I have owned and run a successful classic car repair and restoration business for ~ 25 years and am about ready to hang it up.
I am done with employees PERIOD!!! Everyone of them that was here longer than a year cost me financially and some emotionally.
I had the silly idea that if you paid them well, provided a comfortable work environment, took care of their needs (tires, down payments and other things), and offer a secure future that they would respect you and reciprocate.
Noting could be further from the truth. I have scars on my back that will never go away. One was a close blood relative that I employed for 15 or so years and probably got me for close to 100K. Another employee about the same.
The current generation feels they are entitled and you should be grateful if they even show up semi regularly
So:
Rule #1. With customers, Do everything in writing and be fairly explicit. Emails are great and admissible if needed. A pocket recorder is also great for reminding them what they authorized / asked for/committed to.
Rule #2. Do not treat your employees as family or friends.
Rule #3.Their problems are not yours. (employees or customers)
Rule #4. If a customer whines about the estimate, politely show them the door as they will whine A LOT LOUDER on the way out.
Rule #5. Try to screen the customers by talking with them a bit before committing. There are some slick willies out there that once you touch anything, they will then try to make you responsible for everything they can.
Rule #6. If they are in a hurry, again, politely show them the door
Rule #7. Make sure to take time for your wife, family and self.
TJP: That’s sad to hear. But, I’m not surprised. Over the last year, employees are emboldened by the pandemic and social justice events. Monster.Com polled a group of people just recently & 95% of the employed are interested in quitting their jobs. With some politicians pushing a Universal Basic Income from the government and the constant bailouts, employees feel justified in leaving or doing what that want. In my opinion, older employees will be become more-valued due to their work ethic.
This is all true. They have no reason to care one lick what happens to you, one of mine would literally say out loud to me that I was making piles of money off him so it was fine for him to show up whenever he wanted, I tried to tell him on a regular basis how it was not true after all the expenses I had to pay, (he would spend 2 weeks rebuilding a transmission that should have been 2 day job and assume the $2000 I got from the customer was all profit) the day came for me to shut down and move out of town and instead he decided he wanted to buy the business from me, I sold it for the value of the equipment he wanted to keep and now cries how he isn't making anything. I supported 15 people when I was running it, he can't support 2. I have done everything I can to steer customers to keep going to him, spend time on the phone helping him diagnose stuff, let him be late on payments to me and he is not grateful at all. My new shop I have refused to hire anyone I don't care how busy I get my hours are set and if it takes a couple weeks to get around to someone's car so be it, I got 9 kids I don't want to miss them growing up. Every small business owner I have ever dealt with has the same problem no matter how nice or mean they are, loyalty is a thing of the past, I bent over backward for those guys, did everything for them I had wished my employers would have done for me and I got no love from them, better to not have employees. My bad back of 10 years has mysteriously gotten 90% better, my rumatoid arthritis is way better and I am just happy fixing cars by myself. I think everyone should have their own business with little to no employees and we would all get along better.
