What would a Professional Service Advisor do?
Professional Service Advisors are prepared for the day ahead of them and don’t get caught in the “why bother because everyday is the same” rut.
Now, why is this so important? I mean, c’mon, isn’t every day just the same?
Open the door, reset the alarm, start the coffee, turn on the computers, check for night drops, check your email, flip through the stack of carry-overs, etc, etc, etc.
Sounds like the “same ol’, same ol’” to me. No change required. No need to do anything different. You can live your life like a sheeple. Lots of companies need sheeples.
If that is the kind of career and the kind of earnings you want, then go for it. It is easy to be easy. You can let your whole life creep along this way, no problem.
What you have to realize is that it is not the daily routine that gets you; it’s the thinking behind the daily routine. If the day before you looks like and feels just like yesterday, then it must be the same.
And that’s when the rut gets you. Ruts do not grab you suddenly from behind like a mugger on a city street. It is not a full front assault. Because if getting into a rut was like that, we would all take precautions and avoid it.
No, getting into a rut or “stinkin’ thinkin’” is more like being smothered by a soft layer of blankets, one blanket at a time. When you get that first blanket, it’s all warm and cozy (just like your daily routine) and it feels good. Who wouldn’t feel secure in a snugly little blanket?
Then the next blanket gets piled on and you feel even more warm and cozy, just like Grandmas house at night in the winter after a cup of hot chocolate. Doesn’t that sound nice?
And every day another soft blanket gets piled on and before you know it, you are being crushed by a pile of blankets a thousand feet tall. You can’t breathe, you can’t move, in fact, you can’t even get out from under that pile of blankets. It’s so freaking heavy it squeezes the life out of you like hot cheeze wiz. Gruesomely gooey.
Blankets don’t seem so warm and cozy now, do they? Ruts are like that. Softly smothering you while wrapping you up with a false sense of security. And nothing rips through that blanket like a bucket of cold water than the Dealership getting sold, or the manager getting fired. Where is your blanket now Linus?
Earl Nightingale said “A rut is nothing more than a grave with the ends kicked out.”
We all want our days to have some routine and normalcy. It is what makes the world go around. What we don’t want to do is assume that everyday will be the same as the last one and start assuming that our Professional life and career growth stops merely because we have figured out a way to stay “warm and cozy.”
Professional Service Advisors get prepared for their day and their careers because they know that every Customer is different and it is better to be prepared to Take Action that to have Action Taken. And they take that into their Professional life as well. They don’t stand around and wait for the manager to say “Hey, have you completed training this year?” They are constantly taking the time to become better at their profession and better prepared than their competition.
Here is another way to think about it. If this does not describe you, then it’s the Advisor standing next to you getting prepared. Your immediate competition.
Here are 10 ways you can get ready for your day, your career and your Professional life. Get out of your rut.
1.Read more. Read anything that contributes to your abilities, your skill sets and education. You own those 3 free and clear. Making them better pays dividends to you 10 times what you put into it.
2.Practice your skill sets frequently. Role play, write a new greeting, new script, anything that will stimulate your mind and get you thinking about how you can do something better or different for your Customer. This will lead to a sense of satisfaction and just as important, more income.
3.Start a focus group in your workplace with other Advisors. You don’t need permission from anyone, JUST DO IT! Believe it or not, there are other Advisors in your store that have issues just like you. Waiting for someone to help is not going to get it done. Pick a subject that needs attention in your Service Drive, get the other Advisors together and get started on taking care of it.
4.Mentor someone at work. Teaching them the right way to do things will keep you on the right track, stimulate new thinking and may, just maybe, lead you to a new way of doing business.
5.Join a Professional Organization or Association. This will let you connect with others in the car biz while allowing you to gain knowledge and skills. Google it.
6.Join Toastmasters. If you are a true Service Professional and have not taken advantage of learning how to speak on your feet (for nearly nothing by the way) how Professional can you be?
7.Take a class. Writing, Speaking, Computer etc… Get new knowledge!
8.Teach a class at work. Teaching and Mentoring is the new “old school.” Skills and knowledge are being lost in the workplace faster than can be replaced. Someone has to lead the way, why not you?
9.Write down what you have to do the next day before you leave that day, go through all of your carry-overs, go through all of your appointments and make notes so you are prepared to talk to your Customer, check with Parts and make sure the VOR Parts got ordered (can you see where this is going?) etc.
10.GET HUNGRY! GET PASSIONATE! People love doing business with people who are HUNGRY and PASSIONATE about what they do. ( I use Caps to show you how PASSIONATE I am about the Service Business) There is absolutely no better experience than dealing with a Professional who wants to do a better job because they are HUNGRY and PASSIONATE about their Profession.
