Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject: Repair shop rescue from the kitchen?
Hello all. With Louis's gracious go-ahead, I submit to you a first (in what I hope is many) episode (in its entirety) of our subject matter: failing businesses. The show is "Kitchen Nightmares". I do not feel that it is a stretch to link a failing restaurant to a failing repair shop nor do I feel it is a stretch to find solid business practices in a successful kitchen...or really any successful business for that matter.
I hope for you to view the episode in its entirety and comment on its relations to a failing repair shop, and then how the ''improvements" and "management" changed the subject business for the better. Can any of the techniques or improvements be related to one of Deming's 14 Points? Would one of Deming's philosophies had a better effect than one that was used in the episode? If possible, try to relate it to your business or place of work. I will post my feelings in a few days. Thanks and enjoy!
http://www.fox.com/fod/player.htm?show=nightmares
A small safe program will ask to be Run on your computer. Let it. Just below the viewing window you can select episode's by up and down arrows. Scroll and select "The Mixing Bowl". If any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Feel free to email me directly at adtmatt@yahoo.com
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:40 am Post subject:
Hi Matt,
I think there is no question that "lessons learned" in other fields port right over to the auto repair business. Often I find it is much easier to spot problems in other businesses. I think this is because we do not have a vested interest in the status quo and thus see things more clearly.
One thing that always strikes me on these episodes is how clearly the problems are normally revealed as being management. Employees are normally all for the necessary changes, you can see it in their eyes.
I am looking forward to this series and appreciate you taking time to make it available. Hopefully some of the lessons illustrated can be used to help our members.
Thanks, Matt. You really didn't need the go-ahead from Louis to put this together. We appreciate any contribution to this site. Besides, Louis and I are trying to not answer every post and overwhelm things here. It is really all for you guys.
I did watch the first episode you posted several weeks ago. It was so painfull to watch all the manager's mistakes I didn't finish watching the series. Maybe I should start with the last episode instead. Thanks again.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:20 am Post subject:
I guess I'll start here to try to get things rolling. I'll just pick apart the beginning. That is easy to relate to many auto repair shops. Maybe even yours.
The restaurant has very few patrons per day, business is slow. The owner is not leading his employees, he's hiding in the kitchen. The manager is not leading, he's feeding his ego by being the "face" of the business. There is internal tensions between management and it's employees and there is growing tension between the owner and his wife. She clearly sees it floundering and would rather close it and save her marriage and relationship with her husband and their family.
The owner's have stopped investing in the business, maybe they feel they can't afford too. Perhaps they need to consider they can't afford NOT to. It is ignorant to believe clients will not notice or pay attention as long as the food is good.
Now a part where I'm very passionate about. The menu. For our subject business, it is quite large for being such a small restaurant. How many repair shops are doing the same? Darn near all of them? How many one bay, two bay, even 6 and 8 bay shops do you know of that try to service EVERYTHING? They have over extended themselves. They are under equipped, under trained, and cannot have the means to get high-quality parts quickly to service it all.
I feel this is a good start. Anyone want to add anything to the first part of this episode (up to where Gordon starts looking at the menu)? Any comments on what I've pointed out. Anything I missed? Thanks! Later, Matt.
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 3:28 pm Post subject:
Matt,
I think that the owner is like a lot of shop owners. He is good at doing what he does, cooking. In our case it would be fixing cars. He turned the running of the business over to the manager, but does not hold the manager accountable for his actions. The owner does not guide or lead the company.
The manager does not know his product. He did not know what was in the food when asked. I was surprised to see him giving a 50% off coupon out, and then applying to the current meal. The business is dieing, that action insures there is no profit. The size of the coupon was too large; by using it on the current meal the coupon lost it power to get people back in again.
Changing the look of the restaurant had a very positive effect. Changing the menu positioned them more as a one of a kind restaurant; not everybody was serving the style of food they were. In our case it may be a simple as cleaning the office, repainting, and installing better lighting. How about burning a scented candle to get rid of the shop smell?
After the changes were made they did some proactive advertising. They went out into the community to spread the word instead of just waiting for people to show up.
_________________ David Wittmayer
Owner / Manager
Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair, LLC
Camp Verde, AZ
www.hefrshop.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:13 pm Post subject:
Quote:
I think that the owner is like a lot of shop owners. He is good at doing what he does, cooking. In our case it would be fixing cars.
It's how many shops start, isn't it? We start out as technicians that decide our fortune's would be greater if we ran the show. Turns out that while many of our skills can be translated to "running the show" there are also many new skills, and attitudes, to learn.
