Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Power does not always come from pushing harder. Sometimes in life and in business, the smartest move is to slow down so you can move forward with control, clarity, and intention. Just like a great driver, growth means looking ahead, preparing for the climb, and knowing when it is time to change gears.
[Katie Gates] (0:00 - 0:22)
Management's like, I don't know where the technicians went. I don't know where the advisors went. Well, you pushed them away because you weren't in a safe place.
Like, kids are coming out of tech school or they're just starting out in the industry for the first time. Someone like me being first generation technician, we don't have, like, dad or grandpa to ask questions to. We need a support system at work.
[Benjie Burris] (0:22 - 0:36)
Welcome to Downshift with my sis, Tanika Haynes. We all know as shop owners, sometimes you got to slow down in order to speed up. That's what this podcast is all about.
It's time to downshift.
[Tonnika Haynes] (0:42 - 0:45)
Tanika Haynes So why are you so pretty this early in the morning? Got your makeup on.
[Katie Gates] (0:45 - 0:46)
Who's talking to you? Girl, bye.
[Tonnika Haynes] (0:46 - 0:47)
We got our lipstick on.
[Katie Gates] (0:49 - 0:56)
I started that because of you. Really? Girl, you better put that lipstick on.
I was watching your lipstick reports.
[Tonnika Haynes] (0:56 - 1:11)
I got to start that back. I really need to start the lipstick reports back because people keep saying, like, complete. My family is like, oh yeah, we were looking at lipstick report.
I'm like, why? Are you even watching automotive stuff that I'm trying to do? And they're like, no, we love it.
I got to do it again.
[Katie Gates] (1:12 - 1:25)
It's awesome because, like, when I was going to industry events, I was so tired. And then I'd look on my newsfeed and I'd see you with your lipstick report. And I'm like, man, if she can do it that early in the morning, I've got to do it too.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:26 - 1:42)
Yeah, I mean, it just kind of wakes me up. My lipstick report and then my song of the day. Because I will be burnt out in thinking all the negative things.
But if I put on a good lipstick and put my eyes on, you make you feel better.
[Katie Gates] (1:42 - 1:47)
Yeah, it makes you. I don't know. It's like this whole vibe.
You're just like, yeah, I can do whatever.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:48 - 1:56)
I wonder if there's a vibe for guys like that. What do guys do? They don't have lipstick.
Is it the beard game that they're up? You know, recently the beards have been bearding.
[Katie Gates] (1:57 - 2:00)
I think it's beards and hats. The hat collection.
[Tonnika Haynes] (2:01 - 2:17)
Yeah. OK. OK.
So lipstick is to beards. OK. I got to ask them, like, guys, what is it?
Put it in the comments whenever this comes out. What is your lipstick? What is the guy's lipstick?
It's going to be I think hats.
[Katie Gates] (2:18 - 2:32)
Yeah, because like we have the Snap-on truck that comes through and like Maco and Mac, and they always have like the hat of the month. And it's an easy trap where it's like, oh, this looks nice. I'm just going to add this to my collection.
[Tonnika Haynes] (2:32 - 2:34)
A $40 hat. OK, I'm extreme.
[Katie Gates] (2:35 - 2:37)
It's free with the toolbox.
[Tonnika Haynes] (2:39 - 2:45)
Right. It's all worked in together. Where are the babies at?
[Katie Gates] (2:46 - 2:49)
Uh, the babies are with dad right now.
[Tonnika Haynes] (2:49 - 3:10)
So how many is it? Three or four? Three.
OK, because I was like, wait a minute. She got sometimes it'd be multiple babies. And I don't know.
It's easier to have a whole lot of kids together than just to have like like I got to. But I always found that it was easier just to have a house full. So they won't talk to me.
They bring my friends. Come over. Yes.
Your friends can come over because you will talk to each other and get out my face.
[Katie Gates] (3:12 - 3:13)
Seriously.
[Tonnika Haynes] (3:13 - 3:55)
Like, I don't know exactly what you do, but I can tell you when I met you in Texas, I didn't even get to meet you. But when you're on a stage talking in Texas, I just felt like, oh, look at my niece. She was amazing.
You were so genuine because you were just like, I have a lot of squirrel moments and you're going to have to forgive me. And you're like, squirrel, I love this kid. Tell me about Katie, because you were telling your story.
But I was like, OK, you write for Ratchet and Wrench. You're a hell of a technician. Sometimes I don't know if you were in the front office, the back office.
You do everything. So, yeah, I'm telling people who you are, girl, because you was a badass.
[Katie Gates] (3:56 - 4:45)
I'm all over the place. My resume is kind of confusing because like full transparency, when I was going into automotive and I started college, I had an epiphany and I was like, I can't just be a technician because if I'm just a technician, then I don't think I can fully understand the rest of the way fixed stops works. What does each role do and how do we all work together towards the same goal?
So I started off as a technician, but then I've also been a warranty administrator for Chrysler. I've been a service advisor. I've been a service manager.
I'm all over the place. I was even an instructor for FCA for quite a while. And now I work at Hunter as a technician again.
[Tonnika Haynes] (4:46 - 4:58)
I saw that you work for Hunter now. So when you went and you wanted to learn all the things because you just wanted to know how the whole process worked from the front office to the back, all of the things. Do you think it made you a better technician?
[Katie Gates] (4:59 - 6:13)
I think it did because I found in my time in the industry, most of us, I feel are really good at communication or we're really, really good in the technical world. And it's hard to find somebody that can dance in both areas. So being in the front of the office helped me become a better communicator and interact with customers better, getting to understand different personalities, phone skills, soft skills and hard skills, where the shop taught me the technical side of things, fixed first visit, goal setting, time management.
So I pulled from both sides. And I feel like I have a better understanding of the industry because of that. Even instructing too, because when you're an instructor, you're neither in front of the shop type of role or back of the shop.
You have people share your experiences from a whole bunch of roles. So you even learn in a role like that too.
[Tonnika Haynes] (6:15 - 6:19)
What's your favorite? What's your favorite role? You like being in the back?
[Katie Gates] (6:21 - 6:29)
You can take the girl out of the shop, but you cannot take the shop out of the girl. No matter where I go, I always want to find my people.
[Tonnika Haynes] (6:30 - 6:50)
You kill me on Facebook. You say you identify as a 91 Jeep. That's funny as hell.
That's funny. I was like, what? I identify as a 90.
What does it say exactly? You got to tell me. I got to look it up.
I'm looking. I identify as a 91 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Final Edition.
[Katie Gates] (6:51 - 7:18)
Bingo. So food for thought that I identify as. You can put whatever you want in it.
So there's that. You're welcome. A 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Final Edition is my dream car.
I've been obsessed with that car. The wood paneling. I was going to say wood paneling and all.
All of it. So yeah, I might be a little obsessed.
[Tonnika Haynes] (7:19 - 7:45)
Just a little bit. Sounds like it. Because I saw that.
I hadn't seen it before, but when I just saw it, I was like, okay, that's actually pretty damn funny. I got to figure out what kind of car I identify as. Depends on what day of the week it is.
How did you find your way in the automotive industry? You're like 22 years old. You're a baby.
I know you're not, but you're really young. What made you come into the automotive world? Uncle, grandpa, dad, or?
[Katie Gates] (7:45 - 7:46)
None of the above.
[Tonnika Haynes] (7:46 - 7:47)
What?
[Katie Gates] (7:48 - 9:11)
Yep. So actually, when I was like four or five, I got a Power Wheels Jeep for my birthday. And I used to drive that thing around like I owned the place.
And there was even one time where my aunt came over for lunch, and I came inside, and I told her to move her car so I could back in her spot. I've always been technically minded. I like taking things apart.
I used to repair my bikes. My neighborhood friends and I would make jumps in the middle of the road, and we'd jump our bikes and do stuff like that. But I was always told that automotive was no place for a woman.
And I heard that from everywhere, not just in the professional world, but personally. So me being young, dumb, and stubborn, I was like, oh yeah? Watch this.
And I didn't tell anybody. And one day I drove an hour and a half away from home to New England Tech, which is out in Warwick, Rhode Island. And I applied for the automotive technology program.
I got in. And the rest was history, honestly. I didn't tell a soul because I got to a point where I didn't care about anybody's opinions.
This is what I wanted to do. And I did the thing.
[Tonnika Haynes] (9:13 - 9:30)
So you did a thing against what everybody else said. But I am pretty sure, because you're this type of person, so I know you've had this person during your career. Was there someone early on who really believed in you and helped build your confidence?
Or did you walk into your classrooms and you were just the odd woman out?
[Katie Gates] (9:32 - 10:45)
Walking in the first week, I felt like I was in the trenches. And I did get some pretty nasty comments in the beginning that were just straight up ignorant. Like, you can't do this.
Or get back in the kitchen. Or why don't you try hairdressing instead? And I'm like, yeah, no.
There were even times where during break time, I'd go run to my car. And I had to wipe some tears and be like, you're a big girl, Katie. Put your war face on.
But I did have one professor there in my engines class. His name was Mr. Bannister. And this guy poured so much confidence into me that I felt bulletproof.
And by the end of the first quarter, I didn't care about anybody's opinion. I knew I just had to keep my head down and go as far as I could and work hard, ask questions. I mean, they'd even laugh at me at some of the questions I would ask.
But you know what? They didn't ask those questions, silly or not. And some of them didn't even graduate.
So yeah, my professor, he still keeps in touch with me. I actually, I got my AFC Blue Seal of Excellence last week.
[Tonnika Haynes] (10:45 - 10:51)
Oh, man. And when I realized... Don't say that again out loud.
That's not, that's not a little thing.
[Katie Gates] (10:53 - 11:08)
You got it. I had posted that and that professor commented on it. And he's like, I'm so proud of you.
Like, it's been over 10 years and he still keeps up with me. It's like having a bonus dad.
[Tonnika Haynes] (11:08 - 11:49)
But in the end, that's, that's sweet. Like, I'm not crying this morning with you. Because it just reminds me of the story that Benji was telling about the young lady that worked along with him and how she invited him to, you know, walk her down the aisle at his wedding.
So that is crazy. That is crazy good. What did that do for you?
Because like right now, in my opinion, I see you everywhere. You're writing for Ratchet & Wrench. You're involved in women in auto care.
