Service Technicians

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The complaints are still out there- “I can’t find any experienced equipment technicians.” Isn’t it obvious by now that anyone worth anything that has experience is going to be working already? If there is a technician available and they apply for work I am sure that you will give them a very thorough interview and background check.

We need to develop our own technicians. As obvious as that seems to be we continue to be in denial.

Hire willing young men and women (yes women) who have a mechanical aptitude and get them into a development program. Start as we did in the old days with one “help/trainee” for every two technicians. Set up a training program. Work with local technical schools and unions and customers who offer technical training. Establish a “career path” training program. It will take roughly three years to create a market ready technician.

There are wonderful programs at Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee for one which works with dealers and manufacturers to offer specific brand training programs. Caterpillar, John Deere, Toyota and Ditch Witch to name a few work with schools around the country on these programs. Check out your local area to find the schools that you can partner with in this area.

Caring about your employees, providing training and a safety aware work place will go a long way to retaining your employees. Some dealers, and extremely success dealers, have never had a layoff of technical employees. Imagine what that says to the employee.

The time to complain has long since passed – don’t you think we should start developing our own? The time is now…..

Dashboard Management

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In the January issue of the Construction Equipment Digest, the monthly magazine of the Associated Equipment Distributors, my monthly column focused on the use of Dashboards as a management tool. You can see the article at www.rjslee.com under the Articles tab, CED January 2012.

I suppose the promotion of Dashboard management started with Jack Welsh’s book “Straight from the Gut – although where ever it got its push to get into the mainstream of management it really doesn‘t matter other than the fact that it got there.

The old management by walking around style is still with us and useful. That haviong been said the current group of professional managers needs different tools for different times.

What has been your experience with Dashboards?

Can we make a difference

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The transition to team management while still encouraging curiosity is struggling as management doesn’t know how to encourage risk taking without contradicting the work of the team.

The story of the ages is that people will take risks when they have less to lose and be risk averse when they have a lot to lose. How to break through this paradigm will be a challenge.

To lower parts inventories while improving customer availability.

To guarantee completion dates on repairs while embracing employee satisfaction.

To retain customers while payment patterns change.

All of these challenges exist because we have been rather timid over the past years to tackle changes necessary in a meaningful manner. Now is the time.

Here we are…

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Welcome to our blog. We will be involved in discussions and debates on all subjects relating to the operational aspects of equipment dealers and distributors in the Capital Goods Industries. Parts, Service, Product Support Selling, Marketing and Customer Service will be our focus here. But we don’t want to limit your repsonses or thinking to those topics alone. We hope you enjoy and will learn without having to incur the scars on various parts of your body or mind.

Keep involved and participate as we communicate with you on a weekly basis. Thanks for your interest.

The time is now…