Preparing for the day ahead is not just about the very next day. It’s about being ready for every day, about changing your life and getting out of it what you want.
Professionals get prepared.
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Use the "3T System" to make more money in Fixed Ops.
Making more Money in Fixed Operations is everyone's goal.
Think not?
Just go tell your Dealer Principal that this month you've decided that making money is not important... and see what happens to you, Mr. /Ms. Jobless.
Making money is much easier when you use a system to do it and it is much better than just wishing for more Money. Use the "3T System" to drive more dollars to the bank.
The first T stands for "Tell Everybody" what you want to accomplish this month. It is also called "Create a Compelling Vision" and the more Compelling it is, the more people are drawn to it.
Additionally, it must be specific, memorable and most importantly, reinforced at every opportunity!
It cannot be the same old tired "We need to do better or else!" stuff. They have already heard it before.
If it is, people will just ignore it. Start the month off with a kickoff meeting detailing exactly what it is you must accomplish, what role each person has and how you will be holding people accountable.
Remember, the more specific you are, the better your results!
The second T stands for "Teach me Something New." Everybody wants to be part of the newest, latest and greatest.
New is fun...New is exciting...New is way better than "old and stale." Let me give you an example.
When was the last time a you offered to make a sandwich for a guest in your home, and they said to you "Please make mine using old stale bread, month old lunchmeat and could you put some expired mayonnaise on it"?
Not gonna happen. It's the same way in the Service Department.
People want to feel like they are part of a new challenge and accomplishing new things. Don't make them a stale old sandwich and expect them to eat it.
Teach them something new about their job, the Customer, the Dealership...anything!
And the last T stands for "Train to Win!"
Bobby Jones said it best when he said "If you fail to get the proper instruction you'll only get better at making yourself worse." Train to Win means the best Training by the Best Method yields the Best Results!
Train your personnel using the Best Methods available (like DealerPro VT) and you will consistently improve and reach new Goals!
Think not?
Just go tell your Dealer Principal that this month you've decided that making money is not important... and see what happens to you, Mr. /Ms. Jobless.
Making money is much easier when you use a system to do it and it is much better than just wishing for more Money. Use the "3T System" to drive more dollars to the bank.
The first T stands for "Tell Everybody" what you want to accomplish this month. It is also called "Create a Compelling Vision" and the more Compelling it is, the more people are drawn to it.
Additionally, it must be specific, memorable and most importantly, reinforced at every opportunity!
It cannot be the same old tired "We need to do better or else!" stuff. They have already heard it before.
If it is, people will just ignore it. Start the month off with a kickoff meeting detailing exactly what it is you must accomplish, what role each person has and how you will be holding people accountable.
Remember, the more specific you are, the better your results!
The second T stands for "Teach me Something New." Everybody wants to be part of the newest, latest and greatest.
New is fun...New is exciting...New is way better than "old and stale." Let me give you an example.
When was the last time a you offered to make a sandwich for a guest in your home, and they said to you "Please make mine using old stale bread, month old lunchmeat and could you put some expired mayonnaise on it"?
Not gonna happen. It's the same way in the Service Department.
People want to feel like they are part of a new challenge and accomplishing new things. Don't make them a stale old sandwich and expect them to eat it.
Teach them something new about their job, the Customer, the Dealership...anything!
And the last T stands for "Train to Win!"
Bobby Jones said it best when he said "If you fail to get the proper instruction you'll only get better at making yourself worse." Train to Win means the best Training by the Best Method yields the Best Results!
Train your personnel using the Best Methods available (like DealerPro VT) and you will consistently improve and reach new Goals!
Optimism Abounds in Fixed Operations
Over the past couple of months I’ve conducted several workshops for NADA and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association. In attendance were Dealers, GM’s and Service Directors and I was amazed at the level of optimism displayed by all. Dealers are selling more cars and trucks. Retail service traffic is increasing and net profits are improving. Great news for us all!
Many dealers tell me that the dealership closings in their markets have resulted in more customers coming into their dealerships for both sales and service. This of course is a positive trend but my concern is this: “What are you going to do with the additional service customers when they show up?” Have you prepared your service team for these new opportunities? Do you have a customer friendly appointment process, on-line, on the phone and in person? Do you have the proper selling processes in place to professionally engage your customers? Once you get these new customers do you have the right processes in place to keep them coming back?
