Podcast: Ratchet + Wrench Podcast
Host: Chris Jones
Ratchet & Wrench and Autoflow’s Chris Cloutier: Successfully Managing Conflict in Auto Repair Shops
In this episode, Chris Cloutier from Golden Rule Auto Care in Dallas, Texas, explores effective methods for handling employee conflict within auto repair shops. He outlines the characteristics of workplace conflict, advises on when employees should escalate grievances to the shop owner, and shares strategies for leaders to successfully resolve team conflicts.
03:11 Welcome Chris Cloutier
03:40 Introduction & background
04:30 What is conflict management?
05:00 When to know if you should just “let it be”?
05:30 What are common signs of a brewing conflict?
06:45 Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
07:00 How to leverage core values to navigate conflict
07:45 Types of anger and how to deal with it
08:20 How small conflicts become big conflicts
09:40 Get to the core of the conflict
10:20 Steps to resolve a conflict
10:40 The questions to NEVER ask
12:20 When it spins out of control
13:05 Leaders resolve conflicts
14:00 What people SHOULD do before escalating
14:40 Don’t “let it go” (be sure it’s resolved)
15:15 Deep wisdom from Ted Lasso
16:20 Maintaining neutrality in the conflict (or not)
17:30 Communication is key
18:20 Creating the positive shop atmosphere/culture
20:05 Encouraging at the shop level
20:20 Create the culture at the beginning, not after you’ve grown
21:10 Example of mediating conflict resolution that went well
23:10 The ONE piece of info that would have made all the difference
24:30 The big takeaway
26:10 Example of mediating conflict resolution that went poorly
26:55 What to do when everything goes wrong
27:50 Remember: Hurt people hurt people
28:05 How to make the shop a safe space for employees
30:05 How to create a culture of collaboration
31:30 Final recommendations for other shop owners
33:00 You get better at leadership over time
33:30 Conflict is where we grow
Source: Ratchet + Wrench
Chris Cloutier
Architect/President at Autoflow
The Desire for Continuous Improvement
As an auto repair shop owner of Golden Rule Auto Care, Chris Cloutier realized the need for a better way to communicate with his customers as he observed how communication gaps created bottleneck situations and wasted valuable rack time.
