Service And Parts

Overheard: What helped improve Walser’s service department production

Beyond the Wrench podcast.
On the "Beyond the Wrench" podcast, Jon Olstad, technician production manager at the Walser Automotive Group, said, "I started doing my own one-on-ones with everybody and asking them those questions — ‘What makes you tick?’" (WRENCHWAY)
January 30, 2025 08:02 PM

“One of the things that helped our shop really go to the next level was when I started doing my own one-on-ones with everybody and asking them those questions — ‘What makes you tick?’ ‘Why do you come here every day?’ Getting to know them. And at first I was kind of hesitant. Am I just going to get the middle finger — a ‘go away’ kind of thing, ‘I don’t want to talk to you about that stuff. Who do you think you are?’ And most of them I knew for eight-plus years. You know, I was shocked how open everybody became and the sense of them wanting to do this on a regular cadence. So we did. It also allowed me to push them because I knew what they wanted. They didn’t get an excuse anymore when we’re trying to get to a shop goal or their own goal and I get to remind them why they come here every day. From my perspective, it was a big thing that really filled me up to a point where it’s like, OK, I can hook onto that train and let’s go. Let’s just go.” — Jon Olstad, technician production manager at the Walser Automotive Group, on doing a regular values exercises with technicians, on the “Beyond the Wrench” podcast hosted by Jay Goninen

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