SNAP-ON, MAC, MATCO TOOL GUYS

[dodgeboy]

AS I SIT HERE IN MY OFFICE GOING OVER TECHNICIAN PRODUCTIVITY FOR THE WEEK, THROUGH THE WINDOW I SEE, YET , ANOTHER TOOL SALESMAN PULLING IN THE PARKING LOT. IT'S 4:10PM AND I KNOW THAT ONCE AGAIN MY TECHS HAVE TO STOP WORK TO SHOOT THE SHIT WITH THIS GUY. WHO, AND HOW, HAVE ANY OF YOU PUT A HANDLE ON THIS? AT THIS TIME I HAVE THREE TOOL COMPANIES COMING HERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME OF THE DAY OR WEEK. YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOUR TECHS ARE SPENDING WITH THESE TOOL GUYS. I KNOW THE TECHS NEED TOOLS, BUT THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY. ANY IDEAS BEFORE I THROW THEM ALL OUT???

[Ronc925]

You can somewhat manage this by asking the tool guys to come at a specific time.

At the dealership I was at, it was 11:30 or 4:30. That way the tech had to use part of his lunch or after hour time to talk to the tool distributor.

If they won't cooperate, you can go further by requiring them to come at 5PM, calling their managers, or threaten to not allow them on your dealership lot at all.

I have never seen a tool salesman be uncooperative with a reasonable request.

[Ronc925]

Dodgeboy-

However, after I sent my first reply, if you have a serious problem with technician productivity, you should look for other problems within your dealership as all dealerships have the same percentage of tech down time from the toolsalesmen.

Just a couple that come to mind:
What is your parts departments' off the shelf fill rate for parts. Do they wait for parts to be picked up from other dealers, or never get the sale because of part availability.

What percentage of upsell opportunities are actually sold by the advisors.

Do the advisors get pre-approval for repairs, or is it always we'll diagnose it, then give you a call, slowing down tech efficiency.

What is your Hrs/RO average. Techs are not very efficient when they get 1.5 hours per RO compared to 2.5 hours per RO.

Is maintenace work 40-50% of your shop's activity (where techs are usually 130-200% efficient, or are you loaded down with Quick services and heavy repairs that are inefficient in comparision(90-110%) for tech's?

[dodgeboy]

OK RONC, MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO VAGUE ABOUT THE TOOL SALESMAN ISSUE. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE VALID, BUT THEY ARE NOT THE CONCERN. TOTAL SHOP PRODUCTIVITY IS FINE. IT JUST ANNOYS ME TO NO END TO SEE AN ENDLESS STREAM OF TOOL SALESMEN SHOW UP HERE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. THE TECHS STOP WORKING AND IT BECOMES A SOCIAL GATHERING. THE TECHS WILL BITCH ABOUT WAITING 5 MINUTES AT THE PARTS COUNTER, BUT THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM SPENDING 20-25 MIN. OF MY TIME SOCIALIZING WITH THE TOOL GUY. YOU TAKE 9 TECHS TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 10-20 MINUTES AT A TIME AND IT ADDS UP. I LIKE TO BE A FAIR GUY, BUT THEY ARE CUTTING INTO MY PRODUCTIVE TIME.
AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON CELL PHONES IN THE SHOP!

[This message has been edited by dodgeboy (edited 09-12-2003).]

[jdaniel]

A couple of thoughts-
First, ask the tool guys to cooperate. They don't want to get tossed out and if they know there is a problem it is in their best interest to cooperate.

Second, lay down the law as far as how many techs can go to a truck at one time. Way back when I was a tech one of my employers limited it to one tech at a time- if the tool guy wanted to sell anything without spending the day at one store he had to hustle us through the truck.

As far as cell phones- too bad there isn't a device that lets us jam the signal...
And sell the idea to restaurants, too.

Jack

[flyboy]

Just instituted a policy here that seems to be working great.

