This is one of the toughest times in recent memory to be an employee.
The biggest reason isn’t mass layoffs or low wages or safety risks. It’s not because of anything related to employment at all. It’s simply because this is one of the toughest times in recent memory just to get through a day. In some industries, jobs have almost completely dried up, and nearly everyone knows someone who is suffering because of it. Many peoples’ lives are full of uncertainty and schedules change weekly, especially for those with kids in school. For people at the highest risk of serious illness or death if they contract COVID-19, just going about daily life is a minefield of masks, hand washing and prayers.
Of course, shop owners are stressed too. Some shops are trying to make ends meet because their customers can’t afford repairs. We’ve talked to many more shops who have the opposite problem – they are bursting at the seams with work but can’t find competent technicians with reasonable salary expectations to add to their teams. While one of those two situations has a better long-term outlook, neither of them are very much fun if you’re living through it daily.
Despite the stressors weighing down shop owners, it’s important to remember that shop employees are just as stressed as shop owners are. And it’s more important than ever to take a few minutes out of each day to appreciate and care for the employees that are helping you ride through whatever stormy weather 2020 has brought to your repair shop.
Appreciation Builds Loyalty
If your shop is busier than ever, your technicians are probably breaking records. Take a couple of minutes out of each day to recognize that fact. It will build employee loyalty to you and your shop and let them know that their hard work is not going unnoticed.
The time you spend talking about these things will pay for itself many times over. Shop Owner Magazine recently pointed out two interesting statistics. According to an employee survey, 81% of employees are motivated to work harder when their boss shows appreciation for their work. And 53% said they’d stay at a job longer if they received positive feedback on their performance.
If your shop is facing tough times, figure out what team members can do to help each other. Remember that employees aren’t going to be able to help you go the extra mile for your customers if something in their lives is preventing them from meeting their basic needs. A recent study asked employees if they planned to stay at their job for the next three years. Among employees who felt like their employers cared for them, 60% planned to stay for three years. Among those who didn’t think their employers cared for them, only 7% planned to stay.
When a shop is in a tough spot, one of the most important assets is a team of hard-working employees who want to stay there and support each other through the hardship. If you want to keep that team, make sure you’re taking a few minutes out of each day to focus on their needs and their accomplishments!
To learn how Repair Shop Websites can help your shop earn new customers, call us at 855-294-6397 or email us at Team_RSW@RepairShopWebsites.com.