Sales floor coverage/schedule

[robc]

While everyone understand in tough times you have to put in a few more hours to get the job done I was wondering what is a "scheduled" work week for sales people. Not the "typical" work week of staying bell-to-bell and coming in on days-off, but what are people scheduling. My schedules are 5-day, 50-hour weeks (9-9 3 days, 3-8 one day, and 9-6 on saturday). This just seemed average to me.

[sallen1]

Rob,

Sales for us have been open 7 days for a very long time. We have two teams and they have "every other weekend off" such that the teams work split shifts (9am - 2pm 2pm to close) M-Th and the shift that is on for the weekend goes 9-close Fr and 10-Close Sa and Su. Sales meeting every morning for the on-shift, full team meeting Monday 2pm. Manager/Exec staff meeting Tues morning.

Managers rotate the schedule so that at least two are on duty.

Seems to work OK. Love to close Sundays but that's California for you.

s

[djs]

DUring daylight savings we work two shifts 8-4:30 and 9:00 to 7:00 M-F. The early shift has the weekend off. Everyone gets an afternoon off as well. The two shifts change every week so everyone gets every other weekend off. After daylight savings we work 8:30 to 6:00 M_F with every other weekend off for everyone. We are open M-F and Sat until 5:00 in sales. Service is open til noon on Sat. Works for us and the families love it. Midwest store in town of 25,000 people.

[CARServices]

Scheduling is and should be based on market. Years ago, I ran a dealership for an absentee owner. Since before he bought the store, it was closed on Sundays when our competition was not. Every Saturday, we put fliers on the windows of all the cars. It said, "Take your time and look around. Come back Mondays for a great deal."

Sounds simple and it worked. During the first year of ownership we averaged 7 deals every Monday in a store that did between 85-100 cars per month. Something changed with the dealer who believed more is better. He announced we would be open on Sundays.

Within 60 days of Sunday business the numbers looked like this. We now averaged 2-3 deals per Monday and a good Sunday was 3 sales. Net loss 1-2 deals per week.

Last week, I was doing training for a dealer in North Carolina. On the first two days of our programs we work key to key to get to know the entire operation. This one was easy. The dealer closed at 6pm Monday Through Friday and 3 pm on Saturday. Had done it that way for nearly 40 years.

All of his competition was open until 8 pm on weekdays and till 5 on Saturdays. Yet, in a store with hours that many sales people think is unheard of, they sell as many or more than all the other dealers in the area.

Point - It's not the hours. It's the effort put in by the people working the hours that determine each month's outcome.

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John Fuhrman
Senior Trainer
Carolina Automotive Resource Services