As you will see in this month’s cover story, technician tools have come a long, long way in recent years. Tool manufacturers have, and continue to, innovate designs for significant gains in productivity, safety and ergonomics. It’s helping make the job of technician a little easier and reducing on-the-job injuries and longer-term health ailments.
Given the industry’s ongoing shortage of technicians, and the fact that the average technician age is about 50, those are needed and welcomed improvements. The job of technician has never been an easy one. It’s one of those rare careers that are as taxing physically as it is mentally.
It also requires a significant financial investment, at least a few thousand dollars for tools initially and quite a bit more than that as the years go on.
So it would seem not only fair, but also wise, that shop owners also make an investment. Here are some suggestions: Put a little money toward improving the facility; allow more time for employee training; and listen a little more closely to concerns and wants from the shop floor.
It doesn’t have to break the bank. A fresh coat of paint and improved lighting will do wonders for employee morale, improve workplace ergonomics and, ultimately, result in greater productivity and higher quality.
Not to mention, looking more professional will enhance the customer experience and help drive repeat business. As notes Dave Scheer, president of Inland Truck Parts Company, “They [customers] expect our facilities to be clean, neat and well equipped. If you don’t ‘look the part,’ more and more customers won’t consider you a viable choice as their service provider.”
Another win-win area is training. The rapid advancement of truck technologies makes a well-trained and equipped technician a necessity, not a luxury. Your technicians will appreciate your investment in their career development and future, and customers benefit from greater efficiency and repairs being done right the first time. Providing customers with less downtime and fewer comebacks will set your shop apart from competitors.
But, according to Lee Long, chairman of the Technology & Maintenance Council’s Professional Technician Development Committee, some shop owners are reluctant to support technician training.
“One of the things that I often hear in the role that I have is, ‘well, if I train my technicians, they’re going to go down the street for a dime more an hour.’ That may be true, but if he’s going down the street for a dime more an hour, there’s other underlying issues there. You may not be treating your employees fairly. You may not be treating them with respect.”
Promoting technician training shows your employees you respect them. My guess is that that is worth more than $4 or $5 a week to any technician.
Improving communication and keeping a more open ear also shows respect. You rely on technician inventiveness when it comes to servicing customer vehicles and even fabricating tools and solutions on the shop floor. Perhaps they have just as valid ideas when it comes to the business-side of things.
Taking an open-door approach to managing technicians boosts morale and may result in a better way of doing things.
It’s a simple investment and one that you will be glad you made. So will your technicians. And so will your customers.
