Towing is not easy. It’s long hours, hard work, and unpredictable adventures. And if you’re the leader of a towing business, you’re kind of in charge of making sure that everyone is happy working as a part of your team. That means that you need to be conscious of workplace morale and take steps to give it a bit of a lift if it needs it. (Workplace morale being the overall perspective your employees have towards their job as they work for your tow truck company – positive, negative, etc.) Basically, it’s what kind of spirits everyone is in. Here are a few tips to help you with morale at your business.
7 tips to improve workplace morale at your towing business.
1. Know why morale is so important.
Workplace morale might sound a bit like hocus pocus. What’s the big deal? There are several reasons why it’s so important. First of all, your employees – your drivers, your dispatchers – are essential to your business. They’re the backbone. But your drivers won’t reach their full potential and they won’t be truly doing their best work if they’re not happy. Turnover could become a problem if morale is low. Considering how difficult towing is and how much it demands of the tow truck operators, workplace morale is even more important.
2. Have plenty of communication.
You’ve also got to be sure that communication is an essential part of your business. Talk to your team. Ask questions. If you feel that morale is suffering, try to figure out what’s at the root of that problem so you can address it for everyone’s good. Let your drivers and dispatchers know they can be honest about what is going well and what could stand to change at the business. Maybe have meetings to allow people to speak their minds and their thoughts. Make sure that people know they can approach you and talk to you about what’s on their minds.
3. Appreciate your employees.
Everyone wants to know that they are appreciated and valued. Show your employees that you care about them and are grateful for their hard work by planning a little bit of fun every once in a while. Bring donuts, bring milkshakes, get lunch delivered for everyone – show that you care and notice everything that they do. It also lets people know that you’re happy with the work they’ve been doing and that you’re pleased with them.
4. Be respectful about time off.
Towing is a demanding job and the hours can be long and unforgiving. But everyone needs a break now and then so they can refresh and recharge. Make sure your drivers and dispatchers have the ability to take time off and have a break when needed. Yes, that might mean some organizing as far as scheduling. However, letting people have some time off can really raise their spirits.
5. Be understanding about scheduling.
This one relates to the previous tip about making sure people have the ability to take a break when needed. You also have to be conscious of the fact that people have lives outside of work. They might need to adjust their hours so they can have a healthy work-life balance. Towing is chaotic and the hours are long, but you can at least show you’re willing to work with people and compromise where possible. That goes a long way in improving workplace morale.
6. Encourage friendship.
Your employees might not be the best of friends, and they might not spend every second together. But there’s no reason why people can’t be friendly towards each other, or at least consider their co-workers to be their friends as well. Allow people the opportunity to socialize and spend time together, getting to know each other. Arrange for the opportunity for people to hang out during work hours. That way people don’t feel like they’re working with strangers, or people they can’t be comfortable around. Having an amiable, light-hearted workplace atmosphere can help give people a boost.
7. Help people see the purpose and value of what they do.
Towing is all about helping people – and, on many occasions, people who are in the middle of a very bad day when their car breaks down or they’ve been in an accident. And that means that tow truck drivers make a difference in peoples’ lives every day. Remind them of that. Everyone wants to feel like their work is worthwhile, and like they have a true purpose. Along with the difference that they make to your customers, the work they do also furthers the company’s goals and mission – something that can also help people feel like they have real purpose.
Morale is important when it comes to your tow truck business. It’s not an easy job, so keeping your team in good spirits can really help everyone in the long run. And besides, as a manager you want your drivers and dispatchers to be happy, right? That’s the mark of a good boss.
And tow truck insurance is another important thing to think about as the manager of a tow truck business. We can help you get the coverage you need. We like to help people save money on their tow truck insurance, and we like to make insurance easy. You can get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.
Source: