President's Update

With the kids all back in school, now is the time to focus on the push to the end of the year.  Vehicle sales continue to grow with Alberta showing a 19.7% increase in August, bringing the year to up 9.5%.  All indications are that September has seen similar growth to last month.  Concerns are mounting for the domestic dealerships as labour negotiations continue with some disruption to production and parts distribution.  Hopefully, both sides will come to an agreement in the near future.

The balance of the month has been focused on ensuring that the Western Canadian Dealer Summit is the best event on the calendar this year.  We are really excited with our speaker line-up as we have something for everyone.  There’s plenty of digital content since that’s where we operate these days as well as a view into the future with our friends from Sweden to provide insights into how EV integration is progressing in Scandinavia.  We are also very excited about our first dealer panel in some time.  Stay tuned next week for an overview of the topic that will be explored during this “Don’t Miss” session.

Our 3^rd edition of our unWorkshop program took place a couple of weeks ago to rave reviews.  If you haven’t participated in one of these meetings, you are missing a great opportunity to hear first-hand from some of the key players in the digital space.  The great part about these days is that you come back with specific actions to work on, tailored to your own store.  There’s one more session planned for this year in December – keep an eye out.

October will see the return of our Receptionist and Service Advisor programs, moderated by BGS.  If you are looking for training in these areas, give us a call at the MDA Office or check out the website.

Good selling.

Gerald.

AMVIC Quick Hits

Franchised Dealer Inspection Performance Metrics - Q1 2023 (April - June)

As many of you are aware, AMVIC completed a mini-inspection blitz in January-February of this year to assess performance related to All-in Pricing and the results were not favorable.  We asked for an update in this area and the metrics are included below.

New Franchised Dealers inspected:          47

(please note that 30 of the inspections above were follow up visits from previous inspections)

Inspection Performance

These results show that more due diligence is required to improve performance.  Keep an eye out for a communication from our office on the key findings and recommended actions for a dealer to become compliant with the Automotive Business Regulation.  We will also use this monthly column to explore some of these areas in more detail to ensure we are clear in what the law requires.

MDA "Keys to Communication" Receptionist Training

October 17, 2023

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE!

Radius Security Crime Watch

Uncover, Educate, Protect

Calgary is taking decisive action against the growing problem of catalytic converter theft. The recent amendments to the Business License Bylaw are aimed at curbing this criminal activity. Salvage collectors, auto wreckers, and salvage yards are now required to maintain detailed sales records, including information about sellers and buyers, and they could face fines of up to $3,000 per offense for failing to comply.

This move comes as a response to a concerning trend in 2022 when Calgary saw nearly 3,500 catalytic converter thefts, a staggering 50 percent increase from the previous year. This issue not only leads to costly vehicle repairs but also has environmental implications due to the disruption of catalytic converters' essential role in reducing harmful emissions. The new regulations will also extend to motor vehicle repair and service shops by 2024, with strict enforcement and potential police checks in place to ensure compliance.

If you're concerned about protecting your property, assets, or business, visit radiussecurity.com to explore comprehensive security solutions that can help you not only capture suspects on camera but also prevent incidents in real-time.

MDA "Effective Communication Strategies" Service Advisor Training

October 18 - IN PERSON - MDA Office - Edmonton

October 19 - VIRTUAL

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE

Membership Update

Please join us in welcoming the following new members:

Dealer Member:

West Edmonton Hyundai

Associate Members:

Autocorp.ai

Cover All Program Inc.

Fox Dealer

Northlake Financial ULC

SAIT / MDA Corporate Learner Portal

Communicating Effectively

There are a lot of people working very hard at 'being interesting', taking up air time, making noise. What would happen if we all became just a little more interested?

Developing your management skills through the MDA’S learner portal with SAIT to unleash your power of listening, curiosity, and interest. How can you make a difference in your conversations?

COMM 196 - Communicating Effectively is available for enrollment here:

Learn More or Register Here

Automotivaters

Professional Sales Course for Performance Improvement

Kijiji Autos Consumer Buying Journey

Consumer Survey Results

Combustible Waste Material

Safe Storage and Disposal

Did you know improper disposal of combustible waste material can cause fires that lead to millions of dollars in damages and claims? That’s why following proper storage and disposal procedures is critical to helping keep your business and employees safe.