You're doing the Connection Circle. Do you feel like you have to do that? Like you have to pay it forward or is that just your spirit regardless?
[Katie Gates] (11:50 - 14:25)
Oh, that is 100% my spirit. So after I had that influence from my professor, right? Once I started in my career professionally, I've had a few other people that were just integral to helping me keep my head above water and a clear mind and like, Katie, just push forward.
Keep going. You can do it. And I realized that although the industry has changed a lot over the past decade since I started school and culture's gotten a whole lot better, there's still babies just starting out in the industry and they don't have mentors.
They don't have someone they can relate to or ask questions and be like, hey, am I doing this right? Or where do you think I belong? Or like in terms of role, like what would be the best role for me coming out of a program?
Or do you have any resources? Have you heard of any scholarships? So I always try and pay it forward.
I started in 2018. I started an article called Wrenching Women Wednesday. And every Wednesday I would showcase tradeswomen all over the world and tell their story on their words, their terms, no edits.
And that blew up bigger than I thought it would. But the whole point was just to give them a platform to be celebrated and also an opportunity for other women to see these posts and network with each other, right? So I've been doing that for years now.
And then when I was in school, Women in Auto Care, I was an award recipient. I think it was two or three years while I was in college. And without them, I don't think I could have made it.
Just because I was a new mom at the time. I was broke as hell. And they extended their hand and said, hey, come join us.
See what we're all about. We want to help you succeed too. And that opened a door of meeting all of these wonderful, intelligent women in the industry.
So now that I'm in my 30s, I try and reach out as much as I can to those younger women that maybe don't need a mentor, but maybe they need resources or they need to bounce ideas off of somebody, right? So I try and be that cozy place for them to come to, like Mama Bear.
[Tonnika Haynes] (14:27 - 16:39)
Look at you, Auntie and Mama Bear. I love everything you just said about that. I think it's so important.
Maybe people really want to do more of that. Like for me, I never knew what my platform would be. I'm glad I was kind of bullied into this by Braxton.
He was a bully. But I'm glad he did. Because I say it a lot that I want to be who I wish I saw in the industry.
Like all due respect, most of my friends, just because the way the industry is set up, it's just white guys. Older white guys, it's fine. And I'm comfortable with that.
But then there's someone that might not be. Not because there's something wrong with them or wrong with older white guys. It's just like, this is like not in their comfort zone yet.
And so if I can just have my little goofy butt, and the key word is yet, right? If I can just be that person that makes you feel comfortable in the room, whether you feel comfortable talking to me, but if you see me or if they see you, and they're like, oh, I've seen her online. I've seen this and whatever.
And it makes them that much more comfortable and that much more easier, easy to be in the space that they're in at that moment. Man, I'm here for it. And a lot, I'm going to encourage a lot more women in the industry.
No matter where you're in the front office, the back office, you're the shop owner. If you're just in parts, if you're in the aftermarket, if anything, just maybe get yourself a little niece or somebody to help mentor, or just be more available. I'm not telling you to make yourself all out in social media like I choose to do, but make yourself a little bit more available, because that is a rewarding experience to know that you've helped someone along the way.
Tell me more about the scholarships that you got from women in auto care, because I kind of know about it, but I didn't really know anything about women in auto care until I went to Texas. I've seen some of the articles and I've been a member, but I haven't been in it. You know what I mean?
But being in it was amazing.
[Katie Gates] (16:40 - 18:50)
Yeah, that whole experience, being able to go to a women in auto care event, there's so much love, man. There's so much love. I found women in auto care, this is over 10 years ago now.
And at the time, there really wasn't a lot of visibility for women yet. We were getting there, but there wasn't a lot on social media. And for someone new in the industry, it's kind of hard to know what to search for to find these, right?
And one of my friends, we were at a car show, and one of my friends was like, hey, do you know Amy Matinette? And I'm like, no, I don't know Amy yet. And we introduced each other.
She was like one of the founding members of Women in Auto Care Association. And so she told me about it. And I didn't realize at the time that they had a scholarship program.
But looking back, there really wasn't a lot of scholarships at the time for automotive kids. Male or female, it's hard to get a technical scholarship. Well, back then.
Now, there's tons of them, right? But I was really struggling. And there was age limits on some of these scholarships too, because the majority of them were catered to people that were fresh out of high school.
And I started when I was 23. So a couple years after, but it was enough for scholarships to be like, no, thanks. So I applied.
And Women in Auto Care scholarship awarded me that paid for a semester of college, which was a blessing, especially with working and going to school full time. And raising a newborn. And then the next year, I was awarded it again.
And I was absolutely shocked. But they helped propel me forward. Because there's no way I could have been able to swing all of that on my own.
So it felt, it's a scholarship. But it honestly felt like a warm hug. Like, I got you, girl.
Like, you can do this.
[Tonnika Haynes] (18:53 - 19:13)
Oh, now I know that you just, your family said, we're not, girl, go get a job. Well, this car stuff is stupid. Okay, they didn't say it just like that.
But that's what I heard. And you got a baby. And you're trying to go to school full time.
And you got to work. How in the hell did you do all of that?
[Katie Gates] (19:15 - 20:12)
99 cent large iced coffees from the gas station. I'm not kidding. I don't know if I slept more than like, three or four hours at a time.
But the first time I was in college with my, one of my son was a newborn. Because he was only three weeks old when I started college. Oh, my gosh.
I know. I know. I got so much heat from other people.
Like, you need to be responsible and stay home. You should be a stay at home mom. Like, what are you doing?
This is irresponsible. Well, when I had him something like, I don't know if it's maternal instincts, right? But something flipped in me.
And I'm like, I got to give this kid a better life than I had. And I put my head down. I just kept going.
So yeah, I don't think I slept much. Not at all. I have no advice for that.
[Tonnika Haynes] (20:14 - 20:16)
Don't do that. But it can be done.
[Katie Gates] (20:17 - 20:32)
It can be done. But you've got to have a lot of discipline and a lot of grit. Because you're going to be frustrated.
And you're going to cry. And you're going to question things sometimes. But you just have to have confidence in yourself that you're going to do it.
[Tonnika Haynes] (20:33 - 20:37)
So when you say have grit, what do you mean? Tell me about your grit.
[Katie Gates] (20:41 - 21:10)
Honestly, I feel like I learned it in the shop. We beat ourselves up. We bust our knuckles.
There are some really trying situations sometimes. Being in the shop and being a technician helped me learn a lot of self-discipline. And I say grit, but I don't really know how to define it.
Rather than like, it helps you grow thicker skin so you could do harder things.
[Tonnika Haynes] (21:13 - 21:35)
You said something. You said something. You were replying to someone's comment on Facebook.
And you're kind of saying like young adults, not women. You're not pointing. When you're saying young adults need to be shown the way and given the resources to succeed.
And that so much frustration comes from being thrown into the fire on day one.
[Katie Gates] (21:36 - 21:37)
Yes.
[Tonnika Haynes] (21:37 - 21:40)
Was that your experience when you finally got into the shop?
[Katie Gates] (21:41 - 23:53)
Yes. So I come from the shop, right? I network with a lot of technicians.
Some of my best friends in the whole world are technicians. So collaboratively, we all felt that way. It's too often, I know not all shops do that, right?
But it's too often where you apply for your first quick lane job or oil change technician job. And they throw you right in with no resources, no mentor, no training. And they're like, here you go.
Let's see what you can do. So what happens is these entry level technicians get burnt out so fast because they're trying to go as fast as they can. The oil change pit is usually the highest turnover, right?
Quick, quick, quick. So they're in the fire. They have no mentor.
They can't ask a lot of questions if they don't have like a foreman or someone that they can lean on and say, hey, I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. Or can you check this for me? And they burn out so quickly because of that.
They have energy. They're excited about the industry in the beginning. And then you just burn out quick if you don't have someone there to be your support while you're learning and growing and understanding the vibe of the shop and our dynamics, right?
Where there are some shops that they'll assign the foreman with the new technician and help guide them. Maybe they work next to each other in next door bays and they can bounce ideas. They can ask questions.
They can be vulnerable. And that's where we really learn and grow. But most of us were just thrown into the fire.
And here, let's see what you can do. Are you capable of being in this industry? Comments like that.
And it's like, you know what? I don't have anything to prove to you, but I'm going to show you I can do this. And I feel like that's part of how we grow thicker skin so fast, is because you get thrown into it and you got to figure it out.
[Tonnika Haynes] (23:54 - 25:28)
Yeah, but I wonder why people would do that. I wonder because usually the shop owner or the foreman used to be in that position. So how do you not remember what that felt like?
And why do you continue to keep that up? So that blows my mind. My son Jordan is in his well, he's worked his first week.
His first full week was this week, actually only four days because he started on a Tuesday. And he comes home every day excited about the team around him and the culture of the shop and what he got to assist with and what they trusted him with. And that makes me so warm because that's the kind of environment that I try to do at my shop.
But I know as a shop owner that we do have to meet certain criteria. We have to make X amount of money. We have to do this.
We have to do that. But we also cannot complain about a technician shortage and also at the same time, be so terrible at that, you know, leading the next generation, providing what they need to become better techs because you do the book work, right? It's like even what we always say compared to dogs, we can't compare ourselves to doctors, in my opinion, because it's two different things.
But you go to medical school, you do, you pass the test and you get a white jacket or whatever. You still have to do like, don't they have to do like residency? So what do you think a shop could realistically provide to an entry level technician that will make the biggest difference?
Do you think it's just pairing them with someone or taking it slower?
[Katie Gates] (25:32 - 27:14)
You need to be present because from a technician standpoint, right? A lot of times we see our service managers and their office buried in paperwork and they've, I mean, a lot of it is administrative stuff in that position, right? But they don't take the time to pick their heads up above the water and go walk the shop.
How are you doing? How are the kids? How are you really doing?
How are you feeling? Congratulations on the new baby. I see you have a new toolbox.
That's awesome, man. Congratulations. It's oftentimes where we get put into this little box as a service manager and we forget about the most important things, which is our people, right?
And I don't think it's terrible. I think it's a disconnection. Because if you doom scroll on social media, like LinkedIn, for instance, you see all of these automotive professionals or coaches and they're like, this is what you have to do to make your shop better, how to hire technicians and retain them.
