Phrases like “Never let that technician talk to the customer” are more common than we think in the automotive industry. Still, there are simpler, more efficient, and profitable ways of dealing with the issue without locking a technician in a basement whenever a customer needs guidance or advice. 

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Jim Bennett, Owner and Operator of CarMasters Automotive since 1998, President of the Hampton Roads NAPA Business Development Group, Board Member of the Virginia Automotive Association, and Director of Technical Training and Development at ATI. Jim’s endless list of certifications is a testament to his passion for learning and developing creative solutions for the automotive industry. 

Throughout our conversation, we discuss the difficulties many auto repair shops face in hiring new talent, especially technicians. Jim highlights the importance of exposing managers, team leaders, and A techs to leadership training to make our lives easier as CEOs and improve our business workflow and growth. 

In addition, Jim explains how to elevate our leadership team by thinking of their leadership training in the long term, how to reverse the automotive industry’s reluctance to leadership training, and more. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why does the automotive industry struggle to find technicians (3:38)
• Jim talks about the importance of exposing our leadership team to leadership training (8:01)
• The massive opportunity for technology lovers to contribute to making cars safer and more reliable (13:23)
• How a 5 years plan can help you elevate your team (19:11)
• The differences between being OSHA-certified and OSHA-training (25:38)

Resources

• Connect with Jim on LinkedIn
• Email Jim at jim@autotraining.net