In my last article for ADM I addressed the Five Rules of Engagement for service customers whereby I outlined how a dealer must hold their service team accountable for following the Rules as outlined below:
• Rule #1: Offer an Appointment to 100% of the incoming service calls
• Rule #2: Conduct a Vehicle Walk-around with the customer
• Rule #3: Present a Maintenance Menu at the time of write up
• Rule #4: Complete a Vehicle Health Check with every RO
• Rule #5: Conduct an Active Delivery of the vehicle back to the customer
Interestingly enough, J.D. Powers conducted a recent study of new car dealers’ service departments measuring a dealer’s performance in following Rules 2 thru 5 and Worldwide Phone Pops evaluated the dealers performance with Rule #1 after shopping over 9000 dealerships nationwide. Let’s review the results of each of these.
Starting with Rule #1, Worldwide Phone Pops states that 57% of all Service Advisors do not ask the customer for an appointment. Why would a dealer allow that to happen? Why would you not hold everyone accountable to offering 100% of your service customers an appointment? (My dentist does!) To make matters worse, Phone Pops states that 38% of operators keep customers on hold too long causing hang ups. So the question is are you going to let this happen to all of the new opportunities that we are all so excited about? Would it be acceptable for your salespeople to only offer 57% of your phone ups an appointment to come into your dealership to test drive a new or used vehicle? Do your phone ups stay on hold for prolonged periods of time waiting for a salesperson to speak to them?
The survey from J.D. Powers shows that Rule #2 did not fare much better since only 53% of the Service Advisors conducted a walkaround. My guess is this means that the remaining 47% of Advisors performed the function of a clerk preferring to stay at their work station waiting for the customer to come to them. When you install a walkaround process you will discover that your customers like it and your CSI will most likely go up along with your sales and gross profits.
The walkaround is a perfect lead in to a Maintenance Menu presentation, Rule #3. Survey shows that only 29% of Service Advisors made recommendations for other maintenance or repairs. Even more interesting is the fact that 46% of the customers said YES to have additional work performed on their vehicle at the time of write up. That sounds like a Closing Ratio of 46%! How would you like that closing ratio on extended service contracts in your finance department? What happens when the 29% becomes 100%? Most likely your menus sales will triple!
Rule #4 is what I call the Vehicle Health Check or multi-point inspection. It’s really like giving your customer’s vehicle a “physical check up” to insure they are in fact driving a safe and reliable vehicle. Survey shows when an Advisor calls a customer and reviews the results of the Vehicle Health Check and makes recommendations for additional repairs or maintenance services that a whopping 56% of them said “YES”. Now we have a 56% closing Ratio which in my book is a great job! Are your Technicians inspecting 100% of the vehicles in your service department every single day? Are your Service Advisors reviewing the results of the inspection with every customer?
The Active Delivery, Rule #5, is one of the most important processes for building owner retention and increasing CSI. This process is quite simple and costs you absolutely nothing: Always retrieve the vehicle and bring it to the customer—never send the customer to find their vehicle. J.D. Powers states that 23% of Advisors had their customer wait alone while their vehicle was retrieved and 5% of Advisors waited with the customer while the vehicle was retrieved and 16% of Advisors escorted the customer to their vehicle. So, let’s be generous and give the Advisors a combined compliance ratio of 44%. By now I’m sure you see where I’m going with this scenario-----56% of the customers were simply told where the vehicle was. When you deliver a new or used vehicle to a customer do you tell them where it’s parked and tell them to have nice day finding it? Again, this is a very simple process that costs you absolutely nothing. Why not make it a rule starting today!
Yes, optimism abounds in fixed operations and that optimism will turn in to record sales, record profits and record CSI scores for those dealers who choose to make the Five Rules of Engagement company policy and then holds their service team accountable for 100% compliance. You might hear a few moans and groans from your underachievers but remember—you are not running a Democracy here!
Don Reed
CEO-DealerPro Training Solutions
Many dealers tell me that the dealership closings in their markets have resulted in more customers coming into their dealerships for both sales and service. This of course is a positive trend but my concern is this: “What are you going to do with the additional service customers when they show up?” Have you prepared your service team for these new opportunities? Do you have a customer friendly appointment process, on-line, on the phone and in person? Do you have the proper selling processes in place to professionally engage your customers? Once you get these new customers do you have the right processes in place to keep them coming back?
In my last article for ADM I addressed the Five Rules of Engagement for service customers whereby I outlined how a dealer must hold their service team accountable for following the Rules as outlined below:
• Rule #1: Offer an Appointment to 100% of the incoming service calls
• Rule #2: Conduct a Vehicle Walk-around with the customer
• Rule #3: Present a Maintenance Menu at the time of write up
• Rule #4: Complete a Vehicle Health Check with every RO
• Rule #5: Conduct an Active Delivery of the vehicle back to the customer
Interestingly enough, J.D. Powers conducted a recent study of new car dealers’ service departments measuring a dealer’s performance in following Rules 2 thru 5 and Worldwide Phone Pops evaluated the dealers performance with Rule #1 after shopping over 9000 dealerships nationwide. Let’s review the results of each of these.
