The Niello Co. prods its auto technicians to use a powerful “tool” they’ve had all along.
“We’re teaching them to use their minds more,” says Casey Smith, assistant service manager at the Sacramento, CA-based dealership group’s BMW store.
The role of the auto technician is changing as cars become more complex and as more electric vehicles emerge.
That’s why Niello considers technicians’ minds the sharpest tool in their figurative toolbox.
“You see that the role of the tech has evolved and will continue to,” Smith says during the latest Ted Ings’ fixed operations roundtable.
A session, “How We Make Superstar Techs,” centers on Niello and its career development initiatives.
“We have a defined, clear path for technicians,” says Smith. “We want them to be ethical. And we want them to go home rich and tired.”
Mark Isakson says that in his five years as a technician at Niello’s Audi store, he’s seen colleagues climb the career-development ladder through ongoing training.
Isakson foresees eventually becoming a shop foreman or service manager.
Brad Hollingsworth, shop foreman at Niello’s Volkswagen dealership, likes his job and doesn’t plan on leaving soon. “They’ll probably have to wheel me out,” he says. “Right now, I’m happy where I’m at.”
He calls today’s auto technology a “craft” with technicians using their thinking skills more. “You can have the best tools in the world, but they’re not of much use if you don’t know how to use them.”
Technicians have transitioned from traditional mechanics to computer experts, according to roundtable participant Andrew Wright, managing partner of Vinart Dealerships, based near Bethlehem, PA.
His organization runs a mentoring program for aspiring technicians.
“It’s our best source for new technicians,” Wright says. “Unfortunately, trade schools aren’t meeting our demands. Sure, we get technicians who walk in looking for a job, but the primary driver of filling tech positions is our in-house program.”
It’s a multi-step initiative in which apprentices are matched with senior technicians. Because of it, Wright says, “we’ve been successful at finding people who will have great careers.”
Hollingsworth emphasizes the importance of providing technicians with a clear career path. “Make sure there’s a next step in the plan.”
Aptitude and attitude are assets of successful technicians, says Robert Pane, service manager at a Niello Volvo store.
He credits the Swedish automaker with arranging prospective technician visits to his dealership. “It lets them see the environment and meet the staff,” Rick Niello says of The Niello Co., which employs about 750 people. Today, the third-generation dealer is president of the Niello group. His partners are brothers Roger and David.
“Our mission is to treat customers and employees with unyielding integrity,” Rick Niello says. “We pay a lot of attention to people and training. Facilities are great, but not as important as customers and employees.”
