PEER TO PEER How Do I Clean Up Shop?
THE PROBLEM: “My store has been open for awhile, and I feel
like things have gotten out of hand. Employees seem to come and go when they want, our store is dirty and we generally lack order. I know it’s my fault, and I want to get things moving in the right direction. The thing is, I need to figure out where to start without taking on too many things at once and getting overwhelmed; or just getting everyone upset and making things worse. What should be my first step, and how should I go about it?”
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Positivity Works: “I experienced this situation about 12 years ago. I would try to keep my inter- action with the employees positive and create incentives, some of which may include days off or bonuses. It’s also important to instill in the employ- ees that it’s their shop as much as it is mine. I don’t believe in top-down leadership and see my- self as more of an equal with my guys. This tactic may not be popular, but I firmly believe the prob- lem starts and ends with the people themselves. I don’t believe in threatening people, because it likely won’t work.” — Don Amann, Unexpected Creations, Edison, N.J.
Communication First: “I think that creating bet- ter communication with your employees is the first step. In order to achieve that, the first step should be to set up regular meetings and trainings. This is particularly necessary if you have multiple stores.
In these meetings, employees should be able to say whether they feel progress is being made and take in account my input as their boss. The goal is to get everyone on the same page so we can move forward and go step-by-step until we reach our goals.” — Shawn Brodoski, dfm Car Stereo, Ukiah, Calif.
Get Tough: “The first step I would take is to meet with the guys and go over every detail about what has been going wrong and
how we have to turn things around. I would lay it all out and reiterate until they get the point. I would also remind my employees that when they first started their job, they had to sign a handbook that spelled out what was expected of them and that they had not met those expectations. I would hope that will remind them to get in line and that they need to start coming in on time and taking better care of the shop.”
— Joe O’Byrne, Brentwood Car Audio, Brentwood, Calif. Team Up: “I would set up a meeting with the employees and make an inventory list of what has gone wrong or needs to be
improved. As a solution for some of these problems, we could set up a system where goals get accomplished through teamwork. Doing it this way wouldn’t single out any individual, but instead challenge the entire staff. For extra commission, I would also consider letting them earn commission once they meet certain quota. As far as cleaning the showroom and the installation bays, I would split up the chores like this was my own home, where employees have assigned chores on a rotating basis.” — David Tapia, Professional Car Audio, Porterville, Calif.
Need Help With a Problem in Your Store? Send us an e-mail at
info@me-mag.com.
66 Mobile Electronics June| July 2011
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