A sudden resignation, whether from the parts counter, finance desk, or service bay, can rattle a dealership’ s rhythm and siphon off know-how, just when performance matters most.
Savvy owners and managers don’ t fear the employee churn; they tame it by creating playbooks and corralling every process, pricing method, and customer note into shared systems that stay around when people go.
What follows is an exploration of how to remain profitable and poised, even when key employees walk out.
The Hidden Price Tag Of
Turnover Gallup estimates that replacing a mid-level employee generally costs 125 %- 150 % of their salary in recruiting, onboarding, and lost productivity.
According to Hireology, a dealership might spend up to $ 10,000 to find, acquire, and onboard a new team member.
Add the ripple effects: missed upsells, schedule gaps, customer frustration – and every departure becomes a silent profit bleed. So, what is the best way to protect yourself? Make a plan.
Timing is Everything Making a knowledge transfer plan should be high priority, but may not always feel urgent.
The Knowledge-Transfer Playbook A good playbook reduces the risk significantly, and it’ s not hard to make. Consider this approach:
1. Document, Don’ t Depend Will Dyck, COO of Delco Trailers, shared with me that two of the most important plan elements he sees are“ Documented processes and a capable and centralized operating system in place.” Here’ s a quick way to document what you do now: Shoot two-minute screen-capture videos for every repeat task( make a list).
Store Standard Operating Procedures( SOPs) in a shared cloud folder, arranged by department.
Build checklists for each key process.
2. Build a 48-Hour On-Ramp Every hour between“ Welcome aboard” and“ Okay, I’ ve got this” bleeds margin. A 48-hour on-ramp( part boot camp, part guided tour) puts logins, familiarity with role-based workspaces, and quick-win processes into the first two days, turning rookies into contributors before their first weekend.
Consider these elements: 1. Day-one checklist: login, role-based training playlist, first mocked transaction.
2. Pair each rookie with a peer mentor for the first few weeks.
3. Use a Centralized Information System I asked Celine Lee, Vice President of Product at Blackpurl, the dealership management platform for trailer dealers, about what she sees. Her thoughts?“ For dealerships to scale and stay resilient, knowledge cannot exist solely in people’ s heads. When processes, insights, and daily know-how are captured in a system that anyone can learn, the business stays strong and adaptable- no matter who comes or goes. It’ s an important step toward protecting operations and supporting future growth.” continued on page 64
62 NATDA Magazine www. natda. org