"How to Find the Right Fixed Ops Training Company" by Ted Ings
Large dealer groups and small dealerships alike require fixed operations training on a regular basis.
But with many training companies out there, it isn’t always easy to choose the right one for your store. Choosing the right fixed ops trainer for your dealership is an important task.
How Do You Choose the Right Trainer?
One myth is that ANY training is better than NO training. If it’s not done correctly, hiring a fixed operations trainer can damage your team. Your managers will think you’re wasting money needlessly. Your service advisors will begrudge a day of lost sales commissions. Your support staff will wonder why they’re there.
But when you find the RIGHT fixed operations trainer, everyone improves. Service and parts managers hire the right staff. Your service advisors understand customer relationships better and work smarter. The rest of your team knows that their role is implicit in the whole store’s success.
So how do you choose the right trainer? They’ll have these traits.
1. They Have Real-World Automotive Experience
Retail fashion experience is certainly not the same as automotive experience, so why would you look at a fixed operations trainer who didn’t know the industry? As a prerequisite, require that the trainer goes through their automotive history. It will weed out people who don’t have a clue what you’re facing daily.
2. They Set Defined Goals With You
It isn’t the trainer’s store – it’s yours. The right fixed operations trainer spends time with upper management – the dealer principal, general manager, fixed operations manager – to investigate the issues and to set goals. It’s because implementation requires buy-in from the top down.
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3. They Structure Long-Term Plans
There are no quick fixes in the fixed operations departments. It’s about developing reasonable processes that can be achieved over the long term. The right fixed operations trainer will make a plan to execute that is sustainable.
4. They Work Besides Your Team, Not Just Talk At Them
You can explain a task to someone and expect them to perform it, but to what degree of success? A great fixed operations trainer demonstrates HOW to do it, and also explains WHY you need to do it. They work in your store, in the trenches, beside your team to make sure they succeed.
5. They Follow Up
Everyone has had the training experience where everything went back to the way it was, as soon as the trainer walked out the door. The right fixed operations trainer is available for sustainability. Regular follow-up should always be part of the training regimen, helping to keep the team on task and focused on success.
Sound like the fixed operations trainer you need? It’s what the Center for Performance Improvement provides. Contact us to discover how CPI can reinvigorate your parts and service departments.
A note from Ted Ings:
I work with clients in various ways and have several solutions to fit your needs and budget. If you are an OEM or Dealer Principal/Executive Manager looking to gain insight, strategies, and tools you need to take the lead over the competition and drive your business to the next level, then let's schedule a complimentary Discovery call to map out your plan of action together.