Thank you for being a loyal customer all this time. It's come a long way from where I started 9 years ago. This is meant to be a brief update for the people who want to know some of the things that have been happening around here.
First off, I need to apologize for the lack of an early bird special last fall. I didn't realize so many of you look for that email to remind you to get your maintenance done, and to save some money. Last summer I had a bit of a staffing problem and was short staffed in the fall. I tried to grow the service too fast with too little planning or support. It was a hard lesson in finding and keeping good people, and keeping them happy in the job that they're doing. Management is hard and every day that goes by, I learn that I know less than I thought I did when I knew nothing.
Earlier this spring I hired another mechanic to help with the lead time. That leads me to the next point. As you might have noticed, prices have gone up. Over the last 6 months I've had a lot of time to think, pray and plan. One thing that I realized I want to prioritize is running a business where the staff are well taken care of, and in turn, they take care of customers well. Funny enough I got the idea from Kwik Trip. It seems everyone I talk to has a positive opinion of them and all the staff at every location I've ever gone into seem happy to be there and happy in what they do. For my business this meant being able to provide a solid salary and good benefits to the new mechanic. This is the first time I've ever been able to offer benefits and I'm very proud of that. Going forward, I want everyone in the industry to look up to us in what we do, how we do it, and how we take care of our people. People are the cornerstone of any good business and I want this to be a place people can not only be proud to work in, but make a comfortable living too.
Other Updates:
- New Technician - The mechanic I hired will be taking over a truck on his own early next month. His name is Riley and I'm really excited to have him working with me. He went to school for small engine repair and the past few years he's been working in the marine world.
- New scheduler experience! - The scheduler has been pretty much the same since I put it together years ago when I first started, and it was in need of an update. I and the website builder have worked hard on this and I think it functions a lot better. If you have feedback on anything to do with the website or scheduling, please don't hesitate to let me know by texting or emailing.
- Deluxe seasonal maintenance has been introduced - This is a new revision of the regular seasonal maintenance with deck leveling and cleaning. It's something I've noticed that quite a few of you could benefit from. I'd recommend it every year or other year to maintain good cut quality
Long term goals
- Hire full time office staff - Put simply, I want someone to answer the phone. I really appreciate when I can call a place to answer a quick question but I know I'm a hypocrite in that regard, seeing as how there's no one here to do that. Nicole and I have been managing the phones kinda ok, but neither of us have the time to immediately respond to anything.
- Open the shop for walk ins and service - This goes hand in hand with the last goal. If you need a part or supplies, it would be handy for you to be able to stop in and pick some up. We'll start selling maintenance kits, parts and trufuel over the counter as well. I also want to have the option for you to drop machines off if you want, or for us to bring the more complex projects back to the shop to avoid multiple trips. Some things are just piddly and require a ton of unforeseen special order parts. It would be far better if I could just order something and set a machine off to the side vs scheduling another trip. Don't worry though, we'll never stop doing mobile service. It just makes too much sense.
- New machines - There have been many times where one of us have sent you to a competitor to buy a new piece of equipment. It would be easier for you if we just sold equipment ourselves so we could talk you through what you need and what we recommend. I don’t plan on really making much money on new equipment. It would just be a benefit to customers who need a new machine.
I appreciate all of your loyal support in all the years I've been in this business. If you have any suggestions or comments about anything, don't hesitate to let us know.
