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Ok, I am a little frustrated. My knee has been hurting me for a few months. I finally called an orthopedic specialist group (the largest and most well-known in the area). These are the events that occurred: When you call the office, you cannot speak to anyone. You need to leave a message or go online to fill out a form I went to their website, filled out the form with all my info, and requested an appointment The next day I got a call from the office; they wanted to verify my insurance (all about getting paid, NOT my knee pain) The person on the phone said that ANOTHER person would call me to schedule an appointment FAST FORWARD - I have since called numerous times and left messages to get an update on my request for an appointment Five days later, no call, still in pain... This is a reminder to all shop owners to call back your customers. The unknown and waiting is"painful"

We judge our shop's production by car counts and billable labor hours. But isn't this dependent on the ability of the Service Advisor to get write-ups done, cars dispatched, make sales, handle phone calls, walk-ins, etc.? If the service advisor's load increases, doesn't this affect overall shop production?

Our Service writer is paid 8% on all sales.  When he is off for 2 days, we have another hourly person that service writes.   My question is we pay the SW that was off for 2 days 8% on all sales, but take them as vacation days.  The person filling in (he does a great job) pay him the difference if he was service writing and would be commission.    Looking to see if somebody has a better solution.  If the regular SW is on vacation, I can figure the sales from his last day till he comes back.  That is not a problem  

As a business coach, I am often asked, "What's the best ratio of Service Advisors to Technicians?" The answer, in my opinion, is not straight forward as you think. It depends on the type of work you do, your weekly car counts, and how your team is structured. My shop was general repair, with car counts of about 120 per week. We did a good mix of service work. We had six techs and three service advisors. I found that this was the perfect ratio for me. One of the Advisors was also the manager but was involved in writing service. You need to look at your particular operation. Do you have support staff that helps at the counter and on the phone? Are the bulk of the jobs you do heavy repair, such as heavy trucks? Are your car counts low with a high ARO, such as EURO specialists? And, do you have a parts person helping to procure parts? All these factor into the equation. With that said, What is your perfect ratio for your shop?

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big proponent of understanding your numbers, and the need for bottom line profit. However, we can sometimes get side-tracked by focusing too much on the numbers and not enough on people. I have seen time and time again with struggling shops that have their numbers dialed in properly but can't achieve their goals, and the reason all too often is their culture. Focus on people. Find out what's important to them. Your employees have dreams and goals. Find out what they are. Align their goals with company goals. When an employee sees that by achieving company goals, they can achieve their own goals, then you have the right culture and a powerful team.

I need to find some employees fast and I am having no luck, anyone willing to help me write an advertisement or help me with postings, over the phone or through e-mail, please let me know. Just found this, not feeling good about this. https://www.indeed.com/forum/job/automotive-technician/can-t-do-it-anymore/t459836

I recently made a call to my Internet provider to discuss and issue I was having. After multiple attempts at trying to explain my problem, the customer service rep on the other end of the phone had no clue how to solve my problem. She was nice, extremely polite, and had the voice of an angel. She was well-trained, but not in the art of problem solving. Great customer service is not about being nice to people, it’s all about understanding the customer’s needs and coming up with solutions to their problems. Train your service personnel in the art of proper etiquette, but also in the art of problem solving. Empower your people to also make decisions. Set limits, but give them the authority to solve issues without every problem reaching your desk.

In order to make any sale,the person you are trying to sell to must see the benefit of what you are recommending. Your customer must see that you are trying to help them, rather than just sell them something. Each of knows the reasons "why" we recommend a timing belt or a wheel alignment. But, sometimes in the mist of a busy day we don't effectively communicate the "why". When a customer understands that replacing the timing belt is thousands of dollars less than major engine repair, the customer knows the why. The customer sees that you are trying to help. The other component in selling is clearly identifying your true profile customer, and ones that you have established strong relationships with. You will have an easier time selling to the right customer and those you have created strong relationships with. Focus on these customers and do all you can to continue to identify and build more of these relationships with the right customers. I am not saying to ignore certain customers, but the truth is we cannot be everything to everyone and attempting to be will eventually hurt sales, morale and profits.

Source: Selling is all about helping the right customer

In order to make any sale,the person you are trying to sell to must see the benefit of what you are recommending. Your customer must see that you are trying to help them, rather than just sell them something. Each of knows the reasons "why" we recommend a timing belt or a wheel alignment. But, sometimes in the mist of a busy day we don't effectively communicate the "why". When a customer understands that replacing the timing belt is thousands of dollars less than major engine repair, the customer knows the why. The customer sees that you are trying to help. The other component in selling is clearly identifying your true profile customer. You will have an easier time selling to those customers that you have created strong relationships with. Focus on these customers and do all you can to continue to identify and build more of these relationships with the right customers. I am not saying to ignore certain customers, but the truth is we cannot be everything to everyone and attempting to be will eventually hurt sales, morale and profits.

Source: Can Your Service Writers Really Overcome Sales Objections?

What are some pros and cons of having the service advisor for the shop also take the role of receptionsit/secretary, I am looking to hire a service advisor that could also take the place of our receptionist answering phones, checking customers out, keeping our side of the books and then of course writing services. Pros and cons of having this one position???

