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My name is Jeff, and I'd like to welcome you on a journey of reflection and insight into the tolls and triumphs of a career in automotive repair.
After more than 20 years of skinned knuckles and tool debt, I want to share my perspective and hear other people's thoughts about our industry.
So pour yourself a strong coffee or grab a cold Canadian beer and get ready for some great conversation.
Lisa Coyle [00:00:06]:
The job hopping on the resumes. So many shop owners judge that. Yeah, but the reality is the job hopping isn't because the tech wasn't a good tech.
Jeff Compton [00:00:18]:
That's right.
Lisa Coyle [00:00:19]:
Oftentimes it's because they were put in a position that wasn't needed or the shop got slightly slow and they're on a flat rate model and the tech needs to pay their bills.
Jeff Compton [00:00:35]:
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to another exciting episode of the Jaded Mechanic podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by our wonderful family at Promotive. And what does Promotive mean to me? Well, Promotive means to me support, benefits, partnership. I get a lot of people to reach out to me and talk about how Promotive was fundamental in changing the culture within their shop and getting the right fit. I just want to read you a Google review from somebody that submitted to Promotive. This is the kind of company that you're dealing with. When you're dealing with Promotive, this is what the people have to say. So I'll read it.
Jeff Compton [00:01:12]:
We had the most incredible experience working with Promotive. Within just two weeks, they delivered multiple quality resumes and interviews. And thanks to the efforts, we hired exactly who we were looking for. Danny was outstanding. Not only did he find the perfect fit for our shop, but he also took the time to personally stop by and get to know our team and culture. His dedication and work ethic were second to none. Stacy, our account manager, good friend of mine, was equally amazing, checking in regularly and making sure everything stayed on track. Their pricing is extremely fair and the results speak for themselves.
Jeff Compton [00:01:44]:
If you own a shop and need help finding qualified candidates, don't waste your time trying to do it all yourself. Promoto goes above and beyond, highly recommend it. That's pretty cool, eh guys?
Lisa Coyle [00:01:55]:
Yeah, thank you.
Jeff Compton [00:01:56]:
Like, when I say guys, I'm sitting here with my people from Promotive this morning, so. Which is really awesome. Sitting with Lisa Coyle and. Sorry, I blanked.
Sam Freeman [00:02:06]:
Sam Freeman.
Jeff Compton [00:02:07]:
Sam, Samantha Freeman. My bad. Ladies. How are you?
Lisa Coyle [00:02:11]:
Awesome. How about you?
Jeff Compton [00:02:12]:
I'm pretty tired. I'm getting tired. Yeah, yeah. No, it's a long same as a haul, eh?
Sam Freeman [00:02:17]:
Yeah, it's exhausting.
Jeff Compton [00:02:19]:
Yeah. So what do you. How does that make you feel when you hear something like that? Not. Not butcher, by the way. I read it. But when you read it, you know you read it.
Lisa Coyle [00:02:28]:
Amazingly, we get those reviews every week and they hit our slack channel as soon as somebody leaves one of them. And it's probably, as the business owner, the most gratifying feeling you can have. I Personally read every single one of them. And it is amazing because, you guys, it's.
Jeff Compton [00:02:48]:
It's tough, right? Like, we're. We see it more and more. Like somebody from a radio station back home, CBC Radio, reached out to me because they want to have a conversation about why technicians are leaving the industry. And every day, same kind of thing. I get feedback from technicians all over the industry talking about, like, why they're leaving or why they wish they could go. And so the gap is growing really big, really fast in terms of finding enough people to fill the spots. So, you know, you guys, I feel like it's getting tougher by the day. Is it for you guys?
Lisa Coyle [00:03:24]:
I mean, in some ways it's tougher, but a lot of ways, it's become easier because we've learned, okay. And we get to know people. Our database has 45,000 or so in it at this point, so we're able to stay in touch with more people and not constantly have to build new relationships.
Jeff Compton [00:03:41]:
Right?
Lisa Coyle [00:03:41]:
And the shop owners are getting used to dealing with a company like ours. This was completely new to them when we started. In the corporate world, recruiting is very normal. I've used recruiters for my first company and hired my coo, my VP of sales. And shop owners weren't doing stuff like that, and technicians weren't used to that either.
Jeff Compton [00:04:02]:
Shop owners never use recruiting, ever. I mean, I've never, ever. Even of all the moving around I've ever done, I would have never thought to even use recruiting. It would have always been like, hey, who's hiring? And then go over and see, like, if the place looks like I might be a fit in more ways than one. Like, will my toolbox fit? You know, because I have a lot. It's a big toolbox. Or do I feel like, you know, they've got their stuff lined up, their ducks in a row. It's a duck thing, you know, if.
Jeff Compton [00:04:30]:
If that's gonna work. I never thought about a recruitment company that could have already done some of the vetting. For me to know that that might be a better fit for this technician versus that technician.
Lisa Coyle [00:04:40]:
Yeah. No. And Sam talks to not only shops, but the candidates often, too. Do you hear people, like, ask, why should I use a recruiter?
Sam Freeman [00:04:49]:
Or not as much. It's more along the lines. They're surprised that there's support out there now for them. They're not used to it. They're used to. I had one guy tell me back in the day, you just load your tool book or toolbox in your truck and Just drive around to shops and just say, hey, are you hiring? You want to give me a shot? And even on the shop side of things, I think it's getting easier from my perspective now because they're more conditioned to be more open on what they're looking for. And we are more conditioned to have the conversations to drill down on. Why are you looking for that? I mean, I'm not afraid to tell a shop.
Sam Freeman [00:05:27]:
I think you're looking for the wrong thing as well. One of my clients, he's looking for a. A level master.
Jeff Compton [00:05:34]:
Yes.
Sam Freeman [00:05:35]:
Well, yes. But when in speaking with him and trying to just understand what the workflow is at his shop, he doesn't need that.
Jeff Compton [00:05:43]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:05:43]:
He needs a service manager to come in and help with the workflow so that he can still do what he enjoys.
Jeff Compton [00:05:48]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:05:49]:
Because nobody's gonna be him.
Jeff Compton [00:05:50]:
Mm. Well. And that's when we had the last conversation and asked it with more people from promotive. That's what they said. The number one thing I asked them, what does everybody look for? Oh, we all want an A tech. We all want a strong diagnostic tech. And they said the same thing. When you dig into what do you really need, you really don't need necessarily that super expensive, let's be real, super expensive diagnostic tech.
Jeff Compton [00:06:11]:
You need maybe a B tech with some diagnostic skill. And then you change your processes in the shop to accommodate. Because the true diagnostic tech that everybody wants, they're like a damn unicorn or four leaf cover, man. Like there's. There's one and there's one in every state, maybe. And in certain parts of the state, they got a whole whack of them. And then the other states have none. It's just North Carolina's got a lot of really superstars as an example.
Jeff Compton [00:06:37]:
And then other states that are more spread out, they just don't get enough exposure to get that kind of technician that you need. I can. I need somebody that can fix anything that comes in here. You know, diagnose a program at blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They don't exist. They've been had to. Been built.
Sam Freeman [00:06:51]:
They have to be built. And I mean, understanding what this industry is, where we're at with the industry and what you need to do to invest in it. We all have to take a part in this.
Jeff Compton [00:07:00]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:07:01]:
And build it up.
Jeff Compton [00:07:01]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:07:02]:
So, I mean, one of the guys I just placed recently, he's older. He's one of my newer clients placements, and he's 65 years old.
Jeff Compton [00:07:12]:
Wow.
Sam Freeman [00:07:13]:
And my shop that hired him, he's like I might not have him for a long time but do you know what you have in his brain? Like that is knowledge. And every single person in my shop is going to benefit from being around this person. It is like having a coach for my other techs in my own facility.
Jeff Compton [00:07:31]:
Because Lisa, we talk about sometimes and we've talked about in the past mentorship's huge as a lacking in this industry. Right. We've always talked about the so many different things that have led to the gatekeeping and poor mentorship. A 65 year old technician, which is crazy to think because I work with a 59 year old gentleman and I turned 50 the other day. So like to think that we are still in and that he can function physically because it hurts. But like she said, the knowledge that they carry and even if they're not like they know every little thing, it's the little workplace habits and practices and tricks of the trade that they're able to share with everybody. That's like you can't build that. That's old technology or old experience.
Jeff Compton [00:08:17]:
Learned sometimes the best way being shared about everybody else. Right. I talk all the time. The best lessons that I ever got were the ones where I learned it the hard way. The second best was when I watched somebody else do it and I'd have to do it myself.
Sam Freeman [00:08:29]:
And on the other side of that story though, from his perspective, the 65 year old, he couldn't get a job. Like he kept getting turned down left and right because they just want somebody that's gonna produce.
Jeff Compton [00:08:38]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:08:39]:
And with him being older he's a little bit slower. But changing the mindset of what we're doing in this industry and looking at the value that that brings.
Jeff Compton [00:08:46]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:08:47]:
That both of them. It's going to be a very long happy relationship and I'm really excited to follow it.
Jeff Compton [00:08:53]:
I had a very similar incident recently. Within the last six months I was at a shop. He hired me right at the some beginning of summer. No, actually that's not true. It was last October and same thing. He knew I was a little older. He called around some of my former references and they're like he's not the fastest tech we've ever seen but like he can fix anything that comes in the door. Super smart, strong diagnostic tech, all that kind of stuff.
Jeff Compton [00:09:17]:
And I warned him. I'm. I'm not quick, you know what I mean? Like I don't go way over on the times but like if you're looking for somebody to half the time the labor time I'M not your guy, but my stuff will leave probably within time, and it won't come back. Well, he was like, great, that's what I need. And then I realized it was like, no, he didn't really need that because he was more of a diagnostic tech himself. He was on the front counter trying to do everything, and I'm in the back doing the diagnosis in the car. And then the other stuff that was just like the tires and the brakes would pile up because I'm in the middle of a diag, you know, and then he's like, okay, this is not working. I'm like, nah, this is definitely not working.
Jeff Compton [00:09:51]:
Like, you know, I think you're a great guy, but, like, I don't want to work here. And we agreed to part ways before it got really bad. No resentment to either one of us. I think he's a great guy. He thinks I'm a great guy. But we tried. It didn't work. It's like dating versus marriage, you know?
Lisa Coyle [00:10:06]:
Yeah. And that actually brings up a point I have for a lot of shop owners that might be listening is you're a great tech. At least I believe you are, Jeff.
Jeff Compton [00:10:16]:
Thank you.
Lisa Coyle [00:10:17]:
And I let you diag my car. But the job hopping on the resumes. So many shop owners judge that.
Jeff Compton [00:10:26]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:10:27]:
But the reality is the job hopping isn't because the tech wasn't a good tech.
Jeff Compton [00:10:33]:
That's right.