But that's the thing. We're talking to each other in the corporate space. We're not talking to the technicians that are working for you.
If you want advice about how to make the shop better, how to take care of your technicians, you've got to ask them, right? Because if we're just talking to each other in the corporate space or like a management team, are we really working in their best interest? Because we haven't asked them yet.
[Tonnika Haynes] (27:15 - 27:42)
Yeah. Are we just bean counting or are we actually investing in our tools? Like I was saying earlier, I was talking to someone, we're talking about training and technical training and sending your text to training and investing in your technicians.
And then there's a lot of people that just don't do it. You went to school, learned a job, YouTube it, look it up on Identifix. But there's so many things that are always evolving and people don't want to spend money on training, but also spend money on leadership and developing a person.
[Katie Gates] (27:42 - 27:43)
Oh, yeah.
[Tonnika Haynes] (27:43 - 29:05)
Personally, I think I do a good job at that. I'm working on that consistently all the time. This person is trusting me with their livelihood.
I'm trusting this person with my business because they are fixing the cars and I'm responsible for everything they do. I need to have a relationship with that person. I need to know that when such and such comes in, what mood are you in the day?
What's at home affecting you? Not just to make them work harder, just know what's going on with that person so they don't just rage quit. Yep.
Walk out, have a toolbox conversation. What did you do this weekend? What does that person like to do?
I know one technician, he loves guns. Other technician, he loves, he thinks he's in NASCAR. Other technician loves his grandbabies.
What did you do this weekend? What game did you go to? And it doesn't hurt anything.
It actually gives you an attaboy and there's a connection. And then you get a, in my opinion, I feel like I can get a trust and a buy-in from my technicians. And they also trust me to lead them.
And if there's some, a process in the shop that they feel like probably shouldn't be doing this, or this isn't working for us, or you're asking too much in this particular circumstance that they feel comfortable coming to me. And at the end of the day, that would make business much better for everybody.
[Katie Gates] (29:07 - 31:06)
I 100% agree. And like something that we lose sight of is we spend more time at work typically than we do with our families. So this is your work family.
You have to have that connection. But also as your employees, connecting with them and understanding them better, you can identify their needs. So then you can get a better forecast of what the shop is going to be like or what you need to do.
What do you need to focus on, whether it be training or tooling, whatever. Just talking to them and having that conversation, even if it's a short conversation in the morning. I mean, my boss, super awesome.
Every Monday morning, we sit down first thing with our whole team. And he asks us what we did this weekend. And we all laugh.
It's a good icebreaker for Monday morning, right? But we all get to connect with each other. He actively listens to us.
And then he follows up with something called gratitudes. And he'll ask us, do we have any gratitudes to give to any of our teammates that might have helped us the week before? And it really sets a cool tone for the whole week.
And on Mondays where he's not there, you can totally feel the difference in the vibe because we didn't have our morning meeting. But to go back to your point on training, I think it's really interesting that we have such a hard time with employers sending their technicians to training or even advisors. When if you look at the numbers, numbers don't lie, right?
It's cheaper to send an existing technician to training and continue their training than hire someone brand new and bring them up to where this other technician is. You're saving money by continuing to invest in them. And I don't think that we think that way enough, honestly.
Yeah.
[Tonnika Haynes] (31:07 - 32:08)
It's just like adding another tool to your toolbox. Exactly. It's crazy why people are like, oh, it's going to cost me $1,500 to send them this training.
I'm going to lose a day's of production. But what are you gaining? Yeah.
And you're gaining an employee that's going to be a little bit more loyal to you because you're invested in them. Yes. You're gaining more knowledge that they can do the job a little bit quicker or better or just add an additional job that your shop can do because they've learned this.
They've learned this program. They've learned this and whatever. So it is an investment just like anything else.
And same thing for service advisors. My service advisor is going to be with me for a year this coming September. And second week that he was with me, we were at ASTA and we were training and he was just like, God, this is good.
I wish I had this at my other shops before. We could have did so much better. I really always thought that this would work.
Now it's proven. The instructor said, this is how you do it. And he bought in and he has been fired up ever since.
[Katie Gates] (32:09 - 33:24)
Yeah. And the personal growth feels good too. I mean, you want to develop.
You don't want to be in the same spot in the same shop your whole life. I mean, you can if you're absolutely happy, right? But we want personal growth too.
And the fact that the shop can grow and we can grow at the same time is really nice. But speaking of taking your advisor to ASTA, I have seen at the industry events that I've been to very, very, very little technicians and advisors at those industry events. It's usually only like the owner or the management team.
And I have to step back and ask why? It wasn't too expensive for you to go. But this would be an awesome opportunity for them to network, to learn, to grow.
And you're representing that company too. So like if they have a shop shirt on, they're going to be walking around this expo or industry event and it's free marketing, you know, not for nothing. But why not bring them with you?
That's an exciting experience.
[Tonnika Haynes] (33:25 - 38:00)
And I bring mine with me. I mean, to the local one, like ASTA is in Raleigh. Everybody gets a hotel room.
Everybody gets to fully experience it for those three days. And yes, it does cost me money because they're going to stay where I stay. I want them to be involved.
Like you said, you don't see a lot of that. Like, why are you gatekeeping? Why are you not sharing this knowledge with your staff?
And if you can think about it, if you take your staff, if the first year you have to go The first year I went by myself. The second year I brought my team with me. And my team has grown.
At that time, we were a team of four, including myself. Now we're a team of nine. And I'm taking two apprentices.
So that's 11 people that I'm paying to go to expo. And I do pay. I don't care if I'm on the board.
I pay to go. Pay for their room. But if everybody's taking a different class, there's some classes that all the techs are going to take because I definitely want them in it and they want to be in it, right?
But if my service advisor is taking this class, service manager is taking this class, I'm taking this leadership class, and we can just all come back with all of this knowledge. It will pay for itself 10 times. It's going to pay for itself in like loyalty, growth, improving processes, all the things.
So I wish people would understand that, that the classes that we're talking about are for everybody, from the service advisor, the technician, the marketing person, all of those things, accounting, there's so much to be learned. And like you said, you go in and all you see is owners. And you will see shops.
I do know shops that do take their whole team, like Schmidt Auto Care. Lola's taking the team. She's investing.
She brings coaches in, this, that, and whatever. I'm taking my team because we get it. And we went ahead and drank that Kool-Aid.
We're going to drink that Kool-Aid. And it's only made me better. But there's some people that are just afraid.
Sometimes you're afraid that people will learn too much. I have been in that area where I never wanted to share numbers and KPIs with my front desk because I didn't want them to think that I was making a million dollars. Like, oh, I can't show them that.
But once I showed them and they understood how everything worked and how everybody got paid, and I was the lowest person on the totem pole, I get paid less. The leaders get paid less. They understood.
And so when you say, hey, this year, we need, I think I said this year, I want to do 1.9. I gave him a specific number to Stuart at the beginning of the year. And he said, so you want to do 2 million? Yes.
And that was like, OK, let's go. Let's do it. Let's go team.
And then there are some people that are like, oh, this is just a job. There's no team. There's going to be a lot of negative Nancy's.
But you're just in the wrong space. You're in the wrong space. If everybody works collectively, everybody wins.
Like you say, we have to be around each other eight to 10 hours a day. Let's be on the same page. Let's play the same game.
And let's go win. And let's win together. Let's lose together.
Let's learn together. So but here's another thing. I know that I have really pushed positive experiences in my child's head.
So he's entering the world and he knows that no one owes him anything. And he's going to have to go to work. He's going to have to open his mouth and speak.
He's going to have to learn and smile. And he was he told me this morning, I promise you, it's August the 8th. And Jordan says, Mom, is there something on my chin?
He said, because I feel like I'm getting a bump. My chin hurts. And I said, no.
And I looked and there was nothing there. And I said, did you smile a lot this week? He said, yes.
And I said, oh, all of the words of affirmation, why you're smiling when you're talking to people, because I tell people if you're talking to somebody, just smile at them. And he's like, yeah, I felt like I was doing that all week. And I was like, yeah, that's why your face hurts.
It's a good hurt. And he said, yeah, I was talking to an electrician yesterday, a young guy. He's 26, came to the house.
And I'm just curious. And I was like, how long, you know, how did you get into trade? And I asked you the same thing.
Was it your uncle, brother, cousin, grandpa? And you said nobody. And I asked him, you encourage you to go into the trades?
He said nobody. And he actually said yesterday, he was like, actually in high school, they made such a big deal about everybody going to a traditional four-year college that they did parades for them. And they did this and they did that.
And then at the end, I'm like, oh, yeah, and this is what he's going to do. And he's just going to go to work.
[Katie Gates] (38:00 - 38:48)
Yep, they pooped on us 100%. So I graduated in 2010. And at the time, colleges were still like super predatory.
And I mean, even our teachers and like community members were like, go to a four-year school, go be a doctor or lawyer, which power to you. You know, if you want to do that, that's awesome. But what about the parades?
They used to dog those like, you don't want to be there. That's a spooky place we don't want to go to. Why not?
And now, you know, the same high school I was at where we had those predatory college people coming in and people telling me, oh, don't learn to trade. Now they have a welding program. So that tells you how much the industry has changed over the last 16 years.
[Tonnika Haynes] (38:49 - 39:44)
Yeah, honey, I've been out of high school for a lot longer than that. So shut your little mouth. Like my father, so he's class of 70, that's class of 76, 77, high school.
There was an automotive program. And I did go to that same high school. And there was still shop, welding, cosmetology.
And those were still a thing. But that's not the things that my kids had. In Durham County, there's only one high school that had an automotive program.
And it's like all the high schools got one high school that has a program. And you can't just go there. You just have to be at that school because you got to go where your address tells you.
But I believe that people are waking up because here's the thing. When your crap breaks down, whether it's plumbing, HVAC, automotive, electrical, who are you going to call?
[Katie Gates] (39:45 - 39:45)
Exactly.
[Tonnika Haynes] (39:46 - 39:55)
If you keep telling people that this is, you know, oh, that's a job. You're just, you're better than that. Am I?
Because then people are making some money because those are essentials. COVID showed you who is essential.
