Boost committee turns ideas into solutions

Faulkner Subaru Harrisburg's boost committee is an extension of the company's open-door policy where all ideas are welcome.

"We use it to boost anything from profits to inclusion and diversity to brainstorming to come up with new ideas," said Doug Jones, general manager of the Pennsylvania dealership.

Committee members meet monthly — two each from every department including sales, parts, finance, management and business development. Membership rotates among employees at the dealership, which is one of 30 locations owned by the Faulkner Organization.

Store leaders launched the committee in 2020 after recognizing that the best ideas come from frontline employees, Jones said, who often know their department's workflow best.

The boost committee has solved both small issues, such as car wash wait times, and larger challenges, such as dealership parking problems, Jones said. The ideas generated by the committee have saved work time, improved customer and employee satisfaction, and built strong workplace relationships, he said.

With the car wash example, the committee's troubleshooting streamlined workflow.

The dealership washes every customer vehicle during service appointments. Some customers wait for their vehicles, while others drop them off and leave, Jones said. A boost committee member suggested turning on the hazard lights of vehicles belonging to customers waiting in the lobby so they could be washed and returned faster. The move boosted efficiency, as staffers do not have to check the service order to determine which cars should be washed first, Jones said. Shorter wait times also lifted customer satisfaction.

With the parking example, the aim was to alleviate congestion and confusion.

The dealership's lot is small, and the service department has about 70 customers per day, Jones said. The parking lot can get crowded, he said. A long-term fix will come when Faulkner Subaru Harrisburg moves to a new location in 2024. But until then, a short-term fix was needed, Jones said.

A technician suggested checking with a nearby mall to rent parking lot space, which would free up parking spots on the dealership lot for service department customers. The dealership now rents 150 spaces from the mall in a corner adjacent to store property and about 200 yards away. Overflow new and used vehicles in inventory are parked within walking distance of the dealership and more onsite spaces are free for service customers.

The dealership, which sold 918 new vehicles and 855 used vehicles in 2021, no longer receives customer complaints about parking, Jones said.

It was "really a minor suggestion, but for that service customer that pulls into the lot, it's a huge deal," he said.

Small changes suggested by the committee add up, Jones told Automotive News.

A salesperson's idea to have employees and their families gather quarterly has contributed to a family atmosphere at the dealership and aided new friendships, Jones said. And those kinds of attributes help reduce turnover and are a factor in Faulkner Subaru Harrisburg's perennial accolades on Automotive News' list of the 100 Best Dealerships To Work For, he added. The store was No. 17 on that list in 2022. The quarterly gatherings suggested by the committee have included activities such as bowling or miniature golf.

The dealership's open-minded atmosphere inspired the committee, Jones said. Committee meetings were meant to formalize the brainstorming that was already taking place in fragments when employees conversed between helping customers or when on lunch breaks, he said.

And the discussions at committee meetings have continued to be conversations — not lectures — around employees' ideas for improving dealership operations, Jones said. Ideas can be worked on over several meetings, and employees delegate tasks and work with their departments on implementation in between meetings.

"The frontline guys that are out there, that do it every day, they have your best idea," Jones said.