Lisa Coyle [00:10:34]:
Oftentimes it's because they were put in a position that wasn't needed. Maybe in your case or something that Sam's referencing here. Or the shop got slow and they're on a flat rate model and the tech needs to pay their bills. And, you know, there's. There's a lot of people that get hired also because the shop is so behind and they need anybody that can fog a mirror, but they're hiring that person already, knowing that they need to replace that person that they're just putting in. You know, call it a C quality, not C level. They're putting a C quality tech in, and that hurts the tech's resume. Maybe not their paycheck, but it makes them look like a job hopper.
Lisa Coyle [00:11:19]:
And they're probably not.
Jeff Compton [00:11:21]:
I have. Go ahead.
Sam Freeman [00:11:22]:
Sorry. I was going to say I've actually in sitting in the role that I've been in now for almost a year, I have changed with my clients. I'm not filtering out the job hobby ones. I want you to talk to them because I want you. If they met, if they meet all of your criteria on paper, but their job Hoppiness is an issue. Understand their story and also figure it out. You might find some culture relations there or just some mindset that that makes sense. That's who I want to be with me.
Sam Freeman [00:11:52]:
And also, you might realize that on that resume, where they were at a short scent might be a shop that you're like, yeah, I wouldn't stay there long. There's so much that goes into that.
Jeff Compton [00:12:01]:
We know the players in the neighborhood. Right? We really do. But back home, I've talked about it, like, I see I have a handful of young techs that I don't mentor them. But, like, we talk a lot. And they have been around and around, and it seems like every spring they get let go from one shop because the tire season rush dries down and they wind up at a different shop next fall. And maybe they work at one in the middle or something like that. Right? And everybody goes. Instead of hiring them and going, okay, we're hiring them.
Jeff Compton [00:12:26]:
Because I have a rush of a certain type of work and I need a body for that. Somebody fog a mirror. We don't have it in place in our industry enough to go, this is how I take one from a C to an A. We don't have a plan on how do I build a unicorn. And everybody's looking around at each other going, how do we build that? And the technicians are like, well, I know how I build that. And the shop owners are like, I know how I want it built. And very rarely does that ever come together in the same method. So you have this younger generation of people that are like, f this, man.
Jeff Compton [00:12:51]:
I got this amount of tools and this many years on a resume. My resume looks like ass. I leave parts of the, you know, people at work experience off because I don't even want them to call and ask for a reference. So I leave that off. And then they go, you know what? I'm done with this, man. I'm going to go put H Vac in. And it's not. We failed them.
Jeff Compton [00:13:09]:
It's not that they're. Because they go and do another trade and they're superstars.
Lisa Coyle [00:13:13]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:13:14]:
But we sit here and go, oh, they were terrible. They weren't terrible. We didn't have. We didn't know what to do with them.
Sam Freeman [00:13:19]:
Yeah, well, there's a lot of shops out there that are afraid to build them because all my investment has an opportunity of leaving my shop. Okay. And you have the opportunity of receiving somebody else's.
Jeff Compton [00:13:30]:
Yeah, it's like that adage that says training doesn't Cost, it pays. Right. It's the same thing. Jim Morton said that years ago and everybody's like, huh, what's he talking about? Well, I don't want to train. If I train my staff and they leave and Jim would, then the second part of the analogy was always, what if you don't train them and they stay?
Lisa Coyle [00:13:49]:
Yeah, I like that line. Yeah, it's. I mean I'll be the first to admit, you know, I've been a business owner since I was 26, 41 now, not 50, but I'm getting there. And I wouldn't bring my employees to trade shows because I was afraid that they would get poached or see an opportunity that was cooler than mine.
Jeff Compton [00:14:10]:
Right.
Lisa Coyle [00:14:11]:
And it's so short sighted.
Jeff Compton [00:14:12]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:14:13]:
You have to as a leader, expose your people to as much as you possibly can.
Jeff Compton [00:14:18]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:14:18]:
And it is your job as a leader to grow them and sometimes they don't stay with you. And a lot of my employees have gone out to start their own companies and part of me makes the joke that they're like, hey, if this idiot can do it, I can do it too. You know, it's like, but they, that's like so cool because now they employ tons of other people.
Jeff Compton [00:14:44]:
Right.
Lisa Coyle [00:14:45]:
Like, and it's my job to grow them and it's my job to keep them. Right. Like I want every employee to retire with me and I have tons of those success stories of people, 360 payments there, 13, 14 years still. All of my sales reps have been there over 10 years and we have great retention at promotive too. But you have to not just advance their compensation, which is the easiest thing that everyone thinks people want, but you have to expose them to things that they wouldn't get exposed to otherwise. And I think that's really important at shops. And I recently said to another, on another podcast, I, I said if I was a shop owner I'd have all of my employees on my website.
Jeff Compton [00:15:30]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:15:30]:
You know, it's you want and, and of course, why don't they do that? They're afraid that those employees are going to get poached. Right.
Jeff Compton [00:15:37]:
Or oh my God, like they keep roll. It's a revolving damn door. I keep having to do more work on the website. You know, I gotta remove Carl and put up John and Danny. Like I'm not sure about Danny. Like it's that kind of nonsense. Right. I look at the, some of the bigger shops back home and I look at their quote unquote employee, you know, role and I'm Looking, that guy hasn't worked there in two years.
Jeff Compton [00:16:00]:
You know what I mean? I know. He's working next to me, for God's sakes. Like, that was always the running joke, right? It was why they never did it because we turned around so much.
Lisa Coyle [00:16:08]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:16:08]:
You touched on something really cool, and I saw. Always a thought as a leader, if you're doing everything right, your people aren't even thinking about leaving.
Lisa Coyle [00:16:15]:
No. Yeah. They want to stay.
Jeff Compton [00:16:18]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:16:18]:
People don't want to switch jobs. It is a. I think switching jobs is. And starting a new job is a life move. Right. You know, just like marrying, getting married, deciding to have kids, moving your houses. Like, switching jobs is work, and it's emotional, and you don't want to let people down, and you don't want to be the new guy, you know? And as I learned years ago, the fng, that's the effing new guy. I was like when they said someone was on the FNG here, I'm like, what.
Lisa Coyle [00:16:52]:
What does that mean?
Sam Freeman [00:16:54]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:16:54]:
Right. And nobody wants to be that person. Right. And build those new relationships. Makes you stronger. You know, I moved four times between second and third grade. And, you know, it forces you to have to sell yourself on why you should get invited to the birthday parties and sit at the cool lunch table.
Sam Freeman [00:17:11]:
It all makes sense now.
Lisa Coyle [00:17:12]:
It does make sense, right? I can't write in cursive.
Jeff Compton [00:17:17]:
Does that sideline anything you're trying to do every day, though? Did you get right in cursive?
Lisa Coyle [00:17:21]:
No. I mean, my signature changes all the time. The bank's like, is this you? I'm like, I tried.
Sam Freeman [00:17:26]:
There's an app for that.
Lisa Coyle [00:17:27]:
I'm like, I tried. No, we have stamps for my signature that I used to have. My. My. My bookkeeper at 360, she. She's one that's still there, too. And she would just stamp my signature because it was more consistent. But, you know, the.
Lisa Coyle [00:17:42]:
The people that start new jobs, it's. It is emotional because they have to prove themselves constantly to build their, you know, respect and trust and all of that. But, yeah, I think that people should be really careful with choosing who they go work for. And one of the lines, maybe I've said it to you before, that my friend Christina told my sister Laura is never run from a job. Run to a job. Right. And make sure it's one that you want to be at as well. And I think that's something else, by the way, that technicians don't interview the shops enough.
Lisa Coyle [00:18:18]:
And, like, if I'm hiring, if I'm a salesperson getting hired. I want to know how many people are hitting their quotas, right. I'd want to see proof of the hours flag. I want to know how long has a service advisor been at that shop, right? Are they new? What's their background? Like, what are they bringing in in sales? What is their CSR like scores and all that kind of stuff or. Or what are they CSR scores?
Jeff Compton [00:18:45]:
CSI is something. It just depends on the dynamic of where you're working. Right?
Lisa Coyle [00:18:49]:
I'm an idiot.
Jeff Compton [00:18:50]:
Yeah. Stop it. You're not.
Lisa Coyle [00:18:52]:
But yeah, they, they need to be asking those questions. And during tire season, like they're. Things are great. You know, you can tell a lot about someone's character when things aren't going great, not just when they're. Things are easy and going and see.
Jeff Compton [00:19:06]:
I've caught a lot of flack lately because it's like, you'll see the comments and it's like I pay my tax, whatever this amount, some astronomical amount. Oh, I want to see the pay stub, right? And nobody ever puts the pay stub up because some technicians or some people claim they pay the most or some technicians claim they I turn the most iron the most. Me, I come out of the other way and it's like, show me your service writers. If I'm working for you, incentivize, show me how much they're actually selling. Because I can make better math out of that. That I can out of what you claim I'm gonna be. Cuz I do the math real quick and go. And we.
Jeff Compton [00:19:36]:
We. I know within the first week, I watch and they're like, this is not going to go well. Yeah, it's going to end bad for both of us because you're not hustling the way you claimed you hustled or the way I think you want to hustle so that I can earn the kind of pay that I expect to earn.
Lisa Coyle [00:19:51]:
Yeah, Right. So you've asked people this.
Jeff Compton [00:19:53]:
I have. And because like I've been trying to teach technicians and I have them, like they're reaching out to me now every day. I had a guy message me this morning at 3:00am our time.
Lisa Coyle [00:20:02]:
Were you coming back from the bars or are you waking up at that?
Sam Freeman [00:20:06]:
Are you finding a Snickers?
Jeff Compton [00:20:08]:
I was trying to find the Snickers. They had Kit Kats but no stickers. Anyway, so I say all the time now, the technicians, unfortunately, here's the reality, they need you more than you need them. Okay? So you need to learn how to interview Them and ask the questions it's not about like you already know based on the ad. The ad in the paper says we'll pay up to $35 an hour, flat rate. Hypothetical numbers. Okay. How many hours are you guys selling?
Lisa Coyle [00:20:30]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:20:30]:
Oh, yeah. Oh, we're all killing it. Okay, I want to go talk to your technicians. And then you go walk across the shop and you talk to the tech and go, hey, I'm thinking about working here. I might be the fng. How many hours you make last week? Go on and go on and go on and then talk to that person to go, yeah, it's no Wonder he makes 80 last week. He's the golden child. Yeah, well, what was.
Jeff Compton [00:20:49]:
What's the reality?
Lisa Coyle [00:20:51]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:20:51]:
Somewhere in the middle. Okay, so I teach my people. I teach my people like I'm somebody. Right? That sounds funny, but you know what I mean? Like I tell them, you have to interview them. That's not you. It's not them interviewing you. You're interviewing them. They already want you.
