Shop Foreman Authority

[Doug]

Hi Gang,
Here's a question for those of you who have a shop foreman. A little background first....

A couple years ago I turned an especially sharp, younger tech into a shop foreman and he's doing very well. I have been giving him more responsibilty and it leaves me more time for administrative work. Now I work mostly with the advisors and he handles probably 60% of all shop issues. We have 15 techs and 3 advisors. We handle 4 domestic and 1 import carlines.

Now, the question: have any of you given your shop foreman hiring and firing authority and/or the horsepower to make disciplinary decisions/actions ? Naturally, he'll need some coaching but I think he's ready.

Thoughts ? Experiences ? Many thanks.

Doug

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[robc]

In essence, what you are deciding to do is elevate the position to an Asst. Manager level. I have seen this well work in several shops. In one Texas store I am thinking about it's a pretty equal partnership for the service manager (director) to handle the sales and administrative end of the business and the shop manager to handle production. This includes personnel management. Certainly any hirings/firings would be discussed with the SM first, but the ultimate decision primarily lies with the shop foreman. I think the shop will be more comfortable with those decisions coming from someone close to the scene other than a person who is somewhat removed from the daily workings of the shop.



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** Rob, Editor WD&S **
Help is only a message post away!
robc@dealersedge.com

[MBailey]

Doug,

I have a shop foreman who handles the shop as well, and it works very well for me also. If anything, I would like for him to be a little bit more agressive at times in disciplinary/administrative matters, but he is getting there. I have let him know that I will back him up 100%, as long as he has thought through and analyzed a solution properly. He is not comfortable with doing the actual firing when needed, so I'm the "triggerman" when that is called for.

I think it is a good idea to have a joint decision on hiring/firing issues, as two heads are always better than one.

[Michael White]

If you are lucky enough to have a shop foreman have the abilities to hire/fire, then make him a assistant service manager. A shop foreman' role should primarily be there to support you in knowing what's up in the shop, and give technical assistance to advisors, techs and yourself. The foreman needs to be somethong the techs can go to no matter what. However, he should be envolved in disceplinary actions as a positive influance and someone the tec can go to. Making him have fire abilities over and above advising you is out of the job description of foreman. Also, be careful about giving him the ability to do warranty goodwills and add ons. His description probably does not match P&P.
Mike

[sallen1]

Hey Michael White,

I'm operating under the assumption that the dealer can designate anyone in service management for warranty sigs/add-ons, etc. Been doing it with our shop foreman (asst. manager) for three years and done two audits and the issue never came up.

scott

[roytunno]

I have two shop foremans and both have the authority to hire and fire. I have aligned both the Service Advisors and Shop Foremans together and give them the same authority. What I found in the past is that the technicians will align with the shop foreman (former tech, same thinking) and not listen to the advisors. When I hire any new techs, I introduce them to all of the service advisors and let them know the they are also their supervisors. This also helps me when it comes to personel issues such as calling in sick, being late, missed promise times, etc. The service andvisors have a vested interest in getting the techs here to complete any jobs they have. This works great because they do not put up with the silly excuses that the techs come up with. The shop foremans have roughly 8-10 techs under them and the receive and $0.50 override on all the work that their techs complete. It is a modified version of a lateral support system. This also gives the shop foreman a vested interest in having the techs here on time and working.

[Michael White]

Hi Scott,
Strick interpretaion of P&P describes what service managment is. I believe they are more interested in how that position is paid. If you are calling you foreman an assistant manager, then they may not have a concern. I believe the person needs to be on salary, with financial incentives based on the profitability of the department.
Much of my concern is the classic interpretation of the title; foreman, versus assistant service manager. We are a union shop and my foreman is a union member, paid hourly. Maybe it is just paranoia on my part.
Mike White

[sallen1]

a little off topic:

seems to me that the factory would want the person responsible for warranty interpretation NOT to be compensated by dept. profit.

put a carrot out there and see who follows

scott

ps. our foremen are paid on profit, in case you were wondering!