Highlighting good works at Capitol Auto Group in Salem, Ore., has given employees an opportunity to reinforce what they've been trained to do.
Brian Schindler, director of business development for the group, told Automotive News that rewarding positive behavior through the Catch Someone Doing Something Right program "creates a better work environment."
"If you see one of your co-workers doing something great, let them know," he said.
Capitol Auto Group's Catch Someone Doing Something Right program allows employees to recognize one another for performing good deeds outside their job descriptions.
The program was implemented at all three of the group's stores — Capitol Chevrolet-Cadillac of Salem, Capitol Subaru of Salem and Capitol Toyota of Salem — and allows employees to recognize others for doing helpful tasks outside their specific job descriptions.
Schindler said the program has been a unique way to encourage teamwork as a dealership group and not just at individual stores.
Darrian Quitevis, inventory manager for the group, has been nominated several times since the program started in 2019. Quitevis said the program has boosted employee morale at the dealerships, changing mindsets from watching for complaints to watching for good works.
In September, during the peak of the West Coast wildfires, Quitevis took the lead, unasked, on cleaning the three lots and inventory after they had been covered in ash.
Through research and coordination of a team for cleanup, Quitevis had the lots back in order in just one day.
Others have been nominated for anything as small as picking up trash or as big as hand-delivering a spare tire to a customer during one of the fires.
Quitevis said the program has brought back the importance of good works throughout the auto group, which sold 4,085 new and 3,390 used vehicles in 2020.
Nominations, which can be made anonymously, are posted on the group's internal website.
Quitevis said he is impressed with the participation rate, as people really go back to their desks, log onto the website and share good works they are seeing. "It's a great way to share positive news," he said.
The executive team selects individuals for further recognition or reward. Winners are announced monthly, at a minimum.
Each week, a food truck comes to the stores, and one of the rewards for Catch Someone Doing Something Right is a free lunch. Other times, it's verbal recognition, and in rare cases, it's $100.
"It's not so much about the reward, it's more about recognizing positivity," Quitevis said.
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