Investing in Technicians Fuels Dealership Growth

As service managers, our mission is to cultivate an engaged, skilled team of automotive technicians who stay with us for the long haul. These techs drive productivity in the service department and help foster an exceptional repair experience for customers. But with the growing demand for auto techs nationwide, retaining these individuals takes a comprehensive strategy. 

It starts with recruitment - making sure we attract promising entry level techs who we can then teach, mentor, and elevate within the company over time through an internal pipeline. Apprentice programs do just that, offering training and growth opportunities for new techs to progress their skills on the job. By demonstrating internal mobility and helping techs near their ASE certifications, we show technicians they can thrive here long term. This allows us to construct a service department interwoven with tenured technicians alongside newly onboarded talent, supporting continuity and knowledge transfer while driving productivity. Our aim should be developing a service team as constructed and durable as the cars we service. 

Alongside development initiatives, our retention focused approach means implementing a competitive compensation and benefits plan that makes technicians feel valued for their work today and tomorrow. Whether it’s tool reimbursement, past success bonuses or 401K matching, we provide income and perks that set our technicians up for financial security. We also need to foster an inclusive, team first culture where technicians support one another and feel heard by leadership. Bi annually satisfaction surveys help us continuously improve the dealership as a workplace to better meet the needs of these skilled individuals. 

When talented technicians feel supported in growing their skills and see their future success closely linked to the success of the dealership, retention follows more easily. By putting programs and culture in place to help technicians thrive now and in the future, our service departments will remain a tightly knit unit delivering strong results for customers while also powering the long term growth and prosperity of the dealership as a whole. This approach sets technicians and in turn the dealership up for many miles of continued achievement down the road.

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