As a detailing shop owner, I was highly moved by Flyingsolo's unfortunate predicament as described within his thread. It's sad, regrettable and could have affected anyone of us.
My customers have often praised my employees and tipped them heavily, and while I'm not the world's best detailer :razz::razz:, but in the area of Training and Disciplining, I feel proud to have nurtured a group of "nobodies" into "some body"!:razz:
On the contrary, in another country, my friend used to own the first Meg's dealershop/detailing shop in that country. Business was great and all was well. Later, he encountered Flyingsolo's problem of deteriorating work quality that impacted business.
Problem 1:
He was superbly skillful and experienced...but a LOUSY trainer.
Of course, he claimed that he can train very well, as do most employers:razz: But the truth is obvious when another pro sees the way his staff works.
Problem 2:
Loads of money coming in = complacency.
He started to slack off his monitoring and guidance. His staff slowly learned bad working habits from their friends working at local car washes.
Problem 3:
He became enslaved to his employees as they knew he can't do everything by himself, and that he needed them, and they were more skillful than their other "guys out there". This bred the "smartass" attitude amongst his employees. (pls excuse my language).
Problem 4:
More money = closing one eye
Since business is good and customers are not complaining, why bother? Life goes on. From my observation, he was AFRAID to confront his problematic employees who're now almost "pseudo-bosses'. He didn't want to offend them, and risk losing them. Hey...money was coming in!
I knew he was in deep waters.
Problem 5:
Meg's competitors eventually pried away these "relatively more skillfull" but problematic employees, thinking they have struck gold:razz::razz:
As employees left, business dwindled, and he was in no mood to train new recruits. Work performance suffered, and at last, that business's initial image had evaporated. They are now seen as only a polish wax shop.
The proprietor left the business and entered a new industry.
============================================
Learning from that shop's mistake, I vowed never to fall into the same trap.
In my shop, my staff work without any supervision.
6pm the day before: cars arrive for detailing.
8.30am next day: Briefing and work starts.
I'm free to leave the shop after 10.30am when the last cars have been dropped at my shop or collected by their owners, as car owners talk only to me. During the rest of the day, I meet with clients, resprayers, customisers and tuners, and schedule next month's jobs. 4pm, I return to the shop, join my staff to work on the cars and leave at 6pm. I've been in business for 6yrs, and currently, we're always fully booked. Now, we're full until mid-February:drool:
10yrs ago, I was in Corporate Training and I would like to share with you how I do it.
Training.
A skillful, experienced detailer might not be a good trainer.
Most employers will never doubt their own training abilities.
No1 mistake is to immediately show new guys how to do the various tasks.
Heck!! They don't even understand what your business is all about and why you're so concerned with "details"! Many newbies have commented that their new employer is a mad nut who's fanatical bout details over nothing.
My personal approach to a newbie is:
a. Show them what Pro Detailing is.
The first thing I do is to show videos of pro detailers working on cars (Meguiar's early ones are outdated but serves the purpose)
What's the reason for Pro Detailing?
How do the industry pros do it? (video)
This gives them a clear impression that it's not just another car wash doing cheapo polishing jobs. It's a totally different ballgame.
b. Explain the steps and extensive work required.
c. Make them understand that car owners are paying a premium and will demand quality work.
d. Once they have a clear picture in their mind, and the seriousness of the job, they'll understand what their salary requires them to do.
e. Start explaining and demonstrating the different processes. I will stop at the masking stage. Ensure they do the basics with excellence first and don't frighten them with too many details.
f. Monitor closely and provide polite guidance/correction.
Everytime I encounter a nice detailing video, I'll gather all my employees to watch how other pros do the work. To this day, I still show them pics from Autopia! My boys love the Autopia pics of solo mobile detailers doing their jobs, and the B&A pics! This continually reminds them of what professional work is, even for experienced staff.
The videos help inspire the new and motivate the experienced.
I'm a lousy cook.
