Your service advisor is your shop’s front man, the first person your customer interacts with when they enter your shop. They handle all the interactions that provide you with business and keep the shop running. If this person is poorly trained and doesn’t know the key elements of the position, they will, without a doubt, create chaos in your shop. Let’s dive into the four key factors to creating a good service advisor in this Continental Tire Garage Studio video.
The first key to having a great service advisor is to make sure they know every role and function in the shop. Your frontman should be more of a human technician. Someone who is there to fix every single problem related to the customers. When a customer comes in, their biggest worry isn’t understanding every detail of their car. They are worried about how long it will take. How will they get home? What will this cost them? Having someone who understands all components of the business rather than just the technical side will provide a smoother experience for the consumer.
The second key is teaching skills to advisors. World-class service advisors aren’t born, they are made. Soft skills like conflict resolution, teamwork, and customer service go a long way. So sit down with your service advisors and work with them to learn and practice these skills. Remember how your service advisor is organized, how they handle angry customers, and what their management style is, can mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful business.
Key three is to train relentlessly and implement an ongoing training plan specific to the duties covered in a service advisor’s world. The automotive industry is diverse and there are constant advancements and changes. Proper training begins with an evaluation of your team’s current skills, discovering the gaps, and filling those in with the needed education. Only then will you be confident your service will always be up to date.
Key number four is to have tools to assist your advisor. Make sure they have access to productivity-boosting tools such as digital vehicle inspection, text messaging features, check-in kiosks, text-to-pay, and intelligent caller ID software.
Your service advisor should cater to all the human needs of your shop. To do so, they should be properly trained with soft skills and have a range of tools to do so.
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