“Linda” brought her 2010 Chevy Lumina to a shop in San Francisco. Jason, the shop owner, assured her the job would be completed by five o’clock, and that she would receive a phone call updating her on the vehicle status. Jason forgot to make the phone call, and Linda arrived at the shop at 5…
Are you holding your people accountable? When I was a district manager for a national automotive chain back in 2001, I would have answered this question with a definite “YES!” After all, I always “preached” the right things. During team meetings, I preached about the habit of filling out a courtesy check for every customer. I preached…
“Greg” and I were struggling to figure out why his car count wasn’t improving. He had ten five star google reviews. When I Googled all of the primary automotive search terms for his area, I found him on the first page and in the top spot. His website was so strong that I would send…
Don’t try this at home! The year was 1999, and I was a new manager who was having a problem getting my people to embrace the courtesy checks. During a shop meeting, I was explaining all the reasons why completing the forms was good for the car, the customer, and the company. Before I could finish, “Terry,”…
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins communicates the concept of The Stockdale Paradox. It’s based on the experience of James Stockdale, a high-ranking naval officer who was held captive as a POW for seven years during the Vietnam war. He was tortured repeatedly and had no rational reason to remain positive. The dates on…
In his book Essentialism, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeon tells the story of Larry Gelwix, one of the most successful high school rugby coaches in history. In thirty-five years, his Highland High School Rugby Team compiled a record of 419 wins, 10 losses, and 20 national championships! If you played for coach Gelwix,…
When it comes to automotive education, “Bill” has more degrees than a thermometer! He’s a master certified ASE technician. He also has certifications from Ford and Subaru. If you were to survey the tool truck drivers and ask them to name the most productive technician in town, they wouldn’t have to phone a friend or use a lifeline! They would…
“Jack” owns a shop on the east coast and has two service advisors. The first advisor “Ray” is an automotive industry veteran with over 15 years of experience. He’s been there, done that, and has the tee shirt and coffee mug to prove it! The second writer “Craig” knows nothing about cars and couldn’t change…
Jimmy Johnson was the head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 through 1994. He had a reputation for being a no-nonsense, disciplinarian who was tough on his players. Falling asleep during one of his meetings was considered a “career-limiting move.” Everyone knew this. Everyone, except for a backup linebacker named John Roper. During a recent interview, Johnson…
A shop owner named “George” was meeting with his General Manager, “Ed.” Normally, they would have their Monday one on one meetings at George’s office, but this particular day was different. George decided that a field trip was in order. He took Ed out to this gorgeous field. As they walked, George pointed to the…