I have watched countless presentations from dealers who want a change from their employees. Generally, these discussions don’t go well and the tone of the dealer is one of superiority that controls the conversation and doesn’t ask for input. Their authority is never in question and I am confident all of them desire an improvement of some kind. An adherence to policy or procedure that the staff isn’t complying with must be addressed by management to have any hope of improvement. After this type of meeting the staff generally feels insignificant and unappreciated. Resentment and anger are often developed when dealer’s view their teams as a whipping post that must bow to their command. Today I witnessed a presentation from a second generation dealer’s son Bobby Preston with Preston Auto Group in Ohio and Pennsylvania that illustrated the finest most productive approach I have ever seen. This wasn’t a way for Bobby to manipulate the team to his desires. He started the conversation illustrating the concerns and what the dealership expectations were to provide the ultimate customer experience on a consistent basis. He then proceeded to get input from the team on ways management could be of assistance to achieve it. He listened to their concerns individually and openly discussed ways to overcome them. He genuinely wanted to remove the obstacles and help make compliance obtainable. Several team members openly admitted they got away from the process and understand its importance committing to go back and perform best practice again. I challenge everyone in management to take this personal approach in team development. Isn’t it amazing that basic communication will always be the foundation of successful management and customer care? 

Sincerely,
Rob Gehring, President
Fixed Performance Inc.
rgehring@fixedperformance.com
1-888-205-8718
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