Jeff Compton [00:21:03]:
They bother to be like, I need somebody. Now you go over there and don't necessarily take the job, but you have to interview them to know whether this is the right move for you or not.
Sam Freeman [00:21:12]:
And that's one of the things like as an account manager for promotive, we are doing that interview with the shops. We are going through and getting that information. We are being realistic with them as well. I want to know how many hours are exposed this new hire to turn and I want to know how many they're currently turning and going through, what their arrow is, what their car count is and seeing if those numbers add up. Yeah, not helping.
Jeff Compton [00:21:35]:
I cut a lot of flack because sometimes lately the emphasis is on technicians to train technicians train. It's super important. No doubt. But now I've challenged them. A lot of them. Most people now are technicians working for underperforming advisors. And the advisors need training and the advisors need. And it's all there.
Jeff Compton [00:21:55]:
It's all available there for them too.
Lisa Coyle [00:21:57]:
Yep.
Jeff Compton [00:21:57]:
But everybody thinks, what are you talking about? Like, my customers love that advisor. Your advisor doesn't sell shit. For a technician in the back that's on an incentivized plan, pardon my French. This is not going to work for me because you're going to turn at me at the end of the month and go, we didn't make any money. Like, you cost me too much. Yeah, because he didn't sell enough of the work to really cover or labor time to cover the jobs that we came in. We did we gave the diag away. We discounted that.
Jeff Compton [00:22:23]:
All of that is all things that when I'm interviewing, I'm like, do you do this kind of stuff? And I can walk in now and I can look at the dynamic at a service advisor and owner or boss. Service advisor and see the dynamic. And if it's a family one, I know exactly how it's going to be. And I go, I can work here. But it's going to be rough because I know that where you probably come from is a little bit of an emotional discounting type of person. And yet you're going to hold me in the back. Boss man, owner to a really high level of production. The production's out here on this side of the counter as much as it is on backside of that door relay.
Jeff Compton [00:22:59]:
Right. So we have to both be cohesive in the. In the team.
Sam Freeman [00:23:02]:
And a lot of times what I see is service advisors. We're not building those up either. And we need to. So we need to have those OGs, but we also need to bring those. Those younger entry level in because there's a lot you have to learn there as well. It's not as complicated as 30,000 different components on a vehicle.
Jeff Compton [00:23:20]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:23:20]:
But it is just as much. We're dealing with humans. We're having to sell them stuff that it's not sexy to go to get your car serviced and realize that you have a $3,000 bill. You have to figure out how to pay because you neglected X, Y, and Z. It's not something that we teach. We teach people, you got to go to the dentist. You got to go get your. Your health checked.
Sam Freeman [00:23:40]:
We don't tell them that your second biggest purchase in your life is your vehicle, but you can neglect it. Just clear that thing.
Jeff Compton [00:23:46]:
That's right.
Sam Freeman [00:23:46]:
There's a lot of.
Jeff Compton [00:23:47]:
We don't say, hey, drive over there because it's been six months. Go get your alignment done again. Right. And. And let's be real. Only men really care. When it's like, hey, John, look at these new tires put on my truck. Right.
Jeff Compton [00:23:57]:
The other half of the buying consumer public, they don't. You don't care. You don't be like, hey, look at my new.
Sam Freeman [00:24:02]:
I'm sorry. I love tread.
Jeff Compton [00:24:05]:
You know what I mean? Right. The second half of your customer base is not into, like, they don't get tweaked out and turned on by.
Sam Freeman [00:24:13]:
And it's growing that portion that is not obsessing over vehicles and the components and all the accessories that is getting bigger and Bigger. And the people that are really loving that stuff, it's getting smaller.
Jeff Compton [00:24:25]:
It's a cell phone on wheels.
Lisa Coyle [00:24:27]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:24:28]:
What it is. Right. And like now when it's like, well, I get a new cell phone every three years. That's where this is going to go. Where I'm going to get a new car every three years.
Lisa Coyle [00:24:36]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:24:37]:
Scary.
Lisa Coyle [00:24:37]:
It is.
Jeff Compton [00:24:38]:
You know, because then it's like, well, how much are you gonna. It's true though when you think about it. Right.
Sam Freeman [00:24:43]:
Listen, my phone is due for an upgrade.
Lisa Coyle [00:24:45]:
Okay.
Sam Freeman [00:24:45]:
And I, my car is paid off. I do not want a new car.
Jeff Compton [00:24:49]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:24:49]:
But I also am very old school mindset where I believe in taking care of your vehicle. I believe in getting it service. I love my independence.
Lisa Coyle [00:24:55]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:24:56]:
And I mean I thrive on this industry tremendously.
Jeff Compton [00:25:00]:
What's some advice that when you're, when you have people calling you up or not advice so much, but when people are calling up, trying to place. Find an advisor. Because we always talk here about like what's it like from the technician perspective. But what do you see when you see people reaching out to you, say I need a service advisor. What are they looking for? Not just the sales side but like what's the next qualities.
Sam Freeman [00:25:19]:
They're looking for somebody that cares, that is a people person. Somebody that has. What is that word I'm looking for? Empathy.
Jeff Compton [00:25:28]:
Okay.
Sam Freeman [00:25:29]:
To a certain point. A lot of, a lot of shops are, you have that sales piece of it. But the ones that want to grow a service advisor, they're looking for somebody that's done waitressing.
Jeff Compton [00:25:42]:
Okay.
Sam Freeman [00:25:42]:
Somebody that is used to getting rejections that they're not breaking down at that you can build from that, especially an excellent like customer service rep. You can build that knowledge. What a lot of my clients like is they're looking for somebody has some level of passion of the industry. They don't want technicians.
Jeff Compton [00:26:00]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:26:01]:
I mean that's like a fun little role that's been going around for my entire career.
Jeff Compton [00:26:05]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:26:06]:
But they want somebody that likes the industry, that understands the, the workings of it, but not necessarily can go wrench on a car. They're looking for somebody that is ultimately the pay comes into play too. Like we'll pay our technicians a crapload of money. You know, they can make $200,000 easy. But the advisor, they're like, can I.
Jeff Compton [00:26:28]:
Get him for 75?
Sam Freeman [00:26:30]:
Yeah. Or less. So it's, it's a mixture on all those things.
Jeff Compton [00:26:34]:
And that's like I always, when people started talking about like I want to get a Waitress to come in as a service advisor and I would go, you're talking about the people are handling now hundred thousand dollar vehicles and you want them to sell work on hundred thousand dollar vehicles and you want to pay them peanuts. It's very. You pay them similar to when you're just like slinging $40 worth of beer or you know, $60 worth of chicken wings or something like that. You're talking about a hundred dollar night versus maybe a $10,000 repair. You want the same kind of pay paid out for that. Let's do the math on this for a minute. Right. She's doing $10,000 work orders and her commission isn't even 10%.
Lisa Coyle [00:27:15]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:27:15]:
Where she can go maybe. Or she, I keep saying she. They could go and do their job at the restaurant that night and take home way more than what they made service in somebody's car. Like we have to flip that and realize that like we all need to be paying ourselves better. And that includes the people that are responsible for a much more. You know. Yeah, they have a poor experience at the restaurant one night. They probably don't go back to the restaurant when they have other trust factors built into their vehicle of who they like.
Jeff Compton [00:27:45]:
They fix the car, they're going to continue to go back.
Sam Freeman [00:27:48]:
People buy from people.
Jeff Compton [00:27:49]:
Yeah, right. And that service advisor, if they're failing to make them feel comfortable, welcome. It makes everybody else's job harder. The technician is just trying to fix the car and tell you everything that needs wrong with it. If you can't convert that to communication to the customer, we all die.
Sam Freeman [00:28:05]:
To me, the advisor and that a level tech are just as important. They are what you got your quarterback and your wide receiver, your running back using some Lisa terms here.
Jeff Compton [00:28:16]:
Can we do hockey terms?
Lisa Coyle [00:28:16]:
Yeah, sure.
Sam Freeman [00:28:17]:
Oh gosh. I don't know the positions.
Lisa Coyle [00:28:20]:
She doesn't know. She doesn't know the positions. But she's a Florida Panthers fan.
Sam Freeman [00:28:23]:
I went to a Stanley cup finals game. Okay. Amaz I am.
Jeff Compton [00:28:28]:
How many Canadians were in the crowd, do you think?
Sam Freeman [00:28:30]:
Oh, I don't know.
Lisa Coyle [00:28:31]:
I'm just upset. Wayne Gretzky gave his jersey to a Canadian and he did this whole thing. Were you there the other day? You didn't go to the keynote with Wayne Gretzky.
Jeff Compton [00:28:40]:
So I'll tell you why we kind of had this conversation. But like where I come from, Kingston, Ontario, that's kind of where hockey in Canada, where hockey in the world started is, was where the first hall of fame for hockey was. We're talking 1918 or something is one that started off, kicked off in Canada. So I'm very used to not seeing Wayne around. But his dad Walter was around Kingston a lot because he was a scout. Don Cherry, who was the Hockey night in Canada which you guys sometimes would only see in clips or rock Em sock em hockey videos where all Cherry did was put out videos of fights.
Lisa Coyle [00:29:14]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:29:15]:
That was all Don. Don's from Kingston.
Lisa Coyle [00:29:16]:
Nice.
Jeff Compton [00:29:16]:
Don's brother was my, I was in kindergarten, was my high school principal. So when you say like, am I a hockey fan by birthright? Where I'm born? I'm somewhat of a hockey fan.
Lisa Coyle [00:29:27]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:29:27]:
But I'm not like, oh my God, I got to see Wayne Gretzky again.
Lisa Coyle [00:29:30]:
Yeah. You know, like, well, he gave away a jersey and he said, everybody that's from Canada, raise your hand. And then he said, everyone from Alberta, raise your hand. And then anybody from, I think it was Edmonton.
Jeff Compton [00:29:40]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:29:40]:
You know, raise your hand. And I'm like, I want that jersey. But fun fact I learned from him is lacrosse is actually Canada's number one sport, not hockey.
Sam Freeman [00:29:52]:
What?
Lisa Coyle [00:29:52]:
I know, I know the thing I would add to the service advisor that and I don't talk to nearly as many people as Sam does. They are looking for someone that's progressive with technology, social media. They want somebody that cares about those Google reviews, that can help them with social posts. And you know, you don't need a full time marketer to do the Facebook and Instagram and TikTok and all that, but they want somebody that can do that.
Jeff Compton [00:30:20]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:30:21]:
And that they're, you know, I hate to say younger, but someone that does care about DVI and wants to use the systems to help increase the arrow and, and all of that. And you need the service advisor to be on board with the shop's tools because if they're not on board, the technicians definitely won't be on board.
Jeff Compton [00:30:40]:
No. I've said it before, like a DVI is a great tool.
