On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we go into the weeds on how employers can show their employees appreciation. Right off the bat it is never going to be a bad idea to feed your employees regularly, especially when you want their attention. Showing your appreciation can be a matter of shop morale, but even more importantly it can be an important tool to reduce turnover- which is a massive problem in this industry. Happy employees can also do things to your brand reputation that you can’t buy - see exhibit A. Wegman's. When you listen to your employees you can also see innovation coming from the people who have been implementing it and found better ways to do their jobs- see exhibit B. Eastman Kodak. However, Uncle Jimmy has broken down “The Art of Appreciation” for the technicians in your shop into the borderline Stalinist slogan: “Food, Fun, and Money” while also railing against overpriced vending machines.

Also Uncle Jimmy goes off on the “end-of-month sales department chaos-blitzkrieg” waged in shops all over the world on the 28th-31st of every month and promotes feral hog hunting as an “unique incentive”.

This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!