No trucks advertising there wares (after all, it is a rolling billboard in which they are paying no rent on my lot) before 5:00. Every truck comes same day, park in same local and not show early.

Actually, I received no hassles from any of the drivers.

I had considred the noon time, but this is working well enough I dont plan to change.

[AJHORNE]

I DON'T THINK PUNISHMENT OR BEING HARD WITH THE TECHS WILL GET TO FAR.YOU KNOW HOW THEY GET WHEN YOU TRY AND COME DOWN ON THEM.I HAVE 4 TOOL GUY'S COME BUY.THEY WALK TO EACH TECHS BOX TO SEE THEM.IF THEY GATHER IN ONE SPOT TOO LONG I JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND STICK MY NOSE IN. THEY USUALY BREAKUP.I MAY HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING BUT I DO IT SUTTLE.IF THE TECH THINKS IT'S HIS IDEA TO GO BACK TO WORK IT'S MUCH EASIER.I DON'T LIKE THEM EITHER BUT THEY ARE A PART OF THE BUSINESS.I GAVE THE TECHS A CHOICE.DON'T ABUSE THE TIME AND I WON'T HAVE TO MAKE RULES THAT WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO SEE THE TOOL GUY'S.

I ALSO ASKED EACH TOOL REP TO NOT TAKE TOO LONG WITH EACH TECH.THEY UNDERSTAND AND WE ALL GET ALONG.

HOPE THIS HELPED

------------------
ANDY H

[RGI Controller]

Hey guys, how 'bout we file this one under "can't see the trees for the forest?" All you need to do is make the work day a half hour longer. Then you don't need to worry about the tool man, coffee and cigarette breaks, air guitar, who won the game last night and what ever else cuts into productivity.

------------------
Best regards,

RGI Controller

[chucks]

With tonge-in-cheek I'll offer this "solution". Simply provide the techs with the catalogs from the tool salesmen, and make it clear to them that they have to read them not during business hours, and have them bring you the list of tools for the DEALERSHIP to buy for them. This way it will be a member of dealership management out in the trucks, spending the dealer's money, and the techs can just keep on working. If nothing else helps, look at the bright side, at least they're not spending a week at the NADA convention.
-------------------------------------
But seriously, in my thirty years of management, I've yet to come across a tool dealer that won't cooperate with minimizing the amount of lost productivity from my techs.

[This message has been edited by chucks (edited 10-13-2003).]

[MR]

REALIZING I'M MONTHS BEHIND IN GETTING IN ON THIS CONVERSATION, BUT WE TOO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE "TOOL GUYS". BESIDES THE IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY, WE HAVE CONCERN THAT OUR GUYS ARE BASICALLY CAPTIVE TO THESE TOOL VENDORS FOR QUALITY TOOLS. REPS OF ALL THREE MAJOR COMPANIES CALL ON OUR SHOP, WHICH CONSISTS OF ABOUT 60 TECHNICIANS. THEIR INTEREST RATES ARE EXORBITANT, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY EVEN CASH THE GUYS' PAYCHECKS FOR THEM AS A MEANS OF GETTING THEIR HANDS ON THE MONEY EASIER. AS A DEALERSHIP WE ARE INTERESTED IN SETTING UP A TOOL PROGRAM FOR OUR TECH;S WITH THE DEALERSHIP PROVIDING INTEREST-FREE FINANCING, POSSIBLY NEGOTIATING DISCOUNTS WITH THE TOOL REPS FOR VOLUME PURCHASES AND IMMEDIATE PAYMENT. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE WERE APPROACHED BY A BENEFITS COMPANY WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TOOL PURCHASES COULD BE PRE-TAX....UNFORTUNATELY WE WEREN'T INTERESTED AT THE TIME AND CAN'T LAY HANDS ON THE INFORMATION NOW. ANYONE WHO HAS THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM IN THEIR DEALERSHIP, INFORMATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I THINK THIS COULD BE A SUPER PROGRAM FOR OUR TECH'S......