This is a quick way to check in, and listening to ensure that technician needs are being met will go a long way towards making them feel like they have a say.
While this usually means taking into consideration technician thoughts on basic shop policies and procedures, it can also include investing in tools and equipment based on their suggestions.
Aven Blozan, diesel technician at Iron Buffalo Truck and Trailer, said that he feels heard when he's "interested in certain things, for instance, new diagnostic tools," and the company is able to get those into the shop.
“We just got the new Ford IDS software and the FDRS, per my request," he noted, "because we were working on a lot of Fords and didn’t have the software.”
Techs are the ones getting their hands dirty day in and day out, so it would make sense that they have the best idea of what tools would help them accomplish their jobs most efficiently.
The Denver-based shop also holds weekly contests based on billable hours, offering extra cash and trips as prizes.
Food was also a common response, because who doesn't love a free lunch?
Zamayoa has only been working at Rush for a few months, she said, "but I know they're great about feeding us and giving us goodies.”
Thomas Pianalto, lead service technician at Rush, had a similar answer, mentioning dinners that the company puts on for their techs.
“They’re having one this week actually, while I’m here,” he lamented.
Whether it has to do with the food or the gesture itself, they must be doing something right, as the senior-level mechanic has been with Rush Truck Centers since 1988.
And if all else fails, maybe a field trip is the answer.
“Coming out [to TMCSuperTech], we spent a day and a half on the lake before the competition," Iron Buffalo's Blozan concluded, "and you know that wasn’t too bad.”