If I were to dress professionally and work inside an 'open-view' kitchen in a 5 Michelin Star restaurant, it'll be stupidly and embarassingly obvious to most diners.
The way I move, my gestures and actions....they all show I'm not a kitchen person
Patient guidance and constant viewing of detailing videos, and real-life observation of another pro working, will slowly inculcate that professional "style" into a person's working body language. It's slow...but it'll come.
Discipline.
A fantastically-trained staff who generates 1st class results might not be EVERYTHING.
He might not be punctual (affecting your work schedule), regularly goes AWOL, spend too much time chatting, and behave in a non-professional manner. Your customers see these things....and it affects your establishment's image, including yours.
My personal approach to a newbie is:
1. If you're constantly late or go AWOL, your salary will be affected.
2. 100% no loud talking while working. You know exactly what you hv to do, so what's all the loud chatter for?
3. 100% no chatting on their mobile, especially when customer is in the shop.
4. All tools must be cleaned every weekend after shop closes,based on the roster.
5. Status of detailing supplies to be checked every 5days and reported.
The above is not meant to be authoritarian or harsh.
We might be disciplined as business owners.
But our employees are merely working long hours to make a simple living. They might not share our enthusiasm and passion in the business. Drilling them in discipline helps maintain their mindset that the detailing jobs done by this shop is serious shixx:razz:
On the softer side, I also reward my 6 employees with:
1. Free accomodation with 1 room to 1 person!:drool::drool:They share the utilities bill.
2. If we have to work beyond 7pm (4 out of 7days), dinner and drinks will be provided by the cafe next door, and overtime will be paid in CASH immediately.
3. If the last car is completed at 3pm, and will not be collected, and no other cars coming on that day (very rare), they can go home immediately.
Let's face it, our employees are critical. We need them.
Make them see how pros work.
Train them well.
Monitor closely and guide them.
When you start seeing something wrong, rectify immediately.
Project the impression that you're dead-serious, without being an idiot boss.
You don't need to be overly nice...but be humane, courteous and understanding:razz:
And never forget to give compliments if they've done a superb job:razz:
My customers have often praised my employees and tipped them heavily, and while I'm not the world's best detailer :razz::razz:, but in the area of Training and Disciplining, I feel proud to have nurtured a group of "nobodies" into "some body"!:razz:
On the contrary, in another country, my friend used to own the first Meg's dealershop/detailing shop in that country. Business was great and all was well. Later, he encountered Flyingsolo's problem of deteriorating work quality that impacted business.
Problem 1:
He was superbly skillful and experienced...but a LOUSY trainer.
Of course, he claimed that he can train very well, as do most employers:razz: But the truth is obvious when another pro sees the way his staff works.
Problem 2:
Loads of money coming in = complacency.
He started to slack off his monitoring and guidance. His staff slowly learned bad working habits from their friends working at local car washes.
Problem 3:
He became enslaved to his employees as they knew he can't do everything by himself, and that he needed them, and they were more skillful than their other "guys out there". This bred the "smartass" attitude amongst his employees. (pls excuse my language).
Problem 4:
More money = closing one eye
Since business is good and customers are not complaining, why bother? Life goes on. From my observation, he was AFRAID to confront his problematic employees who're now almost "pseudo-bosses'. He didn't want to offend them, and risk losing them. Hey...money was coming in!
I knew he was in deep waters.
Problem 5:
Meg's competitors eventually pried away these "relatively more skillfull" but problematic employees, thinking they have struck gold:razz::razz:
As employees left, business dwindled, and he was in no mood to train new recruits. Work performance suffered, and at last, that business's initial image had evaporated. They are now seen as only a polish wax shop.
The proprietor left the business and entered a new industry.
============================================
Learning from that shop's mistake, I vowed never to fall into the same trap.
In my shop, my staff work without any supervision.
6pm the day before: cars arrive for detailing.
8.30am next day: Briefing and work starts.
