One of the great strengths of Ratchet+Wrench is its columnists. Our online and print columnists are comprised of current and past shop owners and a service advisor. Each month, they aim to help you improve your personal and professional life, systems and processes, communication and leadership, and ultimately your bottom line. Here's a look at the 10 most-read columns of 2023.
1. Bunch: Facing our Fears: The Future of Independent Auto Repair Shops
It's time for auto repair shop owners to make sober decisions about the future of their businesses.
2. Bennett: 4 Signs of Toxic a Workplace and How to Overcome It
How to determine if your workplace has become toxic and what to do to fix it.
3. Marconi: Quiet Quitting: New Phrase, Old Problem
Employees today will disengage if they don’t feel valued.
4. Bennett: 10 Must-Read Books for Auto Repair Shop Owners
Columnist Mike Bennett outlines 10 books that can help shop owners gain a deeper understanding of business.
5. Marconi: Why Employees Underperform
Four reasons why you may not be getting the best out of your team and what to do about it.
6. Marconi: Perhaps a little “Old School” is Needed These Days
Though the approach to work has changed, the heart of it doesn't have to.
7. Stokes: Turning Every Advisor into a Top-Selling Advisor
Great service advisors shouldn’t be an anomaly. Here's what it takes to make your current advisor great or attract a top producer to your shop.
8. Bennett: 10 Actionable Tips for Mastering Tough Conversations with An Employee
Facing difficult conversations with employees is an inevitable part of any managerial role. How you handle them is what matters most.
9. Bunch: Managing Burnout
In the high-stress, high-demand world of auto repair, it's essential for shop owners to recognize the signs of burnout in themselves and their teams.
10. Bennett: Which Is Necessary: Employee Reprimands or Corrective Coaching?
When employees underperform, a shop owner has two courses of action. Columnist Mike Bennett outlines what they are and the proper precautions when using each.
