Episode Description

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Wrench, we are joined by Jody DeVere, CEO, AskPatty.com to discuss how to know if your shop is female-friendly, normalizing how men and women work together in a shop, and tips to become a female-friendly shop.

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Communication Between Men and Women

  • Shops can be hesitant to hire women because of how they think male employees will react in the shop.
  • Women don’t want special treatment in the shop. They want to be respected and treated like any other technicians. 
  • As a leader, it is your responsibility to set the tone for how people act and what is appropriate in your shop.
  • Regardless of gender, everybody wants to work at a shop where the culture is good and you feel appreciated. 

Normalizing How Men and Women Work Together in a Shop

  • We all need to become better listeners and truly listen to what people are saying.
  • Make eye contact with everyone you are talking to. It shows you care about what they are saying. 
  • Because it is a male dominated industry, men feel it can be more difficult or awkward to switch gears and talk with women while working in the shop. 
  • If a manager is worried about bringing a woman into the shop, that is the problem right there. Managers need to step up, and make sure everyone feels comfortable and respected in the shop. 

 “There’s a huge gap in the number of women working in the industry. Currently it’s at 26.2% and that’s women working in all roles, including  automotive, aftermarket, parts, and dealerships.”
Jody DeVere, CEO, AskPatty.com

How to Know if Your Shop is Female-Friendly

  • All shops should focus on great customer service, regardless of gender, because you want customers to come back.
  • 73% of service customers in today’s market are women, and they influence 85% of purchasing decisions. 
  • As a shop you need to ask yourself, “Do I know how many of my customers are men versus women?” 
  • Research the demographics of your local market. What is the total available market of women in your area that you could have as clients? 
  • Take a look at your shop. Do you have women involved in your brand presence? Would a woman feel comfortable coming to work for you right now? 
  • Women want to feel respected and feel like the work that they are doing is making a difference. 

“I will always state, you do not have to have women work at your business to be female-friendly.”
Jody DeVere, CEO, AskPatty.com

Tips to Become a Female-Friendly Shop

  • Get feedback from female customers. Give them a checklist to come into your shop and observe if the shop is female-friendly.
  • Over time, owners and employees get used to the environment they are in. Take a look at your shop from the outside to see if you notice things you need to change. 
  • Statistics show female customers are more loyal than male customers. It is crucial that you make female customers feel appreciated and respected.  
  • If you want to bring technicians into the industry, not just women, you have to have a plan on how you are going to train and develop them.  
  • Women make their choices not just on price, but who you are in the community.

Is Your Shop’s Marketing Female-Friendly?

Show Notes

Resources:

Learn more about Askpatty.com 

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About Our Host:

Jay Goninen
Co- Founder & President, WrenchWay
jayg@wrenchway.com | 608.716.2122

About Our Guest:

Jody DeVere
CEO, AskPatty.com
jdevere@askpatty.com| 805.208.1008

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