Aug 14 • 🏅Retention Strategies🏅
I was wrong about tool guys.
For years, I've been telling shop owners that "chatting up the tool guy" for tech leads was a dying strategy.
Tool dealers are getting bombarded from every angle—everyone wants the same thing: "Know any good techs?"
It's exhausting for them. And frankly, ineffective for you.
But here's what I missed...
I was talking to a shop owner today and she shared a story that flipped my perspective:
Her A-tech was quietly job hunting and asked the tool guy for a reference letter to land a dealer position.
But here's the twist—because this owner had built a REAL relationship with his tool guy (not just the "got any leads?" variety), the tool guy gave her a heads up.
Result? The owner got ahead of it. Invited the tech for a conversation. Countered the offer.
The tech is young and frankly in my opinion needs to learn a lesson, so he decided to leave anyway but it was better that it wasn't totally out of the blue.
That heads up gave the shop owner a bit more time to prepare so they weren't caught totally flat-footed.
The lesson hit me like a torque wrench to the head:
Stop treating tool guys as tech vending machines. ❌
Start treating them as your shop's early warning system. ✅
Think about it:
- They're in EVERY bay
- They hear EVERY conversation
- They know who's happy, who's looking, who's checked out
- They're neutral territory—techs trust them
Your tool guy isn't your recruiter. They're your intelligence network.
The strongest shops don't just buy tools from these folks. They build genuine relationships that create a protective moat around their talent.
So here's my revised stance:
- Asking tool guys for tech leads? Still not great.
- Building real relationships with them? Absolutely golden.
The difference? One is transactional. The other is transformational.
What's your take?
How has your relationship with tool dealers impacted your retention?
Drop your thoughts below. 👇
4
4 comments
I was wrong about tool guys.
skool.com/technicianfind
Proven templates, strategies, training and top-level networking to help independent auto repair shops hire quality staff faster.
Leaderboard (30-day)
1
+11
2
+8
3
+6
4
+4
5
+3
Powered by