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Again this month, we present some of the best business management ideas and concepts from consultants, trainers and shop owners. Feel free to send in your own success stories and tips! See the Brain Trust box for details.

1 BAD LANGUAGE

Do you know what it costs your shop if a customer leaves dissatisfied? The statistics are alarming:

Each unhappy customer will tell eight to 20 people about their bad experience

Each of those eight to 20 people will, in turn, tell another five people about that bad experience. The bottom line? For each customer who leaves unhappy, the loss is that customer, plus another 48 to 120 potential customers.

Of all the customers who may have a problem when they deal with your company, only one in 25 people will complain to you about it.

Of those people, only one 1 in 10 will patronize your business again. The remaining 90 percent take their business elsewhere.

Your best customer is the one who takes the time to share a problem with you.

If a customer shares a problem with you and you don't resolve it, 20 percent of those customers will still do business with you.

If you solve the problem, more than 50 percent of customers will return to your business.

If you resolve the problem immediately, apologize and do everything else right, 85 percent of those customers will return because you've shown them how important they are to you.

2 RETHINKING RECOGNITION

WINNING WORKPLACES, a non-profit organization that spotlights good and even great workplace practices, recently wrote about a company called Interface Software located in Oak Brook, IL.

Interface implements a number of employee-run recognition programs, but with a difference.

According to Jodi Wasserman, the company's "Ambassador of Fun," management-driven recognition--while well intentioned--can be counterproductive because it fosters competition. Peer-to-peer recognition, on the other hand, encourages a spirit of camaraderie and teamwork.

Repair shops can use this idea in their own businesses, too. In other words, let your technicians decide who should be rewarded and how. Set the criteria, and let them tell you who deserves recognition.

Within reason, let them set the type of reward they know their colleagues would like. This can foster much goodwill among your staff, while keeping any perceived self-serving company motivations out of the picture.

A little trust goes a long way toward developing all of your employees into more mature team players.

3 SAFETY ON THE JOB

HOW CAN businesses save money and keep their workers safe on the job? Some businesses may find they spend more money on worker's compensation claims and insurance for issues like safety violations and accidents when they are trying to cut costs.

OSHA reminds business owners that it provides free consultation programs in every state where a representative will audit your business, reviewing its safety conditions and offering advice for an improved safe work environment. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

TUNING IN

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends an effective occupational safety and health program that has four components:

1. Full management commitment and employee involvement.

2. Work site analysis.

3. Hazard prevention and control.

4. Safety and health training.

4 GET THOSE NUMBERS STRAIGHT

MAKING SURE employee names and social security numbers (SSNs) are correct on W-2 wage reports is crucial in the successful processing of annual wage report submissions. In order to properly credit employee's earnings records and save processing costs, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) offers two methods for employers to verify employee social security numbers. The Agency's Web site at www.socialsecufity.gov offers sources for SSN verification and allocation.

INTERNET VERIFICATION: This option allows immediate or next business day response to name and SSN verification requests.

To verify up to five names, call (800) 772-6270; to verify up to 50 names submit a listing to your local Social Security Office; and to verify more than 50 names, registration is required and information can be obtained from the Employee Verification Service Instructions booklet, which is available online.

SSN ALLOCATIONS: SSA provides guides to determine if a SSN is valid. The Agency shows how SSNs are assigned and gives a list of number areas by state. A list is updated with group numbers issued each month.

THE BRAIN TRUST JUNE 2004

Motor Age thanks the following folks for this month's contributions:

1. STEVE MONGELLUZZO, FIRST Communications, (847) 566-7853.

2. WINNING WORKPLACES, Evanston, IL. www.winningworkplaces.org

3. U.S. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, Washington, DC. www.osha.gov

4. U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, Washington, DC www.socialsecurity.gov

Have you got a management tip to share? E-mail it to us at motorage@advanstar.com, or fax it to (312) 553-8926.