Quote:
He turned the running of the business over to the manager, but does not hold the manager accountable for his actions. The owner does not guide or lead the company.
The manager does not know his product. He did not know what was in the food when asked.
I believe I read one of Louis's "isms" that one must fully understand each "job" to properly lead and manage it. I feel this falls into that category. Although, to me, it also is very telling of his true dedication, or lack of it, to the business. He also looks to be pumping up his ego with his position. Since he also books reservations he could be compared to a manager in the SA position. In that case, we could compare his lack of knowledge of the ingredients to a SM/SA not knowing what goes into a transmission service or a 60k service. Clearly the owner(s) are not in communication with him. I don't think an owner can just turn a business over to a manager and then close their eyes and hope for the best. Either way, the owner is "accountable" no matter what.
Quote:
I was surprised to see him giving a 50% off coupon out, and then applying to the current meal. The business is dieing, that action insures there is no profit. The size of the coupon was too large; by using it on the current meal the coupon lost it power to get people back in again.
Loss leaders!!! Right there we see loss leaders contributing to the struggles of the flailing business. Not only that, but as we watch we see even more loss leaders and gimmicks.
Quote:
Changing the look of the restaurant had a very positive effect. Changing the menu positioned them more as a one of a kind restaurant; not everybody was serving the style of food they were. In our case it may be a simple as cleaning the office, repainting, and installing better lighting. How about burning a scented candle to get rid of the shop smell?
All good ideas. Imagine the effect on patrons that hadn't been there in a while. I feel that a clean, organized, "fresh" look area conveys that the business cares. It cares about itself and the way it is perceived and it cares about me. Your idea about the candle is great. Most women I know HATE the smell of a shop and its chemicals (namely brake and carb cleaner).
About the menu. Remember how Gordon did some market research? They went from a few restaurants in the immediate area (back when the restaurant was busy and successful) to "restaurant saturation". Gordon simply pointed out all the restaurants and some area businesses. Namely, the health club. Not one, not one single restaurant played to the people attending that health club with a light and healthy menu. That, in itself, was brilliant. Now...how can we apply that to our businesses?
Quote:
After the changes were made they did some proactive advertising. They went out into the community to spread the word instead of just waiting for people to show up.
This is Bud's department. Thanks for the participation, Dave! Later, Matt.
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:18 pm Post subject:
MattFMN wrote:
About the menu. Remember how Gordon did some market research? They went from a few restaurants in the immediate area (back when the restaurant was busy and successful) to "restaurant saturation". Gordon simply pointed out all the restaurants and some area businesses. Namely, the health club. Not one, not one single restaurant played to the people attending that health club with a light and healthy menu. That, in itself, was brilliant. Now...how can we apply that to our businesses?
Basically the same way. Look at the type of vehicles that are in your area. Make, model, age, state of repair, type of use. Next look at the different shops in the area and what they are offering. Then look for an area that is not being taken care of. For example you notice that in a 10 mile radius there are seven general repair shops, six quick lube stores, but no tire store. People have to travel 30 miles to get tires. A tire store might fit in nicely. Or you notice that none of the shops want to work on vehicles made in the orient. The vehicle survey shows that 30% of the cars are Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. Time to concider becoming an import specialist.
_________________ David Wittmayer
Owner / Manager
Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair, LLC
Camp Verde, AZ
www.hefrshop.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject:
MattFMN wrote:
All good ideas. Imagine the effect on patrons that hadn't been there in a while. I feel that a clean, organized, "fresh" look area conveys that the business cares. It cares about itself and the way it is perceived and it cares about me. Your idea about the candle is great. Most women I know HATE the smell of a shop and its chemicals (namely brake and carb cleaner).
This may sound personal, but don't forget the smell of employees. I'm not speaking of heigene, rather a guy who has just torn down a burned transmission. Gloves and having fresh uniforms available helps a great deal. Also very deep wash basins with hot water and soap seems to help a lot.
MattFMN wrote:
About the menu. Remember how Gordon did some market research? They went from a few restaurants in the immediate area (back when the restaurant was busy and successful) to "restaurant saturation". Gordon simply pointed out all the restaurants and some area businesses. Namely, the health club. Not one, not one single restaurant played to the people attending that health club with a light and healthy menu. That, in itself, was brilliant. Now...how can we apply that to our businesses?
What I noticed was that Gordon used his knowledge of the business and of people to look at the situation and decide which would be a good offering. I don't think this can be overstated. A manager must know the market and innovate what people will want.
