MAKING ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

Let's face it, playing the Fixed Operations game and winning at it is tough. Every little move you make can have a positive or negative impact on the outcome. Many days it will be two steps backward and one step forward. While we all know that the word "Fixed" is referring to a stream of more consistent revenue and traffic for the dealership, we often overlook just how broken the processes are that help generate said revenue. The term "Fixed Operations" poorly defines the day-to-day operations of its often broken departments. So where do you start when taking on the responsibility of your new "broken" fixed department?

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED

The first thing you must do is understand that you are there for a reason. There was a need and you are there to satisfy that need. On very rare occasions will you step into an already well-run department. Unless the position you just filled is vacant because the last guy retired, you will have your work cut out for you. I'll never forget what my first mentor in the business said to me on his last day before retirement. He said, "John, remember one thing. Nobody looks at the dealership in the way that you do. If they did, you wouldn't be needed." That statement has rung true throughout my entire career. True Fixed Ops professionals have the ability to dissect, analyze, and process complex situations on super-human levels. Tap into those powers in your position and be amazed as you build your team and cultivate a winning culture.

"Nobody looks at the dealership in the way that you do. If they did, you wouldn't be needed."

RECOGNIZING THE NEED

DO NOT MAKE ANY IMPULSIVE DECISIONS IN YOUR FIRST 30 DAYS!

I cannot stress this enough! Trust me, I've made this mistake too many times in the past. Sometimes all a bad team needs is a good leader. You cannot go right in, rock the boat, make an "example", or fire anyone for 30 days (unless given good reason of course). Just watch, listen, lead, and be available. This is the moment where you learn all the real areas of opportunity for the store. More listening and less responding will be your best attributes in your first 30 days. You'll also find out who is going to be on board with your vision and who is not. If you go right in, shake everyone down, the team will be less likely to open up to you. The players you need and that want to change will be very standoffish if you start with "iron-fist" management. You'll lose them, plain and simple. Current team members tend to be brutally honest with new management. Use that to your advantage! Soak it all up for at least 30 days and use wise judgment when navigating through the inevitable sob stories.

"More listening, less responding will be your best attributes in your first 30 days."

UNPACK THE PROCESS

If you're replacing a manager that didn't make the cut, there will be a breakdown in the department processes 100% of the time. You can count on it! This must be your highest priority and requires consistent monitoring until the team gets it down. When it comes to new processes, creation and execution require a specific skillset all their own. A new process is pointless if you're unable to breathe life into it. For most, the fear of the risk is greater than the desire for the reward. With every decision both personally and professionally, the risk is inescapable. By day 30 in your new role, hopefully, you won over enough team members to begin executing new processes. If not, keep working on your people until you get key players in the front and back that will go to battle with/for you. Just be prepared for the risk of losing some players. As long as the process makes sense and has the support of the dealer principal, then go for it. You don't need the dead weight of players on the team that won't support you and your vision.

On day 34 at my current store, an advisor that caused terrible discord on the service drive and in the shop sent me his resignation letter. The very first sentence read, "In the short time that you have been here John, you have completely turned all the procedures for service department upside down." That is likely the best recognition I've ever received in this business. Team members that are part of the problem rarely desire to be part of the solution. Don't be afraid to flip things completely upside down! Just have a plan and stay the course. Remember, create and execute. The worst thing you can do is throw in the towel if things begin going south. It's paramount to have the support of the dealer principal and other members of management to hold you together if your team begins to fall apart.

SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA ROW THE BOAT AND STEER THE SHIP

By day 45, it was literally just me and one advisor on the service drive. It was time to focus my efforts on the service drive while handling the manager stuff throughout the day and after hours. Started with six advisors and unfortunately, five of them decided they weren't interested in a new way of doing business. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. "John, you're just too hard, too demanding, not flexible enough." However, all I've done by this point is

• Better and clearer pay-plan
• New, clean, dealer service menu and op-codes
• Pre-paid maintenance plans advisors could earn $$ on
• Fixed all the errors with the tablet system
• Created daily reporting so the advisors could see how and what they were tracking
• Held each one accountable to the process

That last one is a doozy! Accountability!?? Are you kidding me? What's that? The way I do business is simply due to the level of service our customers need and demand. If a team member cannot perform and cannot take care of your customers, they cannot be part of the team. Simple as that. Don't accept anything less. The deep-seated problems of most service drives stem from management accepting mediocrity. The reason most management just accept mediocrity is due to the fact many Service Managers can't navigate the service process with a customer from start to finish. So, the fear of being short-staffed on the drive outweighs the desire to be better. If you fit that description I recommend you spend time learning from your best advisor or consider another career path. You should be able to write as good if not better than your best advisor. As a seasoned advisor, I gave my customers THE BEST service. I expect nothing less from my team. Work with your team, meet with them, counsel them, guide them, and give them everything you got! There is no place for mediocrity in your operation. You have no time for it! Mediocrity is cancer and will hold you back from bringing your vision to life. If it means rolling up your sleeves to row the boat then so be it. There's no better way to set the example and earn respect than to get down in the ditches with your team.

"The deep-seated problems of most service drives stem from management accepting mediocrity."

BE FLEXIBLE, YOU'LL NEVER BE BENT OUT OF SHAPE

Congratulations, you've made it to the 3-month - 6-month stage at your new store. This is the point for you to see how all the new processes are going and how your new team members are fitting in. Get ready, some, if not all of it, will fail. By 90 days at my store, we re-staffed the service drive back to 6 advisors and put in several new-to-the-store (not to the business) processes. Some processes we put in place we had to change and adjust. Always be ready to make adjustments on the fly. This includes changing processes and hiring new team members. You should always be hiring in my opinion. Things can change so quickly in this business you never want to be surprised. Stay staffed, hire properly, train passionately, lead perpetually. The Automotive Industry is ever-changing we must change with it to satisfy the demands of our customers. By the way, this does not mean you are required to put a kiosk on the service drive. (sorry, had to)

Fast forward to today.....

• Many more processes put into play
• 5 advisors on the drive. 3 from the 90-day team remain
• Record months in Customer Pay, Overall Gross Profit, and CSI since month 1

If you implement a new process, give it 30 - 60 days to take root and blossom. Be open to input from your team especially during the creation of processes. My favorite thing to do before implementing a new process is to hash it out with the team. Get them involved and make it their idea. Everything doesn't need to be your idea. You want your team to buy in and take ownership. There's no better way to do that than letting them put the process together and then actively execute it. Be sure to hold them accountable to the process and make adjustments as needed. As a musician, I've often viewed the Service Department as the soundboard and myself as the soundman at a concert.

There's a ton of knobs to turn, buttons to push, faders to slide! There's little room for error. Just one wrong move and the soundman will spoil the show! The same goes for your department. Lots of things happening throughout the day, week, and month. How many of those things do you have a grasp on?

"Everything doesn't need to be your idea"

WASH, RINSE, REPEAT

Where do you go from here? Keep doing what you've done up to this point. Once you're staffed, your processes are really cooking, and everything seems to be going well, just keep tabs on it all. Support your team and be available. There's no better attribute for a leader than availability. My team knows they always have access to me and I'll do anything I can to help them. In return, I'm confident they will do their best and provide top-notch service to our customers. Stepping into unfamiliar territory as the new Service Director can be a daunting task. Stick to making sure the customers get the best possible service no matter what. Support your team and always hold them accountable to the process. It won't be easy but you won't go wrong!