Starting with Rule #1, Worldwide Phone Pops states that 57% of all Service Advisors do not ask the customer for an appointment. Why would a dealer allow that to happen? Why would you not hold everyone accountable to offering 100% of your service customers an appointment? (My dentist does!) To make matters worse, Phone Pops states that 38% of operators keep customers on hold too long causing hang ups. So the question is are you going to let this happen to all of the new opportunities that we are all so excited about? Would it be acceptable for your salespeople to only offer 57% of your phone ups an appointment to come into your dealership to test drive a new or used vehicle? Do your phone ups stay on hold for prolonged periods of time waiting for a salesperson to speak to them?
The survey from J.D. Powers shows that Rule #2 did not fare much better since only 53% of the Service Advisors conducted a walkaround. My guess is this means that the remaining 47% of Advisors performed the function of a clerk preferring to stay at their work station waiting for the customer to come to them. When you install a walkaround process you will discover that your customers like it and your CSI will most likely go up along with your sales and gross profits.
The walkaround is a perfect lead in to a Maintenance Menu presentation, Rule #3. Survey shows that only 29% of Service Advisors made recommendations for other maintenance or repairs. Even more interesting is the fact that 46% of the customers said YES to have additional work performed on their vehicle at the time of write up. That sounds like a Closing Ratio of 46%! How would you like that closing ratio on extended service contracts in your finance department? What happens when the 29% becomes 100%? Most likely your menus sales will triple!
Rule #4 is what I call the Vehicle Health Check or multi-point inspection. It’s really like giving your customer’s vehicle a “physical check up” to insure they are in fact driving a safe and reliable vehicle. Survey shows when an Advisor calls a customer and reviews the results of the Vehicle Health Check and makes recommendations for additional repairs or maintenance services that a whopping 56% of them said “YES”. Now we have a 56% closing Ratio which in my book is a great job! Are your Technicians inspecting 100% of the vehicles in your service department every single day? Are your Service Advisors reviewing the results of the inspection with every customer?
The Active Delivery, Rule #5, is one of the most important processes for building owner retention and increasing CSI. This process is quite simple and costs you absolutely nothing: Always retrieve the vehicle and bring it to the customer—never send the customer to find their vehicle. J.D. Powers states that 23% of Advisors had their customer wait alone while their vehicle was retrieved and 5% of Advisors waited with the customer while the vehicle was retrieved and 16% of Advisors escorted the customer to their vehicle. So, let’s be generous and give the Advisors a combined compliance ratio of 44%. By now I’m sure you see where I’m going with this scenario-----56% of the customers were simply told where the vehicle was. When you deliver a new or used vehicle to a customer do you tell them where it’s parked and tell them to have nice day finding it? Again, this is a very simple process that costs you absolutely nothing. Why not make it a rule starting today!
Yes, optimism abounds in fixed operations and that optimism will turn in to record sales, record profits and record CSI scores for those dealers who choose to make the Five Rules of Engagement company policy and then holds their service team accountable for 100% compliance. You might hear a few moans and groans from your underachievers but remember—you are not running a Democracy here!
Don Reed
CEO-DealerPro Training Solutions
The Top Ten Excuses and Myths of Dealership Training Programs
Number 10.
“We’ll do it ourselves.” The Truth is very different than the Reality. Most of the time Managers find it hard to devote 5 minutes to a vendor or the factory Rep let alone the hours of training required to make a change in an Advisors behavior.
Number 9.
“It’s too expensive.” We have a saying at DealerPro… “Never let money stand in the way of training.” No, Mr. or Ms. Dealer, it’s too expensive to do nothing. Every day you wait, you are losing Gross Profit. Those days of Lost Opportunity add up to months and then years of money flowing out of your Service Department. Let us help you achieve your Goals for 2011.
Number 8.
“It’s not the right time.” When is it ever the right time? Every day there are new challenges. People quit, the computer system crashes, the parking lot is being repaved…there is no right time. In fact, waiting for the right time is the exact opposite of the right time. It is always the wrong time to wait and it is costing you money Mr. or Ms. Dealer.
Number 7.
“I’m in the middle of hiring new people.” What a perfect time to get them trained properly. What benefit is there to waiting for training? None, there is no benefit. Every successful organization on the planet has a training program for new hires that gets them started on the right foot. You want them to be properly trained and started off on the right foot don’t you?
Number 6.
“We do things differently around here. Your program won’t work.” In the 11 year history of DealerPro that refrain has been heard hundreds if not thousands of times. We have proven that our system does work without regard to location or region. It works because it’s based on people and processes.
Number 5.
