Training Tidbit #1

Training has long been a problem for many dealerships.

• The employees should come to the job trained and ready to work
• The employees should continue their schooling on their own time
• Why should I train people they just leave me and go work for the competition

On the other hand

• I don’t want to have under skilled people ever
• I will support learning in any form
• I expect my employees to be curious and hungry learners

In the years since 2008 – which I will label “BBS” – “Before Bear Stearns” dealerships have reduced their expenditures on employee training dramatically.

We offer management training through associations and directly to manufacturers and dealers for Parts Management, Service Management, Parts & Service Marketing Management and Product Support Selling via a Company called Quest, Learning Centers. We have developed nine programs each of which is a fifteen hour training class. These Quest classes had an average attendance of 25 to 30 managers and supervisors in our “class room” sessions. Since 2009 that number has fallen to from 10 to 15. One of the many different advantages from class room learning is the interaction between attendees both in the room and after hours.

Our response to this reduction has been to produce and provide alternative forms of learning; The Webinar and Internet Self Study.

As an educator I am not happy with the webinar format. I cannot see the learner. I don’t know if they got it or not. I don’t know if they are paying attention of not. But I have created sixteen webinar classes; eight for parts and eight for service. We offer each of them twice a year, each of them lasts about an hour. Technology is advancing and we now have available a format where we can see the attendees on a webinar and they can see each other and the instructor. On Self Study we have been slow to get to market. It has been a learning curve but we are in the final phases of introducing our internet self-study programs. There will be four for the parts group and four for the service group and each program will take from four hours to six hours to complete.

I believe in learning. I believe that each individual has a responsibility to continue their education through their complete life. I live that belief too. I hope you agree with me and will join me in encouraging everyone to continue their personal development through attending learning sessions whether it is in a classroom or some other format. The time is now.