What separates great dealership employees from the rest.
Most people only see the finished vehicle.
They see the clean exterior, spotless interior, polished wheels, and a vehicle that is ready for the showroom or customer delivery. What they do not see are the people, processes, coaching, and training that happen behind the scenes to make that level of quality possible every single day.
At OnSite Dealer Solutions (ODS), developing great employees is just as important as delivering great results for our dealership partners.
Few people understand that process better than Christian Bautista. After spending five years with ODS, working his way from detail technician to Assistant Manager, Site Manager, and now Texas State Trainer, Christian has helped train more than 100 employees while supporting one of ODS's largest operating regions.
Today, Christian travels throughout Texas working alongside new hires, coaching existing teams, supporting site managers, and helping ensure every dealership receives the same high standards ODS has become known for.
We sat down with Christian to discuss what separates great employees from average ones, why ongoing coaching matters, and what both new hires and dealership leaders can learn from building successful teams.
Great Employees Are Developed, Not Just Hired
One of the first things Christian points out is that successful employees are rarely defined by experience alone.
Previous detailing or reconditioning experience is certainly helpful, but it is not always what determines long term success.
Instead, Christian looks for something much harder to teach.
- Showing up on time
- Being dependable
- Having a positive attitude
- Being willing to learn
- Asking questions
- Taking pride in your work
"The hardest thing to teach is drive," Christian explains.
"You either have the desire to succeed, work hard, be responsible, and genuinely care about doing a good job, or you don't."
That mindset has become one of the foundations of ODS hiring and training.
It is also one of the reasons ODS continues investing in structured onboarding instead of simply placing employees inside dealerships and hoping they succeed.
If you are considering joining ODS, our article about questions every candidate should be ready to answer during an ODS interview offers additional insight into what our hiring team looks for in future employees.
Success Starts Before the First Vehicle
Many new employees expect their first day to begin by cleaning vehicles.
Instead, Christian says the first day is about building confidence.
New hires receive their uniforms, employee logins, and time clock information before being introduced to both the ODS team and dealership personnel. They tour the dealership, learn who they report to, understand expectations, and begin learning the tools, chemicals, safety procedures, and step by step processes that create consistent results.
By establishing expectations from the very beginning, employees gain a better understanding of how they fit into the dealership's daily operation.
That structured onboarding helps reduce confusion while creating consistency across every ODS location.
For dealership partners, that means new employees arrive with a clear understanding of ODS standards before they ever begin working on inventory.
One Standard Across Every Dealership
Training is not simply about teaching someone how to detail a vehicle.
It is about building consistency.
Christian believes every employee should receive the same expectations regardless of which dealership they work in.
"It starts with our managers," he says. "We can always learn. We can always grow. Our goal is to build teams that all work toward the same standards, quality, and expectations."
That philosophy extends throughout ODS.
Teams, Site Managers, Area Directors, and State Trainers work together to ensure employees receive consistent coaching while continually recruiting individuals who fit the ODS culture.
The result is a standardized approach that benefits every dealership partner.
The Best Employees Never Stop Asking Questions
One answer from Christian stood out more than any other.
When asked about the biggest mistake new hires make, his response had nothing to do with detailing techniques.
"The biggest mistake is not asking questions."
Whether it involves using the wrong chemical, selecting the wrong tool, or making assumptions before fully understanding a process, many mistakes can be prevented simply by speaking up.
Christian encourages every employee to ask questions early and often.
Doing so protects dealership inventory, builds confidence, and creates better long term habits.
For dealership managers, this approach also creates more consistent quality while reducing unnecessary rework and preventable damage.
Training Does Not End After Orientation
For Christian, training is never a one-time event.
Every week he travels throughout Texas visiting dealerships, helping site managers onboard new employees, providing additional coaching, reinforcing company standards, and stepping in wherever additional support is needed.
His work actually begins every Saturday by reaching out to site managers across Texas to identify where new employees are starting, where additional coaching is needed, and how he can best support each dealership during the coming week.
That continued follow up has become one of the biggest improvements within ODS over the last several years.
"Our processes have changed for the better," Christian explains. "We do a much better job following up with new employees and making sure they stay comfortable while continuing to learn our detail and recon processes."
That ongoing support helps improve employee confidence, reduce turnover, and maintain consistent quality throughout every dealership ODS serves.
If you would like to learn more about how ODS prepares for future workforce needs, read our article on forecasting labor shifts in automotive retail.
Lessons Learned After Training More Than 100 Employees
After working with hundreds of employees, Christian says the biggest lessons have not only been about training others.
They have also been about improving himself.
"I've learned to be patient," he says. "I've learned new things about myself. Working well with different people is something I continue working hard to improve every day."
That humility reflects the culture ODS continues building throughout the company.
- Learning never stops
- Improvement never stops
- Growth never stops
That philosophy applies equally to trainers, managers, and new employees.
Christian's own career is proof of that commitment. Beginning as a detail technician and advancing into leadership demonstrates the opportunities available to employees who consistently work hard, embrace new challenges, and continue developing their skills. You can read more about this commitment in our story about one employee's journey at OnSite Dealer Solutions.
Christian's Advice for Every New Employee
Before wrapping up our conversation, we asked Christian one final question.
"What do you wish every new hire understood before their first day?"
His answer was simple.
"It's going to be hard work. We have high standards because we're part of a well-oiled machine and a great place to work. Come in with the mentality to grow, the desire to learn, and be ready to work the moment you clock in."
Those words capture what ODS is all about.
Not perfection but:
- Progress.
- Accountability
- Teamwork
- Continuous learning
Why This Matters to Dealerships
Behind every consistently detailed vehicle, every successful make ready department, and every productive ODS team is an investment in people.
Dealerships are not simply partnering with individuals. They are partnering with an organization committed to hiring the right people, developing them through structured onboarding, supporting them with ongoing coaching, and maintaining consistent operational standards across every dealership we serve.
For dealership owners, General Managers, Fixed Operations Directors, and Service Managers, that means less time focused on staffing challenges and more time focused on running their business. This is explained well in this recent article, What Happens When Your Service Manager Becomes a Staffing Coordinator.
For future ODS employees, it means joining a company that believes great careers are built through hard work, continuous learning, and opportunities to grow.
At OnSite Dealer Solutions, great dealership teams do not happen by accident.
They are built one employee at a time.