“My people won’t like it.” That may be true. If they are underachieving, they won’t like our program or any other program. When you start making changes people who have been comfortable get…uncomfortable. Why? If you want to succeed, you have to do things differently.
And comfortable people just want to stay comfortable, don’t they?
Number 4.
“We are too busy to do training.” Mr. or Ms. Dealer, this is exactly why you need to do training. If your level of “busy” matched your level of profits, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. There are busy Dealerships and then there are Dealerships that appear to be busy. In the latter, we find that there is a lot of wasted opportunity.
Number 3.
“What if I don’t like the Trainer?” We are a Performance Based company Mr. or Ms. Dealer, and as such, everyone is measured all of the time. If there is a Performance issue, chances are we already know and will be talking with you and your Trainer to identify the problem.
Number 2.
“I have a friend/consultant/the factory with a similar program and we want to use them.” While we support Training and certainly respect anyone who can provide a program, the differences between DealerPro and the “other guy” is tremendous. Here are a few items to consider.
1.Will the friend/consultant/the factory return every month for 13 months for 3-5 days of training in the service drive?
2.Do they have any “skin in the game”? In other words, are they fee based or performance based?
3.Do they have an Automotive Retail background? Our average Trainer has 20 Years experience as a Service Manager or Service and Parts Director.
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you really need to consider DealerPro as your first choice.
Number 1.
“I’m not really sure about all of this. Isn’t this what I am paying my Service Manager for?” Mr. or Ms. Dealer, we find that most Service Managers and Service and Parts Directors are good at doing lots of things.
We are the best at one thing, Training Service Personnel.
And because we are the best our Dealers enjoy an average 35-40% increase in Gross Profit.
Bottom Line, there really is no reason not to start Training.
Let us help you get the Profits you deserve from your Fixed Operations.
Contact me at rheywood@dealerprotraining.com
“We’ll do it ourselves.” The Truth is very different than the Reality. Most of the time Managers find it hard to devote 5 minutes to a vendor or the factory Rep let alone the hours of training required to make a change in an Advisors behavior.
Number 9.
“It’s too expensive.” We have a saying at DealerPro… “Never let money stand in the way of training.” No, Mr. or Ms. Dealer, it’s too expensive to do nothing. Every day you wait, you are losing Gross Profit. Those days of Lost Opportunity add up to months and then years of money flowing out of your Service Department. Let us help you achieve your Goals for 2011.
Number 8.
“It’s not the right time.” When is it ever the right time? Every day there are new challenges. People quit, the computer system crashes, the parking lot is being repaved…there is no right time. In fact, waiting for the right time is the exact opposite of the right time. It is always the wrong time to wait and it is costing you money Mr. or Ms. Dealer.
Number 7.
“I’m in the middle of hiring new people.” What a perfect time to get them trained properly. What benefit is there to waiting for training? None, there is no benefit. Every successful organization on the planet has a training program for new hires that gets them started on the right foot. You want them to be properly trained and started off on the right foot don’t you?
Number 6.
“We do things differently around here. Your program won’t work.” In the 11 year history of DealerPro that refrain has been heard hundreds if not thousands of times. We have proven that our system does work without regard to location or region. It works because it’s based on people and processes.
Number 5.
“My people won’t like it.” That may be true. If they are underachieving, they won’t like our program or any other program. When you start making changes people who have been comfortable get…uncomfortable. Why? If you want to succeed, you have to do things differently.
And comfortable people just want to stay comfortable, don’t they?
Number 4.
“We are too busy to do training.” Mr. or Ms. Dealer, this is exactly why you need to do training. If your level of “busy” matched your level of profits, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. There are busy Dealerships and then there are Dealerships that appear to be busy. In the latter, we find that there is a lot of wasted opportunity.
Number 3.
“What if I don’t like the Trainer?” We are a Performance Based company Mr. or Ms. Dealer, and as such, everyone is measured all of the time. If there is a Performance issue, chances are we already know and will be talking with you and your Trainer to identify the problem.
Number 2.
“I have a friend/consultant/the factory with a similar program and we want to use them.” While we support Training and certainly respect anyone who can provide a program, the differences between DealerPro and the “other guy” is tremendous. Here are a few items to consider.
1.Will the friend/consultant/the factory return every month for 13 months for 3-5 days of training in the service drive?
2.Do they have any “skin in the game”? In other words, are they fee based or performance based?
3.Do they have an Automotive Retail background? Our average Trainer has 20 Years experience as a Service Manager or Service and Parts Director.
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you really need to consider DealerPro as your first choice.
Number 1.
“I’m not really sure about all of this. Isn’t this what I am paying my Service Manager for?” Mr. or Ms. Dealer, we find that most Service Managers and Service and Parts Directors are good at doing lots of things.
