Building a strong team is essential in a jobber store because you can’t manage everything on your own. Here’s how to ensure success…
The true secret to success of a jobber store lies not in the parts we sell, but in the people who sell them.
When I was managing jobber stores, staffing was always my primary concern and focus on a day-to-day basis. The jobber business is highly competitive, requiring prompt phone responses, excellent service to support shop scheduling and workflow and consistent, accurate delivery of parts. All of these functions depend on the operations of the staff you rely on.
As the leader of the business, many operational aspects are beyond your direct control, with you relying on your staff to ensure the business’s sustainability and growth.
Many people ask how to develop staff to maximize their performance and provide the best service for clients, how to handle personal issues and recurring retention problems and how to avoid the pitfalls of running shorthanded.
Over a decade of running the jobber business, I found that the key to success in developing and driving staff performance was rooted in the business’s vision, mission, and values. On a daily basis, I consistently aligned actions with these guiding principles. Over time, this consistency resonated with the staff, fostering an understanding of our unwavering commitment to our clients and the crucial role our service played in maintaining client loyalty in a highly competitive market.
For jobbers and those in the automotive aftermarket, I always emphasized industry trends and market dynamics. Through effective communication, we cultivated a culture of accountability, where effort, actions and the business’s reputation reflected our staff’s performance.
My staff were crucial in executing for our clients, so I recommend that jobbers and owners maintain an open-door policy and encourage positive communication.
I advise today’s jobbers that as the industry consolidates and competition intensifies, the advantage entrepreneurs and jobbers have over corporate competitors is their passion for building a strong culture with their staff — one that resonates with clients.
On a more practical level, we invested heavily in staff training to ensure that our team was up to date on new products, supplier training refreshers, and operational processes. This commitment to continuous learning became part of our culture and enhanced our business execution and customer service.
Regarding recruitment and retention, given the competitive nature of the automotive aftermarket and parts distribution, we proactively focused on retaining our staff and recruiting individuals who fit the business culture and could deliver for the business and its clients. If issues arose, such as compensation disputes or interpersonal conflicts, they were personally addressed promptly, along with our HR functions. In a store environment, staff may leave for a difference of just a dollar or two, given the general salary ranges and affordability challenges in Canada. I generally overpaid for driver and warehouse positions and addressed staff concerns on a case-by-case basis to minimize turnover and its impact on operations.
My staff were crucial in executing for our clients, so I recommend that jobbers and owners maintain an open-door policy and encourage positive communication. This approach helps prevent staff from seeking alternative employment and avoids the costly impacts of turnover.
Overall, these strategies were key to my success in managing staff and delivering exceptional service.
Zakari Krieger is the Fix Network, Canadian vice president of Prime CarCare, responsible for the Canadian retail business, encompassing the Speedy Auto Service and Novus Auto Glass business lines
This article originally appeared in the September issue of CARS magazine
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