We all know the value of making a great first impression. The way you greet your customers has a direct affect on sales and your overall success. But, why is it even more important to impress a first time customer? Think about your favorite restaurant which you have been going to for years. You are a loyal to that restaurant and continue to patronize it without even thinking about it. But do you go out of way to promote that restaurant? Probably not; and unless someone happens to ask you, you don't go around your neighborhood telling everyone about your favorite restaurant. Your long-time customers are no different. You have done a great job over the years and built long-lasting relationships. You have created a level of experience that they have to come accept. And to some degree, take for granted. This is not a bad thing. Its just a fact. This is one of the reasons why you need to continue to deliver that level of service your customers have grown accustomed to in order to keep them. Now, lets take a first-time customer. Their anxiety is usually high. Your shop is all new to them and they don't know what to expect. They may have had a bad experience at another shop. If you dont do something so extraordinary, they will not be impressed. And if they are not impressed they will leave your shop with no reason to promote it, and no reason to return either. But, if you really do WOW them, if you go the extra mile and create an amazing experience, they will leave your shop with a feeling of elation. When the level of experience for a first-time is so extraordinary, they will leave your shop and become song birds for you. They will tell their family about you, their friends and their coworkers. Each new customer is an opportunity to grow your business. If the experience with a new customer is less the ordinary, so will your business.

Managing the Customer’s Budget should not be taken lightly If anything good came out of the recent recession, it’s that many people have learned to budget their finances better. We are all well aware that there are times when the customer cannot afford all the services and/or repairs that we are recommending. For example, a customer comes in for a 60k service and you discover that the car needs brakes on all 4 wheels and tires. The customer, due to budgeting reasons, declines the 60k service but authorizes the brake work and tires. If it comes down to prioritizing work, then we must advise the customer accordingly. Safety will always take precedent over service work. Please bear in mind that preventive maintenance is always in the customer’s best interest, and this must be conveyed to your customer. I do not take any declined work lightly. If I recommend something today, it’s because it needs to be done. If the customer is on a strict budget and you opt to select certain service to be put off, you must set up a schedule and timeline for the customer to return. If you merely accept the declined work without any thought to getting the customer back, you have just told the customer that what you have just recommended was nothing more than a suggestion. One of biggest reasons for lost future sales is not properly setting up a timeline for the customer to return for the services recommended. Communicate with the customer; ask when they can return to complete the services. See if there are any options you can offer that will make the customer feel more comfortable. Find out how long the customer is planning to keep the car, who drives the car, and what the car is primarily used for. Asking questions is a great way to keep open the lines of communication. It allows the customer to be part of the decision-making process. This alone will improve your sales ratio. So remember, if you and the customer decide to hold off on some of the work you recommend, emphasize the importance of your recommendations, work with the customer to set up a timeline for the customer and book the next appointment. Do not leave it chance that the customer will return for those declined services.

I first-time customer arrived to us the other day, a referral from one of our regular customers. She had a drivability problem which her repair shop could not diagnose, so they sent her to the Honda Dealer. The car was supposedly diagnosed at the Honda Dealer, but she declined any work being done there. After my service advisor wrote her up, I asked her, “What made you leave the dealer without letting them repair the problem?” She replied, “I got a real bad feeling with the way both the women at the counter and the service guy spoke to me. I just did not trust them.” They told her she got a load of bad gas and wanted to remove the tank, flush it out, flush the injectors and do a de-carb. They were wrong. The problem was a valve adjustment, which we did, and the car runs like new. We did manage to save her money and correctly diagnose the problem. But, what was more interesting, were her instincts about the dealer’s credibility. Also interesting, she had only good words to say about her regular repair shop, even though they could not diagnose the problem. Why? I guess because they were honest. Even in today’s crazy world, honesty and integrity still wins out in the end!

The Internet Has Changed the Way We Do Business The other day, Mike, one of my service advisors, gave a customer a price on tires. She then reached into her pocketbook, pulled out her Ipad, and said, “Give me a minute”. After a few minutes of surfing, she said to Mike, “Well, the price you gave me is ok; there is one tire shop in Danbury that has those same tires for $15.00 less per tire. Can you match the price?” Sound familiar? You bet. We have all been down this road, and that road has no end to it. Look at your new car dealers. The days of the traditional car sales are over. Many new car dealers no longer pay commissions to sales people. Why? The margins have shrunk due to competing dealers giving prices online, and so many car dealers competing for a share of the same pie. While, I don’t think the internet will have the same impact on our industry, it has impacted us to a degree. And we must learn to deal with, not fight it. You need to bring value to your customers. Don’t enter the price game, you will lose. You need to be competitive, but you need to be profitable too. Making a sale for the sake of a sale, without turning a profit is financial suicide. Promote benefits, not price. Create your unique value proposition: Ask yourself, "Why the customer should buy from you." Let those shops that don’t understand this engage in a price war. As they fail, it will only make us stronger. How did Mike handle the question about “Matching the price?” He simply said, “Well Miss Smith, let’s review some of the benefits. Our tires come with a road hazard warranty, road side assistance, lifetime tire rotation and flats fixed free. Plus, Danbury is 45 minutes away, if you ever have a problem with the tires, do you really want to travel to 40 minutes to shop where they don’t know who you are? She looked down at her Ipad, looked back up at Mike, and said, “Ok, makes sense, put the tires on."