DealersEdge Professional Forums

Check the lead article in the July 16 issue of DealersEdge. It's about staffing levels in a 150 car a month dealership.

We based the staffing template on several ratios (1 salesman for every 10 units, 1 sales manager for every 5 salespeople, etc.)

We're certainly not the last word on staffing. What do you think? Anyone doing it differently?

I'm glad this topic has come up. I'm the controller in a store with 9 techs, 1 service manager, 2 service writers, 1 dispatcher, 1 warranty clerk, and 1 cashier/customer follow up.

I know we have too many support people, but have not been successful in proving my case. Any suggestions for resources to back up my perspective will be appreciated.

Ray Zamastil
river3@htc.net

Comments on Staffing guidelines for the average store

I would suggest that if the dealer/principal wants to optimize the return on investment, that they would not need both a General Manager and a General Sales Manager. I would think if a dealer/principal is semi active in the dealership and has a General Manager, especially at a 150 vehicles a month store that the General Manager could be both General Sales Manager and Fixed Operations Director. If you have a dealer/principal that is very active in the dealership then you would need a General Sales Manager, and Fixed Operations Director and would not need a General Manager. As a General Manager of a dealership with a semi active owner selling 225 to 250 new/used a month, we do very well in our market in both sales volume and overall profit without a General Sales Manager. We have 2 new car managers and a used car director and an assistant used car manager.

I think the amount of staffing a 150 a month store needs can be directly related to the quality of management and non management (i.e.: salespersons, techs, service writers) personnel that you have. But I do think having an owner and General Manager and General Sales Manager at a 150 vehicle a month store is a bit of an overkill in management, or a lack of management in management.


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