gered by something you post. Your external customers may see your posts too. While you may have the best of intentions (or no intentions at all) you could be blindsided by someone accusing you of improper statements online. At a minimum, misunderstandings on social media are commonplace. So be wise and be careful. It is also important to consider the messaging being sent to your customers through your website, direct mail, inbound phone calls, or other sources. Is the messaging positive or negative? Does it reinforce your values? Does every member of your staff know what is being communicated to customers or suppliers? Are they communicating the same messages you are or want them to communicate? SCRATCHING THE SURFACE This article has cracked open the door to the importance of communication. We have not even addressed the importance of communication between advisors and technicians, technicians and parts managers, or service and sales departments. And what about vendor and supplier communications? As you can see, being a leader in fixed operations requires high-level communication skills. Do not wait until it is too late. Begin now and seek out better ways to communicate or be left wondering why the train left you at the station. Gene Girdley is the Producer & Director of Ted Ings' Fixed Ops Roundtable Virtual Events and a retail automotive professional. He also serves as Director of Learning and Development at Traver Connect. Gene continues to run his own business and he recently published his first book, The Miles and The Markers. MAY JUNE 2021 || FIXED OPS MAGAZINE 55http://GetCarmen.com