In the article, “All aboard,” featured in the March issue of Professional Carwashing & Detailing¸ Group Editorial Director/Editor in Chief Rich DiPaolo discusses why employee training is essential to ensure profitable operations for car care businesses.
Employee turnover, writes DiPaolo in the article, is common in the carwashing industry.
In the article, Steve Gaudreau, president of Brink Results LLC ([email protected]), shares four major variables of employee turnover in the carwashing industry.
- The compensation you offer. “What you pay determines to some degree who you attract,” he says. Look at the local competition and the overall market averages, and see what other carwash owners and operators are paying; and, if you are interested in attracting the best of the best, consider raising your starting wage by a dollar or two over the average.
- The interview process. Carwashing is a fast-paced and physical work environment. Therefore, notes Gaudreau, you want to hire people with high energy to work for your business. Crew employees have to be able to bend, twist, lift, push, pull, wipe, etc. Hiring high-energy and physically able candidates is important to achieve these tasks. “If you hire low energy, you get high turnover,” he warns.
- How people are trained. Most people are trained on-the-job by another employee who informs them what their mistakes are, creating negative feedback. “The right way to train is upfront, which is positive reinforcement from day one,” asserts Gaudreau.
- How people are managed. This is a matter of personal respect. “If you need to correct an employee, do it privately and not publicly. And, do not be angery, upset or yell; instead, communicate with the employee in a calm and professional manner,” advises Gaudreau.
“The most common reason why people quit, according to various surveys and polls, is because they were mistreated by their immediate boss,” continues Gaudreau in the article.
Learn more about the importance of employee training as well as how to reduce turnover here.
