How Aspen can promote a cleaner shop environment and increase employee satisfaction
For dealers who already promote Aspen to their customers, recognizing the opportunity to use Aspen in their service department is essential. The ability of Aspen to provide a cleaner, safer working environment is often looked at from the perspective of equipment operators. However, the service dealer environment should not be overlooked. A cleaner, more stable fuel will increase employee and customer satisfaction and help keep service departments working on more profitable types of service.
Countless pieces of equipment are started in a shop environment on a daily basis leading to heavy fume build-up. While some businesses will opt to leave garage doors open, others have invested in large fans and other ventilation options to help reduce emissions in the shop space. Still, the foul smell of gas and other emissions is prominent in most dealer shops. Working in this type of environment for entire workdays can take its toll.
The majority of technicians, especially those new to a shop environment, can relate to the experience of working near a cloud of exhaust in confined spaces. Many will experience headaches, nausea, red eyes, and throat irritation from exposure to fumes. These are caused by the aromatics (including benzene and toluene) and olefins that are found in pump fuel and other low-quality fuel products. Aspen virtually eliminates exposure to these substances. While some grow accustomed to this work environment, promoting cleaner fuels will make a difference for your current team and future hires.
In today’s labor market, it’s not only difficult to find technicians that can work on small engines, but increasingly difficult to keep them. A recent survey published in the June 2023 issue of OPE Business found that 92% of the dealers identified themselves as being in a short-staffed situation, with only 8% being well-staffed. This is most striking for tech and service department personnel where only 23% feel they are well-staffed as compared to 61.5% for sales and nearly 70% for admin/office staff. For a lot of dealers, attracting the younger generation to a workplace often considered “dirty” is more and more difficult. Utilizing a cleaner fuel can help promote a more attractive work environment.
By promoting an alkylate fuel in the shop, and by setting up both new and repaired units with Aspen, dealers can significantly reduce the presence of harmful emissions. With Aspen, you will avoid foul emissions and minimize exposure to the harmful substances that are typically included in gas. This brings many benefits, not least of which is the healthier and improved work conditions for service technicians and other employees.
Over time, both employers and employees will benefit from promoting a cleaner fuel solution. Employees will benefit from cleaner and safer working conditions as well as a reduction in the number of sick days. By simply switching fuel, dealers can impact many levels of their business in a significantly positive way.