Asked, I wonder if anyone would have suggested the new idea? I think probably not. GM and Ford have all but gone broke asking people what they want in a new car. People may not know what they want, but they know it when they see it! Professionals study the market, combine their knowledge of what is possible and inovate new offerings for the public. No body asked for electonic fuel injection, but they love vehicles that idle and start perfectly and get good fuel mileage.
Thanks Matt, I think you are doing a great job with this concept. I appreciate your bringing it to us.
There you go Bud. You have just discovered what market to base your new shop on. I even know a guy that might be able to give you a few tips.
Yeah, but what does he charge? They say these consultants are expensive, never explain anything, and don't really get good results.
Man, thanks, that was the best laugh I had all day.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject:
Quote:
What I noticed was that Gordon used his knowledge of the business and of people to look at the situation and decide which would be a good offering. I don't think this can be overstated. A manager must know the market and innovate what people will want.
Asked, I wonder if anyone would have suggested the new idea? I think probably not. GM and Ford have all but gone broke asking people what they want in a new car. People may not know what they want, but they know it when they see it! Professionals study the market, combine their knowledge of what is possible and innovate new offerings for the public. No body asked for electronic fuel injection, but they love vehicles that idle and start perfectly and get good fuel mileage.
See, I TOTALLY missed that! That's a great point and now that you say it, you've had the same effect on me as you would a potential client when you present a great new idea/service. Before, I missed it...now it is abundantly clear. Innovation takes and open mind and the ability to really step back and take a fresh perspective. Also, like you hinted a little, the innovation does not necessarily have to come from management. Again, the need for an open mind. Just out of sheer curiosity: how many innovations would you estimate have come from your cruises with your employees? Thanks Louis, you have once again opened my eyes. Later, Matt.
I will do another section of the episode this weekend.
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
See, I TOTALLY missed that! That's a great point and now that you say it, you've had the same effect on me as you would a potential client when you present a great new idea/service. Before, I missed it...now it is abundantly clear. Innovation takes and open mind and the ability to really step back and take a fresh perspective. Also, like you hinted a little, the innovation does not necessarily have to come from management. Again, the need for an open mind. Just out of sheer curiosity: how many innovations would you estimate have come from your cruises with your employees? Thanks Louis, you have once again opened my eyes. Later, Matt.
I will do another section of the episode this weekend.
That's why Louis doesn't think my survey of members here will give us any solid direction for the site. His and my formal educations are very different in that respect. It's probably not a matter of who is right or wrong, but which method will yeild the best results.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject:
Hi Matt,
MattFMN wrote:
See, I TOTALLY missed that! That's a great point and now that you say it, you've had the same effect on me as you would a potential client when you present a great new idea/service. Before, I missed it...now it is abundantly clear. Innovation takes and open mind and the ability to really step back and take a fresh perspective. Also, like you hinted a little, the innovation does not necessarily have to come from management. Again, the need for an open mind. Just out of sheer curiosity: how many innovations would you estimate have come from your cruises with your employees? Thanks Louis, you have once again opened my eyes. Later, Matt.
I will do another section of the episode this weekend.
You are very kind. Innovation needs to be the job of everyone in a company. Often no one person innovates. Rather one person offers an idea, another adds to or modifies it and on and on. I think this occurs best in an atmosphere of cooperation where fear is not a threat.
My thought is to enhance innovation, work to reduce fear and increase cooperation, by reducing internal competition.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject:
Bud wrote:
That's why Louis doesn't think my survey of members here will give us any solid direction for the site. His and my formal educations are very different in that respect. It's probably not a matter of who is right or wrong, but which method will yeild the best results.
I apologize if I gave that impression, that was not my intent. I agree there is no right or wrong way. Rather the point I intended is that innovation comes from within the company and is the job of everyone in the company. Clients are not in a position to innovate as they do not generally know what is possible.
An example might be our PEI service. This stands for Pre-warranty Expiration Inspection. This is one of our top selling services. No client ever asked nor expressed an interest in such a service.
Rather I listened to people complaining of major problems at 40K miles. The warranty ended at 36K and they were stuck. With our capabilities we can normally detect components that will fail soon, thus the service. Have us check the vehicle and have the problems fixed while still under warranty.
The dealership should also be happy, they get to repair all the things they charged the client for when they sold them the vehicle. Yes, warranty is included in the price of the vehicle. The client is happy, I'm happy and the Dealer is happy, what could be better.
Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Camp Verde, AZ
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:54 pm Post subject:
MattFMN wrote:
Quote:
What I noticed was that Gordon used his knowledge of the business and of people to look at the situation and decide which would be a good offering. I don't think this can be overstated. A manager must know the market and innovate what people will want.
