Keith Williamson is the owner of Williamson’s Repair and Tire in Bondurant, IA for over 20 years. He is a member of MWACA where he leads the Shop Owner Support Group (an amazing group of shops) in Iowa. He and his team focus on the customer experience, as well as Hybrid, Electric and emerging vehicle technologies. He recently added a solar array to his building and uses a Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt as shuttle vehicles and plans to add more hybrid and electric vehicles as they continually update their loaner fleet. He is a member of RLO Training’s Bottom Line Impact Group for 4 years. Listen to Keith’s previous episodes HERE.

John Long started to gain more interest in vehicles and just after his 21^stbirthday he accepted a position working at National Tire & Battery as a service advisor. He knew nothing about tires or vehicle systems and how they worked, but he learned as much as he could.

In 2005, John and his wife decided it was time for a move. He arrived in San Antonio late on a Friday night after driving 24 hours straight and interviewed with Mark Roberts on Saturday morning. Mark hired John, and for the next several years he helped grow the new mechanical repair shop business. Listen to John’s previous episodes HERE.

Tyler Hubbard is the owner, I-70 Auto Service, Kansas City, MO. Listen to Tyler’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• One of the best ways to grow your technicians is to pay for their training
• Consider incentives for the number of hours. See this episode with Bill Hill: FTR 075: Bill Hill – Yearly Bonus is All About a Commitment to Training
• Promote to your customer that you are closed for trainingLet them know of your commitment to stay on the cutting edge
• Use your invoices, signs and social media to promote your training commitment
• The best networking happens at the breaks and in social events during any conference, especially at Vision
• When back at work hold lunch and learns and share what each other learned and what resources are available.When you teach you learn
• Hold deep discussions on what each learned. Do this over a few weeks so you can spend some quality time on each lesson
• Team bonding is at an all-time high when you bring your team to a training conference.
• Some techs will leave shops when they will not pay for their training
• Be sure that your techs all go to different classes
• Lunch and learn where your techs share new ideas that they discovered or learned. Make this a part of your meetings
• How do we test if the training worked
• You need to want to see your people be successful
• Track comebacks to find weaknesses in training
• Training saves your tech time. Time is money
• If you are going to provide the best customer service, not training your techs hurts that commitment
• You gain a competitive advantage with your commitment to training
• You need to fix yourself and then you’ll find better ways to build a better business
• Investment in training as a percent of sales needs to be budgeted
• John Long spent $90,000 on training. It was 3% of his business
• Techs want to be trained. If they don’t it is time for them to find another shop
• Every position in the company needs to be trained: CEO, Service Advisor, Technicians and back office
• Hire a business coach to help you run a better business and hold you accountable
• Training hours per year required and reviewed each quarter. Many owners pay an incentive to hit their training goals
• Careful. Not all training is good training. Don’t stop training if you have a bad experience, but learn about trainers, venues and content
• How to:Put monies away for training: Scrap iron can be used to fund training
• Supplier rebate’s (debit cards used to pay for training)Parts suppliers and dealers have rebates.
• Suppliers have great training. Partner with your suppliers to bring in the training you need
• Local and regional training comes to your city. You do not have to always go to national events
• Gather your local shop owners and bring in a national trainer
• In house training with a top diagnostician to teach your B and C techs
• Build training into your labor rate. No customer will notice 
•  If you pay for training you can go on better vacations

Resources:

• A special thanks to Keith Williamson, John Long, and Tyler Hubbard for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Listen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.

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This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at shop-ware.com

In the photo above left to right: Tyler Hubbard, Chris Chesney, Greg Buckley, Aaron Stokes, Brian Bates, Carm Capriotto

THE PANEL:

Aaron Stokes

Aaron Stokes is the owner of Auto Fix & Euro Fix, a 6 store chain in the Nashville Tennessee area. He is also the founder of Shop Fix Academy. He has a passion for helping shop owners succeed & his goal is to stop the average small businesses in America from destroying the hard-working small families in America.

• The industry needs to stop eating our young. We need to provide grace to our people when they make a mistake. We all did it and survived. It is a cost of doing business. Accept it.
• Be willing to go through an expensive period.
• Use a foreman model to compensate for diagnostics & reward older techs.
• Stop labeling millennials. They will look up to you and copy you. Careful.
• They do not want to be labeled.
• When you hang out with them compliment then on their vibrancy, youth and energy.
• A technician must treat their body right. What they eat, the exercise they get and if they smoke. They need to take better care of themselves.Grow in your ability to think. Become a shop foreman. Teach the young techs.
• Stop making the trade sound bad by saying ‘You don’t want to be a technician.’
• Give honor to the job of a technician.

Tyler Hubbard

Tyler began working for I-70 Auto Service in August of 2009 where he found his passion for the automotive industry. He is an ASE certified service adviser and an AAM accredited automotive manager. Currently, as a third-generation owner, Tyler is focused on ways to continue to improve and challenge our industry. During Tyler’s collegiate career, I was a 2 time all-American and national champion in wrestling. During my Senior season, I lead our team to a team national championship.

