“Just do it better than the best guy in town.”
This is an example of what is lovingly referred to as “J.J.’s Way” amongst the staff at J.J.’s Auto Service Center in Waldorf, Maryland.
Owner J.J. Mont didn’t come from an automotive background, and he uses that to his advantage. He doesn’t want to know how others do it. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t read magazines, listen to podcasts or attend training to improve himself. What it means is that ever since he can remember, he’s had a vision for how a business should be run and how his staff should be treated, and he executes that.
“I’m not trying to do it the way the dealership does it,” Mont says of how he runs his business. “I have a culture that I protect. I have to balance the culture with the business, and we have found a happy marriage.”
Walk into his facility and you’ll receive top-notch service and interact with a team that genuinely cares about the business and one another. A culture like this doesn’t just happen. Mont makes a conscious effort every day to create a loving and nurturing environment for both his staff and customers.
Backstory:
Originally, Mont wanted to sell vehicles rather than repair them. This dream stemmed from an unpleasant experience purchasing a vehicle that he wanted to remedy by creating a business that would do it the right way—J.J.’s way.
“I’d rather be in control of how things work and not be at the mercy of someone who wasn’t fair,” Mont says of his journey toward opening his shop.
He found a piece of property that he liked but it was taking too long to zone for a dealership, so he started a repair facility instead. A year later, he sold the business and then roughly three years ago, another opportunity opened and he started J.J.’s Auto Service Center.
Problem:
Throughout his life, Mont noticed that many repair facilities were not serving people properly.
“There’s a mechanic shop everywhere but the customer service is subpar,” Mont says of his observations of the industry. “I saw an opportunity to really take advantage (of the situation)” Mont says.
Mont explains that he’s always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so when it came to running a business, he knew exactly how he wanted to execute it. He wanted a place where people genuinely enjoyed working and that would make all the difference in setting his business apart.
Solution:
“For me, customers are very important but equally important is the camaraderie of the shop,” Mont says. “It always comes from the top and it will flow down.”
This all sounds great in theory, but it’s much easier said than done. Mont has to work every day for this type of atmosphere. Here are some of his tips for getting his employees to buy-in to his vision:
Compensate Fairly
It comes as no surprise, but money is a huge motivator and Mont says he pays the best in town.
Be Transparent
Mont says he always shares what his vision is and where the business is and where it is going. “They feel as though they are taking part of something bigger than themselves. It sucks when you go to work and it feels like a job,” Mont says.
Stop Micromanaging
“I trust them to do their job as a professional,” Mont says of his managerial style. Giving his team freedom makes them feel good and that they have his trust.
Have Empathy
Mont says he feels bad when his people feel bad. He works aggressively to help bring their lives back to center when they’re out of sorts. This could be as simple as a check-in when someone seems a little off or having them take paid time off when they need it. “I always want to let them know that I’m here and I’ve got your back,” Mont explains.
Bond Outside of Work
Take time to socialize outside of the shop. Mont says he recently took his staff and their spouses out to eat to celebrate becoming a AAA facility.
Give Everyone a Voice
Twice a week the team has a meeting where anyone can voice their concerns or share their input. Beyond that, Mont involves his team in one of the most important aspects of running a business: hiring. “Their input is very important to me. I want to see how they get along with the person. They’re the ones that have to work with them on a daily basis.” Mont says.
Aftermath:
Before Mont hired Justin McKinney as a tech, he was close to changing careers. He had had it with being a technician, but Mont saw his raw potential and hired him with the hopes of McKinney one day becoming a service advisor. Today, McKinney is a fantastic service advisor, and Mont says he’s a pillar of the business and laughs that many people call him “J.J.” Mont says that McKinney no longer wants to change career paths and that he feels fulfilled in serving people.
“He has been phenomenal in terms of taking my spirit of what I want to produce in the shop and he makes sure we’re doing it J.J.’s way,” Mont says. “He’s a constant learner and he’s hungry.”
McKinney is just one example of what creating a positive working environment can do for not only an individual but the overall success of a business.
Takeaway:
Mont says if he could give one piece of advice to a newly-minted owner it would be to focus on customer service.
“Anyone can change an alternator. Customer experience is where shops are lacking,” Mont says.
Mont says owners should focus on getting everyone on their team to buy in to contributing to the overall customer experience. It’s also important for your team to understand that everyone is an integral part of the machine. The clean-up person is just as important as the person answering phones, and they are just as important as the technician, and so on and so forth.
“Everyone contributes in their own way. If the people in the back are doing great work but the front doesn’t look good, it doesn’t matter.”
If you’re looking for a positive work environment that trickles down to your customers, remember to do it J.J’s way.