I'm free to leave the shop after 10.30am when the last cars have been dropped at my shop or collected by their owners, as car owners talk only to me. During the rest of the day, I meet with clients, resprayers, customisers and tuners, and schedule next month's jobs. 4pm, I return to the shop, join my staff to work on the cars and leave at 6pm. I've been in business for 6yrs, and currently, we're always fully booked. Now, we're full until mid-February:drool:
10yrs ago, I was in Corporate Training and I would like to share with you how I do it.
Training.
A skillful, experienced detailer might not be a good trainer.
Most employers will never doubt their own training abilities.
No1 mistake is to immediately show new guys how to do the various tasks.
Heck!! They don't even understand what your business is all about and why you're so concerned with "details"! Many newbies have commented that their new employer is a mad nut who's fanatical bout details over nothing.
My personal approach to a newbie is:
a. Show them what Pro Detailing is.
The first thing I do is to show videos of pro detailers working on cars (Meguiar's early ones are outdated but serves the purpose)
What's the reason for Pro Detailing?
How do the industry pros do it? (video)
This gives them a clear impression that it's not just another car wash doing cheapo polishing jobs. It's a totally different ballgame.
b. Explain the steps and extensive work required.
c. Make them understand that car owners are paying a premium and will demand quality work.
d. Once they have a clear picture in their mind, and the seriousness of the job, they'll understand what their salary requires them to do.
e. Start explaining and demonstrating the different processes. I will stop at the masking stage. Ensure they do the basics with excellence first and don't frighten them with too many details.
f. Monitor closely and provide polite guidance/correction.
Everytime I encounter a nice detailing video, I'll gather all my employees to watch how other pros do the work. To this day, I still show them pics from Autopia! My boys love the Autopia pics of solo mobile detailers doing their jobs, and the B&A pics! This continually reminds them of what professional work is, even for experienced staff.
The videos help inspire the new and motivate the experienced.
I'm a lousy cook.
If I were to dress professionally and work inside an 'open-view' kitchen in a 5 Michelin Star restaurant, it'll be stupidly and embarassingly obvious to most diners.
The way I move, my gestures and actions....they all show I'm not a kitchen person
Patient guidance and constant viewing of detailing videos, and real-life observation of another pro working, will slowly inculcate that professional "style" into a person's working body language. It's slow...but it'll come.
Discipline.
A fantastically-trained staff who generates 1st class results might not be EVERYTHING.
He might not be punctual (affecting your work schedule), regularly goes AWOL, spend too much time chatting, and behave in a non-professional manner. Your customers see these things....and it affects your establishment's image, including yours.
My personal approach to a newbie is:
1. If you're constantly late or go AWOL, your salary will be affected.
2. 100% no loud talking while working. You know exactly what you hv to do, so what's all the loud chatter for?
3. 100% no chatting on their mobile, especially when customer is in the shop.
4. All tools must be cleaned every weekend after shop closes,based on the roster.
5. Status of detailing supplies to be checked every 5days and reported.
The above is not meant to be authoritarian or harsh.
We might be disciplined as business owners.
But our employees are merely working long hours to make a simple living. They might not share our enthusiasm and passion in the business. Drilling them in discipline helps maintain their mindset that the detailing jobs done by this shop is serious shixx:razz:
On the softer side, I also reward my 6 employees with:
1. Free accomodation with 1 room to 1 person!:drool::drool:They share the utilities bill.
2. If we have to work beyond 7pm (4 out of 7days), dinner and drinks will be provided by the cafe next door, and overtime will be paid in CASH immediately.
3. If the last car is completed at 3pm, and will not be collected, and no other cars coming on that day (very rare), they can go home immediately.
Let's face it, our employees are critical. We need them.
Make them see how pros work.
Train them well.
Monitor closely and guide them.
When you start seeing something wrong, rectify immediately.
Project the impression that you're dead-serious, without being an idiot boss.
You don't need to be overly nice...but be humane, courteous and understanding:razz:
And never forget to give compliments if they've done a superb job:razz:
