We were classified into the “non-essential” category, by the State of Idaho. So we met just after the state shut everything down, to discuss options for our employees. Our leadership team came to the decision that the “right thing to do” was to retain our team and have them be paid for the two weeks of the shutdown. We would still have limited staff available to maintain inventory and functional business operations. Obviously with total uncertainty of how all the stimulus stuff would play out, this was a tough decision. We looked at how other projects would have to be put on hold, and how it would effect our cash position in the long run.

While initially we planned just to pay everyone, looking at the impacts how that culturally effected the folks that were still coming into the store and putting themselves at risk, we decided to design a work from home program. The initial vision for certain employees was not easy, specifically with employees who couldn’t understand how they could do their job from home. The vision had to be assigned in the direction that even though they weren’t productive in the normal sense, they were contributing to a greater good of making Tobler a better place to work, after the virus shutdowns had ended. Continuous improvement is really what we tried to lay the groundwork for. And in essence, it has been extremely valuable to see which employees are willing to put in the time and effort, versus the employees that are just collecting a paycheck.

Through this program, everyone who was at home getting paid, was assigned courses through MRAATraining.com, CDK Global Training, OEM webinars, Yamaha, Honda, etc. Along with other process/administrative-related tasks to help improve the everyday life at Tobler. Currently we have 18 employees working from home, and our hope is that when they are able to return to the store, they will be ready for whatever comes at them.

We have been calling employees twice a day to check in on their progress, and also in some cases, their wellbeing.

We have implemented a weekly email updating the entire store on progress for each department. This is an email that I think we will continue to do outside of the shutdown. It’s a great way to keep everyone informed and remind them of the big picture. Overcommunication in times like these, I think, is vital for everyone. The media and uncertainty that we face on a daily basis is ultimately negative. To see people around you making strides forward is positive.

I’ve included some notes from Tobler Team members that we have received on our daily updates from employees:

“I enjoyed the Service Scheduling and How to Create Harmony class; it showed how important the service schedule is and how it effects parts. Also showed me how much the service writer has to follow up with the customer.” — From one of our shop technicians

“I just completed the Service CSI & Upselling class. Certainly some useful information in there for our department and what we can do to increase customer ROs.” — from one of our Canvas Technicians.

While the uncertainty of where we will go if the lockdown continues in the State of Idaho past the two weeks originally designated, we will have some even harder decisions to make for the livelihood of our employees. We applied for the PPP and have yet to hear back and are averaging somewhere around 30 phone calls a day of customers wanting their boats for summer. Interesting times indeed, but important to focus on what we can do with our time.

— Patrick Green, General Manager, Tobler Marina, Hayden, Idaho