[Katie Gates] (39:56 - 40:28)
And it's crazy because for the longest time, we ignored it. And we said such negative things about the automotive industry or blue collar trades in general. Right.
And now in 2026, there's so many people online that are like, Oh, I don't know where the technicians are. They're my age now. Remember those kids like 20 years ago, where you said, don't learn a trade, go to college.
And now you're like, I don't know where all these blue collar people are. You told them not to come here.
[Tonnika Haynes] (40:28 - 40:36)
You told them to do coding. You said, go into coding, do all of this technical stuff. And now those jobs are overseas are being done by AI.
[Katie Gates] (40:37 - 40:57)
It's crazy. And like, I don't want to say it's, it's too little too late because that's negative. But at the same time, it's like, you can't, you can't expect us to not have a shortage with how we were treated previously.
And how are, how the automotive industry has been seen previously.
[Tonnika Haynes] (40:58 - 41:10)
It's like now, even now, like we see it differently because we're on the inside. But even now I try to make sure that my social media is about promoting my employees that we are humans. Who are you talking to?
[Katie Gates] (41:10 - 41:11)
Yeah. We're professional.
[Tonnika Haynes] (41:11 - 41:46)
The whole, all you have to do is thing makes me crazy. Like when you talk to a technician that's fixing and somebody in the damn comments, I tell you, I stay out of comments on these podcasts, girl, because they piss me off. Oh, lady, you don't know what you're talking about.
I just said the last recording. Listen, I know what my depth to income ratio is. I'm doing just fine.
I do know what the hell I'm talking about. I've got customers that come in and they're very disrespectful. The internet said this, this all I need.
This is Rick quick. When my uncle said this, oh, I could do it if I just had a lift and you still get disrespected in the industry all day, every day.
[Katie Gates] (41:47 - 41:47)
Yep.
[Tonnika Haynes] (41:47 - 41:50)
You gotta wonder why we don't want to deal with you.
[Katie Gates] (41:50 - 42:26)
Yep, exactly. It's you gotta, I don't want to say you have to have thick skin to be in this industry because you shouldn't have to, you shouldn't have to just like, you know, other types of, uh, occupations. You're not expecting to go, go into your job and get bullied all day or get bullied from customers necessarily.
I mean, customer service is an interesting world, but even still, you're not getting set up to get bullied for what you do. Right. So yeah, as far as the comment section, those negative comments about, you don't know what you're doing.
I've got one for you. I'm going to turn my hat around for this though.
[Tonnika Haynes] (42:27 - 42:27)
Okay. Okay.
[Katie Gates] (42:29 - 42:38)
The other day I had someone tell me, oh, I've been a mechanic for 17 years. You don't know what you're talking about.
[Tonnika Haynes] (42:43 - 42:43)
Okay.
[Katie Gates] (42:44 - 42:51)
That may be, but I've been in the industry for 10 years and you still misdiagnosed it and called me for help.
[Tonnika Haynes] (42:55 - 42:57)
I can't drop my mic. Cause hold on.
[Katie Gates] (43:01 - 43:06)
And oh yes, girl. You just gotta let it slide. Cause it's not worth it.
[Tonnika Haynes] (43:06 - 43:17)
You know, you know, sometimes you can't let it slide. Like I'm trying my best to say my butt out of the comments. I promise you.
But sometimes I wouldn't go in there. I'm like, you know what?
[Katie Gates] (43:20 - 43:21)
I choose violence today.
[Tonnika Haynes] (43:24 - 43:36)
And then, and it's just like, okay. Okay. Okay.
And I don't have everything right. I am still learning. I'm going to always be a student.
I plan to always be a student in whatever I'm doing until the day I die.
[Katie Gates] (43:36 - 43:36)
Yes, ma'am.
[Tonnika Haynes] (43:36 - 43:44)
Every day's a school day. But sometimes I'll be wanting to say, who the hell are you talking to?
[Katie Gates] (43:46 - 43:48)
Lower your voice, sir, please.
[Tonnika Haynes] (43:50 - 43:57)
But I've gotten really good in doing this for so long that I am really good at just, I can smile at somebody and cuss them out at the same time.
[Katie Gates] (43:58 - 44:03)
It's that elegance. You have to, you have to word things, uh, delicately. Yeah.
[Tonnika Haynes] (44:04 - 44:55)
Actually, I don't have to even change my words. But one, once I put that lipstick on and I'm talking to you and I'm smiling and then you're like, I think she's cussing me out. I am my favorite thing to tell a client is like, okay, I understand how that can work in your mind as a consumer, but that's not how it works here.
So this is what we can do. A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Yes or no.
Okay. That'll be done next Tuesday, but I need it tomorrow. Yeah, but it'll be done Tuesday though.
So that comes along with motherhood and having these kids. He's just like, you know, it's like when you talk to the kids, you got three. Katie's got three babies.
You talk to them. But if you talk to them really quietly and you look at them like this, a little bit crazy, they're like, okay. And then they start to back up and walk away.
It's like, yeah. Okay. Just like, okay, I'm going to kill you now.
Watch out.
[Katie Gates] (44:56 - 45:55)
But yeah, um, back to your point about like being professionals in the industry and like our reputation as a, as a whole, it's wild. You know, there's, there's a lot of people out there like full transparency. There's so many people out there that think we're like booger eaters and it's, it's wild.
Like not literally, but yeah, it's like most of the people that I work with have two or four year degrees. They have an immense amount of knowledge. Think about all the continuing education that we have to take as a service personnel.
Right. Even in management or shop ownership, you are constantly learning. The industry is constantly changing.
So we've got to keep up or get left behind. So knowing what we have to do to stay a part of this industry, it, it has to make me laugh just because it's like, you have no idea. We, we are an industry full of brilliant people.
[Tonnika Haynes] (45:56 - 45:56)
Yes.
[Katie Gates] (45:57 - 46:26)
And instead of having one singular trade, so like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, we have to know them all. And especially electricity now with EVs and how advanced our driver systems are and stuff. There's so much that we have to know and we're still, I mean, culture's not that bad anymore, but we're still looked down on as like redheaded stepchildren.
[Tonnika Haynes] (46:27 - 46:28)
Until that car breaks down.
[Katie Gates] (46:29 - 46:31)
Yes. Yes. And then we're heroes.
[Tonnika Haynes] (46:31 - 46:36)
And there were the heroes. You're a hero, but I really don't feel like paying you anything, but I appreciate you.
[Katie Gates] (46:36 - 46:53)
Was it really worth that much money? Can I get a discount or coupon? Yeah.
Cause well, you may not have to pay for diagnostics. I paid $25,000 for my associate's degree. I think my $125 diagnostic is pretty fair.
[Tonnika Haynes] (46:55 - 47:48)
Well, you know, Google said, no, here's the one. I don't even know if we were recording when I said this. My uncle's next door neighbor who used to be a mechanic.
How does he see 78? He said, all it needs is this. Well, tell him to do it.
Well, you don't have a lift. Well, I got six of them. How's it going to work out for you?
Like, what do you want me to do with that? What do you want me to do with that? We were talking about young technicians before the world, the internet start tripping on us.
And we were talking about how you feel you had made a statement and how you feel that technicians that go to school, they've landed a job and they get thrown to the wolves. They're put in a bay and they need to be wrenching at 125%. And they got to go, go, go, go, go.
And that's where technician, new technician burnout can start.
[Katie Gates] (47:49 - 51:01)
Oh yeah. 100%. And we see it all too often.
And then once they burn out and not for nothing guys, but like, we have to invest in toolboxes and the tools that go on the boxes, right? And we're only starting off like with lube texts, what like 21 to $25 an hour. Um, when they get burnt out, they can see they can make like $30 an hour working somewhere else or working in fast food.
And they don't have to invest in tools or, or like pay for training or anything like that. So then management's like, I don't know where the technicians went. I don't know where the advisors went.
Well, you pushed them away because you weren't a safe place. Like when kids are coming out of tech school or they're just starting out in the industry for the first time, like someone like me being first generation technician, we don't have like dad or grandpa to ask questions too. We need a support system at work.
We need someone like a foreman or a battle buddy that can take us under their wing and show us how to do a multipoint inspection properly. How to check safety related items and, and do the walk around, how to change oil, how to make recommendations, um, what, you know, like our red, yellow, green looks like when it's time to replace when it's not. So they're not accidentally trying to oversell on a multipoint inspection.
You know, we don't take the time to do that. And then these guys are going a hundred miles a minute in the fastest turnover bay in the shop. And then we yell at them if they miss something or if something goofy happens, like an honest mistake.
And it's like, well, who was there to mentor them? So they knew what good looked like. Right.
Um, so we see the highest turnover on the loop rack because we're not pouring into those entry-level technicians. We're sizing them up. We're putting them through the ropes and the fire.
And a lot of times they have to figure it out on their own. Unless they have a good buddy in the shop that sees this and identifies the need for help and jumps in. So I feel like that's where a big disconnect is.
And a lot of reason why we can't keep people progressing, uh, to become, you know, a techs one day, they just, it's an easier path to not stick with it. Plus being in conditions like that, it really affects your mental and your physical health too. Who's got you, you know, does your service manager come out and say, Hey, I see you're having a really rough day.
Are there any blanks that I can fill in for you? Um, how are you feeling? What can I do to make this make sense better?
You know, like you gotta be intentional with new people like that because we're pouring into them, we're helping them water their flowers. And if we do that, they're going to water our flowers, right?
[Tonnika Haynes] (51:02 - 53:44)
Right. Like you were saying, um, if, if you're the first generation and coming into this, like you, you don't have the support system at home. There's not an uncle that taught you to, you know, move your belt to the side so you don't scratch your car, little stuff like that.
And then with that said, unfortunately there's a lot of technicians or people in general coming into the world in general that do not have the same village that I had growing up when I grew up. And I don't know about you because I grew up decades before you, um, there's a village and there was an old lady and there was an old man that you were scared of, but you respect it. You turned your radio down the street and then there was a grandma at home.
There's aunties and uncles and there's this whole network of people somehow in a lot of people that that was lost and some people never got that. And so there is, there are things about just regular learning and growing up that some technicians just do not know. Um, just calling at somebody because they're late and they're late, consistent, consistently, and they've never been told to be on time.
