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The Service Manager Juggles Many Roles
Today, I want to shine the spotlight on the Service Manager, who plays a key role in the day-to-day operations of a successful dealership.
The general definition of a Service Manager is someone who is in charge of all service department operations. Job functions typically include overseeing vehicle repairs, warranty and non-warranty items, maintaining quality controls and high Customer Service Satisfaction (CSI), as well as ensuring proper staffing.
Many Service Managers begin their careers as automotive apprentices. From apprentices, they become technicians, shop foremen, then Service Advisors, and eventually onto management.
David is a typical Service Manager who started his career as an automotive apprentice, before earning his mechanic?s license in his late teens. He has worked in service departments for most of his adult life and has a passion for cars. He works closely with employees, customers and dealership suppliers.
The majority of David?s day is devoted to satisfying the service and repair concerns of all customers. David has two types of customers ? external and internal. External customers are those who require routine maintenance and/or repairs. Internal customers, on the other hand, are the likes of the New Car Sales Department, the Used Car Sales Department, as well as dealership personnel. David is quick to point out that keeping internal customers happy is just as important as keeping external ones happy. ?Sometimes harder,? he says.
Every day, David is confronted with a wide assortment of situations. Some are staff-related; some are administrative, while others are customer issues.
Sometimes problems are resolved quickly, sometimes not. A customer recently visited David?s department and reported a clunking noise in his truck. Two other dealerships had been unable to fix the noise, and the vehicle was out of warranty.
A technician and a foreman examined the truck. Unfortunately, none of them could pinpoint the problem, although the customer was charged for time spent diagnosing it. The customer wasn?t pleased with this outcome, but it?s worth mentioning that even diagnosing a physical ailment often requires several visits to the doctor. Each time this customer returned to the dealership, however, he complained bitterly about it, and rightly so.
Between David?s experiences, and those of his foreman and technician, a fix was eventually found. The upside of this scenario is that the vehicle got fixed, the customer?s faith in the dealership was fully restored, and David?s team learned how to detect that specific problem next time.
?Unpredictable situations happen all the time,? David says. ?But if you maintain good relationships with your suppliers and staff, then you have a fair chance at solving problems, meeting deadlines and achieving desired results.?
Not all situations that David deals with are resolved, and not all situations are pleasant. Occasionally customers will test David?s resolve on warranty and payment issues, and he must make tough decisions as politely and professionally as possible.
David is a stickler for quality work, as are most Service Managers. There are industry standards, manufacturer standards and dealership standards that must be met, and it?s David?s job to monitor how well his department does in achieving those objectives.
Monitoring the Service Department?s efficiency has become a science. Computers are used to track and measure the department?s progress and to increase productivity by scheduling appointments, trouble-shooting technical problems, and improving service workflow. Computers provide David with a snapshot of the department, and they help to identify areas of strength and weakness.
One of the often-overlooked aspects of David?s job is coaching. ?Yes, part of my job at the dealership is to be an effective coach and mentor to my staff,? David says. ?I rely upon my interpersonal and communications skills to help my staff grow and learn, to encourage them to keep their skills up to date throughout periodic training, and to solve occasional misunderstandings.?
The success of the service department ultimately depends on staffing. ?It?s not just about hiring service technicians, service advisors, shop foreman and cashiers,? David says. ?It?s making sure that each employee is properly trained, fully qualified, equipped with the right tools, and properly licensed.?
Each staff member has a specific job description. For instance, if your car?s air conditioning system is faulty, not just any technician can work on it. Technicians who repair or service motor vehicle air conditioners require special training in provincial regulations that govern the handling and disposal of refrigerants. David must ensure that only technicians who have valid air-conditioning licenses work on such vehicles.
Total safety is another top priority that a Service Department must achieve, which is also David?s responsibility. This means complying with all the operating procedures as outlined by the manufacturers and municipal by-laws, and making sure that all work orders and paperwork are maintained to the highest standards.
Whether he?s monitoring a car repair for a salesperson at the dealership, overseeing an engine repair for a customer, or satisfying a General Manager?s request for a piece of data, David must be able to deliver results.
Most Service Managers would agree that their days are busy, challenging and unpredictable. In other words ? lots of fun!
***
Paul Stern is President of the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association and is a new-car dealer in Toronto. E-mail comments to president@tada.ca
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