Staff-friendly time off among Bergstrom Automotive's employee support

CHICAGO — Bergstrom Automotive CEO Tim Bergstrom on Thursday shared examples of how his dealership group supports employee well-being.

"Certainly, there's always been retail hours, but there's things you can do to help keep the same people around," Bergstrom said.

Customers want to buy vehicles from people they trust, said Bergstrom, whose group ranks No. 78 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., with retail sales of 12,035 new vehicles in 2022. It also includes 14 stores among Automotive News' 2023 Best Dealerships To Work For.

"If we have people that are having fun at work, it's a lot easier to trust them," he said during a keynote session at the Automotive News Retail Forum: Chicago.

One concession to staff needs involved giving technicians Saturdays off.

For a long time, Bergstrom Automotive sought a "full shop" in its service departments. But skilled technicians — who could find employment elsewhere — were sending the message: "You can't just focus on the guests. You have to focus on us, too," Bergstrom said.

Salespeople work Saturdays but are guaranteed the same two weeknights off a week. Bergstrom stores also close Friday nights, which cost the company at first.

However, "it seems like our Saturday morning trainings are better than ever," Bergstrom said. "Our team's fresher."