The key to running a better shop is improving customer service and employing a motivated, professional team, with strategic leadership as the foundation.
Strategic or “situational” leadership comes down to understanding others and adapting both service levels and management styles to accommodate each individual personality, says Kim Trochlil, national account manager for Leadership 3p, Minneapolis, Minn. This is certainly no small task, but she provides a framework to consider.
Improving Customer Service
First, remember that customers usually dread buying vehicle repair services and walk in ready to receive no gratification, which already puts your shop at a disadvantage service-wise.
Trochlil said to start by moving away from the concept of customer satisfaction and toward the concept of loyalty. Satisfaction implies that a customer got what he/she paid for — no more, no less. Will this customer return or refer your shop to someone else? Maybe. But a customer who makes a positive emotional connection with your shop is more likely to be loyal, return for service and consistently refer your shop.
“What you do and sell is not rare; it’s everywhere, and I can go to anyone at any time. Why would I go to any of you?” Trochlil asked. “The world is built on trying to grab your attention; the only way to fight that is with loyalty.”
Trochlil divided people into four basic, broad categories: directors, relaters, thinkers and socializers. After a customer walks in your door, successfully grouping him or her into one of these categories, and then matching your approach to their expectations, could mean the difference between a loyal customer, a merely satisfied customer or, potentially, a dissatisfied customer.
Directors are open and direct. They are strong willed, practical and efficient. They prefer control and would like choices. Deal in facts, be clear and get to the point.
Relaters are open and indirect. For them, it’s about trust and care. Be casual and slower with a relater. Interact with their kids, be sincere and don’t rush them.
Thinkers are private and indirect. Thinkers are about the process. They’d like to analyze and see the facts. Stick to business and provide evidence. It’s best to avoid being too casual.
Socializers are also open and direct, like Directors. But, this is the person who tells you their life story within five minutes. Ask their opinions, get to know them and quickly make it fun. Don’t get too technical and cold.
Trochlil said each of these four categories represent an equal, one-fourth of the population. Keep this in mind when mapping out best practices for your service approach.
Improving Managerial Skills
Trochlil summed up situational leadership like this: “Understand the situation you want to influence, adapt your behavior to meet the needs of the situation, and communicate in a way people will understand and accept.”
Trochlil also sees situational leadership in four quadrants: telling, selling, participating and delegating.
Telling is a high-task, low- relationship approach — often the approach you’d have with brand new employees. Here’s how this is done, here’s where this is, etc.
Selling is a high-task, high- relationship approach. The employee understands the process, but now you’ve added more conversation.
Participating is a high-relationship, low- task approach. Hopefully the employee has progressed to the point where you mostly check in on the work, while having more conversations about life and interests.
Delegating is low-relationship and low-task. You can basically golf every day and know everything will be fine.
“Just because you are a manager doesn’t mean you are a leader,” Trochlil said. Management is a title, focused on goals and forecasts, something she called position power. This person is just a boss. She encouraged moving the line more to personal power when possible, where trust develops between the boss and the employee.
Each of these approaches depends on an employee’s experience level. Are they an enthusiastic beginner? A developing learner? A challenging performer? Trochlil noted that situational leadership means you might need to move from a participator to a seller if there is a new process, or if that employee has started slipping.
“To do all of this, you need leadership — moving away from command and control to a developmental approach,” Trochlil advised. “How can I help you today? What’s the challenge today, and I’ll find a way to make it right.”