Lisa Coyle [00:30:44]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:30:44]:
But if I like do the same DVI on the same car over a point of a year and none of the work that I've ever found gets sold, guess what?
Lisa Coyle [00:30:52]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:30:52]:
There's no point in me doing it for the fourth time.
Lisa Coyle [00:30:54]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:30:54]:
You know, because what's the point that she can they. I gotta learn to do that better. Need to just pull up the last one and submit it because it's the same.
Sam Freeman [00:31:03]:
Well, I should have that. But also there's the other piece of it though is what if that customer took that vehicle somewhere else and got those things Done. You need to catch that stuff.
Jeff Compton [00:31:10]:
And that's where the communication at the front counter comes in. And looking at your referred work when you're making the appointment. Okay, Mrs. Smith, like last time it was in, we noticed these three things. Are you interested in getting that done again or getting that done? No, I already had it done. The next question becomes, and this is really important.
Sam Freeman [00:31:26]:
Oh, I love this. Let's go.
Jeff Compton [00:31:28]:
Why is it done somewhere else? Because that feedback that Mrs. Smith is going to give you is way more valuable than market research.
Sam Freeman [00:31:35]:
I agree.
Lisa Coyle [00:31:35]:
When you're talking about, she says to.
Jeff Compton [00:31:36]:
See like, well, I have a guy that's cheaper. So what Mrs. Smith has now told you without telling you, I use you for the oil change and the really good inspection that you do. Now you have to decide as a shop ready for this drum roll. Are you an oil change shop? No. Okay, so what has Mrs. Smith told you? Mrs. Smith belongs at another shop.
Sam Freeman [00:31:56]:
Or. Or you need to educate that consumer. You need to let them understand why it is important to bring that vehicle to you and what the value in return for them is.
Jeff Compton [00:32:05]:
Now it may be a dead end conversation she might only look at. You're too expensive. Yeah, right. Cool.
Sam Freeman [00:32:11]:
And buying a new car is very expensive as well.
Jeff Compton [00:32:14]:
Right. So you know the conversations that we have to have. But that's the thing when I call it, when they don't convert, when they don't turn over findings into revenue. That's the big glaring thing right now that has got the divide between the technicians and the advisor. Chris Craig is a fantastic good friend of mine. His content has really changed my thinking and culture about where advisors are. But him and I are still like, we talk and it's like we appreciate and respect one another. But he's like, he's steadfast here and I'm steadfast there and we're coming together.
Jeff Compton [00:32:47]:
But it's tough because like he just looks at it as like, okay, all right, no problem. And I'm looking at it as like that failure to convert failed. The whole business didn't just fail you on your commission portion, it failed everybody else. That's on a commission.
Lisa Coyle [00:33:01]:
Oh yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:33:01]:
Well, it's just like not hitting your sales numbers and having your sales team or not hitting your PPDs. Like, you got to figure this out, you got to look into it. And why is it not moving forward? Because that one customer is not just one customer. There are other customers that come to you that are feeling the same way.
Jeff Compton [00:33:16]:
Exactly the same. So kind of talk to us about what promotive is doing to keep moving forward to address these challenges.
Lisa Coyle [00:33:26]:
Yeah. I mean the ideas don't stop. I call them shower thoughts. Massage thoughts. And I'm forced to not speak to other human beings. Although my wife is like, you talk in the shower all the time. Like, you don't shut up. Like, one of the most exciting things that I'd say besides the AI recruiter that.
Jeff Compton [00:33:47]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:33:47]:
I think Stacy and Ethan talked to you about recently Pages that's more on the shop side is I want everyone to know promotive we are in this for the technician relationship.
Jeff Compton [00:33:57]:
Thank you.
Lisa Coyle [00:33:57]:
And it's not that we're not in it for the shops. Be very clear. Everybody will win if somebody there's. In my opinion, there's no entity that has a relationship with the technicians that's advocating for their careers. And sure, there's ase. Right. And that kind of stuff. But like there's nobody do it.
Lisa Coyle [00:34:17]:
Being a career resource and something that we want to build in the next year is a tool exchange. So this is the first podcast I'm actually saying this publicly. If someone steals my idea, shame on me because my dad always says a pound of ideas is worth less than an ounce of execution.
Jeff Compton [00:34:34]:
That's right.
Lisa Coyle [00:34:34]:
So actually executing. Which we will execute on, like one thing I've learned working with technicians, and I don't know anything about cars. Didn't know technicians even had to buy their own tools until we started. This is how financially. I don't know what to say. Irresponsible but strapped. A lot of techs are and I think the tool companies are a big reason to blame for that. And I'm gonna.
Lisa Coyle [00:35:01]:
You catch flack on stuff. The tool companies are probably gonna hate me one day.
Jeff Compton [00:35:05]:
You're in good company with me.
Sam Freeman [00:35:07]:
Where's the mute button?
Jeff Compton [00:35:08]:
Yeah, you're in good company with me because I call them right out.
Lisa Coyle [00:35:12]:
I describe. If I was a shop owner, I would never let my text go on the tool trucks like. But I describe techs with tools. Like my 9 year old with monster trucks. Yes, he wants every monster truck. He has a hundred of them, but he plays with the same three. You know, Gravedigger is the one that like always comes to my name. He's always like, mom, which one's your favorite out of these? And lays them out like Grave digger, because I know that's your favorite.
Lisa Coyle [00:35:38]:
But he only plays with three of them. He doesn't need a hundred of them. And I think that the tool companies sell things to techs that they don't need. And then they get screwed. I had a R word in mind on the apr. And they get strapped for the payments and then they want to jump ship for a quarter an hour more.
Jeff Compton [00:35:59]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:36:00]:
To the other shop because they can't pay their bills. That's right. So what if I allow. Have an app and we have techs have their toolbox and upload all of their tools and their own inventory, if you will. You guys are proud of your tools.
Jeff Compton [00:36:17]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:36:18]:
Right. You are very proud of your tools.
Sam Freeman [00:36:19]:
I'm pretty sure you want more pictures of your tools than some kids.
Lisa Coyle [00:36:22]:
Yeah, they're, they're, they're probably the home. The, you know, the screen picture on your, your phones is probably your toolbox. Unlike a lot of these.
Sam Freeman [00:36:31]:
Yeah. Decorate it.
Lisa Coyle [00:36:32]:
But you got this random job that you need, that you need a tool for. You haven't seen this job in 10 years, 20 years. And you go buy this tool and maybe the whole set that comes with it. I've never personally bought tools, but what if instead you could search in a 25 mile radius and see if somebody else has that tool and you can rent it from them for 20 bucks for the day.
Jeff Compton [00:36:52]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:36:52]:
Type of thing.
Jeff Compton [00:36:53]:
That's fantastic.
Sam Freeman [00:36:54]:
Magic.
Lisa Coyle [00:36:55]:
So we are building our database and staying in touch the best we can with these techs. And I want every tech to know that we're in this for the technician relationship. Paycheck analysis, comp plans, they're.
Jeff Compton [00:37:10]:
You got a ton of stuff.
Lisa Coyle [00:37:12]:
They're very.
Sam Freeman [00:37:13]:
Oh, dude, there's so much here. There's so much missing. If you honestly look at the other verticals of the world here, the automotive industry does not have the support that the dental or the healthcare industries have.
Lisa Coyle [00:37:24]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:37:25]:
So there's a lot and we want to take care of it and tackle it.
Lisa Coyle [00:37:29]:
Yeah. What if like on a Thursday. I know you're not a fan of flat rate, right? Like, no. What if on a Thursday though, on all the guys listening to this, on flat rate, there was a notification that got sent to their phone that said, hey, tomorrow you need to flag 10 hours, not eight, because your pay goes from $30 to $32 and that is X dollars, you know, more in your, your weekly pay there. Nobody is. And I don't think it's intentional that shop owners are like not going out of their way to say this to them. Maybe I'm wrong, but I seek positive intent. Everybody but right.
Lisa Coyle [00:38:05]:
What if there was that notification that could say you have to go do this and that's going to give you X more dollars and then what if we had the shop, software, payroll company, and comp plans all sync and we spit out to them a paycheck analysis that said you did get paid fairly right there, they're going to have that trust in their shop even more. And if it wasn't accurate, what if we find them some more money? And again, I don't think shops are doing this, like, intentionally.
Jeff Compton [00:38:34]:
No, it's not malice.
Lisa Coyle [00:38:35]:
I think, you know, payroll is the one thing that I pride myself in that we've messed up maybe like two or three times in my 16 years of owning a company. But you have to be on top of it. In any commission model, you have to be on top of it.
Sam Freeman [00:38:52]:
And these comp plans are getting more complex.
Lisa Coyle [00:38:55]:
Oh, my gosh.
Sam Freeman [00:38:55]:
I mean, I've seen some calculators that are built by some clients, and I'm just like, how the hell do you do this?
Jeff Compton [00:39:01]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:39:01]:
Like you're. You're complicating something that's unnecessary.
Lisa Coyle [00:39:04]:
Yeah, yeah. So we have lots of ideas.
Jeff Compton [00:39:06]:
You touched on that. That thing about how, like, if you get that 10 more hours, you know, you bump from 30 to 32, just round numbers. Right now, you have to be. Tread carefully there, because there are people in this industry that will. You've heard me use the term dangling carrot. Right. Everybody will say that once you bump up to this number, you. All your number.
Jeff Compton [00:39:26]:
All your hours were 32. I have worked so many places now that nobody ever hits that. Not because the work's not there, but they'll hold the work or they're rounded up to somebody else to keep them all level because, shoot, it changes the. The ell. Elr. If all of a sudden now you. I give you that job and you bump up. So like, it's dangling there, but say magic numbers, 35.
Jeff Compton [00:39:50]:
Do you know how many texts I saw that never hit 35 then before they bumped up 34. 34.2. 34.3.
Sam Freeman [00:39:56]:
I haven't. But I would love that. Like, I would love that if any of the candidates that we've placed come to us and let us know, because I would have those conversations with the shop. Is that intentional or are you not even aware of it?
Jeff Compton [00:40:04]:
100% intentional.
Sam Freeman [00:40:06]:
Well, some of them are not aware of it as well. Some of them not having the right service advisors in the right places. I mean, this is. That is the outcome that happens.
Lisa Coyle [00:40:14]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:40:15]:
Because I've seen it where we've had workflow sitting there that we could have done internals.
Lisa Coyle [00:40:18]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:40:19]:
As an example. And it's Thursday afternoon, Friday afternoon. If everybody was to then take the internal work, they're gonna bump up. That internal work sits there waiting till next week. Wow.
Lisa Coyle [00:40:29]:
I have not. I mean, and I tell every shop owner or service advisor that's doing that. Sandbagging does not help anybody. And I've run. I'm a salesperson at heart. I built sales companies that, you know, companies based off sales models. That's it.
Jeff Compton [00:40:45]:
Like.
