TRAPPED IN THE NUMBERS: MANAGING SHORT-TERM FINANCIALS WITH LONG-TERM GROWTH Here is how I think this process works. The OEM has key performance indicators that are given to Dealers. The Dealers feel pressure to hit OEM expectations. There has been a growing interest from both OEMs and Dealers on the fixed side of the business. Those specific expectations are then communicated to the Fixed Ops Directors and then to the Service Managers. Both the Fixed Ops Directors and Service Managers feel the pressure to perform up to the standard set by the manufacturers and the leadership of the Dealers. Expectations are part of having a job, so that part shouldn't be overly foreign to anybody. Where we lose ground on this issue is that often our managers who are so spread thin putting out their daily fires that it is incredibly easy to kick this can down the road. Doing so has put us in a position where we aren't spending enough time bringing up the next generation because of the pressures to hit our monthly numbers. This also has a big impact on technician retention as well. " From the time I arrive to the time I leave, I am running like a chicken with my head cut off trying to hit my numbers and make my customers happy. " CURRENT SERVICE MANAGER'S SNAPSHOT I recently spoke to a Service Manager at a conference I was attending. He said to me, " Jay, I get to the dealership at 6 AM and leave at 7 PM every day. From the time I arrive to the time I leave, I am running like a chicken with my head cut off trying to hit my numbers and make my customers happy. " MARCH APRIL 2024 || FIXED OPS MAGAZINE 29http://Hormann.us