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From: Fixed Operations Gross Profits
To: General Manager/Dealer Principal
Subject: Resignation
It is with great regret that I must submit this letter of resignation effective immediately.
Although we have worked together for many years, I don’t feel I can contribute to your bottom line anymore. It was a great experience and I wish you and everyone at ABC Motors the best.
I am moving on to another dealership that has made it clear they believe in me and my contribution to their net profit.
I am quite excited about the opportunity that is in front of me. The team I am moving to wants my potential contributions and has made a commitment to increasing my role while taking care of their customers. During the interview process they took the time to demonstrate why I am a good fit for their organization.
For example, the advisors there understand the difference between order taking and taking care of the customer. They make time to explain to every customer the different maintenance requirements of their vehicle.
They have a service sales process that includes a meet and greet, a walkaround, a maintenance schedule presentation, an MPI explanation and promise times to follow up with the customer on a regular schedule throughout the day.
They realize that this is how the customer can best take of their vehicle for longer life and greater customer satisfaction with fewer repair costs. This has led to an increase in their customer retention year over year!
They even set up a quick lane service that is as convenient as the “aftermarket guys” down the street, with competitive pricing on the 10 items most asked for by customers. Yes sir, they have the customer’s best interests in mind at my new place of work.
Those are just a few things they have done to attract new Fixed Operations Gross Profits like me. In fact, they made an offer so attractive, I just could not say no. With everything they have in place, I am practically guaranteed continued employment there for as long as I like.
Believe me when I say I contemplated a very long time before deciding to make the change. I considered all the benefits of staying here and there are a few. I know that every month will be the same as last month and there is something to be said for continuity, I guess.
Also, doing the exact same things day after day does have some benefits. You always know what each day will consist of. The same sales performance from the same advisors with the same level of leadership (or lack thereof) as last week, last month and last year.
At least I always thought I had a small role in the dealership’s success. I must be honest with you when I say that sometimes it was hard watching the other dealerships with more Fixed Operations Gross Profits, but I got used to it.
I held hope that one day someone would see my potential and start making changes that would increase my role like training, monitoring and coaching, but alas, it was not meant to be.
Sometimes a manager would stay long enough to start developing my capabilities, but it’s hard to build a cohesive team when the goals are not clear, and the lack of accountability remains elusive. And those managers soon left to be replaced by someone else who did not follow through on commitments to grow Gross Profits like me.
I understand. Lots of other dealerships have employee issues as well. I think many employees on our team here…ahem…your team…could benefit from a clear goal-setting session so they can all focus on the results that matter.
Be that as it may be, I am confident that the ability to make changes rests within your hands. There is no better time to attract new Fixed Operations Gross Profits like me than right now. If you decide to install a service drive sales process, train, coach and monitor for results and hold the team accountable for performance, please give me a call. I would be open to coming back and hope I’m not burning any bridges here.
I must leave you with some warning on other possible defections. It is not for me to say, but I have heard rumors that Profit Margins, Effective Labor Rate and CSI are not that happy either. I am not entirely sure what those rumors mean, but immediate action might be prudent.
All in all, I think the best word to describe my time here is “underachievement.” I really wish we could have done more together. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
Signed,
Fixed Operations Gross Profit
