Each of a repair shop’s employees has a different thing that makes him or her tick, says Steve Louden, who presented a session titled “Employees, a key to your business success” Friday at the Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS) show.
Louden, from Louden Motorcar Services, Inc., encourages managers to find motivators that are non-monetary. For example, he gave one of his managers a set of golf clubs.
“One thing that works well is giving out gift certificates to a tool truck,” says Louden. “When you’re thinking of motivating your people, get personal,” he says, adding 89 percent of managers believe employees leave for more money, when in fact 88 percent of employees state they leave for reasons other than money.
Louden also sought to dispel myths about what motivates employees, the first myth being that money is a good motivator. Other myths, he adds, are that fear is a good motivator, that managers can’t comprehend employee motivation and that what motivates a manager will also motivate his or her employees.
If the employee is motivated by the same things you are, he adds, then you would be working for the employee rather than the employee working for you.