Lisa Coyle [00:40:46]:
And I discourage sandbagging constantly because it doesn't push you for that next month because you're in the same predicament next month.
Jeff Compton [00:40:53]:
I think you got something absolutely magical with the tool idea, though.
Lisa Coyle [00:40:56]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:40:57]:
I think that's really powerful stuff.
Lisa Coyle [00:40:59]:
And you need the database to do that. And the tool companies aren't going to do it because they make that money. They need the tools there.
Jeff Compton [00:41:05]:
I've gotten kind of yelled at for saying that some of the tool way we do things now in this industry especially is predatory. And I would have said that way back in the day. It was always predatory, but not nearly as much now. They don't even try to hide it.
Lisa Coyle [00:41:19]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:41:20]:
You know what I mean? It's like the running joke is you go out to the tool truck and you walk out with beef jerky and sunglasses and maybe a pocket knife on credit. So you could have walked to your local Walmart and bought the same three items.
Lisa Coyle [00:41:32]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:41:32]:
No credit, half the price.
Lisa Coyle [00:41:34]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:41:35]:
If you think about it, how are those guys getting paid? Those guys driving those tools, those tool trucks? They're 100% commission.
Lisa Coyle [00:41:41]:
Yeah. And we'll find them some other avenues to make money and have careers because they're amazing people, too.
Jeff Compton [00:41:47]:
They have to pivot and adjust just like everything else in the economy. I don't. You know, and I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't buy the tools, but right now there are some. There are some tools that are just astronomically priced. And why are they astronomically priced? Because some of the tool vendors aren't tool builders. So it's touching three hands before it finally gets in the hand of the technician. Everybody that touches it needs to get paid. And they should.
Lisa Coyle [00:42:11]:
Yep.
Jeff Compton [00:42:12]:
But it now takes a tool that somebody could sell for 200 bucks, and by the time it ends up in your hands, it's $600. Oh, you want to finance it now? It's not even $600 anymore. Right. So this is not. Where do we draw the line of what is actually predatory. I'm going to call that probably a little bit predatory. But they. At the Same time people need to make money.
Jeff Compton [00:42:30]:
So I'm not sure what the whole thing is. It's like everybody, the big player Harbor Freight in the aftermarket for tools right now is killing it. Everybody's like, they suck. Their tools are garbage. There's a lot of right now some very popular content creators online that are using Harbor Freight tools and saying a lot of good things about them. Now is the service the same as what we grew up with? No, it's not. Harbor Freight doesn't come to my shop when it's broken every week and give me a new one. They don't do that.
Jeff Compton [00:42:53]:
But I mean, can I drive down to Harbor Freight on the way home and stop and get what I need warranted out? Sometimes yeah, I can.
Lisa Coyle [00:43:01]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:43:01]:
So the warranty thing of not being predatory. Come on. It's a little bit of a stretch.
Lisa Coyle [00:43:07]:
Is that the main selling point for the tool companies? Is that okay?
Jeff Compton [00:43:11]:
It's the financing. The fact that you can finance. If I go to Harbor Freight and I still want to buy it and I don't have any cash, it's going on my credit card.
Lisa Coyle [00:43:17]:
Yeah. And that's why they change your cell phone number so much, which makes it harder for all of us because they're getting hit up by owing money constantly.
Sam Freeman [00:43:27]:
They change your cell phone numbers when they change your underwear.
Jeff Compton [00:43:30]:
So can I hear about a success story that you guys would know off the top of your head of a client or whatever. That promotive really did something awesome. You kind of touched on one earlier 65 year old gentleman. But have you got more stories you could share with us?
Lisa Coyle [00:43:45]:
She's the one that. Yeah, she, yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:43:47]:
I mean I can give you. I have a sea level tech that was just a new client of ours out of California actually. He wanted to test the waters with us. So he gave us a really like low, a low level placement opportunity and we went through some interviews. He interviewed the first guy, loved him. Personality fit, the drive was there. This guy, the candidate himself was just motivated just to be. He wants to provide for his family.
Sam Freeman [00:44:15]:
He wants to grow his knowledge. He's what everybody honestly wants.
Jeff Compton [00:44:18]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:44:19]:
And the shop wanted to keep feeling, you know, the grass is greener. I want to keep looking and having that conversation of hey, sometimes you actually do hit a home run on the first, the first pitch. Sometimes you gotta take a couple pitches. Yes. But if you hit a home run. Fucking run.
Jeff Compton [00:44:37]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:44:37]:
And so he's placed, he's been there. And my, my client wanted to keep going. It's like I still Want to interview? I'm not sure. Wasn't bought into everything. He just, on the way here, he messaged me. All right, let's stop. I love this guy. He's a perfect fit.
Sam Freeman [00:44:51]:
Yeah, I have a couple more head counts coming, but this guy is exactly what we needed. And I, I honestly have several of those. I'm not gonna say everything's perfect. I mean we do have where some will get hired and I just had a guy tell me on the way here, hey, the guy put his notice in. He doesn't work want to work on the type of vehicles we work on. Everybody was transparent. Everybody was transparent in this. And it's just he didn't want to.
Jeff Compton [00:45:16]:
Do it but wonder what happens there. Right? Because I know like I'm very. For me, it's been the opposite way where it's like I tell them like these kind of brands, I just hate, just hate them, you know, Mercedes and BMW. I'm just not good. I mean, can I fix it? Yeah. Do I like it though? The funny fasteners and all the plastic. It really frustrates me. I can fix the car.
Jeff Compton [00:45:37]:
And I tell them, oh, don't worry, we don't get too many of them here. And then you get three in the first week that you're there and they kind of chuckle at you and go, oh, this never happens. Wink, wink, nod, nodded. And you're like mother effort.
Lisa Coyle [00:45:48]:
Like you, well.
Sam Freeman [00:45:49]:
Or you kind of look at things and stuff comes and flows.
Jeff Compton [00:45:53]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:45:53]:
I mean joking to our service advisor. We made some adjustments here within our company and made some changes with how we manage service advisors and who's in charge of those. And the moment we made that change, floodgates. Everybody wanted service advisors. It was like the top priority. And so workflow changes, we know it changes, seasonality changes. Some vehicles are better with seasonality than others. I honestly, if I was that candidate, I would have reached back out to promotive and said, hey, this is going on.
Sam Freeman [00:46:23]:
We could have talked to them, could have pulled their numbers and said, hey, these are all the cars they service. This is just a seasonality thing.
Jeff Compton [00:46:29]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:46:30]:
Give it a little bit of time.
Jeff Compton [00:46:31]:
Yeah. See, I don't think a lot of people realize with you guys like after you. And I know I've talked about it, but I don't think a lot of people notice that what you do is a lot more than just a follow up.
Sam Freeman [00:46:43]:
You know what I mean?
Jeff Compton [00:46:43]:
You're way more invested in the client after they've been placed or, or recruited somebody. You guys stay Involved.
Lisa Coyle [00:46:49]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:46:50]:
We want the success stories. We want that fuels it feels one.
Lisa Coyle [00:46:54]:
On our party last night. Seth. Seth Thorson's guy.
Jeff Compton [00:46:57]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:46:58]:
You know, Daniel, who Seth's right hand was, like, this is our first promotive baby. And he's been here over a year now. And he's advancing. He's already leveled up. And like, he was at sema, like, how many shops bring their whole staff to sema or staff in general? Like. And it was a promotive baby as Daniel.
Jeff Compton [00:47:19]:
And here's what. What Seth did, that he shared with. He shared with me last night was that Seth didn't bring his whole staff. Because Seth's got like five stores right. Or more now. And I could be wrong. Pardon me Stuff, Seth. But what he's done is he's put in place, like, you do your daily training and whatever, you do your daily training, you do all this other stuff.
Jeff Compton [00:47:36]:
If you do it, you're eligible to come to this.
Lisa Coyle [00:47:39]:
Yep.
Jeff Compton [00:47:40]:
So there's the dangling carrot that's actually there. You know what I mean? So, like, good on him for saying, we're gonna reward you for doing this work because lots of other shops and I love training. Say, you're just gonna train because I need you to train. I need you to do 40 hours. Talk to a guy this morning. He's expected to do 40 hours of training a year. Now, that's no problem for him. That's no problem for a lot of technicians in the trade anymore to do 40 hours of training a year.
Jeff Compton [00:48:06]:
And then you get a whole thing as a paid or unpaid. Whole other conversation. But some places it's like, I want you to do 40 hours of training a year. And there's no reward for that.
Lisa Coyle [00:48:17]:
Yeah, no, it's. I get it. Like, I've been that business owner that doesn't pay for training. And you deep down want somebody that wants to go get that training on their own. It shows initiative. Right. But you can always reimburse at some point. Like, there's things you can do, but.
Jeff Compton [00:48:36]:
Reimbursement'S not necessarily even financial.
Lisa Coyle [00:48:39]:
Right.
Jeff Compton [00:48:39]:
Like, I've worked for guys that gave me, like, Canadian, so they gave me a Tim Hortons card. You know, here's $25 card for Tim Hortons. Cause like, they put that in our baby bottles. Right. So we're pretty much like weaned on that shit. So it's like, we'll always find $25 worth of Tim Hortons use. Like, that's not a problem. I know guys that.
Jeff Compton [00:48:57]:
That's their coffee intake for three days. 25 bucks.
Lisa Coyle [00:49:00]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:49:00]:
Right. Inflation. But, you know, it's always something that's better than nothing. Thank you for doing your, you know, your. Your weekly training for this week. Thank you for getting it done. Here's 25 bucks.
Sam Freeman [00:49:11]:
And I think a lot of. A lot of shop owners just think that that's expected.
Jeff Compton [00:49:16]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:49:16]:
I think technicians also need to kind of change their mindset and realize that not every shop out there is even giving you the path to have that access to. To reward you in the minimal ways or even just the acknowledgement.
Jeff Compton [00:49:28]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:49:29]:
I mean, there's a lot of chefs that don't give that. That direction or that requirement. And that requirement of 40 hours is. I'm seeing it more and more. I love it.
Jeff Compton [00:49:38]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:49:38]:
I absolutely love it. Everybody's gonna win it.
Jeff Compton [00:49:41]:
Understand people that are listening. I'm not against that as a thing. I think we all need at least 40 hours a year. Right. Because at the end of the day we talked about this morning, if you go home and you don't pour anything into yourself, eventually in this industry, as a technician, you become stagnant. You can't keep ahead of the technology. It's coming faster than you can keep up. If you're not going to do a little bit on the weekend, a little bit at night to keep the car that kicked your butt that day, that's when you have to go home and study.
Jeff Compton [00:50:06]:
That car is that night. That's the hardest thing, because it's harder. Your brain is like, I hate this system. And you got to go home and master that system. It's just putting reps in. That's all it is. Right. If I keep putting the reps in, eventually the weight goes up.