Asked, I wonder if anyone would have suggested the new idea? I think probably not. GM and Ford have all but gone broke asking people what they want in a new car. People may not know what they want, but they know it when they see it! Professionals study the market, combine their knowledge of what is possible and innovate new offerings for the public. No body asked for electronic fuel injection, but they love vehicles that idle and start perfectly and get good fuel mileage.
See, I TOTALLY missed that! That's a great point and now that you say it, you've had the same effect on me as you would a potential client when you present a great new idea/service. Before, I missed it...now it is abundantly clear. Innovation takes and open mind and the ability to really step back and take a fresh perspective. Also, like you hinted a little, the innovation does not necessarily have to come from management. Again, the need for an open mind. Just out of sheer curiosity: how many innovations would you estimate have come from your cruises with your employees? Thanks Louis, you have once again opened my eyes. Later, Matt.
I will do another section of the episode this weekend.
Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees. I find for myself that when things are going poorly I can get tunnel vision. I miss out on the big picture because of staying focused on issue at hand.
Some place I heard that the longer you are with an organization the less you think like someone out side of it. In other words the longer we are in the automobile repair business the less we think like customers. This same thing is why we do not see the faded paint on the walls or the dust bunnies in the corners. Gorden came in with an outside view and was able to see with “fresh eyes”.
_________________ David Wittmayer
Owner / Manager
Hansen Enterprises Fleet Repair, LLC
Camp Verde, AZ
www.hefrshop.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject:
Thank you so much for all the participation! I hope that doing this stirs up questions, ideas, thoughts and conversation.
We'll take off from the point where Gordon gives "The Mixing Bowl" a new focus; that being "healthy and light food" to play to the health club, beauty shops, and salons.
Part two's mantra could be PASSION. The owner/manager must have passion. By passion, I don't mean over-exuberance or false enthusiasm, but a honest and true passion about what they are doing and what they provide. Gordon has helped the owner and chef to rekindle that passion, and the staff has noticed and become reinvigorated by it. The "feed" off of him (the owner). Your employees feed off of you.
With the kitchen operating smoothly with a re-energized owner/chef, we get to see how management up front is sucking that enthusiasm from the waitstaff. We do not know the pay structure of the waitstaff, but we find out that the manager (who admitted to not caring about what was going on in the kitchen) gets a large percentage of their tips. From my personal experience of the restaurant industry, normally tips make up a large percentage of a waiter/waitress's salary. His reasoning for this is that he feels that he facilitates their ability to get the tips they are getting.
With his back against the wall, we see the owner flash a sense of urgency and also leadership. He's put his foot down and basically took the controls. What was great to see was the staff react to this very positively...except for out manager. He no longer will have the-run-of-the-mill, and he himself will now have to start leading.
I am really looking forward to all of your feelings on this next point. The owner is starting to sound more like an owner, and Gordon is going to send in his "design team" to give the restaurant a face lift. He also says something about the success of the changes falling on the shoulder's of the manager. I do not feel Gordon truly believes that...but I could be wrong. I have a feeling it was for motivation, to wake-up the manager to start leading and start carrying out the owner's decisions. What do you think?
Someone already mentioned this earlier, but did you see the effect the redesigned dining area? They can't wait to get working, they are excited to be at work. Also, on a personal note...did you see those chairs! I've never been in a restaurant that looked that comfortable. Maybe I'm just deprived...
Can you picture you and your staff actively going out and advertising or "spreading the word" about your shop? I've never heard of or seen it done...but that doesn't make it a bad idea. At the very least, it would put you in their mind. In the show, Gordon uses a little of his celebrity to bump up attendance for the restaurants re-opening. Could a shop open house that is aimed at family and kids have the same effect? Get people to your shop, looking around and asking questions without the pressure to buy but to only have fun and watch their kids have fun?
Now the re-opening is upon us and we have an issue arise. The manager, who is also in charge of bookings has made a grave mistake. He accidentally or unwittingly booked everyone to show up at the same time. I've worked in shops where this happens. Ever feel like you've been set up to fail? He is taken to task and either out of honesty or for the cameras we see the manager wig-out. What would have upset me over everything is the fact that he did it in front of customers. If you've watched the series, you find this happens a lot. I have a feeling it may be for television more than reality. I also believe that he is acting out because he knows he dropped the ball. I don't know about you, but I'm my own worst critic. I don't like making mistakes and when I do I'm the hardest person (when it comes to chewing out) on my self. One may think that is a good thing, self-discipline and pride...but it is also a bad thing. I don't like knowing I made a mistake, have or am in the process of taking myself to task and making sure it doesn't happen again by analyzing the why and why fors, and then having someone else come over and start in on me. Especially when they now that I'm very hard on myself anyway. I have a feeling the manager knows what he did and is already upset with himself and now they are coming down on him. It does not, however, excuse his actions. Gordon defuses the situation by sending him outside to cool off. Given his time to cool off and figure out what happened, the manager comes back with a new attitude and he himself seems reinvigorated about making things work. It is an amazing personal transformation in my opinion. I feel it was nurtured by the changes in the restaurant and the leadership of its owner. It could have been seeing Gordon and the owner talking.