All you should know to be on time. He should know if someone taught him to be on time, like you could, you could probably hurt somebody mentally, emotionally by fussing at them about things. They just, they just don't know better.
So I find that there's some people that you can't fix or polish, but some of these young people just need to be polished and have a mentor. Like you said. Um, and then another thing that I've heard, my, my, one of my newer texts, he's been two years.
His problem was being stuck in the lube bay, just being ran over and stuck doing all changes and DVS, all changes, DVS, and feeling stuck in that position thinking that you're going to be the cool kid that's working on the fast and furious cars to just been a loop loop tech. You're not getting anything interesting. Your mind's not growing.
It's just, you know, widgets and widgets and widgets. And you're doing this DVI. Everything's monotonous.
You get bored. Anybody would get bored, but then you got a young person getting bored. You're going to lose them.
But then you've got the shop owners that don't want to lose production. Like you said, the lube bay is the, it's quick, right? They don't want to lose production.
They want to make sure they get all they can out of that technician. And they don't allow that technician to get a harder job, not even hard break job, which might be harder for them. Let them do their first break job.
No, he can't do it in 45 minutes yet, but give them the opportunity. And so I think that's why you lose a lot of them as well. I've heard that, that I'm just stuck in the lube bay and I'm not learning anything.
So that's like the easiest way that I can scoop up a technician, a loop tech that says, you know, I've been doing this for two years. They won't let me do anything else.
[Katie Gates] (53:45 - 54:42)
Yeah. I see this happen a lot. And there are a lot of managers that want to move those people up.
But because of our shortage, we, once upon a time, applications used to be like a revolving door. There was plenty of them. There was always enough of them.
It's not like that anymore. We're grasping at straws, trying to hire technicians sometimes, depending on where you are, what type of shop you're in. So these people get stuck unfairly, honestly, and aren't able to grow and get their feet wet with harder jobs because there's no one to fill their spot.
And I get it. I mean, I wouldn't want to stay either if I was stuck in place because again, our industry is moving so fast. We've got to continue training and being on top of things.
So if we're stuck doing oil changes, nobody's watering our flowers anymore.
[Tonnika Haynes] (54:43 - 55:41)
And then with the flower watering, I've got flowers in the front yard. Sometimes I water them. Sometimes they got to wait for the Lord.
So they have to water themselves. So technicians who are listening, who took the time to listen to these two females because you know, they're like, I want to hear what they're talking about. Water your own flowers.
You're allowed. You're allowed to walk into the rain and let the Lord water your flowers, do your own training, invest in yourself as well and show management, your foreman, whatever. I'm ready to rock.
I'm more than this. Now, it is my responsibility as the owner to invest into my technicians. I do that.
And everybody does it. And I hate it for them. Poor things.
I'm so sorry if you're in that atmosphere. But nothing keeps you from learning yourself. What would you say about that?
How do you feel like technicians responsibility about continuing education outside of their jobs?
[Katie Gates] (55:42 - 56:42)
I think that they absolutely have to. I mean, for our own personal growth, I mean, when I was in the shop, I did whatever training I could get. But if you have an employer that's not sending you to training, you can't just be pissed at them because they're not sending you to training.
What training can you do at home or after hours, web courses? I know there's a lot of automotive aftermarket companies that put on training sessions, whether it's webinars or in person after shop hours, you know, like you have to find those things and pursue them because it's going to help you develop your skill set and also establish a portfolio of work that you've done. So say your employer is not willing to move you up.
If you're doing all this training outside of work and building yourself up and growing and doing these amazing things, you have a portfolio now to sit down with your employer and be like, hey, I'm ready. Your move.
[Tonnika Haynes] (56:44 - 56:49)
And if they say no, what you guys say all the time, my toolbox got wheels, will it somewhere else?
[Katie Gates] (56:50 - 56:50)
Yes, ma'am.
[Tonnika Haynes] (56:51 - 57:21)
Definitely will it somewhere else. How can I know we talk about communicating? I don't even know if this part was recorded.
Having these toolbox conversation, these Monday morning meetings, keeping the communication up between the front office and the back office. You've worked everywhere. You've done the front.
You've done the back, you know, every aspect. What can an owner do in your opinion to check on their employees?
[Katie Gates] (57:22 - 59:06)
So this is actually a next month's article for Ratchet and Wrench. Get up, get up and walk the shop. See how your people are doing.
Really? Like, I don't mean, hey, how you doing? How's the kids?
Good. Okay. And keep going.
No. How are you really doing? How's your family?
Do you need anything? Do you need extra support? Do you feel like you're ready for training again?
You know, connect with your employees, even if it's five minutes per person when you're walking the shop, keep your finger on the pulse. So the line of communication is open or have weekly meetings, schedule one-on-ones. That way, if you approach your tech in the moment and they're not in the mindset to be able to really answer you, they know that they have one-on-one time with you at a future date where they can collect themselves and really put their feelings on the table and communicate with you effectively.
Because it's way too often where in a management position, you're buried and you're drowning in your own day-to-day following up with customers, doing paperwork, goal setting, and you don't come up for air. You don't know how your technicians are doing. You don't know what's going on the shop.
What needs to get out today, what needs to be diagnosed, et cetera. Just make yourself present. Even if you are buried in work, take a 10-minute break, walk the shop, you know, smell the flowers, so to speak.
[Tonnika Haynes] (59:07 - 1:00:55)
I have to make myself do that. I do that. I would come into work and I'll make sure I'd stop and say, hey, even if I'm having that day, then I'll hear, hey, Mr. Nick, and I'll say, hey, and I'll have to know I need to go and fix my face and fix my attitude because something's popped off that morning. Go to each toolbox and what'd you do this weekend? What's going on? This, that, and whatever.
And also, Monday morning meetings, you talk about those. Those are hard. You know, your coaches, our management coaches will tell us we need to have that Monday morning team meeting and you first started and everybody's just sitting there looking stupid, right?
What'd you do? Nothing, nothing, nothing. And eventually it becomes habit.
And that's a habit I got to get back in because now we're doing Monday morning training and we're not meeting as a team. So it just reminded me I need to start doing that again. But I tell you a great time I was, um, I was late.
I don't know if it was weather or something. I was running a little bit late and I walked into the shop and everybody was seated waiting for the Monday morning meeting. And I was like, yes, the Kool-Aid is being drink.
But it does, it starts your Monday off. You get to see where everybody's head is. You know, people are allowed to have bad days.
I know if I'm having a bad day, I will let them know. It's like, you know, I'm tapping out. I'm having a bad day.
I'm going to try my best. I'll probably be stuck in my office, but it's nothing that you guys did. It's just something that I am worried about right now as in my position.
So I'm having, I'm trying, right? So, but then sometimes owners forget that technicians also can have bad days. It's nothing that has to do with the car, the shop.
It's something that happened at home, something they're worried about. Say, hey, you're doing okay. And even if they don't want to tell you about it, just acknowledge that, hey, this person might not have a lot of words today and it's nothing personal.
He's still here trying to do his work. And he's got a lot on his mind as he's allowed, you know, people's like, oh, you need to leave your problems at the door.
[Katie Gates] (1:00:55 - 1:02:23)
You can't, we're all humans. You can't expect us to act like robots because we're not, you know? And with meetings, there's so many people that dread having a meeting.
Cause it feels like a meeting, like it's forced, you know, negative. It's gotta be, it's gotta be relaxed. I was, I don't remember if we recorded this or if it was lost, but I was telling you my boss at Hunter, he's amazing.
And every morning he may, or every Monday morning, he makes time to do a team morning meeting and we all sit at the table and share what we did over the weekend. And then he always asks us, do we have gratitudes for each other? Or do we want to do a shout out to one of our teammates that may have helped us or stayed late with us the night before to get a job done or whatever.
And it doesn't feel forced. It sets the expectation and the vibe for the week. And it keeps the line of communication open.
And we always like, even if we're half asleep at this meeting, right? At least one of us will start laughing at something or we'll be smiling or joking around. It just, it brings us all together.
And on Mondays where he's not even there, our boss, the whole vibe's off because we didn't have our meeting. So it's become so routine.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:02:23 - 1:02:24)
You guys should do it without him. Do it anyway.
[Katie Gates] (1:02:25 - 1:02:27)
Yeah, that'd be so rad.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:02:27 - 1:04:30)
Yeah, do it anyway, because you've already got the culture going. And I think just keep it up. And he'd be so proud of you guys, like for real, do it anyway.
I would, I mean, because I think, so it's Monday mornings that we do training in the morning with the techs. It's an hour. And then, so when I started that, I kind of forgot about the front because we did the morning meetings together.
So I have to start doing that again. He just reminded me. And I really do like the, what's your gratitude?
You want to give a shout out to one of your teammates that helped you last week. Even if it's silly, just something to break the ice and get everything going. And that's very important.
Leadership is the hardest part for me. I was able to learn the numbers and the KPIs and I was able to learn all of that stuff. It was easy for me, but the leadership and just like finding my own voice as a leader, learning to lead and what does that really mean?
That has been for the last year, that's where I've been like, okay, I need to be a better leader. I need to be a better leader. And I'm still working on it every day.
And I find that what I've found that when I've learned to lead the team and talk to everybody individually and communicate better and let them know, hey, sometimes I don't know what I'm doing either. I don't look at me like this. I know I'm the responsible person here for everybody's paycheck, this, that, whatever.
But without you, there's no me. We are a team. You'll hear people say, oh, there's no team at work.
You just go to work and go home. That's not true. We can say it a million times.
We're with these people all day long. Why be miserable? Why would we want to do that?
So that Monday morning meeting can really set the tone, like you said, open up communication. If there's something in the shop that's going on, negative drama and whatever, just getting it out before it becomes a whole thing. That's a perfect way to start open communication.
I love it.
[Katie Gates] (1:04:31 - 1:05:05)
For sure. And honestly, back to your point where you're like, I'm learning to be a leader. I'm going to training and so on.
If you're worried about how you're doing, you're doing a good job because there's so many that don't second guess it, right? But you're being intentional about your time and your team and trying to make steps forward to your own personal development, but also the growth of the team and you're taking your team to training. So trust me, you're doing just fine.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:05:06 - 1:06:33)
Well, I appreciate that. I appreciate that. And what I do when I'm open like that and I say, hey, I don't know.
