shopprofile
by Paul Morton

Metro Transmissions, Inc. Columbus, Ohio

Mike Sides, owner of Metro Transmissions, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio, understands the value of technical training. It's what got him started in the industry many years ago. And though he didn't say it in so many words, I believe he would be the first to agree ... formal education and training will be a necessary part of every good transmission rebuilder's future.

When Mike was in 7th grade, his neighbor let him rebuild the engine on his lawnmower. Smart kid. He didn't start with his dad's mower. Even smarter; he got it all back together again ... and it worked. It was enough of an experience to let Mike know he had found what he wanted to do with his life: turn wrenches and fix things.

While still in high school, Mike took an evening course in automotive repair at a nearby vocational school. After graduation, he became involved in a cooperative education program sponsored by General Motors. The program inter-spersed classroom study with hands-on work at a local GM dealership. It was here that Mike was able to really start the process of learning good mechanical skills. After completing the training program, Mike stayed on at the dealership to work full time.

It wasn't long before opportunity knocked. The mechanic who did all the transmission work for the dealership had been fired, and none of the other mechanics wanted anything to do with the specialty. Mike was intrigued with the inner workings of transmissions, and thought their repair would be much more interesting than the general repair he had been doing. The dealership gave him the assignment, and sent him away to a GM training course. Mike spent the next few years rebuilding transmissions for the dealership, and learned even more.

Towards the latter part of the '70's, Mike became a partner in a transmission shop owned by his wife's uncle. It wasn't long, however, before he decided it was time to expand his horizons. In 1981, Mike's father happened to be retiring from a career in public health, and the two were talking about their future. Mike's father spoke fondly of a time years earlier, when he owned and operated a service station in North Carolina. An idea began to brew, and it wasn't long before another partnership was forged.

Mike formed a corporation, and found what he felt would be a good location for a shop in an abandoned gas station near the edge of town. By the beginning of the next year, they were in business: Mike in the shop, his father as "go-fer and general helper," and his mother running the front office.

Mike said at this point he knew a lot more about repairing transmissions than he did about running a business. But his folks were there to help. He had already learned the biggest lesson from them much earlier in life. And the lesson was one that would carry over very effectively in his business venture, and be the basis of much of his "advertising."

It was also about this time, Mike said, that he experienced another life-changing event that would help set his moral compass. He became a Christian, and many of his priorities were rearranged. Work became secondary to family, and how he conducted his business was made part of his identity. Mike also stressed the importance of his family ­ particularly his wife Renee ­ in allowing him the time needed to do what was necessary at the shop. No small task in itself, raising two boys and two girls. Maybe those times when she helped her husband dig up an in-ground hoist, or paint the shop, were actually a break!

Mike said that what may set Metro Transmissions apart from many other businesses is their "commitment to honest work at a fair price." On top of which has been his insistence on providing excellent customer service, while guaranteeing his product. The combination proved to be successful from the beginning, and Metro began building a solid customer base through word-of-mouth advertising.

In 1985, business was good enough to allow Sides the opportunity to exercise the purchase option on the property he had originally leased. And the increasing workload made it apparent more help was needed. In 1986, builder Jerry Mathys was hired, and both he and Sides were kept busy atthe rebuilding bench.

In 1989, Mike made a leap into computerization, and set the shop up with programs designed to make the business more efficient. It was also around this time that Mike's parents decided to REALLY retire, setting the stage for even more transition. Judy Cambell was hired as office manager, and work went on.

But Mike was beginning to question his own business skills. "I realized that we were always busy, but it didn't seem like we were making that much money. I began to wonder if I was pricing my jobs right." He had always taken the opportunity to keep pace with the technical developments in the industry, but the business end was another story. Sides began to attend management seminars, and traveled to California for a crash course on the topic. What he learned caused him to reform his outlook on the conduct of business, and he began to make some changes.

What evolved was a situation in which Metro Transmissions became one of the more expensive shops in the area. "I get what I need to get for the job," he said, by way of simple explanation. And providing an estimate for the customer starts before they hear any numbers, Mike indicated. "You need to really take care of your customer," he told me. I've heard the words before, but not quite in the context he meant. "When they come to the shop they're already having a bad day. You need to understand their needs ... it might also be that they need help with transportation, financing, whatever." Mike makes an extra effort to help his customer with what they need. And then he looks to the transmission.

After hearing the customer's take on the problem, the vehicle is road-tested, and any necessary electronic diagnosis conducted ­ at no charge, unless considerable time is invested. Mike provides the customer with a probable range of cost before the unit is removed, and a more detailed estimate within that range once the unit is opened and more thoroughly examined. Again he stressed, "the customer only pays for what they need." If the problem is minor, and quickly fixed, the price reflects it. Aside from a price for a fully updated, custom rebuilt transmission, Sides also provides the customer with an estimated price for a remanufactured unit, as well as a used one. He makes a considerable effort, he said, to educate the consumer on the differences between their options. Given informed choices, more than 75% of the customers opt for the custom rebuild.

In Sides' estimation, part of the "what is needed" equation also provides room for taking care of the customer after the initial work is done. Phone inquiries are made a few days after the work is completed to determine the customer's satisfaction. An appointment is set for a follow-up check to ensure no problems developed during the interim. Sides also checks back with the customer a year later to determine customer satisfaction.

Mike also stands behind his work well beyond the warranty period, when he feels it necessary. On occasion he has done so six to nine months after the warranty period has ended, when he believes the transmission failure was their fault. It's this type of attention to customer service, he believes, that has established his strong customer base.

Metro Transmissions has evolved over the past several years to be a solid transmission repair shop, in both a technical and business sense. In 1996, Sides moved builder Jerry Mathys into a service writer position, and hired Terry McGovern to replace him on the bench. Another young man, Don George, was hired to do R&R work, and has evolved into the "chief service technician." And to his pleasant surprise, Mike's son, Michael, soon to graduate from high school, has expressed an interest in the business, and is being brought along through on-the-job-training. Another high school student, Russell Girts, is enrolled in a program very similar to the one Sides himself attended, and is being developed at Metro for his career in transmission rebuilding.

Where many in the industry are struggling to find or maintain good help, Sides seems to have found a solution for his own business that may have even broader implications for the industry. At Metro Transmissions, employees are treated as the professionals they are seen to be. Top wages, a retirement plan, company-paid health insurance, and generous paid vacations provide a significant level of comfort for employees. A positive, up-beat working environment where open communication is stressed, also contributes.

As part of the communication effort, Sides has implemented a formal, twice-annual employee review process. The employee is evaluated on well-defined job characteristics, and given guidance where needed. In a considerable leap of faith, Sides also has the employee evaluate him as the boss ... seeking ways in which he can help the employee do a better job, or improve the system.

Making a continual effort towards improving the technical competence of his employees is a significant concern for Sides. It's also a means by which he cultivates the type of employee he needs to stay competitive. Young, entry-level employees such as his son and Girts are exposed to increasingly more complex tasks, while being closely supervised by others who are more experienced. And training does not stop with the novices. The business pays the cost of continuous technical education for the employees, and they regularly hold in-house training sessions on topics of interest.

Mike Sides was present at Northwestern College in Lima, Ohio, recently, where several members of ATRA and ATRA staff traveled to explore the budding Distance Education program. Sides spoke very favorably of the program's potential: "This is just what they (the employees) need. Young guys with families can do the work at home in the evenings, and in the shop as well." Sides could also see another benefit of the program: "The more education and training a person gets, the better self-image they'll have. When that improves, so will the professional image of the industry."

Sounds to me like the education Mike Sides has received is serving him well. It certainly allows him to see a long ways down the road.