DealersEdge Professional Forums

I am sure several of you have contracts your techs must sign prior to being sent for training. Would any of you be willing to send a copy my way?

We are a small dealership, about to spend some real money, or at least real to us, to train some new to us techs. The owners are concerned, and I dont blame them.

Thanks,

spw-tucker@naxs.net

A contract? The first dealer I worked for as a tech refused to train any of the young guys, because they would find a better place to work. He was right, we all found places that appreicated us and that would invest in and help us grow. Training is the best gift you can give them and you will benefit more than them. If you are looking for a guarantee they will stay, keep training them and growing them. If you loan a friend $1000.00 and never see him again, it was probably worth it!

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RUSTY B

If you are interested, I have a non compete contract. I use it for more of a salesman type but might be able to adjust it to fit your needs.

That just protects us from the salesman going to our competition. Taking all of our customers.

post your email and I will send you a copy if you are interested.

You dont need a contract, just have them a sign a promissory note for the full value including their wages. I use a six month expiration. The simple concept is that they pay for their training just like they would in college. If they continue to work for the dealership for six months the debt is forgiven. MAJOR point. This is a loan at the time the class is taken. Loan forgivness is based solely on continued employment. If they quit or are terminated for any reason we go after the cash... Then all you have to do is space out the training so that you keep them.

promissory notes are readily available on the internet. I use one of the ones available on the Microsoft office web site.

There is not way I would go in debt with any dealer. I would insist on doing it for free or taking a vacation day to do hands on or assessments. Worked for a dealer about 7 years ago that would charge training back, I did not accept compensation. It was a good thing because I bumped my fate rate $4 an hour by leaving. That was about 4 dealers ago.

I agree with DealerProfit. We used to have them sign something that only stated that if they left within a certain amount of time they would be responsible for the training costs. When i was hired into service manager the dealership had not done much training, our training expense to get caught up was tremendous; and we only lost one person that we had spent money on. THe emphasis is on growing the tech, and making sure they know you care about them. if they know you care they will stay even at a lower wage, as long as it's not a huge difference.

More and more companies are including training and continuing education clauses in their handbooks. You might do well to include something in the handbook that states that if you leave the employ of your store, you are responsible for the repayment of training provided by the dealer (might even make it based on a proration based on length of time since training was done). HTH

Might be worth checking legal exposure on this.

In my state a definate delineation is made between assigned training and voluntary/optional/employee requested training.

If the training is *assigned* then the employee is off the hook....

DD

Yeah - I wouldn't say more and more companies do this - I happen to see the reverse. A few points -

* There is a legal issue in many states - where this is ummm, well illegal.

* Training is cost of doing business and just because your feelings get hurt when a guy shorthands you doesn't make it right to get training revenge money. If his new employer is worth his salt he'd offer to cover it anyway - I know I would.

* How do you determine cost? His hourly rate, what about travel time, what about classes he really didn't want to go to, etc.

* Do you charge the guy who has to suddently move across the country to take care of his dying mother? Is it legal to have different standards?