In the fast-paced and competitive world of the car business, the subtle but powerful threat of entitlement can stealthily undermine the success of your business.
While often overlooked, this insidious virus can erode teamwork, hinder performance, and compromise customer interactions without the business owner even realizing it.
Identifying Entitlement in Your Dealership
Entitlement can often lurk in plain sight, especially among seasoned employees who may feel a sense of “tenure power.” This mindset can manifest in many ways.
For instance, a senior salesperson may believe their extensive history with the dealership grants them special privileges, leading to a diminished willingness to collaborate with colleagues and resulting in a fragmented team which may decrease overall performance.
Such behavior can spill over into customer interactions, tarnishing the dealership’s reputation and hindering potential sales.
Additional examples of entitled behavior include:
Lack of Teamwork: Unwillingness to collaborate, a sense of superiority over colleagues.
- Example: A long-term sales manager believes their experience grants them the right to work independently without sharing leads or collaborating on sales strategies with newer team members.
Overconfident Attitude: Assuming authority beyond one’s role, making decisions outside designated responsibilities.
- Example: A service technician with years of experience takes it upon themselves to alter the service schedule without consulting the service manager, assuming their judgment is superior.
Resistance to Policies and Procedures: Believing standard operating procedures don’t apply to them.
- Example: An entitled finance manager disregards the established protocol for completing sales paperwork, insisting their method is more efficient, resulting in confusion and errors.
Claiming Special Treatment: Belief that tenure or experience merits special privileges.
- Example: A senior salesperson demands a higher commission rate or exclusive access to certain customer leads, asserting they’ve earned special treatment due to their long service in the dealership.
Undermining Authority: Making decisions or statements as if speaking on behalf of ownership.
- Example: An entitled employee tells a customer they can provide a discount that only the dealership owner has the authority to approve, potentially leading to misunderstandings and financial discrepancies.
Entitlement in Customer Interactions: Treating customers with a superior attitude, assuming their experience alone guarantees customer satisfaction.
- Example: A seasoned service advisor dismisses a customer’s concerns, implying their extensive experience means the customer’s opinion or issue is less valid.
Resistance to Change: Opposition to new processes or procedures, believing the existing way is superior.
- Example: An entitled parts manager refuses to adopt a new inventory management system, insisting that their manual method is more efficient, despite evidence of increased accuracy and efficiency with the new system.
Taking Credit for Success, Avoiding Responsibility for Failure: Claiming credit for positive outcomes but deflecting blame for failures onto others.
- Example: An entitled sales manager attributes successful sales months to their leadership but blames external factors or subordinates for any downturn in sales.
Entitlement in Family Businesses: Assuming a privileged position based on family ties, without merit.
- Example: A family member working in the dealership assumes a leadership role without demonstrating the necessary skills or commitment, causing resentment among other team members.
Demanding Recognition Without Contribution: Seeking acknowledgment or rewards without commensurate effort or achievement.
- Example: An entitled administrative staff member insists on public recognition for their contribution to a successful event but fails to mention the collaborative efforts of the entire team.
Individuals exhibiting entitlement often carry an air of overconfidence, extending their influence beyond their roles and disrupting decision-making authority.
Beyond affecting morale, this behavior can lead to fraudulent activities that jeopardize the integrity of your dealership. Disregarding procedures and creating chaos may become commonplace.
Family Dynamics, Entitlement in the Dealership
Entitlement is common in family-owned dealerships. Unchecked, it can seep into various layers, corroding teams, departments, and the overall organizational culture.
If the intent one day is for a family member to operate and own the business, it is important to be mindful of the early impressions they are making on leadership and those they will depend upon in the future to implement business strategies.
Forethought to develop a strategic integration process, complete with development plans, are critical to ensure that family members working in the business are set up for success.
Strategies to Combat Entitlement in Your Dealership
Taking a proactive stance is crucial, especially in a dynamic industry like the car business.
One way to enhance your performance reviews is by incorporating criteria that balance perceived “tenure power” and address any issues promptly. Integrating performance expectations around behavior and attitudes within each job description will set the stage early as to what is acceptable behavior.
To truly optimize performance, consider implementing quantitative performance measures and designing recognition programs that reward both individual performance and teamwork. It’s important to maintain the balance of being an owner/leader, not just a friend.
Regular training programs that reinforce the value of collaboration and teamwork can help shift the mindset from individual entitlement to a collective focus on the dealership’s success. By emphasizing the importance of working together towards a common goal, you can foster a positive work environment and improve overall performance.
Approaching Entitlement with Compassion in the Dealership
The familial nature of relationships in a dealership can make addressing entitlement challenging.
Approach the issue with compassion, recognizing that enabling behaviors may have contributed to its existence. Avoid coming off as harsh or judgmental, as this could undermine efforts to instigate necessary attitude adjustments.
Emphasize the importance of a unified team working towards common goals. Reinforce the idea that success in the dealership is a collective effort, and each team member plays a crucial role in achieving it.
Focusing on Growth and Well-being in Your Dealership
Once entitlement is identified and protective measures are in place, shift the focus to growth, change, and the well-being of your team.
Guide them through the realities of the automotive industry, fostering a sense of responsibility and ownership.
Implement mentorship programs where seasoned employees can share their expertise with newer team members. This not only helps in knowledge transfer but also instills a sense of responsibility for the overall success of the dealership.
Revitalizing Your Dealership
By eradicating entitlement, you pave the way for cultivating a high-performance culture, ensuring sustained success in the competitive automotive landscape.
Empower your team to thrive, foster a sense of ownership, and watch your dealership flourish.