Best Practices Supplement - December 2022 - S25

BEST PRACTICES 2022
25
KEY IS
process has shown that customer satisfaction
and dealership performance follow
directly from tracking staff satisfaction,
Deveau said.
Employees weren't open immediately
to sharing concerns, she said, but that
changed as the process went on.
" It has definitely taken time in building
that trust, that it's not held against
them. "
HOW EVERYONE PROFITS
For Volvo of Edmonton's Norris, a
big part of creating that culture has been
reworking compensation so the staff
is involved in the profits of the entire
dealership rather than their individual
departments.
" We decided we were going to pool the
gross [revenue] from used, new, parts
and service, and finance, " he said. " It
has worked out fantastic. Instead of having
these silos, we found everybody started
to work together. It made no sense to
lose a new-car sale because the used-car
manager wouldn't put an extra $200 into
a trade. "
Crosby: Audi
KitchenerWaterloo
" doubled
down "
on corporate
culture, making
it a part of
staff training,
retention and
recruitment.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
Aside from compensation,
Norris
also finds ways to
reward staff that go
beyond monetary,
such as treat days,
staff lunches and
encouragements to
balance work and
life. Employees also
are mentored in ways
to progress in their
careers.
Most importantly,
the dealership
provides support for
staff facing personal
issues, including providing
both performance
psychologists
and a chaplain. Volvo
of Edmonton now
has a team of psychologists on standby
and pays $200 per hour for psychological
counselling.
If those issues, such as substance
abuse, become serious, help is also provided.
" We
don't fire someone, " Norris said.
" We get to the root of the problem, get
them into a program and get them the
help they newed. "
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The result is little staff turnover,
which has another benefit.
" We are not just profitable, we are
incredibly profitable, " Norris said.
WORK-LIFE REBALANCE
Wellness has also become a key
part of Birchwood Hyundai's human
resources program. The pandemic
spurred a renewed emphasis on worklife
balance, said Mike Dobush, general
manager of the Winnipeg dealership.
The store provides extra consideration
for staff to help with family health
care needs. It also partnered with a
local company, Pure Lifestyle, to offer
staff the opportunity for one-on-one consultations
to develop a personal wellness
plan. Birchwood covers the cost of
the initial consultation and coordinates
other services - such as physiotherapy,
nutrition and massage therapy - with
its benefits provider, Dobush said.
The dealership has modified several
of its compensation plans, specifically for
commissioned staff, to help manage the
reduction in vehicle sales, Dobush said.
It also pays higher amounts for other
key performance indicators in customer
service, training,
inventory acquisition,
repairs done correctly
the first time and productivity.
At
South Trail
Chrysler in Calgary,
part of its culture is
built through regular
" dealership walks " by
the dealer principal
and general manager,
said Helena Byrne,
human resources
manager for the
19-store McManes
Group.
" When a dealer
principal or general
manager walks
the dealership to
say hello to staff and
inquire on how they
are, how their families
are, " Byrne said,
" it displays a great
Byrne: The
leadership of
South Trail
Chrysler walks
the dealership
to talk with
the staff and
in doing so
" shows our
employees that
no matter our
roles, everyone
is appreciated
and valued. "
PHOTO: LINKEDIN
sense of value and shows our employees
that no matter our roles, everyone is
appreciated and valued. " - ANC
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Best Practices Supplement - December 2022

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