Service Drive Service Drive
Implementing Healthy Habits Will Cut Stress Levels On Your Service Team
Follow these seven rules in your work and personal lives, and urge co-workers to do the same. BY DAVID LEWIS Based on attendance in a training class on stress reduction that my firm delivers, I can tell you unequivocally that stress is a major issue in dealership service departments. You …
Intra-Department Competition Between Departments Is Great, Dog-Eat-Dog Is Not
Giving staffs a direct stake in one another’s success is smart dealership management. BY MARK TEWART I am betting you have experienced this pain as a dealer too many times: The new car department constantly fights with the used car department, which is always upset with the service group. Service …
Parts Employees Can Help Boost Service Dept. Productivity In More Ways Than They Think
Simple improvements in how parts are stored, priced and moved help techs generate flat-rate hours. BY CHUCK WENZLER I once posed the following question to a gathering of parts managers: “Is service productivity important to you, and if so, what could you do to improve it?” Surprisingly, I was met …
A Forthright Approach And Smart Use Of Meetings Forge Better Relationships With Techs
Both staffwide and individual sit-downs will reveal how to motivate techs, if you pay close attention. BY BRENDA STANG Dealer 20 Group meetings present a great way to forum with fellow dealers and managers to share best practices. Frequently at 20 Group meetings, I’ve been asked by dealers and service …
He Calls It Assertiveness; We Call It Bullying That Pervades Service Departments
Stop putting up with this behavior from advisors, techs and even service managers. BY ROB GEHRING Most of us at some point of our live encountered a bully, either as the victim or witnessing the mistreatment from close range. However, most of the time that controlling, manipulative and destructive behavior …
Service Managers Should Be Judged By The Success Of Their Service Advisors
And, metrics are overused in evaluating advisors; emphasize critical traits and habits instead. BY GLENN PASCH I can remember my first consulting arrangement with a dealership. I was asked to come in and help with its service advisor processes. When I arrived, a number of faces poked out from cubicles …
Take A Sledgehammer To The Wall Between Service And Parts Departments
Increasing the interactions between their managers and staffs, in both professional and personal settings, can pay dividends. BY CHUCK WENZLER I was watching TV the other day and saw a commercial for an online game called “Game of War.” I don’t play these games but it appeared the goal in …
Don’t Shrink From The Root Causes Of Staff Retention Problems In The Service Drive
Problems in management style can drive away good people. The good news: These problems are curable. BY KIRK MANZO One of the great challenges at many dealerships today is finding and retaining the best talent. While facilities and technology enhance the customer’s experience, it is the people they deal with …
Bridging Communication Gap Between Advisor And Tech Can Bolster Your Service Operation
So can adding more rungs to the fixed-ops career ladder at your dealership. BY CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE If your dealership’s service advisors and service technicians cannot seem to speak the same language, the headaches won’t be contained to the fixed ops area. Customers invariably will pay a price in comprehension and …
Creativity With Compensation Can Help Cure Service Tech Retention Headaches
Discretion in how dealerships award vacation, tool accounts, bonuses has become essential in a tight labor marketplace. BY ROB GEHRING All across the U.S., I hear a common refrain from dealerships: “I need technicians, where can I find them?” Generally, these dealerships don’t want to hear the answer; they just …