Lisa Coyle [00:50:19]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:50:19]:
And what I mean by the wacoups, I understand it enough that it's going to kick my butt next time. Right.
Lisa Coyle [00:50:24]:
No. And as a shop owner, though, too, or a business owner in general, I believe in karma. Right. And I also, my kids, a lot of times are like, that was karma. I'm like, wrong use. It wasn't. But, no, I believe in karma. But don't you want to leave a legacy?
Jeff Compton [00:50:41]:
Yes.
Lisa Coyle [00:50:42]:
Right. So, you know, like, I don't want to say, like, think about at your funeral, what are people saying about you? But what are people saying about you out there? Like, be that person that, you know, like, it's. It feels good when people are like, I would not be where I am without Lisa. Like, be that person that somebody's saying that about you one day. And I guarantee every Shop owner listening on this call can say, I wouldn't be where I am today without X, Y or Z person, hopefully multiple, that believed in them, that paid for their training. And if they didn't pay for their training, you know what, that they are where they are today because they had that initiative. But I'd rather like just give back to people and be that reason. And maybe they do leave one day, Maybe they do, you know, start their own shop.
Lisa Coyle [00:51:34]:
But you're that person that helped them get there and that feels so damn good.
Jeff Compton [00:51:39]:
I have technicians now in my life that like are working in some absolutely amazing. And I don't necessarily say shops. I have a guy that I got him as green as could be and now he is a troubleshooter for North America for a particular software program that is on a fleet of buses that's all over the. All over the country. America, right? All over. Yeah. His fundamentals came from me. His process of thinking on how he approaches a problem came from me.
Jeff Compton [00:52:06]:
Now he has moved around, we're talking 20 years later. But to see that he has eclipsed me in ability.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:13]:
It feels good.
Jeff Compton [00:52:14]:
Oh my God. It's like.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:15]:
Right? It's so cool.
Jeff Compton [00:52:16]:
I could, I could, I could lose my toolbox in a fire tomorrow. Right. And never, I could lose my finger and never be able to work on a car.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:23]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:52:23]:
The legacy I've left is the fact that that guy goes. It's how he treated me and how what he taught me that allowed me to get to where I am in my life.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:31]:
Yeah. So I like, that's powerful.
Jeff Compton [00:52:34]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:34]:
Right. Like be that person that somebody is grateful for later. And at the end of the day, like 40 hours of training. What's that, 30 hours? $30 an hour. $40 an hour. Right. Like 1500 bucks? Are you kidding me?
Jeff Compton [00:52:50]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:50]:
Like. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a lot of money. But there's ways you make that back and it's, it's life changing for people.
Sam Freeman [00:52:57]:
You make it back tenfold.
Lisa Coyle [00:52:59]:
Right.
Sam Freeman [00:52:59]:
Especially if this technician is staying at your shop or if they're learning it as like.
Lisa Coyle [00:53:04]:
Yeah, yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:53:05]:
It's crazy how if you do it.
Jeff Compton [00:53:07]:
Just on the diagnostic standpoint and they become like 50% faster of being able to diagnose the system and you're actually charging for the diet. They're now 50% more efficient.
Lisa Coyle [00:53:18]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:53:19]:
They get twice as much work done in half the time. Now if you can't figure out to make 1500 bucks off that, your giving away too much.
Lisa Coyle [00:53:28]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:53:28]:
And there's covers the training cost and.
Lisa Coyle [00:53:31]:
They get a write off on it, by the way.
Jeff Compton [00:53:33]:
I know, right?
Lisa Coyle [00:53:34]:
I don't know if you have those in Canada. Yeah, yeah, it's like. Yeah, it's a write off on. On what? On their financials. So I have a completely random question for you. As my ideas, we're talking about hourly and stuff. So I build a lot of commission plans over the years for salespeople or account managers for customer service. Like I think everybody should be on some sort of commission plan.
Lisa Coyle [00:53:57]:
Even if. Yeah, yeah. Even if it's like on company revenue or company ebitda, whatever. Flat rate models, put your opinions on it aside. One of the reasons that it's tough for technicians is that there's the seasonality of the business. And at 360 payments, I, we process for 10, $12 billion at, at this point. So we see the dollars process and each month, you know, we know that December is going to be a lot slower than March say, but the flat rate stays the same.
Jeff Compton [00:54:30]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:54:30]:
Right. So in my sales models we have lower and higher quotas based on seasonality.
Jeff Compton [00:54:38]:
Right.
Lisa Coyle [00:54:39]:
So we know that we're going to sign more shops up in March than we are in December. Why don't shops level the playing field for seasonality and pay more per hour in the slow times and lower per hour in the busy times? Like I'm genuinely asking.
Jeff Compton [00:54:57]:
That's a very good idea and it's surprising that more people haven't thought about it. I think to counter your process, a lot of technicians, maybe if they already were feeling like they should have been more than what they were getting in the good months, when you go back all of a sudden, because mechanics sock at money management, we're terrible at it. Right. Like as soon as I have any extra, extra money, I'm buying a new gun or a new project car that's.
Lisa Coyle [00:55:18]:
Or a new tool or the third one.
Jeff Compton [00:55:21]:
Right, yeah. So. So that's the thing. So if you go to the slow month now or the high month and you turn back the pay, that's when a lot of them are going to be like, wheel it out.
Lisa Coyle [00:55:30]:
Yeah, that's exactly what happened. But it's not that though. It's that they get used to making that. I say used to because we all have short term memories. Right. Like myself included, we're like dory over here. But they get used to that. March paycheck.
Jeff Compton [00:55:44]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [00:55:44]:
And then April good. To May good. And then June now it's oh, my shop sucks. They're not good at Marketing like they're not thinking seasonality so much. Oh, my service advisor's not selling enough jobs and we finger point so much. But what if like we just like leveled it out so it's more consistent pay. And I tell my salespeople when they have a killer month at say a SEMA show, you know, don't get used to those like leads like you know, save those, save the money. But we can't expect technicians to save their money.
Lisa Coyle [00:56:15]:
They're buying guns.
Jeff Compton [00:56:16]:
I would rather see technicians like when you have, say you can work flat rate but I'm going to pay you two grand, whatever right now if you go over two grand, I'm putting it in an account for you.
Lisa Coyle [00:56:28]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:56:28]:
And I'm going to pay. That's going to go all up. Some have done that in the past.
Sam Freeman [00:56:33]:
I've heard of that.
Jeff Compton [00:56:33]:
But it is very. The trust factor now between me and the boss. Huge. Right. That I'm going to trust that you're completely honest. Because again, being I'm a mechanic and not an accountant, I'm not always following a month later, how much did I actually roll into that account? You know what I mean? It could work. It totally could work. The flat rate thing is going back to there's good work and there's hard work.
Jeff Compton [00:56:56]:
If we're all paid on just the same hourly and it's just about how many hours we turn. I want the easy work every time.
Lisa Coyle [00:57:02]:
Right.
Jeff Compton [00:57:02]:
Because there's less stress. I don't pull my hair out of my head trying to.
Lisa Coyle [00:57:04]:
Dealership guys are flying 60, 70 hours.
Jeff Compton [00:57:07]:
A week sometimes and then, but then there' a guy over there at the dealer also that's handed back all the hard cars, the diag, the drive, he's the master shop for him and whatever, all the certs. Well, if we're all paying say $40 an hour and he turned 30 because he had to do all the arse kicking jobs and the other guy over there that was like I don't know how to do that and he turned 60, that's not a fair pro, that's not a fair payment system of flat rate. So that's my only wrinkle.
Sam Freeman [00:57:34]:
A lot of my clients that I talk with when we are bringing in those, you know, dyad techs, it's what's your expectation for them? Because if they're gonna be not producing and they're helping and they're having to figure these things out, you need to compensate for that.
Jeff Compton [00:57:49]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [00:57:49]:
You need to reduce what their expectations are and understand that they are getting a piece of almost like a foreman style concept, but not at that level.
Jeff Compton [00:57:58]:
Yeah, sorry, go ahead. No, I liken it to like a triage nurse almost. That's kind of how your foreman or foreman or your diag. Diag guy has to work. Diag girl in the shop has to work. They have to be looking at like because it's part of the dispatch thing. I know that that's probably going to be really easy or I know that real quickly I can kind of go over and check what I think it might be with them and then if it is, we point them on that thing of getting that part ordered and helping them through the process. This car that they came in and Mrs.
Jeff Compton [00:58:26]:
Jones said it's been to three other shops and like it's still broke. That's not going to anyone but me. And we now have to go up front and have a conversation, Mr. Jones about like listen, we can fix this but it won't be tomorrow and we're gonna have several phone calls about like this is the next thing that we gotta do. This is the next thing we gotta do. We're slowly building through getting the monster exercise from the machine but it's gonna take some time. Are you cool with that? Yes. Okay, cool.
Jeff Compton [00:58:52]:
And then they go back to being triage again. Of like okay, this one is coming for a squeak and rattle. That guy is really good at squeak and rattle. My 65 year old guy that can't even hear the radio across the shop. Not the guy I'm gonna give the squeak and rattle to. Dispatch is the most. This is where in the industry we drop this. We don't dispatch the strengths, we dispatch to whoever's available.
Jeff Compton [00:59:11]:
That's wrong. Number one, can't do it. Don't say yes if you don't have a tech to do it. That's a rule number one for life. Second of all, if I don't have a tech available right now to do it, don't tell them it's still gonna be done by end of day.
Lisa Coyle [00:59:22]:
Yep.
Jeff Compton [00:59:23]:
If you took your, your unicorn, you put them on an engine job and then you had three check engine lights come in. Guess what service wiser has to make that phone call to say, listen, we can get to this. But unfortunately my guy that can do this is going to be. Is backlogged.
Lisa Coyle [00:59:39]:
Yep.
Jeff Compton [00:59:39]:
I can do two things for you. I can give you keys back and we can reschedule or you're going to have to. I'll keep you in a loop and we'll Let you know when this is done. Here's a rental car, enjoy it, blah, blah, blah. You do not give it to somebody that can't get through it. Take the money for the repair, let it go and then deal with it. It comes back.
Sam Freeman [00:59:54]:
Oh, that gave me a headache thinking about that comeback component of it. It's not. Communication is everything.
Jeff Compton [01:00:00]:
It's 100%.
Sam Freeman [01:00:02]:
If you communicate with your consumer and you give very clear expectations, the outcome is typically going to be a positive. They appreciate that. Same thing from the advisor to the tech, tech to the advisor all the way around and understanding. I know I have a client that came up yesterday and he's like, I have an issue with scheduling. He's an advisor and he has texts. They like overload too many oil changes and they're not doing enough kind of juggling of the work. And it's. How do we manage that? You have to have the knowledge.
