Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/458425
FOCUS PSB Service Department www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • January 26, 2015 • 17 being able to hire several recent graduates at once. I found that having several technicians going through the program together strength- ened those bonds even more. The shared experiences of attending classes together at tech school, starting at a new job at the same time and even completing advanced training courses from the manufacturers at the same time created bonds that I have seen last for years now. Sometimes it is hard to convince a general manager or dealer principal to start out a new technician as an hourly employee; it just goes against everything they have ever done in a service department. But when you take the stress of trying to beat the flat rate out of the picture, the technician is able to focus on the task at hand and truly learn from it. With that being said, having a formalized plan or a set of fully developed policies, procedures and practices will help each technician understand the level of commitment and forethought you have put into the training program. It can also be used to demonstrate to applicants or new hires that there is a plan in place that can help to ensure their success. Last but not least is timing. When you sit down to create your budget for the coming year, which I am sure most of you did last month for 2015, it is absolutely critical to bud- get for recruiting, hiring and training before your busiest season. No one wins if you are starting new technicians during your first peak month. You and they are going to need time to acclimate, get started with any online training, and even get to know the technicians that will be mentoring them before the stresses of the busy season hit home. Recruiting, hiring and training the right personnel to build your service department is going to take a little more effort than before, but the long-term payoff is something that can be seen and felt by everyone in the department and even the entire dealership. PSB Brandon's background as a motorcycle techni- cian, automotive technician, service advisor and service department manager has provided him with a unique perspective from inside the fixed operations found in today's most success- ful dealerships. Contact him at brandon.david. kirschner@gmail.com. KIRSCHNER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 Sister dealerships St. Paul Harley-Davidson in St. Paul, Minn., and Wild Prairie Harley- Davidson in Eden Prairie, Minn., each hosted a Backstage Pass to Service event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. The event had no set schedule, but visitors were welcome to wander around the service department, visit with technicians and watch demos. A Meet & Greet with industry pros at St. Paul H-D included: Larry Middleton from Biker's Choice, Dave Wendinger of Progressive Suspension, Adam Daniel of Rush Racing Prod- ucts, Jim Zemaitis from Zee's Customs, Adam Halleckson of Adams Dent Co., Rob Broker of Adrenaline Customs, Lenni Schwartz of Krazy Kolors, David Gilbertson of Ron Gilbertson Enterprises, along with St. Paul H-D service advisors Sam Hacker, Phil Gork, Tom Zech- meister and Howard Hirsch and service man- ager Brent Godwin. The Meet & Greet at Wild Prairie H-D included: Tracy Hilgers from TJ Design, Derek from Skip Chips, Mary Fuller of Drag Specialties and WPHD parts and service experts Kris Keese, Jocco Favre, Melana Landis, Ethan Andrews, Mike Hachey, Sean Cook, Ted LaFleche and Mark VandenBosch. WPHD also showed a custom Road Glide designed by David Greer in sales and built by technician Anthony Helmer and a custom Street Gilde designed by Jerry Kamrow in sales and built by technician Jeff Thisius. PSB Backstage Pass event showcases service St. Paul Harley-Davidson's service department welcomed customers with its annual Backstage Pass to Service.