, moved into the position of service advisor and general manager at Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid in Grand Rapids, Mich. Since moving into the position, Crittendon feels he’s found his groove, which includes learnCrittendon has set his expectations so that all of his technicians know what to do when repairing it. First, they need to drive the vehicle and look for issues, fix those issues, drive it again. Then, they hand the keys over to him to drive it one last time. He does this so he can be 100 percent confident that the issue is fixed when he hands the keys Crittendon says that Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid’s system of checks and balances works and has allowed the business to thrive thanks to the staff’s commitment to sticking to those expectations. “If you want someone to do something, you have to have it in writing. It’s harder to enforce something that’s hearsay,” Critaren’t a good fit and devel- ing that being direct and clear back to the customer. tendon says. ops a positive culture, Foster in what you need from people “If you’re 100 percent sure These clear expectations says. For more ways to devel- is key in leadership. In other it’s right, hand it to me,” Crit- have led to an ARO of $754 op a positive culture, check words, don’t make them guess. tendon says. “They can’t hand it and an annual revenue of out “Employee Benefits.” When a vehicle comes in, to me if it’s wrong.” roughly $1.1 million.

6LAW NO. 6: Put your best foot forward. Harry Cohen, author of Secrets of the Obvious: A Guide for Balanced Living and leadership coach, says that the essence of great leadership is the same as great parenting. “It’s a combination of mentoring, guiding, coaching, disciplining, inspiring, and value reinforcement,” Cohen says. A parent wants what’s best for his or her child. A shop owner, Cohen explains, is no different when it comes to his or her THE 7 LAWS OF LEADERSHIP business and staff. Cohen focuses on heliotropic leadership: A practice that emphasizes the benefits of compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness.

“All people are capable of being nasty, but losing your temper is never good,” Cohen says. “As a leader, you need to contain that. When they’re not giving you their best, your job is to help them do their best.”

A leader that shows he or she cares about his or her people will be a leader that people “will run through a wall for,” Cohen explains.

Auto care news where you need it, when you want it.

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Do this by providing the tools that they need to succeed and then getting out of their ways. By providing clear direction, motivation, and inspiration, you will put your staff 7 in a position to succeed. LAW NO. 7: Inspire self-care and work-life balance in others. A good leader takes care of his or herself, and that includes making time for a personal life. “I am a major advocate of starting the day off with something for yourself first,” Amanda Clements Drake says. Clements Drake’s alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. The vice president and manager of three of four locations of C & C Automotive (Georgia and South Carolina) and mother of two has a lot to do, and, in order to fit it all in, an early wake-up call is key, in order to run an MSO that turns out 1400 cars per month for a combined revenue of $6.9 million. As soon as she wakes up, she works out and has her “me time” before getting ready and kissing her kids goodbye as they get up. After that, Clements Drake is all cylinders go and arrives at the first of three locations she’ll visit through the day at 7 a.m. Then, after 6 p.m., it’s all about family.

No business after 6 p.m. is easier said than done, and, although it’s not always possible, Clements Drake has found an effective way to make sure she’s not constantly checking her phone—putting it in the bathroom. Out of sight, out of mind.

“I want to spend as much time with my kids as I can during their younger years,” Clements Drake says.

Once her kids are in bed, typically around 9 p.m., Clements Drake allows herself to check her phone and emails if anyone needs her, but the majority of information she gets can wait until the next morning. Taking that time to balance her work and personal life helps ensure that she is performing at her best in both areas of her life.

Structuring her day like this has allowed her to be more effective at achieving her goals, she explains. By laser focusing on one task, she’s been able to get more accomplished, something she’s still working on perfecting.

“I take care of myself first, then the middle of the day is devoted to my career and, after six, during the week and most of the weekend is my time with my kids,” Clements Drake says. “Once again, it's not always perfect, but it’s what I strive for.”

Thank You

2020 has been challenging for us all. Yet, through true grit and determination we have seen our community of readers and advertisers overcome and make the best out of unprecedented situations.

It has always been our goal to serve the repair industry with timely news and the most innovative solutions. But, we couldn’t do what we do alone. With fresh insights and perspectives from shop operators and suppliers alike, we have been able to power through the unimaginable.

Together we continue to break down barriers, and for the trust and support you put in Ratchet+Wrench, I give you our utmost appreciation.

Most Sincerely,