Sam Freeman [01:00:32]:
You have to know what your team is capable of doing. It is the manager's job to educate the advisor on the skill sets of, of the text and or the foreman's job to communicate that. But you need that to go. They need to have some tracking of it and be like, hey, Jeff is good at this.
Lisa Coyle [01:00:50]:
Yeah. I think though, in the shop's defense, consumers, Amazon, for better or worse, have. Has screwed our so and they, you know, they expect. Consumers expect everything very fast now. And if you can't do it as quickly, so and so probably can. And they want that car as fast as they can because they have a $600 a month payment on it and every day that goes by to them is them not having their baby for that $20 a day they're paying for. And yeah, I tell, I tell shops all the time when they hire us because they, you know, hired us when they need someone yesterday and or like two weeks ago. They start us at a fourth and 20 instead of a first single and then expect us to be Jeff Bezos with a technician on their doorstep with doorstep with promotive prime delivery.
Lisa Coyle [01:01:43]:
And that's not us.
Sam Freeman [01:01:46]:
So my favorite one is when I'm doing my intake calls. Sorry. When I'm doing my intake calls, I have a door right behind me. And I'm always just so we're very clear, that is not a factory where we're making technicians. It actually takes time, effort and work for us to figure this out.
Lisa Coyle [01:01:59]:
Yeah, but it's the same thing with their consumers of like they're expecting like last time you fixed my car and it was done this quickly and we are setting expectations, whether we realize it or not, every single day with people. So I do feel bad for the shops in those situations because we deal with it too.
Jeff Compton [01:02:17]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [01:02:17]:
You know, the shops do it to us always.
Jeff Compton [01:02:20]:
I asked towards the end of the conversation, whenever it's at metric on I always ask like some advice for what are you going to give the technicians that are trying to find work? And now we kind of know where this is going. So I'm gonna ask. It's gonna be a two part question and then because I want to keep going towards. When you're suggesting people out there that are, you're going to try and place advisors, what is it for them? So technician first, advisor second.
Lisa Coyle [01:02:43]:
Good. Sam. She's, she's doing this every day.
Jeff Compton [01:02:45]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:02:46]:
You start.
Lisa Coyle [01:02:47]:
So what advice are we giving to technicians?
Jeff Compton [01:02:49]:
Well, you talked about they change their cell phone number all the time.
Lisa Coyle [01:02:52]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:02:52]:
So technicians 100% communicate.
Lisa Coyle [01:02:55]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:02:56]:
Don't overload yourselves. Like I see it all the time. Ghosting is one of the biggest things. I talk to my kids every time I have a missed interview, it drives me crazy. I honestly think that we over the last year have really took a chunk out of the ghosting by just speed. What happens. Technicians will go, they'll apply for a bunch of jobs, people will respond, they get overwhelmed and now all of a sudden I don't know who the hell I'm talking to. They don't talk to the people they need to talk to.
Sam Freeman [01:03:22]:
They accept a job that probably wasn't a great fit and now they have a bad rep with everybody. They've reached out to understand. These shops are tracking this stuff now.
Jeff Compton [01:03:31]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:03:32]:
Every single time I submit a candidate, for the most part, not every, but for the most part, I get a response. We try to interview them, they didn't show up.
Lisa Coyle [01:03:40]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:03:40]:
You're shooting yourself in the foot.
Lisa Coyle [01:03:41]:
It's not just that, it's have some common effing courtesy. These shop owners are, are scheduling the interview. Yeah. To meet with you.
Jeff Compton [01:03:51]:
When they could be fixing the car, having dinner with their, with their family.
Sam Freeman [01:03:55]:
Coming in on the weekends. They're not going on a vacation. I've had this happen. I'm like show up, communicate. It is not that hard. And if you don't want to talk to us, send a damn text. But let us know because we're all here to help you.
Lisa Coyle [01:04:12]:
Yeah. Just treat people how you want to be treated in that situation. Right. Like so have that common courtesy that like these people are expecting the interview. They're excited. They may have prepared. They may have gotten someone on their team to, you know, shadow and learn how to interview and to see who you might be working with. And they skip their lunch or they're skipping the soccer game or vacation and you know, they're gonna be late to get home and their wife is gonna ream them because they've been late every day that week.
Lisa Coyle [01:04:39]:
Like they're human beings. And I'd say, have respect.
Sam Freeman [01:04:43]:
And they're paying. Sometimes they pay people to stay and come in. I mean, I've had it multiple times. They're paying their team to stay late to come and do this interview with you. It's common courtesy down to that. Bottom line, treat people the way you want to be treated. That is my famous line. My kids hate it.
Sam Freeman [01:05:01]:
It's an everyday thing.
Lisa Coyle [01:05:03]:
But on service advisors, I mean, the service advisor role always intrigues me because it's sales, right?
Jeff Compton [01:05:09]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:05:09]:
Know your numbers.
Lisa Coyle [01:05:11]:
It's knowing their numbers, being able to back it. Shops are looking for you not to be perfect technicians, too. We had one train our staff on a lunch and learn. And if somebody says they're 10 on their Diag skills in certain areas, it's a red flag to them. Like, they want somebody to say they're a seven, right? They want that. So same thing on the service advisor side. You know, knowing your numbers. Be real with your numbers.
Lisa Coyle [01:05:39]:
Admit your flaws. We all know humans aren't perfect. Shops that we work with want somebody that they can train in advance because they are usually good people. They want to grow somebody. So I'd also say, like, I, I personally want to know the turnover of the shop. I'd. I'd be asking about the numbers. I'd be asking, like, tell me, don't tell me about the guy that's been with you for 30 years.
Lisa Coyle [01:06:02]:
Yeah, I want to know about, you know, how many texts do you start at 12 months ago with and how many do you have today or 24 months ago, and how many do you have today? And like, what would they start at and where are they at today? I'd be wanting to dig in on who I'm working with.
Jeff Compton [01:06:18]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [01:06:19]:
Because it's such an intricate relationship. Like, it is so dependent. One is dependent on the other, like we talked about earlier. So that's what I'd want to know if I was a service advisor.
Jeff Compton [01:06:27]:
To me, if you keep looking. And I know it because I see it back home. The shops, you know, have the high turnover. Here's where it boils down to this. Somebody is lying to someone Right. Underselling themselves or overselling what they have to offer repeatedly. At the end of the day, it's not as in you can look at it and you'd be like, well, who's really to blame for there. For the turnover? They're hiring.
Jeff Compton [01:06:48]:
They're hiring all people that are unqualified.
Lisa Coyle [01:06:51]:
Right.
Jeff Compton [01:06:51]:
Come on.
Sam Freeman [01:06:52]:
Overselling, they're hiring.
Jeff Compton [01:06:55]:
If you're tech. If you're looking for incentivized tax.
Lisa Coyle [01:06:58]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:06:58]:
You've oversold what you're really producing as your numbers.
Lisa Coyle [01:07:01]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:07:01]:
And then stop doing that. Right. Be. Be frank with them and say, like, my best guy turns 40.
Lisa Coyle [01:07:07]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:07:08]:
You know, and then the rest of them are between 30 and 40 can. Trying to keep up with him.
Lisa Coyle [01:07:12]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:07:12]:
And then they do the math in their head and they go, but you pay how much an hour? Okay, I can make that work.
Lisa Coyle [01:07:17]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:07:17]:
But then if you say no, there's so much work, man, I can't get it done.
Lisa Coyle [01:07:21]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:07:21]:
And then you come in there and it's like half of that work you didn't charge for half of that work you discounted.
Lisa Coyle [01:07:27]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:07:27]:
And then he's going, I rolled out more cars this week for you than I rolled out for my last three employers every week. And yet my paycheck is less. Come on, you didn't sell yourself then where you were. You're not meeting me where I am. Come on, stop it.
Sam Freeman [01:07:43]:
And I would add to both of those. I mean, everybody wants to hear stories of the positive. I hear a lot of this interview. All he did was complain. Yeah, don't complain. You can. You can bring up why you're leaving. You can bring up, you know, what makes you have that feeling to leave.
Sam Freeman [01:07:58]:
But come in with a solution. Come in with what you would have done or what you would have liked to see. Come in with your wins as well. The stories. I mean, I have a friend that I remember, he told me the story, like 10 years ago. He was able to completely swap out an engine on a Kia Soul in less than four hours. And also down to beer in that time frame, like it. Was he like the entire.
Lisa Coyle [01:08:22]:
Definitely your friend.
Sam Freeman [01:08:23]:
Yes. But those are stories that people attach to and they like, they like to hear that you're taking pride in what you do and that it's just not a job. You're not just complaining. They don't want somebody toxic that's just going to come in and point out everything wrong. They want somebody to bring solutions. They want somebody to come in that is going to understand the value that that role Has.
Jeff Compton [01:08:41]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [01:08:42]:
One of my favorite interview questions. And we don't actually have to interview that much at promotive because everybody's been referred to us right at this point. But at 360, I would ask a candidate, what are your top five personal accomplishments? And then what are top five professional accomplishments? And if they, like, start getting squirmy because they can only think of three, I'm quiet, I'm like, it's cool. Just take your time thinking. And it, like, makes them a little uncomfortable. But they. They. They start racking their brain.
Lisa Coyle [01:09:11]:
And I would tell any candidate technician or service advisor, flip that question onto the owner. You know, you learn so much about or whoever's interviewing you, right? Yeah, about them as a person. And I always say, and if you have two kids, you can't say them as two. It has to be one, right? It's too easy if you have five kids and you say, you know, I got Nixon, Alex, Ari.
Jeff Compton [01:09:32]:
Each one's an accomplishment. One of them might have been just a. Yeah, they are, don't they? One of them might have been an accident.
Lisa Coyle [01:09:37]:
Yeah, they are. I'm a mom. Like, I agree. But it'd be interesting to.
Jeff Compton [01:09:42]:
There's no accident.
Lisa Coyle [01:09:43]:
There was definitely no accident.
Sam Freeman [01:09:44]:
I was an accident, damn it.
Lisa Coyle [01:09:47]:
But I was an accident. But, yeah, I'd say flip that script. And as a business owner, I want someone to have questions. Don't be like, oh, yeah, no, you already answered all the questions. Or promotive already answered all the questions for me. You have to have some question. Even if it's, what'd you have for breakfast today? Just get a laugh and see if they laugh. And maybe you like, I love humor.
Lisa Coyle [01:10:12]:
And if they're like, what? Like, then you know that maybe it's not a cultural fit there.
Jeff Compton [01:10:16]:
I've. I've been to tech that's come and actually ask more questions of the guy trying to hire me than. Than they had for me. And it really flips the script. Puts them right on their ear. They're like, shit, yeah, this guy's coming loaded, right? Ready to know what he's gonna cuz. Yeah, I'm bringing something that people need, or a lot of us are bringing something that people need right now. And guess what? We have options.