Did you catch how much it meant to one of the servers to just get a heartfelt thank you?
An important message. For a successful repair shop, the owner/manager (if applicable) must make a shift from being a repair tech...to an owner/manager.
Thoughts? Do you feel there is much to be gained by analyzing these episodes and relating it to our industry and businesses? Thanks again for all the participation!
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 774 Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject:
Hi Matt,
MattFMN wrote:
Now the re-opening is upon us and we have an issue arise. The manager, who is also in charge of bookings has made a grave mistake. He accidentally or unwittingly booked everyone to show up at the same time. I've worked in shops where this happens. Ever feel like you've been set up to fail?
You are a wise man, my friend. Many managers fail, until it is too late, to see the relationship of scheduling to output quality. The effects are immense. I feel this is one of the most important areas of managing for quality.
MattFMN wrote:
He is taken to task and either out of honesty or for the cameras we see the manager wig-out. What would have upset me over everything is the fact that he did it in front of customers. If you've watched the series, you find this happens a lot. I have a feeling it may be for television more than reality. I also believe that he is acting out because he knows he dropped the ball. I don't know about you, but I'm my own worst critic.
I hope you don't mind, my comments are off the topic, but I think you make an important point. Most managers I know, myself included do as you indicate here. I think not beating ourselves up is something to work towards.
This is quite common and I believe something to work on. Being critical of ourselves is no more forgivable than being critical of others. Rather, mistakes need to be seen as opportunities for improvement. Little is gained by beating ourselves up. This takes a great deal of disciple to over come.
MattFMN wrote:
I don't like making mistakes and when I do I'm the hardest person (when it comes to chewing out) on my self. One may think that is a good thing, self-discipline and pride...but it is also a bad thing. I don't like knowing I made a mistake, have or am in the process of taking myself to task and making sure it doesn't happen again by analyzing the why and why fors, and then having someone else come over and start in on me.
I think most technical people are this way. Deming said, there is no benefit in bringing a trained person's mistakes to their attention. This is very hard for most managers to accept. The point is, if the person is trained, clearly they know better. They did not make the mistake from lack of knowledge, nor on purpose. They are also often fully aware of the mistake and bringing it to their attention does no good. The same holds for you my friend. We need to quit beating ourselves up.
MattFMN wrote:
Thoughts? Do you feel there is much to be gained by analyzing these episodes and relating it to our industry and businesses? Thanks again for all the participation!
I find them quite interesting and appreciate your bringing them to us. Much can be gained by studying other trades. It is often easier to see mistakes when there is no vested interest.
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Garden City, KS
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:33 am Post subject:
I'll try to kick this off with a few random thoughts.
1. Leadership. We saw a lot about leadership and it's effect on a business as a whole. First, it was really Gordon who became the leader. Many rallied simply because of his celebrity. The owner chose, mostly, to hide in the kitchen. After some prodding, and maybe just the chance to see a leader lead we then see the owner really start to grab his business by the reigns and start leading. Not so much his "butt chewing" to the manager to start doing things a certain way, but with his enthusiasm and embracing of the changes for improvements. Perhaps that falls under Deming's Point 1 and 2 and especially Point 7? We also see renewed leadership from the manager after he cooled off from his blow-up. He began showing enthusiasm and also began pulling some weight off the shoulder's of his waitstaff so they could better do their work. Perhaps that falls under Point 12?
2. Communication. I saw a large communication barrier between the manager and the owner. Especially in that situation, communication between the two has to be very open and accessible. At the end we see them quickly communicating and tasks looked much more fluid. See where this may fall under Point 9?
3. I saw a seen where the manager hinted to one of his waitresses to "work the tips." I feel this fell under Point 11. It may also have instilled some fear as well. Employees may fear being ridiculed or taken to task for low tips. This would then fall into Point 8 and Point 9.
Thoughts? Thanks, Matt.
_________________ Matt Fanslow
ASE CMAT/L1
Crag-Technologies, Inc
www.wavehook.com
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Thanks for the participation, Dave! Later, Matt.
