Six Ways to Improve Store Culture

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

In Waterbury, Conn., KarTele Mobile Electronics celebrated 25 years in business this April. The shop has held a positive reputation in the area for a long time, according to owner Mike Hungerford, who took over about two years ago. “To celebrate, we’re running a bunch of specials on backup cameras and remote starters,” he said.

When it comes to maintaining a positive store culture, he said it’s the little things that count the most. “I feel like a lot of little things make a big impact without having to really try that hard,” Hungerford added. “I’ll have coffee ready for them in the morning, and I’ll buy lunch three out of the five days of the work week.”

To begin building and maintaining a positive store culture, retailers agree there are a number of small changes owners and managers can make today.

#1 Say Thank You With Small Gestures

When it comes to the stress of the everyday work week, it helps to reward the team. At Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security, the business often buys lunch for everyone. “We get really busy, especially in the wintertime, because we do a ton of remote start systems,” said Robert Kowatch, a sales manager at the shop. “We can average anywhere from 15 to 20 cars a day, which is amazing. So, we buy lunch for everyone. We do that quite often, and it allows us to not have to take extra time to get food.”

Hungerford noted the importance of thanking the team. “At the end of every day, whether we leave early or if it’s a late night, I always say thank you to my team for their work that day. Even if they were only in for a few hours or a whole day.”

Even though they’re getting paid to be there, saying thank you can build confidence, instill pride in one’s work and encourage employees to feel as if they’re part of something bigger.

#2 Nurture an Attitude of Belonging

Even something as simple as uniforms can make employees feel as if they’re part of something greater than themselves, Hungerford said.

“Even if I have a subcontractor coming in who works on a Saturday because that’s our busiest day, I’ll give him a polo shirt to wear that day,” he added. “While you’re here—here’s a shirt, have fun and be part of the team.”

Creating that sense of belonging encourages employees to be more open and communicative. Additionally, allowing for leeway when it comes to personal and family time is important, too.

“One of my installers is female, and she had a baby. She was worried she wasn’t going to be able to work. I said, bring him in,” Hungerford explained. “So, all last winter we had a toddler running around, and it was fine. It allowed her to be able to come to work and get things done, and also not have to pay for daycare.”

Additionally, KarTele allows employees to use the shop to work on their own cars, as long as everything is cleaned up and clients’ vehicles are given top priority.

“If someone says they want to put a radio in, they can purchase it at cost. If they use any supplies, they replace or purchase at cost. It’s on their time,” Hungerford added.

Even if it’s Sunday, when the business is closed, employees are welcome to use the bay as long as it’s cleaned up by morning.

#3 Plan Team Outings and Have Fun Together

In a recent response to a survey by Mobile Electronics magazine, Philip Lindsley of Titan Motoring stated that the team often partakes in activities outside of work. “We go to NHL and NFL games, concerts and more,” he said. “Hanging out outside of work lets staff discuss issues in a stress-free environment while bonding with each other.”

KarTele Mobile Electronics sponsors a local duck race called Duck Day, Hungerford said. “Besides preparing and attending the event [we participate]. Last year, we built a remote controlled duck with music and lights on it. That broke away from the normal every day.”

Getting different types of work also helps break up the monotony in the shop. “We do a lot of marine stuff. After working on 20 cars in a row, we might put the same stuff on a boat, jet ski or golf cart, and it feels different,” he said. “It’s fun.”

In the summer, the team has a barbeque. They’re also considering doing a car show this year, Hungerford said, as long as the remodel is finished in time.

“We’ve been here a long time, so we get referrals from people up and down the street,” he added. “The auto parts places, like Auto Zone and O’Reilly’s, send people to us. It’s a very busy road.” If they do a car show, he noted, at least 200 cars will fit in the lot on a Sunday when everything else is closed.

Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security also endeavors to improve store culture through team outings, according to Kowatch.

“We make a conscious effort,” he said. “We do a lot to improve store culture. John Schwartz, the owner, loves to do things as a group. Next Monday, we’re going to go watch the new Avengers movie. We’ll close the store down half the day, go to the movie, come back and finish up. It’s always a fun thing to do stuff like that. We also do fishing trips together in the summertime, and we go bowling. There’s a lot that we do as a group to get closer, rather than just working all the time.”

#4 Work Together in Continued Training and Education

Kowatch also facilitates role playing for sales training. “Depending on how busy things are, I like to spend at least 30 minutes on this every day,” he said. “I have a couple people I’m training, so it helps speed up the process. [We discuss] how we like to deliver our full sales experience to customers. It’s easier for them to practice with me than on customers.”