Jeff Compton [01:10:38]:
So, like, you know, I'm feeling you out, and it's not just as simple as, like, hey, throw the money at the problem. But like, I have to know that because it's 300 bucks to move my toolbox every time I move the damn.
Lisa Coyle [01:10:50]:
Thing, which I think shops should pay for my shops.
Sam Freeman [01:10:52]:
Pay for it.
Jeff Compton [01:10:52]:
Yeah. So it's like. But even if they won't, it's 300 bucks to get it there.
Lisa Coyle [01:10:56]:
Yep.
Jeff Compton [01:10:57]:
So if I'm going to move it, I got to know really good that it's worth the 300 bucks at least to come and spend this week. Two weeks, three weeks. Working interviews are great, but, like, if you want a working interview, you got to have a different thing set up. Like, how are they going to come in? Whose tools are they using? Right. If they bring their own tools, how does that look? All these different options. You got to be flexible.
Lisa Coyle [01:11:17]:
Working interviews is a whole other topic.
Sam Freeman [01:11:19]:
Encourage working interviews.
Jeff Compton [01:11:20]:
I think we're going to have to do more of this. Yeah. Because I mean, we're 70 minutes in.
Sam Freeman [01:11:25]:
And it's getting 70 minutes.
Jeff Compton [01:11:27]:
Yeah, I know.
Lisa Coyle [01:11:28]:
I know. We have fun.
Jeff Compton [01:11:29]:
I talk. I'm sorry.
Sam Freeman [01:11:30]:
I love you.
Lisa Coyle [01:11:32]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:11:32]:
I'm like, dang, I should have been on this before. I love this.
Jeff Compton [01:11:35]:
You are a natural.
Sam Freeman [01:11:36]:
I talk.
Jeff Compton [01:11:37]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:11:38]:
I love to talk.
Jeff Compton [01:11:38]:
So in closing, I don't say it enough. I absolutely adore what you guys are about. Totally feel perfectly aligned with where you guys are trying to go in the industry and the technician perspective and all that kind of stuff. And, I mean, that's where I am. Right. Somebody called me yesterday, they called me a leader and a voice within the industry, and I was like, me? No, I'm not. And I'm not a leader. Am I a voice? Yeah, I'm a voice now.
Jeff Compton [01:12:04]:
I'm a voice. Like, people listen to me every week. But I don't consider myself a leader. But what I am is I'm aligned with people. You know, we're sitting here surrounded by them right now that are trying to do something really, really difficult and really, really cool and really overdue. So I don't thank you guys enough. And I want to thank you again for what your company is doing for me. And, you know, I love it.
Jeff Compton [01:12:25]:
I'm so proud to be aligned with that is what I'm trying to say when I. Like when I say my family a promote of. I'm not just. It's not just kissing butt. I really do think they all love you.
Lisa Coyle [01:12:34]:
I mean, obviously I was the lucky first one to get to hang out with you, but you've met probably half our team.
Jeff Compton [01:12:39]:
Ethan, I absolutely love. Like, they're just. They're all great, you know, all great.
Lisa Coyle [01:12:44]:
They're good people and equally. Oh, here we go.
Jeff Compton [01:12:48]:
You were adorable.
Lisa Coyle [01:12:49]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:12:49]:
I keep telling you that you're Adorable.
Lisa Coyle [01:12:51]:
Yeah. No, we really care about the industry. You know, I sold my first company at 35 and don't truthfully have to work for the rest of my life. And I'm in it to. To change it and for the better. Right. And things need to be disrupted and, you know, we need to help as much as we can be. In my opinion, technicians are the most essential of essential workers.
Jeff Compton [01:13:15]:
I agree.
Lisa Coyle [01:13:16]:
Like, who is getting the pilots to the airport?
Jeff Compton [01:13:18]:
That's right.
Lisa Coyle [01:13:19]:
Who's getting the doctors to the hospitals? Like, we have to help the technicians.
Jeff Compton [01:13:23]:
When the ambulance doesn't start. Guess what?
Sam Freeman [01:13:25]:
Yeah, well, and the crazy part is, is we have a very unique ability of being surrounded by some of the most amazing people. We hear this all the time. And we. I mean, me personally, I can't speak for Lisa 100 here, but hearing everybody's perspective, what they. They're struggling with, what they're going through. I've been doing this for a very long time. Not saying how old I am right now, but the first thing I ever heard was, yeah, marketing's great, but I really need technicians. I started saying, if I can.
Sam Freeman [01:13:55]:
If I got 5 cents for every time somebody said that, I'd be rich. And here we are years and years and decades later, and this is, like, still a thing. I'm gonna end with something really funny really fast. I was going through the Facebook flips, and there was a comment from somebody that said, I learned that technician, or I learned that we had a technician shortage since COVID I could not do anything but laugh so hard. This thing has been going on since forever. Since when they changed the schools and took automotive out of that and went college and career readiness. And now magically, we have a problem.
Jeff Compton [01:14:34]:
My. You can talk about the shortage as being a testament to the fact that there's been one long before COVID because, oh, yeah, I was never out of work longer than any time, any length of time that I chose to be. Like, as soon as I leave one job, there's offers. The only time I stayed at work was during COVID That was the only thing that shut it down for me.
Sam Freeman [01:14:54]:
When you were in high school, did you do any. An auto class?
Jeff Compton [01:14:57]:
So when I was in high school, I did an auto class and my teacher was not actually really ever had been the kind of mechanic that was then teaching the class. Not to say that you have to be to teach it right, but there is some. Like, you want somebody that's had boots in the ground, similar kind of mud to understand what they can get you prepared for. If you can't, then you have to go to the fundamentals and kind of teach it. It's like Wayne Gretzky didn't got taught how to do a slap shot by somebody that never fired a puck on the ice or never put skates on. Right. So you need somebody that's got some relevance to the thing. I took it.
Jeff Compton [01:15:32]:
And again, my father, being that he'd been in industry on the other side, on the collision side, I knew what I was getting into. But, like, this idea that there was never a shortage until Covid. There's been a shortage for 30 years.
Sam Freeman [01:15:45]:
Well, I mean, 18 years ago, they made that change, and they took out automotive out of high schools, and they replaced it with. They took out home ec, they took out auto shop. What happened to all those kids that fit that? It's crazy.
Jeff Compton [01:16:02]:
I don't even want to think or say where I think they are.
Sam Freeman [01:16:06]:
Well, no, they are forced into other jobs, honestly, is really what it is.
Jeff Compton [01:16:11]:
But they're forced into other jobs for a little while, and then I think that they're just. I don't think they're in the workforce, but they.
Sam Freeman [01:16:17]:
Those ones that have started somewhere else. So this is an opportunity for them to come into, like, if they're not a mechanic today, but they. They don't fit that box. It's an opportunity.
Jeff Compton [01:16:26]:
Yeah, we are. You guys were talking about your Adderall dosages before you got on. Right. But, I mean, that's A lot of us are that are in this space that we do this job.
Sam Freeman [01:16:35]:
We're not the box.
Jeff Compton [01:16:36]:
We're not the box, for sure. And that's what gives us our superpower, being able to think outside of it and, you know, do the kind of things that just average Joe walking down the street couldn't do. Now, I believe you can teach people how to do this stuff, but to be able to find the person that you can teach it to and they don't go crazy, that's a different thing.
Sam Freeman [01:16:57]:
100%. I was talking to Tony and Technician Tony. Yeah, technician Tony.
Jeff Compton [01:17:03]:
Mr. Martinez.
Sam Freeman [01:17:04]:
I love that dude.
Jeff Compton [01:17:05]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:17:05]:
I was like, I'm old enough to be your sister. Like, that's what we're gonna be. He called me mom last night was funny. I was like, we are not doing that. But we were talking, and he's ADD too. I am too.
Jeff Compton [01:17:16]:
Yeah.
Sam Freeman [01:17:17]:
And I have a special power like this. Yes. I am crazy in all the other ways, and I go through my rabbit holes, and I have my. Just super focused and do not Give me an Excel sheet because I will go deep on that. But I. Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.
Lisa Coyle [01:17:35]:
You're thinking it too.
Sam Freeman [01:17:37]:
The bad part is I looked at him when I said it. But going back, my superpower, honestly, other than like people, is being able to see processes. I see where things are broken very quickly, at least in my brain. It tells me I see the shit quickly. And I also process it. Like, why the hell didn't you guys see this already? And. But it is a superpower. And just because we don't fit in that box doesn't mean that we're any less valuable, any less smart.
Jeff Compton [01:18:07]:
Mine, if I can, because I'm similar. When I see immediately where I look at that and I go, this is where it f'd.
Sam Freeman [01:18:12]:
Yes.
Jeff Compton [01:18:12]:
If I could just get my delivery a bit better about. How did you not see this?
Sam Freeman [01:18:16]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [01:18:16]:
Then I would be. I. I would be at that next level where I need to be.
Sam Freeman [01:18:20]:
Everybody has an issue. It's not just me.
Jeff Compton [01:18:22]:
So, guys, it was fun. Ladies, I absolutely love you both.
Lisa Coyle [01:18:26]:
Thank you for being here too.
Jeff Compton [01:18:27]:
Yeah.
Lisa Coyle [01:18:28]:
So happy birthday.
Jeff Compton [01:18:29]:
Thank you.
Lisa Coyle [01:18:33]:
I know. We'll spare, we'll spare Everybody singing Happy Birthday. 50, 55, friggin zero, you know, you look great.
Jeff Compton [01:18:43]:
Thank you. No, I hurt a lot. Shoulders and elbows and knees and backers.
Lisa Coyle [01:18:48]:
I'm getting a massage in. Maybe you should too.
Jeff Compton [01:18:50]:
But I mean, it's from the trade. But I mean, I love it. I love the trade. I love what it's been able to provide for me. It's 30 years of doing this. I have no regrets. I wouldn't do much different at all. And I think that's the key to take away from this.
Jeff Compton [01:19:02]:
So, yeah, everybody that's listening, as always, I love you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for all the support. Thank you for the messages that tell me what we've been able to do for you guys. We're going to continue to do it. We're not here for a short time. We're here to see this thing change. So, everybody, all the best.
Jeff Compton [01:19:20]:
Talk to you soon.
Lisa Coyle [01:19:21]:
Take care.
Sam Freeman [01:19:21]:
Bye bye.
Jeff Compton [01:19:24]:
Hey, if you could do me a favor real quick and like, comment on and share this episode, I'd really appreciate it. And please, most importantly, set the podcast to automatically download every Tuesday morning. As always, I'd like to thank our amazing guests for their perspectives and expertise. And I hope that you'll please join us again next week on this journey of change. Thank you to my partners in the AESAW group and to the changing the industry podcast. Remember what I always say. In this industry, you get what you pay for. Here's hoping everyone finds their missing 10 millimeter, and we'll see you all again next time.