• Mentor Young TechniciansTyler wants to see his people succeed in life.
• He knows what each of his people’s life goals are and is working to help them meet them.
• Career Path for employees.
• Unique Retention Methods.
• Make out companies exciting to work for.
• We must provide benefits like a boot allowance, retirement, health care, dental options and more. Work these programs into your budget. Most of the times you can afford these programs.

Greg Buckley

Greg Buckley is the CEO of Buckley’s Personalized Auto Care in Wilmington, DE. He’s a member of ASA, a member of the Delaware Automotive Service Professionals, past member of the NAPA advisory board council, is vice-president of NAPA business development group.

• Not the only trade or profession that is having an issue with training.
• No board members on our associations from education
• We need a new religion.Look at other industries and find out what we can do to support them.
• Learn what other industries are doing that will work for you.

Chris Cheney

Sr. Director, Customer Training at the Carquest Technical Institute

• Orientation is not Onboarding!
• Planning for growth/expansion includes your team
• A structured career pathway for all positions
• A well defined and promoted advancement process
• ALL tools and equipment provided by the shop
• Establish a mentorship program for life.
• Our negative attitude over our jobs and careers is killing the industry.We are an important part of the economy in supporting safe and reliable transportation for the motoring public and beyond.

Brian Bates

Brian Bates, AAM is the owner of three Eagle Automotive in the Southwest Denver area and began his career in 1996 working as a technician in a dealership. Brian is an ASE L1 Master Technician. Brian earned BA Degree in Business Management in 2000, and bought his 1st shop in 2004.

Last year, Eagle Automotive earned Napa’s national Autocare of the Year award as well as one of the top 10 AAA shops in Colorado.

• Company purpose, vision, values, and operating principles are critical for retention and attraction
• Understanding basic human motivation is important. Maslow and Herzberg assert fundamental principles in this space.
• Career pathing, professional development investment, and a focus on growth is a huge factor for attraction and retention.
• A quality culture inside your company is talked about in the technician network.
• Know your team members goals and help them reach their goals both business and personal. It is a very noble purpose. Your people need to know that they are working hard to reach their goals and make the company stronger.

This panel agrees that buying tools for your technicians, especially your entry level, is a must.

• Working with your tool supplier when you buy cash will get you a big value.
• Techs can no longer deduct their tool purchases on their taxes. This is a change in the 2019 tax law change.  

Resources:

• Thanks to Tyler Hubbard, Chris Chesney, Greg Buckley, Aaron Stokes and Brian Bates for their contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

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This episode is brought to you by AAPEX, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo. AAPEX represents the $740 billion global automotive aftermarket industry and has everything you need to stay ahead of the curve. With 2,500 exhibiting companies, you’ll see the latest products, parts, and technologies for your business. The event also offers advanced training for shop owners, technicians, warehouse distributors (WDs) and auto parts retailers, as well as networking opportunities to grow your business. AAPEX 2019 will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5 through Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. More than 48,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend, and approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from 135 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX 2019. For information, visit aapexshow.com

To learn more about NAPA AutoCare and the benefits of being part of the NAPA family, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

• What was your best take-a-way from Vision
• Did you get your Vision shirt that supports scholarships
• Thanks:
• • Thanks to Sheri Hamilton, Jerry Holcom, Joe Severt and Ron Haugen for such a great event and for having me lead the Power Panel.
  • Look for an upcoming episode with
    • Tyler Hubbard, Chris Cheney, Greg Buckley, Aaron Stokes and Brian Bates
• Many great interviews were done at Vision along with recording some For The Record Rants
  • Let me drop a few names on you:
    • Rob Morrell
    • Mark Warren
    • Rob Rowsell
    • Anthony Williams
    • Chris Chesney
    • Jorge Menchu
    • Scott Brown
    • Matt Fanslow
    • Justin Morgan
    • Scott Shotton
    • Dave Denman
    • Eric Ziegler
    • Brian Bates
    • Tyler Hubbard
    • Aaron Stokes
    • Greg Buckley
    • Jennifer Filzen
    • Keith Williamson
    • Kim Walker
• So we can keep the energy up, I need you to share the podcast with your peers. Don’t hold it back. Rising tide lift all ships. We are in a renaissance to improve our industry like never before. Networking, business coaches, twenty groups and the RRR podcasts are important tools for business and personal improvement.
• Always looking to hear from you about topics, interview, your opinions or maybe it is your time to be on the podcast …. carm@remarkableresults.biz

• Plans for Vision KC 2019
  • Get your ‘Tribe Sticker’
  • Be on a CarmCast broadcast live. Details being work out.
  • Moderating the ‘Power Panel’ Friday, March 1st, 2019, Noon – 2 PM
    • Greg Buckley
    • Brian Bates
    • Aaron Stokes
    • Chris Chesney
    • Tyler Hubbard
  • Live Broadcast of Town Hall Academy on Friday. Time to be determined.
• Great tip to Vancouver and time with the Integra Tire Annual Member Meeting.