We are the best at one thing, Training Service Personnel.
And because we are the best our Dealers enjoy an average 35-40% increase in Gross Profit.
Bottom Line, there really is no reason not to start Training.
Let us help you get the Profits you deserve from your Fixed Operations.
Contact me at rheywood@dealerprotraining.com
DealerPro Announces Phone Training Schedule For 2011
Once in a while a great deal comes along. Your friend has tickets to the game at half price…you find the golf clubs you want on sale at 40% off…the caterer for your daughters wedding throws in two bottles of champagne for the wedding party… great deals come in all shapes and sizes.
This is a great deal.
DealerPro Training Solutions is sponsoring 10 Training Sessions covering topics ranging from Increasing Your Service Absorption to Overcoming Objections starting January 5th, 2011!
All you need is a phone and a workbook…the seminars are FREE! It’s simple to register! Just send an email to freetraining@dealerprotraining.com so we can send you the password for the workbook.
It’s That Easy!
Each Training Session will last approximately 1 hour with a rebroadcast later in the day. These seminars are for Dealership Management Personnel, Fixed Operations Personnel, Service Advisors, Parts Advisors and anyone that has a Customer Service role in your Dealership.
All of the material is from DealerPro Training Solutions extensive Training Library and includes our most popular subjects from Training Manuals, Articles written by Don Reed the CEO of DealerPro Training Solutions, DealerProVT, Blog Posts and other Training Modules.
And the best thing is…it’s FREE!
Just send an email to freetraining@dealerprotraining.com so we can send you the workbook password and seminar schedule. We will do all the rest! All you have to do is call in on the designated day, listen, complete the workbook and implement the Training!
Of course, DealerPro is ready to help should you need or want additional Fixed Operations Training. You can tell us about that at your convenience. We are a full service Fixed Operations Training Provider and NADA University Partner. Go to www.dealerprotraining.com or www.dealerproblog.com for more information about us.
If you miss the start time, don’t worry! We will rebroadcast the seminar later in the day.
Send an email to freetraining@dealerprotraining.com and get signed up!
This is a great deal.
DealerPro Training Solutions is sponsoring 10 Training Sessions covering topics ranging from Increasing Your Service Absorption to Overcoming Objections starting January 5th, 2011!
All you need is a phone and a workbook…the seminars are FREE! It’s simple to register! Just send an email to freetraining@dealerprotraining.com so we can send you the password for the workbook.
It’s That Easy!
Each Training Session will last approximately 1 hour with a rebroadcast later in the day. These seminars are for Dealership Management Personnel, Fixed Operations Personnel, Service Advisors, Parts Advisors and anyone that has a Customer Service role in your Dealership.
All of the material is from DealerPro Training Solutions extensive Training Library and includes our most popular subjects from Training Manuals, Articles written by Don Reed the CEO of DealerPro Training Solutions, DealerProVT, Blog Posts and other Training Modules.
And the best thing is…it’s FREE!
Just send an email to freetraining@dealerprotraining.com so we can send you the workbook password and seminar schedule. We will do all the rest! All you have to do is call in on the designated day, listen, complete the workbook and implement the Training!
Of course, DealerPro is ready to help should you need or want additional Fixed Operations Training. You can tell us about that at your convenience. We are a full service Fixed Operations Training Provider and NADA University Partner. Go to www.dealerprotraining.com or www.dealerproblog.com for more information about us.
If you miss the start time, don’t worry! We will rebroadcast the seminar later in the day.
Send an email to freetraining@dealerprotraining.com and get signed up!
Passionate About Success in Service? Are You Using “Old Thinking” In New Times?
I was reading a post on another site when I read something I found quite profound. It was a comment by another gentleman.
He said ”If you are not passionate about what you do, if you do not believe in it with every fiber of your being, it will be reflected in your achievements.”
In my role as a Trainer, this is the single biggest reason I see people fail in this business as Service Advisors and Service Managers.
1st, they don’t want to be there. This is “just a job.” For many it is just the “means to pay the bills.” The amount of effort they put into the day is just enough to get them through it. Yet, when questioned, many people say “I need my job.”
Really? Lots of people need a job.
The truly successful Service Advisors see themselves not only as Advisors, they see themselves as Caretakers of the Customer. Not as Order Takers and Phone Answerers.
2nd, they don’t believe that what they do has real meaning. The Truth is, in our roles as Service Managers and Service Advisors, it can be a thankless and grinding task.
You are not going to rescue a child from a burning building or invent a cure for a life threatening disease.
However, if you are looking for something that involves working with people, thinking, commuication skils, sales, action management, technical knowhow, Customer Service knowledge and the ability to remain calm during stressful situations then you are going to love this position. It has all of that and more.