I can do that with my kids. I mean, they can say, oh, mom, this went down and this happened. This happened.
I was like, well, you know, this is the first time I've been your mama and nobody gave me a brochure and I don't know what the hell I'm doing. So I'm going to tell you that I don't know, but I'll find out with my team. Hey, Miss Tanika, this, that, whatever.
I don't know, but I'll find out. Same thing with the tech. When they don't know something and they know that I don't know, they feel more comfortable saying, you know what, boss, I ain't got this one instead of trying to do it and not feel stupid.
Yeah. And make a mistake and just instead of saying, you know what, I don't think I can do this job without destroying his car or whatever. Keeping that communication open.
That's another thing. Like, how do you make sure I'm talking to myself right now? Like, I want to make sure that I'm available.
And I think that I am. Like you said, I constantly say, am I doing my best? Am I doing my best?
As a technician, I also want you to say, am I doing my best? Am I giving my best? Because I don't want you to always look at your boss man or your boss lady and say, oh, man, all they all they do is fuss.
All they're on my ass, this, that, whatever. Maybe you're the problem. So what I look at my business, I said this before that, okay, am I the problem?
Am I doing this right? Am I doing my best at this? I would like to do the same thing with the technicians.
I think the front and the back can live better together if we understood each other and we were able to have a better communication.
[Katie Gates] (1:06:34 - 1:08:08)
Absolutely. Absolutely. Because in the shop, perception is everything, right?
So when I was starting off as a technician, there's some like jaded techs here and there that are like, oh, I hate service advisors. They're so annoying. They didn't talk to the customer.
They didn't do this. But then if I dare you, if you feel that way, sit behind the advisor for a day and listen and watch because it is wild. There are some times where you get to come up for air and there's, I mean, the rest of the day you're jumping, you're answering phones, you're following up with people, you're calling parts stores, you're getting authorization from warranty companies.
From looking through the bay doors at the service advisors from being in the shop, I know it looks like it's less intimidating in a more like cozy area, just as hard of a position. And likewise, there's some advisors that look at technicians and they're like, oh, they don't know what we go through. Open the door or take the door off between the front of the house and the back of the house.
Talk to each other so you can understand each other better. And the big thing is dance together, not literally, but with your advisor, you've got to know how to play ball and you've got to know how to play ball with your technician too. That's how you're going to communicate and be the most productive.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:08:09 - 1:08:37)
Together, together, everyone achieves more. That's team. Because honey, I had to work the front desk for a little bit while the service advisor were taking vacation.
So one took a week and then the other took a week. I don't remember that. Thank God for Jesus.
I ain't got to do that. People are crazy. So yeah, I repeat when people say something just absolutely wild to me, I'll repeat what they said to make sure they heard themselves.
[Katie Gates] (1:08:38 - 1:08:39)
I do the same thing.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:08:39 - 1:10:07)
I was like, okay, maybe you just didn't hear what you just said, because that was stupid. Of course, I'm not going to say it like that. I'm a small and I'm going to repeat and say, so what you're telling me is your check engine light's been on for six months and you're going out of town tomorrow.
And it's Thursday at four o'clock. Yeah. And that's my problem.
How so? Yeah. No.
And this is real stuff that these service advisors deal with every day. Oh, my goodness. And I know I will make a joke like, hey, anybody want to take my job?
I'll come back here and fix the cars. You can go talk to these daggone people. If you want to go talk to the people and pay the bills and write the estimates and deal with the parts and whatever.
And then technicians are just back there busting. They're on the hot ass cars, busting knuckles, this, that, whatever. Feet hurt, back hurt.
It's all crazy. But if we respect each other's roles, then I think it will be so much better. I want to think that my shop, my service advisors, they get off their asses and they go to the back and they talk to the technicians, make sure, you know, instead of sending it back saying, oh, you didn't write up the DBI properly.
This is not English class. You know what he meant. If you didn't own it, just get your ass up and go see what he meant.
Like, don't be that person. Maybe that worked in the last shop, but we're not going to do that here. Let's have conversations with each other front versus back.
And then we can figure out the language we're talking and how to get this sale so we can make this money and go home.
[Katie Gates] (1:10:07 - 1:11:31)
Oh, yeah, for sure. And I know even there's been some shops that I've been at where they don't want the advisors to go in back and talk to the technicians. There was one time where they're like, we need you to stay at the counter.
We can't have you going back there talking to the technicians. OK, so when am I going to know if this job is done? How am I going to take pictures?
How am I going to do show and tell with the customer? How am I going to figure out an accurate expectation of time? Like, open the floodgates, take the door off if you have to.
You have to keep that line of communication open. And for productivity purposes, there's a lot of groups that believe that you should do everything on the computer, like say it's a team's chat and you're talking to your technician from your desk. No, no.
Just like I would expect the service manager to get out and walk the shop and get a finger on the pulse. Let your advisors go back and communicate with them. Let your technicians come up front.
Like, you've got to keep that communication open. And some things like if it's through text, you can't interpret tone, right? Or you have follow up questions, but the technician's wrenching.
So they can't stop what they're doing to look at the team's chat and respond to you. But they can talk to you while they're working on something verbally.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:11:33 - 1:12:37)
Don't take them off the job for your paperwork. Like say, OK, I didn't quite understand what you needed with this. Do you want me to do this?
Do you want me to do that? While he's sitting there and just spit it out. Yes.
And then you go about your business. You can do a better job of communicating that to the customer. And then when you are not just looking at a screen saying, OK, he's still got 18 hours on his clock.
I think I can tell this customer to be done tomorrow. Go make sure the technician can get that done at the time that you're promising. Yeah.
Why would you say that? Oh, she should be able to get it done. Should I?
Should I? Because I can't. If you're checking that pulse every morning, you'll know, OK, he's got a headache.
He's working with a headache today. His production is going to be 80 instead of his normal 125. He's dealing with this right now.
I mean, it sounds so crazy when you say you're like, oh, I just need production, production, production. OK, burn them out if you want to. But when they're ready to give you 100 percent, they're going to give you 120.
Just pay attention. Yep. Just pay attention.
[Katie Gates] (1:12:37 - 1:13:40)
It's like being in a relationship, we can't expect like being a partner in a relationship to be 50-50 all of the time. Sometimes one person comes home and they've got 20 percent left in their battery, where the other partner has 80 percent. We have to remember even being in a leadership leadership position or being a business owner that we're working with other humans.
If we come to work with a headache or we're tired or someone passed away in our family or our car broke down, that happens to them, too. But we don't I don't think we acknowledge that enough. Now I want to say, you know, it's 2026.
Culture in the shops changed a whole lot. So things are getting better. It's not the way that it used to be.
But with the technician shortage and wondering where everybody went in the industry, it's like the big thing is because we're not treating each other the way we should be treated. You know?
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:13:41 - 1:14:15)
Yeah. We didn't recognize that it was 120 degrees outside and this car was 400 degrees and it was a black with black interior. And you just bought it in and you promised them a quick oil change real quick.
And that shit is hot. Hot. Yep.
Instead of just telling a customer, you know what? Hey, Miss Mary Sue, it's a very hot day. So what we're going to do is we're going to ask that you drop your vehicle off for your oil change today.
And we're going to allow the technician to take this time because it's very hot. It's exhausting. Your car is hot.
The oil is hot. And so we're going to respect our staff enough to give them a little break during these hot times.
[Katie Gates] (1:14:16 - 1:14:55)
I'm honestly I'm a little shocked that you said that because that's a real thing. We get burned a lot in the shop in situations like that or a hot exhaust while we're doing an MPI. And, you know, that's one of those things that kind of gets swept under the rug.
You don't really you don't really understand how it affects us physically in some of those situations. You want us to go 120 percent balls to the wall, get this customer in and out. But it's like, look at my environment.
You're you're asking something that's very, very difficult or dangerous right now. But I'm still going to do it for you so I don't get fired.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:14:56 - 1:16:16)
But then if you have an instance, if you treat somebody the way they should be treated, like we have AC in our shop. Thank goodness. And the reason I did that because I was in a shop one day a couple of years ago and I was like, shit, I would quit this bitch.
I'm just sitting there like, God almighty, you know, we got to get our asses up and go out into the office and shop and see what's going on. It's like, oh, it's hot. OK, let me get these words from AC.
Even with AC in the shop, it still gets hot. You know, when it's an aluminum building, a metal building and it's hot as hell. Even 80 degrees, you know, it's still hot when that car comes in and the car's been sitting outside and the heat's radiating off of it.
Like you said, they just drove it. They've been to Walmart. They've been here.
They ran all the errands. Now they want an oil change. Exhaust is hot as crap.
Service advisors, oh, we'll have it done in 30 minutes to hell if you will. No, we won't. And the funny thing is like, you know, Stuart started working with me.
He was like, no, Stuart, I don't play that game. That car is hot. I will tell clients, no, it's a heat wave coming through.
You're going to have to leave your vehicle. We're not doing any waiting appointments. And this is why.
And if you get mad at that, do you know where you can go? Any damn where else but here. If you can't respect my staff.
So that's what I really want to push. You're going to respect my staff. No, no.
I just need a coolant flush.
[Katie Gates] (1:16:19 - 1:16:26)
I don't see you doing a coolant flush in your driveway right now. It's too damn hot, right? Well, I'm going to sit in the air-conditioned waiting room.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:16:27 - 1:16:54)
Oh, exactly. Again, no respect for the industry and what we have to go through and what our technicians have to go through. So I always shop.
I mean, I think there's shop owners that probably think about these things and just don't know how to, you know, stand on the soapbox and protect their staff. But if you protect your staff and you protect your people and you protect all your soldiers, I think that the right customer is going to respect that from you.
[Benjie Burris] (1:16:54 - 1:16:55)
They're going to be like, okay.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:16:56 - 1:17:54)
And you can charge appropriately. Like, oh, well, why can't you give me free diagnostics? Because you see that person.
I got all my employees on the wall. It says the team. That is such and such.
This is Haley. They want health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, and a safe place to work. Just like you do in order to provide that for them.
I have to charge you this much. Now, if anybody in the comments want to say something, say it. I don't read shit.