Kowatch stated that one salesperson will play the customer, and then they’ll switch so that each person is able to gain a different perspective. “A lot of it is practicing overcoming objections, and finding the buyer’s dominant buying motive,” he added.

Training together in this fashion helps to build confidence, Kowatch said. “Role playing builds confidence, and with confidence you see more results. With that, you get more confidence. People who aren’t having fun in their jobs tend to not be exceling. Every training possibility is helpful.”

Any interaction can potentially be used for training purposes, he added. “Whether we can help [the client] or we

can’t, it’s a learning experience. After each day, we try to reflect on how we could’ve done something better. It goes back to the role playing, too—let’s reenact what just happened if we didn’t get the sale, and let’s see how we could have done it differently. Where did we fail there? Where did we fail to get the information over to the customer?”

Training benefits everyone in multiple ways, according to Hungerford. KarTele Mobile Electronics attends training seminars twice a year in Massachusetts. “I just went to one in Atlantic City by myself,” Hungerford said. “I am hoping that next year I can get at least one or two of my guys to come along with me. It was a bit of a drive, and an expensive trip, but it was fantastic.”

Employees are paid to attend trainings, and the shared knowledge continues to instill confidence. “It benefits me in the long run, too,” he added, “having my employees attend the trainings, learning and picking up new techniques.”

KarTele Mobile Electronics operates on a foundation of open communication, which continually improves store culture. Pictured from left to right is installer Rich Dery, owner Mike Hungerford, and salesman George Mowad, Sr.

#5 Foster Open Communication and Transparency

Hungerford said that his 20 years of experience as an installer has given him a unique perspective that he’s applied to his business to help ensure an open line of communication between him and his team members.

“[At previous jobs] I had concerns that I wanted to bring up with the management or owner,” he said. “Sometimes it was no problem, and other times I had to bite my tongue.”

If there’s a communication problem in a shop, “You don’t stay there long,” he added. “If you’re having trouble at a shop like that, you stay there as long as you need, and then you find something better. I don’t want my employees to [ever feel like they have to] leave because there was a situation with me or the shop in general.”

Because of his past experiences, he said, he tells his own employees they can come to him with anything. “My door is always open. I’m usually in the back with the installers, so if there are issues, I tend to see it firsthand.”

He added that the same goes with sales. “I’m back and forth all day. If my sales guy has an issue, he’ll tell me, and I’ll come up and walk him through it.”

Regular team meetings also help to encourage open communication. Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security has monthly store meetings, according to Kowatch.

“The managers do a meeting at least every other week,” he said, “and then it’s our responsibility to translate everything to the rest of the employees.” The business prioritizes communication and transparency. “Everyone knows what’s going on and what’s expected of them.”

Having personally witnessed how a poor store culture can negatively impact staff, Mike Hungerford chose to foster a positive environment that encourages the KarTele team to have fun and enjoy their work.

Perfectionist AutoSound – The team at Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security makes a conscious effort to nurture a positive store culture. Pictured is Robert Kowatch, who works in sales.

#6 Create Structured Store Policies and Stay Organized

Customer care translates over to increasing and maintaining positive store culture, according to Hungerford. The previous owner of KarTele Mobile Electronics began hanging a “thank you” card on customers’ rear view mirrors, and Hungerford continues this tradition.

As part of the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration, he invited anyone who still has one of these cards to bring it in and redeem it for 25 percent off. Hungerford said he thought it would be a good way to bring back previous clients.

“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for those people,” he added. “Every vehicle that goes out has the rearview mirror hanger. I like to have a nice, neat appearance [in the car] and I want the car to leave here cleaner and nicer than it [was when it] came into the bay.” Every car is vacuumed before it’s returned to the client.

“That passes along to my employees, too,” Hungerford added. “We also keep our showroom nice and clean.”

Because of the store’s policies in dealing with customers’ cars, he said, employees tend to keep their work areas neater, too.

To further improve things, the shop will be undergoing a full remodel. “The whole store is getting redone. The installation bay is getting a redo to make it easier to work in, and more organized,” he explained, adding that staying organized also contributes to a positive store culture.

“There’s nothing worse than trying to find a screw when you can’t find the bin with the hardware in it. We want nice easy access—get in and get out,” he said. “The less you have to think about it, the better.”