I like to think of the Service Advisor as more of a Traffic Controller than anything else. Just as important as the Air Traffic Controller is to the Tower, the Advisor is to the Dealership.
The average Advisor has more to do with the overall profitability of the Dealership than any other single person employed by the Dealership.
It is an important role and if you don’t have that mentality, then you should find another profession. And, once in awhile. there will be someone who recognizes your efforts and Thanks you. Sometime they bring donuts, sometimes they just look you in the eye, and say “Thanks for taking care of me.”
Lastly, Resistance To Change. Why is it in our business everyone thinks that once you are trained, nothing else need be done?
What single business on the planet remains static, frozen in process and procedure? What single busines on the planet has a constant supply of the Customers who are exactly the same as they were the year before? With all of the same buying habits, demographics and metrics? Not one that is still in business. Because every single business that thinks that way goes out of business.
Look around you. In the past 5 years, Dealerships have Decreased! and Aftermarket Competition has Increased!
Why are you using old thinking in new times?
Change is inevitable. Become a Change Agent. Read everyday about your Profession. Find and attend Training relevant to your areas of opportunity. Ask your Customer what is important to them. Become proactive and not reactive.
He said ”If you are not passionate about what you do, if you do not believe in it with every fiber of your being, it will be reflected in your achievements.”
In my role as a Trainer, this is the single biggest reason I see people fail in this business as Service Advisors and Service Managers.
1st, they don’t want to be there. This is “just a job.” For many it is just the “means to pay the bills.” The amount of effort they put into the day is just enough to get them through it. Yet, when questioned, many people say “I need my job.”
Really? Lots of people need a job.
The truly successful Service Advisors see themselves not only as Advisors, they see themselves as Caretakers of the Customer. Not as Order Takers and Phone Answerers.
2nd, they don’t believe that what they do has real meaning. The Truth is, in our roles as Service Managers and Service Advisors, it can be a thankless and grinding task.
You are not going to rescue a child from a burning building or invent a cure for a life threatening disease.
However, if you are looking for something that involves working with people, thinking, commuication skils, sales, action management, technical knowhow, Customer Service knowledge and the ability to remain calm during stressful situations then you are going to love this position. It has all of that and more.
I like to think of the Service Advisor as more of a Traffic Controller than anything else. Just as important as the Air Traffic Controller is to the Tower, the Advisor is to the Dealership.
The average Advisor has more to do with the overall profitability of the Dealership than any other single person employed by the Dealership.
It is an important role and if you don’t have that mentality, then you should find another profession. And, once in awhile. there will be someone who recognizes your efforts and Thanks you. Sometime they bring donuts, sometimes they just look you in the eye, and say “Thanks for taking care of me.”
Lastly, Resistance To Change. Why is it in our business everyone thinks that once you are trained, nothing else need be done?
What single business on the planet remains static, frozen in process and procedure? What single busines on the planet has a constant supply of the Customers who are exactly the same as they were the year before? With all of the same buying habits, demographics and metrics? Not one that is still in business. Because every single business that thinks that way goes out of business.
Look around you. In the past 5 years, Dealerships have Decreased! and Aftermarket Competition has Increased!
Why are you using old thinking in new times?
Change is inevitable. Become a Change Agent. Read everyday about your Profession. Find and attend Training relevant to your areas of opportunity. Ask your Customer what is important to them. Become proactive and not reactive.
For Trainers
The greatest single feeling of accomplishment you can experience as a Trainer is one where someone you are Training suddenly…Gets It.
And right in front of you… before your very eyes, there is a Change.
See, in Training, change is mostly slow, frequently subtle, hard to see and sometimes hard to measure. It requires energy, time, committment, belief, knowledge, skill, communication, background, application and mostly… Will Power.
So, when someone “Gets It” and it happens right in front of you, it is a pretty special moment. Because up until that time you have invested all of yourself on…Faith.
Nothing more.
Faith in that person. Faith in what you Teach and how you Train. Faith that if you keep trying and never give in to the naysaying, the complaints, the whining, the bitching, the negativity…then you will have that moment…that special moment that occurs only after you have given of yourself and invested in another person based solely on Faith… with the only Thought and the only Reward… a moment in time when… that person…Gets It.
So, for you Trainers out there, the ones with the skin in the game, the heart on your sleeve, the feet on the deck and the eye on the prize…Keep It Up. We are counting on you.
We are counting on you to see us for what we can Become and what we can Achieve. We are counting on you Mr. or Ms. Trainer to Push us when we think we cannot be Pushed any more, to Train us when we think we have been Trained enough, to ask us to Commit to what you are Teaching us and to hold us Accountable for what we do or do not do.