No way. But respect the people that are the blue collar people that keep this world going. Pay them their worth.
Yep. If you look at going to a restaurant and sitting down to eat and paying $3 for a Coke. Think about how much markup that is.
But you're mad because we want to mark up the prices of parts. You're mad because labor is being charged. But you don't get mad at those big corporations.
[Katie Gates] (1:17:55 - 1:19:07)
We want the Coke. We want the $16 salad, even though we could get a bag at the grocery store for under $5, right? Exactly.
We want those things. We don't... Well, this is not...
I'm not talking about my car people here, okay? But most of the general public, they don't want to work on their car. They don't want to pay for an oil change.
They don't want to hear that they have to pay $800 or more for four new tires and alignment, right? Those are hard conversations because we don't have consumer value in those things. Those are necessities.
So it changes the conversation and our perception of how we value technicians and auto repair. Because it's usually negative. People are having a bad day when something breaks.
Or, oh, I just spent $50 on an oil change. Man, I could have done that with something else. I don't know, gone to the movies or purchased something that I liked, right?
So it's hard to change people's mentalities from a negative to a positive and build value in what we do because there's not a lot of consumer value with that, if that makes sense.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:19:07 - 1:19:42)
Who do you think is responsible for that? I think it's me and my service advisors. I will have a conversation, and I've gotten a lot better at this.
So the one thing that takes you back and forth to work, the second most expensive thing in most cases, other than a boat or an RV that you buy, other than your house, you want to spend the least amount of money maintaining it. Which, not for nothing. You have to spend $60,000 on this vehicle, yet you won't maintain it.
But you'll get that hair done. Yes, you will.
[Katie Gates] (1:19:43 - 1:19:43)
Yep.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:19:43 - 1:19:46)
Yeah. You'll wash it, but you don't want to change the air filter.
[Katie Gates] (1:19:47 - 1:19:56)
You said that it's your main source of transportation, right? But what if you have car seats in the back, too? You know, that changes the game, too.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:19:56 - 1:20:41)
It changes the game, and you want to keep its way out of something that is really a rolling... A car can, God forbid it happens to anybody. It's going to happen.
A car can kill you or somebody else. So bad brakes. Something going on with your suspension.
Cheap tires or no tires. Downpour, hydroplane. Yep.
Push the brake pedal. It doesn't stop. That fluid that's been leaking, the fluid should be in the car.
Oh, it's been leaking for a while, and you just let that go. Yeah, you're driving around with your family in it, and then you're mad at me when it breaks down, and then you're mad at me for the cost of it.
[Katie Gates] (1:20:44 - 1:21:44)
I know. It's crazy how people perceive what we do and how they see their cars, because honestly, you know, back to basics, it's what gets you from point A to point B. So you can go to work, go to school, you know, drive your baby's places.
It's... when we're telling you you need something, it's because we care about your safety. Especially if I see car seats in the back, or if someone brings in their children with them, or there's an elderly person, whatever.
It doesn't matter who you are. I'm trying to work in your best interest. I don't care if we're flat rate or commission-based or whatever.
If you take all of that out of the equation, I want you to get home safely. And I'm using my skills, my professional opinion, to help guide you to get your car in better shape so I can keep you safe. It's weird.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:21:46 - 1:22:19)
But also, if you come in my shop, and I've hired my staff to do their jobs. I've got them in there. I think they're qualified.
I trust them. I'm giving them money for their time to do the work. And you bring your butt to my shop, and you look through the phone book, yellow pages, Instagram, Facebook, any way that you found me, and you come to me, and then you turn around, decide not to do anything, and go shopping.
[Katie Gates] (1:22:22 - 1:22:23)
That is super frustrating.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:22:24 - 1:22:44)
That is so frustrating. I would rather you find the shop that you know, love, and respect, and pick a shop and stick with it. Now, if that shop burns you, find another shop.
But don't shop hop. That's like going to a different dentist every time you have to go to the dentist.
[Katie Gates] (1:22:44 - 1:22:47)
Yes. Or even like a hair salon. I know it's such a chicken out.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:22:47 - 1:22:47)
Exactly.
[Katie Gates] (1:22:48 - 1:23:08)
Okay. But like, if you care a whole lot about your hair, right? Are you going to go to like, cost cutters and get the $15 special, and walk out looking like the Cynthia doll from Rugrats?
Or are you going to spend a couple hundred dollars on your hair, and you're going to look like a bombshell when you leave?
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:23:08 - 1:23:22)
Now, even if you decide to go to Great Clips and get that $15 haircut, that's all well and good. Been there, done that. When my hair is cut, I go to Great Clips.
But you know what? I go to the same person for the last 20 years.
[Katie Gates] (1:23:22 - 1:24:52)
Yes. Because you've built rapport with them. Trust.
And you know, you're not going to leave looking, you know, raggedy. You know, you're in good hands. And I 100% believe in that.
Because you've got to build a relationship with the shop that you're going to. To your point, if you hop around, you're going to feel anxiety about auto repairs while you continue to do that. Because you don't know who to trust.
You don't know if what they're telling you is genuine. Now, that's not to say it's okay if you feel anxious and you need a second opinion. It's all right.
Everybody does that. It's all right. But you won't have to seek a second opinion if you've already built the rapport and trust with the shop that you consistently go to.
You know? So it really does change the game. And it changes the conversations too.
Because the more they trust you or you trust each other, you start to understand that we are working in your best interest. We want to keep you safe. We know everybody's struggling out there right now, especially in this economy.
So no, we're not trying to sell you premium components. If it's got a higher price tag, it's because I know there's going to be longevity in the component I'm trying to sell you. But I'm going to give you options regardless, right?
Like good, better, best. So I leave it in your hands. But I want to be able to work in your best interest and be trustworthy.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:24:53 - 1:26:44)
And that is perfectly said. And some of that is our fault. Because you know what we don't do?
We don't train. We don't get coaching. And we don't communicate effectively.
So vast importance of training. Staying abreast of everything. Teach your service advisors how to answer that person.
When you have a person just come into the community and say, hey, I'm new here. I was told on Nextdoor that this is the shop to come to. Absolutely, this is the shop to come to.
What kind of client are you? What kind of driving do you do? Start to build a relationship exactly at that point.
Do not make things transactional. Because if you don't make things transactional and you get an open book with this client, you'll get them to tell you the truth. Because I don't know why people lie about their car and what they do.
And then you can take that information and give it to your technicians. And the technicians are easy to communicate. Everybody's on the same page.
You got a happy customer. But if you don't have a service advisor that says to the customer, this is the reason why you should come here. And then follow through on the reasons why.
Do what you say you're going to do. And if the technician looks at the car, you do a DVI. And then you don't, as a service advisor, you don't present it.
And that customer's still shopping because they've only been here six months. And maybe they're going to try two shops. And then the next shop says, who did your last oil change?
Did they not tell you this? And your technician put it on the DVI that this customer is going to need breaks really soon. Service advisor is too scared to sell it.
Now you've lost a customer after all the marketing that you just did. So again, that's where training comes in. And us having good communication and good conversations with our clients, front office, back office.
Oh my God, we can go on about this forever. How it all ties in.
[Katie Gates] (1:26:45 - 1:28:16)
Yes, ma'am. It's a rabbit hole for sure. It all ties in.
It does though. In service advisor training, I feel like we lack the most in, at least historically from my own experiences. But when you realize that like, I want to say about like 85% of it is psychology.
It really makes you step back and think about the role itself. You're not just like a cashier. You are a therapist.
You are listening to people. And most of the time they're having a bad day or they're really struggling because unless it's like a regular routine oil change, most of the time our customers are having a bad day. And you got to know how to pivot from that.
Sometimes they need a platform for, with someone to talk to and vent in the moment. You know, you got to be understanding. You have to show empathy.
You have to be able to... It has to be real. Yes.
You have to be able to read the room too. And like adjust your tone. Like maybe you're too direct.
And this person, it's their first time at a shop. They're nervous. They're not sure what to expect.
They heard that going to a mechanic shop, it's really like burly and angry. It's going to be bad. You got to learn how to adapt depending on who your customer is, but be genuine and transparent.
Honesty is key.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:28:18 - 1:32:00)
Honesty is key. And that is such a big thing for you to say. Because when I tell someone, I'll say, listen, I don't care if you get it done here or not, but just get it done.
Yeah. I go back and feel someone is like, well, I don't know. I'm just seems a little high.
Listen, I understand. And I want you to think about it. But if you don't get it done here, just don't forget about it.
Get it done. Because this is a real safety issue. And I was like, oh, you're for real.
Like, yeah. If you don't want to spend the money here, that's fine. But I'm not just trying to make this sale.
I'm trying to make sure that you don't end up on a tow truck side of the road. Worst situation, spending more money because now you need calipers and you didn't listen to me about the brakes. You know, I got really good at that.
Talking people down. And that is a good, good point. Because I grew up in the body shop, the collision industry, an accident happens just like that.
Just like that. You know, sometimes people get hurt. It is, it sets your nerves off.
No matter who you are, someone hits you, you're going to be pissed. You're not going to be like, oh my God, they just hit me. You're going to be like, shit.
You got to wait for the cops. You got to get the car done. This, that, whatever.
It wasn't your fault. Throws your whole mood off. And all the time I spent in the collision industry, I learned how to talk people down and walk them through the process.
And so that does have to do. I've never really been coached to do that. It's just so long of doing it.
And then I find it hard to teach people how to do that. How to say, okay, you know what? You had an accident, not on purpose.
So I don't want you to be mad at the other driver. Like, oh, I'm just, they hit me. They didn't hit you on purpose.
Unless you was messing with their baby daddy. And that's different. They didn't hit you on purpose.
Let's give them some grace. Let's give them some forgiveness. Let's move forward.
This is what we need to do. This is the next step. This is the next step.
Service advisor. I'm going to advise you on the things that I know you should do. Things that you don't understand.
I'm going to help you make those decisions and help you navigate this whole process. And so that's the service advisor's job. And that is a lot of psychology and a lot of communication.
It's more than just building an estimate and presenting it. Say, here, this is in the red. What does that mean?
