If you run a car repair workshop, it is important to foster good employee relations, and much like other sectors, the auto industry can present a range of HR issues. People are obviously human and if there should be any employee conflicts, you might need some legal advice, customers can be fickle and it isn’t uncommon for a customer to claim compensation.
Here are a few tips to ensure you get the best from your auto workshop employees.
- Promote A Team Spirit – If everyone from the receptionist to the head technician feels like they are part of a team, your business will be efficient and if things are going well, let everyone know you appreciate their hard work. From an employee’s perspective, work recognition is a big motivator, and even when you do have to reprimand an employee, do it with a positive slant. There will always be employee issues and it is important that you follow the procedure set out by labor laws regarding disciplinary action.
- Promote Your Staff – If you haven’t got a staff page on the company website, this should be on your things to-do list. A short bio and an image of each employee not only give the customer a face to a name, it also makes employees feel like they belong to a family. An employee of the month award is always a winner, for both employer and employee and if you run a relatively small workshop, you should be able to cultivate a good relationship with all your staff.
- Performance Bonuses – You could set up a customer rating for your technicians and the one with the highest monthly score wins a prize or gets a bonus. You could do the same for attendance, which does reduce absenteeism and that has to be a good thing. Setting up a customer review system on your website will benefit you in several ways, plus your employees will be trying hard to please the customer.
- Team Up With A Leading HR Company – From drafting employment contracts to representing you in a claims court, a reputable automotive HR consulting service protects your business in many ways. Unfair dismissal cases are common and without legal advice, you could end up with a compensation payment and a sizable legal bill and if a customer thinks you were negligent, they might take legal action, which demands a quick response. Of course, if you think your employee was negligent, it is best to settle out of court, which is best for all parties.
The best solution for all your HR needs is to join forces with a leading HR consultant with experience in the auto industry. From procurement to dealing with legal disputes, if you have HR specialists in your team, you can say goodbye to employee-related issues, which will all be handled by your HR consultant.
Every successful business has a team of happy employees who work well together and being customer focused is the key to providing 5-star service.