If you are like I was for the first 20 years as a shop owner, you have introduced dozens of policies and procedures that could have brought some order to things, but fizzled out after a few weeks. WHY? What are the causes of this fatal flaw in your business?
Over the next few weeks I will blog on the twelve most important components of “How to Make Systems Stick” in your shop. Today, let me share with you what I have found to be a foundational process for making all policies, procedures and systems stick with individuals and organizations. It’s how we help our clients actually change permanently!
Most shop owners come to consultants looking for some little "trick" or "gimmick" that's somehow going to magically support everything the owner thought he knew, and when they don't find it...they're unhappy.
One of the greatest things that ever happened in our shop is service writer training. We have tracked our training experiences and how they affect each individual, and have at times actually experienced an increase in our sales, average repair order, and of course, our profits...sometimes as much as 30% after a single training!
It's funny what I've learned now that I'm a business owner that I never would have been able to predict when I was working on the front lines and in the trenches as an entry level service writer many years ago: when someone tries to flatter me, it makes me want to fire them, run from them, slap them, or just laugh in their face while publicly calling them a LIAR!
In a session with a client last week, something I had been trying to teach everyone for a long time suddenly became brilliantly clear to both of us...and it's going to mean a HUGE difference for his shop this year.
Should you spend time reading this article? Answer this: Are my net operating profits trending down over the last 3 years - in other words, am I bleeding and don't know how to stop it?