What does it mean? I promise you, I was at a convention and I left my car at the dealership for some warranty work and they did a DVI. And the DVI said, and when I go to the shop, I don't tell people, oh, I have a shop, blah, blah, blah.
I know what you're talking about. I just go in as a client. The guy said, your brakes are at four millimeter.
And so when I went to pick up the car, because that got on my nerves. It really rattled me. And he told me, I have all-wheel drive car.
He said, you need a tire. I was told I needed one tire. I know I needed all of them.
Yeah, I was told I needed one tire. I had blew one tire out going to a friend's house. So I know I needed a set of tires.
I went in there and I told the service advisor, I said, you know what? You never tell someone their brakes are four millimeters. That just means I got three more to go.
What does that mean? And I said, you just assumed I knew what that meant. I know what it meant.
But to somebody that, man or woman, that doesn't know what that means, I'll just drive it till it gets to one. Is that what you meant? Drive it till it gets to zero, then come see you?
Like, what happens? Yeah, there was no transportation. And I said, you told someone that you didn't know, knew anything about a car that they needed a tire.
I said, why would you tell me I need a tire on this car? And I said, I need all four. And I said, I know that.
But if you're telling people that, what? Are you really doing your job? It's like, he said, I've never been trained.
Mercedes dealership. Mercedes dealership. Even my son, I think Joel was like 19 at the time.
He laughed about it. He was like, mom, are you serious right now? This is the worst DVI video I've ever seen in my life.
[Katie Gates] (1:32:01 - 1:32:51)
You know what? To be fair, I remember when I was a service advisor for a manufacturer, I only went to service advisor training once. It was one time, it was at some hotel with like a fancy coffee bar or whatever.
And we watched a PowerPoint and we got a booklet, but it was lacking. Like, it is not the same as like, when you go for technical training, not at all. We did, I think we did like a disc assessment and discussed the results of a disc assessment.
And that was like the extent of it. But advisors, I think we don't get enough training because people think that communication is easy. Like, what do you mean?
You can't answer the phone and talk to customers? What the heck is wrong with you?
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:32:51 - 1:33:19)
Who on the other end of that call? You have to brace yourself for who is on the, people are crazy. Who's on the other end of that phone and now I got to adjust to them.
That's why the disc assessment, now I need to learn how to talk to that person. Like me as a client, I'm a hundred percent closer. Just get it done.
Cause I ain't got time to do shit. Just do it. That's who I am.
But then you've got the person that's on a budget and you got the mom that has no idea what you're talking about. Or even the dad that has no idea what you're talking about. And he thinks all is a scam.
You've got this person. You've got to do it yourselfer. Yeah.
[Katie Gates] (1:33:19 - 1:33:20)
Yeah.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:33:20 - 1:33:36)
The same way you said that new technicians get thrown into the position and are expected to just get in there and run with it and give you 110%, 130%. Are we doing it to our service advisors too?
[Katie Gates] (1:33:37 - 1:34:51)
Oh girl, yes. 1000%, yes. There's just as much turnover with service advisors too as there is technicians.
I mean, if you look on LinkedIn or Indeed right now, there is a ton of service advisor positions available everywhere. And it's the same thing. In the shop, we get mental and physical burnout.
So do the advisors. It's just, it looks different. That's what, I think that's why service advisors get overlooked with their issues with that or their lack of training or their frustration and their burnout.
Because we don't really recognize it as much as we should. But that's such a high volume, fast paced environment. And it is critical.
Because if you're commissions based, just like techs are, you got to go. You got to follow up with customers, even if you don't have an update. You got to get cars checked in.
You've got to get ROs populated. You've got to get things authorized. You got to get parts ordered.
Like, it's a lot. And if you're not set up for success or trained with a solid foundation, it's going to hurt until you get into a rhythm.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:34:52 - 1:34:54)
And it's actually hurting the shops too and they don't know it.
[Katie Gates] (1:34:54 - 1:34:55)
Oh yeah.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:34:55 - 1:35:28)
I've got one service advisor that is training with Elite right now. And the other service advisor is training with 180 Biz and Rick White. And the reason why, well, why'd you go to two different coaching companies?
Because they have two different personalities. They have two different learning methods. And if I can get, and it's not all about just increasing the ARO.
It's not all about increasing the bottom line. That's going to come. If you increase their confidence, their selling techniques, increase their knowledge, by default, you're going to get your money back.
[Katie Gates] (1:35:28 - 1:35:29)
Oh yeah.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:35:29 - 1:36:34)
I don't think shop owners look at it that way. It's difficult, especially when you're just starting or you're in that age that you're just breaking even and you just don't have the money for it. You just have to do it.
You have to do it. You have to find a way. If you cannot do the whole staff, if you've got two service advisors, you pick one and the other one teaches that one.
Or you take the class and you come back and start implementing things and show them the why behind it. And then they'll see, oh, boss man is out here. Boss lady is out here learning.
They bought it back home to me. This has made my job easier. Maybe I invest in myself.
My first service advisor, she wasn't even a service advisor. A girl that I hired, now one of my goodest best friends. She didn't know anything.
She came out of nursing. But you know what? When she saw me hustling, she started to hustle herself.
She started to look on YouTube videos and started to learn stuff on her own. It's like, oh, we should do this. We should do that.
And it becomes a we. When you introduce training, it becomes a we. It becomes teamwork all day.
It definitely becomes a we. You turn French, we, we all day. All day long.
[Katie Gates] (1:36:34 - 1:36:35)
I completely agree.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:36:36 - 1:36:56)
So what are you going to do next with yourself? What else you got going on? You got a column going on.
You got Wrenching Women's Wednesday. I'm going to say that three times fast. You got three babies.
You got your ASC certification. Out here, talking about the women and raising us all up. What else is next for young Katie?
[Katie Gates] (1:36:58 - 1:36:58)
Honestly.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:36:58 - 1:36:59)
Her book. Okay. Yes.
[Katie Gates] (1:37:01 - 1:38:31)
I have ADHD. So like the, the certifications that I have, they, I hate to say it, but they don't hold as much weight as I think they should. Like in my mind, they're like checkboxes.
And I'm like, okay, what's next? What's next? So I'm at this point in my life where I'm going through a period of growth, but also trying to maintain stability at the same time.
And I'm really focusing on my own training and trying to dive into different things. Like since I've been at Hunter, I've taken an interest again in mechanical and electrical engineering. So I'm fixing to go back to school again in the fall for mechanical engineering.
So there's that. I've also got my head down. I was just a subject matter expert for ASC for one of their ADAS test writing sessions.
So that was super awesome to be part of. I learned so much and got to network with other professionals. And it was just, it was surreal for me because if I told 23 year old Katie that that happened, she'd be like, get the hell out of here.
But I've been doing that too. There's another one coming up in October. And then I'm honing in on my own ASCs as well.
I'm trying to get them all like Thanos from the Avengers. I'm trying to get them all. Yes.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:38:32 - 1:39:44)
All right. Well, this is what Auntie's going to tell you. I want you to make sure you never forget to check your own pulse and check your own check engine light and make sure you're okay.
And I want you to continue to grow and learn because your kids are watching you. Do they even know? Like they're too young to understand.
They're too young to understand how much of a badass their mom is. Oh my God. Like I can't even imagine when they're of the age and they realize how my mom's really rocking.
Like I am not doing half the stuff that you're doing, but my kids, when they're like, oh my, you know that person? I'm like, yeah, I actually do. It's kind of weird.
So I want you to make sure you don't ignore any of your warning lights and your check engine lights, but still at the same time, continue to uplift the industry and the young ladies. And if you have caught the attention of someone that needs a mentor, if you had time, how would you want that person to get in touch with you?
[Katie Gates] (1:39:45 - 1:41:08)
I make myself available and I'm very visible on social media platforms. I feel like that's the easiest way to find me. Katie French, look for me, Google me.
My door is always open. I have become mama bear. I know I'm in my thirties, but I've become mama bear for anybody, male or female, that just needs somebody to talk to, needs support, needs resources, needs ideas for where to apply for scholarships, or maybe want to ask questions about a role they're thinking about in the industry.
Like, I got you. Message me. I don't care about strangers.
We're all strangers at one point, right? But I'm here to make sure the next generation doesn't have to feel like they're in the trenches, like how it felt like when we first started or some of our older people in the industry. It's changed a whole bunch, but it still needs to continue to change in the right direction.
And for now, until we get to brighter places, I guess you could say, I'm here to support anybody that has a good attitude, good effort, and just want somebody to mentor or support them.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:41:10 - 1:41:13)
Well said. All right, girl. Now you keep wearing that lipstick.
[Katie Gates] (1:41:14 - 1:41:18)
Yes, I'll keep wearing it if you keep making lipstick reports.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:41:18 - 1:42:12)
Okay, I'm going to get back to the lipstick reports. I promise you, I've got to get back to the lipsticks reports. I've just been going through a season of what in the hell?
Like you go through, you're going through your season of growth. Mine is just like, why? You know, your kids get older, you'll see it'll happen.
Your why changes. And my shop pretty much can run itself. And so I'm not needed as much there at the shop anymore.
I go every day that I want to. But so now that my why is changing, I got the podcast and, you know, being invited to actually talk to people is really, really crazy weird, but I enjoy it. And so I just have to learn how to organize all of that and make sure I don't burn myself out because I know I still have to take care of myself because I'm not 30, sweetie.
I'm, I'm, I'm knocking on 50. And not that I'm slowing down. Yeah, I'll be 50 in January.
Party over here. You lying.
[Katie Gates] (1:42:13 - 1:42:13)
Right, don't crack.
[Tonnika Haynes] (1:42:13 - 1:43:08)
I told y'all. It do be cracking. It's cracking right now.
So yeah, I will continue to be auntie. You be mama bear. And we will take care of this industry one person at a time for those who want our loving.
And if you don't, stay the hell out of my comic section. Shake and bake. And I'm gonna end it with that.
Downshift with Tanika is where we slow down long enough to have real conversations hosted by myself, second generation shop owner, Tanika Haynes. This goes beyond your car count, your KPIs. We want to talk about leadership, legacy, mindset, and the messy, beautiful journey of building something that lasts.
You will hear stories from shop owners technicians and other industry leaders who are figuring it all out by themselves in real time. This is a space for growth, tough love, laughter, and leveling up.