To help you avoid potential losses, Federated Insurance has developed a risk management resource outlining tips for safe interior storage, exterior storage, and waste storage rooms.

Read More

CADA360: HR Automation

How to Incorporate Wellness Initiatives into your Dealership Safety Program

When we think about workplace safety, we often think about the compliance requirements for our shop areas, but there is so much more to having a robust and beneficial safety program.

There are also many aspects of a good practices that we may already be doing but do not realize that they may be great elements to our safety program.

One example of this is wellness.

Workplace wellness takes into account our safety practices, our workplace culture, benefits plans and community citizenship (to name a few). It also considers how taking care of these elements of the workplace experience can have positive consequences for dealership operations.

Are you looking to improve any of the following factors in your dealership?

• Public Perception/Corporate Citizenship
• Employee Retention
• Efficiency
• Compliance
• Engagement
• Reduce costs.

Making a conscience effort to promote, discuss and improve your wellness programs may be the answer.

Companies with strong wellness practices as part of their safety program often see positive results in many of the above factors.

Improving your wellness program can be a small, incremental endeavour or a major structured initiative.

Here are a few basic areas to review:

• Are you manager’s well trained to handle dealing with difficult situations/people?
• Do all your staff have an awareness of how they contribute to organizational success and have a clear role/task within the dealership?
• Does your benefits plan include an EAP program, and are all staff aware of it?
• Are there opportunities to increase wellness related activities such as team building, personal/professional balance, exercise and diet resources, transparency and acceptance/assistance or participation and engagement in health, wellness, and safety?
• Does your culture support and reward those that are creating a better workplace for all, or are there people in the dealership that may be undermining a wellness focused culture?

Given these specific areas to review, what do these wellness initiatives look like?

Seven ways to incorporate and encourage wellness at your dealership:

1. Conduct a Survey – Create and assign surveys on the DealerPILOT platform to get feedback from your employees. See what wellness initiatives they are currently taking part in, what they may be interested in and take note of other ways you may be able to provide support.
2. Provide Training – Assign training to managers within our system to increase confidence in managing employees. Give your workforce the tools that they need to deal with stress, conflict, and working as a team.
3. Create a Wellness Policy – Create a wellness policy outlining your organization’s commitment to wellbeing. Ensure you are raising awareness of mental health and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. Ensure all employees have access and acknowledge the policy on the DealerPILOT platform.
4. Provide access to an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) – Many group benefits providers provide access to an EAP, for minimal cost. Employees will have access to speak to nutritionists, obtain legal advice, address financial wellness resources, and even find support for smoking cessation. Employee assistance plans are a fantastic resource for managers during difficult conversations, and when employees are having difficulties in their personal lives it can provide added benefit.
5. Create a formal Wellness Program – Form a committee where the team is dedicated to planning and implementing wellness initiatives. Promote physical activity by offering gym memberships, encouraging walking breaks, conducting cooking classes, and promoting mindfulness. Use your DealerPILOT platform to post information for all employees and encourage involvement.
6. Conduct Safety Talks – Within the health and safety module on the DealerPILOT platform, administrators can gather information and post about all types of topics. A safety talk is one way to remind employees of the importance of wellness and reinforce the organization’s commitment to initiatives.
7. Conduct regular 1:1's – One-on-one meetings are for employees to have dedicated time with their managers. The meetings aren’t intended to review jobs tasks, rather they are to offer support. Encourage managers to bring up wellness and self-care and ask employees what they are doing to care for themselves out of work hours. Our advisory services can provide you with guidance and assistance around effective communication with your employees.

Workplace wellness initiatives have numerous benefits. Some of the most common workplace concerns that dealerships face, including employee retention, engagement, and absenteeism, can be improved by integrating wellness practices. It is an important part of employee health and safety, and the key to a healthy and happy workforce.

Remember that wellness initiatives should be inclusive, adaptable, and responsive to the needs of your employees. Tailoring programs and offering resources that are valuable and unique to your organization’s culture is the key to success.

If you would like to know more about how we can assist our subscribers in addressing workplace wellness in small steps, or as a full initiative, then #letstalk. Please email us at info@dealerpilothr.com to explore this opportunity for your dealership.