Benny's is a chain of car washes, quick lube, and convenience stores, founded in Pensacola, FL, in 1951 and Baton Rouge, LA, in 1953. Just imagine a small operation where Benny would wash cars by hand. However, the business grew quickly and soon expanded to include automatic car washes. Over the years, Benny's Car Wash has opened numerous locations in Louisiana and Florida.
Benny’s takes pride in their work and strives to exceed their customers' expectations with every visit.
The Manager-in-Training (MIT) program at Benny's Carwash is as deep as its family's history. It's a five-month program designed to provide leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to excel as managers in one of their three units - the car wash, quick lube, or convenience stores.
The MIT program is divided into four phases:
During onboarding, MITs are introduced to the company culture, vision, and values. They learn about the industry and the specific operations of Benny's Carwash. Training Director and PI Certified Practitioner, Allie Voiselle, describes Benny’s culture as “family-oriented” and talks about the desire to grow the business while scaling the great culture at the same time.
Fortunately, the intersection between Benny's Vision and Allie's work/life experience as a former elementary math and science teacher has prepared her to be the learning and development leader she is today. This Louisiana Native is an Altruist PI Reference Profile who fully embraces the sportsperson's paradise, including fishing, hunting, and anything outdoors. And she's a "Dog Mom" to Beaux.
Allie describes her world of work as a "balancing act,” especially when it comes to the temporary pains of a fast-growing business while striving to maintain the family culture. "Not being from this niche industry, I'm learning and developing simultaneously."
"It is always funny to me when people say 'It's just a car wash,' but there is so much to learn about, and working with some of the industry's biggest influencers is truly incredible."
After the formal training, employees begin their hands-on experience, observing and working alongside experienced employees, and gradually start to perform tasks themselves. As they gain confidence and competence, they are given more responsibility.
In this on-the-job training phase, MITs learn how to operate the equipment, provide excellent customer service, and work efficiently to meet the company's expectations. By understanding the center's standard operating procedures, MITs are equipped with the skills they need to demonstrate their proficiency.
Here's Allie's take on the MIT Program:
Our 'process walks' are our SOPs come-to-life.
One of the key factors contributing to the program's success is its emphasis on hands-on training in that it has:
Helped to ensure that all employees have consistent training and knowledge.
Enabled employees to perform their duties more efficiently, resulting in excellent customer satisfaction.
Created a culture of continuous learning, where employees are encouraged to develop their skills and pursue advancement opportunities.
Another contributing factor to the program's success is the leadership's commitment to providing ongoing employee support and feedback. Employees receive regular coaching and feedback, which helps them identify improvement areas and build upon their strengths.
The MIT program has been a resounding success for Benny's Carwash. Many of the program's graduates have become successful managers within the company, and some have been promoted to senior-level positions.
Allie and the training team at Benny's have even bigger plans for leadership development. The next edition will focus on seven major business areas: Training, Leadership, Labor, Scheduling, Sales, Volume, & Retention.
The Benny's Training team has opted out of the Peanut Butter Spread Approach to learning, so they are on a mission to make the most meaningful, high-impact program the company has seen yet. This was determined by a "Know-Do-Feel" exercise conducted over Miro to map out the learning experience for future MITs. It goes something like this:
So what's next for the MIT Program?
This teacher may have left the classroom, but the classroom never left the teacher. To elevate interest in learning and development at the company, Allie has tapped into her strengths of instruction and created edutainment for all Benny's employees and leaders. She co-hosts a weekly company broadcast. Benny's Vision, a highly entertaining and informative brand communication channel that has been widely adopted.
But, wait, there's more!
This driven leader, Allie, also aims to incorporate behavioral insights into the program by leveraging the Management Strategy Guides, Personal Development Charts, and Relationship Guides offered in PI Inspire. There are no limits to what Benny's can achieve.