Clean Up the Shop

Kirk Tilley would like to think customers care deeply about how his company’s garages dispose of old oil filters. Or that he could win a service contract just by showing off those antifreeze-recycling machines in every shop.

“We know better,” admits Tilley, vice-president of Tandet Group, a Burlington, Ont.-based firm affiliated with the Nationalease network of independent rental and leasing companies. “Like a lot of shops, how we capture refrigerant isn’t going to win us new business.”

That’s why it’s tempting to cut corners on environmental compliance. “We set high standards for ourselves here,” Tilley says. “Sometimes it takes an outside person hold us to them.”

Tandet conforms to a best-practices standard called GreenShop, a set of environmental and worker safety guidelines managed by Nationalease. It includes a facility audit by an independent party, an exercise Tilley says any shop can benefit from.

“Your auditor should know the regs inside and out-Nationalease once sent an environmental lawyer, for example,” he explains. “But you’re also looking to develop best practices, so you want a guy who has seen a lot of shops, a guy who can give you perspective and will be proactive.” For instance, one auditor pointed out pop cans near Tandet’s fuel island. “The auditor said, ‘That’s so drivers can lock the handle on the fuel dispenser. It could lead to a spill. The best thing to do is to cut the guards away,’ ” Tilley recalls. “There are issues when you do that, but it’s the sort of approach we like to see.”

Tilley also enlists his own shop managers as watchdogs. “We have 10 shops in Ontario, and we rotate our monthly meetings among the branches,” he says. “At the end of each meeting, the service managers do a walk-around critique of the branch where the meeting is being held. They look at safety practices, environmental practices, efficiency. Your toughest critics are your peers.”

The chief benefit is a more productive shop, adds Mike Schaus, general service manager at Tandet’s Mississauga shop. “For the guy on the floor, his No. 1 concern is his own safety. He doesn’t want to handle things that might hurt him. Keep him healthy and you’ll keep him happy.” Tilley says constant feedback is key. “Show us a higher bar to shoot for,” he says. “Be tough. If you’re just handing out a pass, then everybody can achieve it and the standard ceases to be one that represents excellence. We’re always looking for ways we can improve.”