That is what we are asking of you Mr. or Ms. Trainer.
Because if you do not…who will?
And because we have Faith in you Mr. or Ms. Trainer, we will…Try.
Rest assured that we will stumble, we will procrastinate, we will regress, we will start in fits and flubs…and through it all we will be counting on you.
Counting on you to be there to guide and lead. To lead us when we want to quit and remind us what we can become. You never quit on us and that is why we look to you. Because you have Faith.
For if you give up on us, what Hope do we have? If you do not Train us, who will?
Remember that you fill a Role…the most important Role any person can have …the most Respected of all Professions a man or woman can undertake…that of one who Leads and Trains. We ask that you don’t give up on us.
We ask that you…Try. Because we want to be the person that “Gets It” and make everything you do worthwhile.
We are counting on you.
And right in front of you… before your very eyes, there is a Change.
See, in Training, change is mostly slow, frequently subtle, hard to see and sometimes hard to measure. It requires energy, time, committment, belief, knowledge, skill, communication, background, application and mostly… Will Power.
So, when someone “Gets It” and it happens right in front of you, it is a pretty special moment. Because up until that time you have invested all of yourself on…Faith.
Nothing more.
Faith in that person. Faith in what you Teach and how you Train. Faith that if you keep trying and never give in to the naysaying, the complaints, the whining, the bitching, the negativity…then you will have that moment…that special moment that occurs only after you have given of yourself and invested in another person based solely on Faith… with the only Thought and the only Reward… a moment in time when… that person…Gets It.
So, for you Trainers out there, the ones with the skin in the game, the heart on your sleeve, the feet on the deck and the eye on the prize…Keep It Up. We are counting on you.
We are counting on you to see us for what we can Become and what we can Achieve. We are counting on you Mr. or Ms. Trainer to Push us when we think we cannot be Pushed any more, to Train us when we think we have been Trained enough, to ask us to Commit to what you are Teaching us and to hold us Accountable for what we do or do not do.
That is what we are asking of you Mr. or Ms. Trainer.
Because if you do not…who will?
And because we have Faith in you Mr. or Ms. Trainer, we will…Try.
Rest assured that we will stumble, we will procrastinate, we will regress, we will start in fits and flubs…and through it all we will be counting on you.
Counting on you to be there to guide and lead. To lead us when we want to quit and remind us what we can become. You never quit on us and that is why we look to you. Because you have Faith.
For if you give up on us, what Hope do we have? If you do not Train us, who will?
Remember that you fill a Role…the most important Role any person can have …the most Respected of all Professions a man or woman can undertake…that of one who Leads and Trains. We ask that you don’t give up on us.
We ask that you…Try. Because we want to be the person that “Gets It” and make everything you do worthwhile.
We are counting on you.
Customers and Communications…Are You Missing Sales?
The number one area that your Customers would like you to improve in is… Communicating with your Customers.
Most of you reading this would say “We do communicate with our Customers all the time! We call them; we send them emails…why we even have a monthly newsletter that we send out. What more could they possibly want?”
Maybe…just maybe…they might want you to communicate with them the way they like to be communicated with…whaddya think?
Have you asked your Customers this question…”Mr./Ms. Customer, which way would you like me to communicate with you? Do you we contact you by cell phone? Do you prefer we text you? Would you prefer we send you an email? Or is there another form of communication that you would like for us to use?”
Once you have the answer to that question, you need to have people who are Trained to Communicate! And by training your personnel to Communicate they will become better at the one thing that they must be the BEST at in a Dealership…SALES!
“If you are willing to commit to training your entire Fixed Operations team how to effectively communicate with every customer on every phone call and at every visit you are well on your way toward creating a culture of salesmanship within your entire organization.” says Don Reed, CEO of DealerPro Training Solutions.
And that Culture is what is required to be successful and competitive in today’s Dealership.
You must have people who can effectively Communicate and that means you need to do 3 things.
1.Train everyone in Sales, Service and Parts how to answer the phone. It is a skill set like any other. There is a script or word track for just about every conceivable situation. Once they learn the script and begin to use it, it begins to sound natural and they gain confidence. There is nothing worse for a Customer and a Dealership than to have your Customer phone in and get someone who has absolutely no idea how to answer the phone or what to do. It sets the wrong tone and establishes the idea in the Customers mind that they may have made a mistake in choosing you to do business with. And that Customer will remember that experience for a long time. Think they don’t? Have you ever had a Customer start off a conversation with “One time I called here and _______ happened.”?
2.Train your Service Advisors to ask every Service Customer the following. “Mr. /Ms. Customer, what is the best way for us to contact you today?” when they drop it off for Service. The follow up question is “In case I’m having some difficulty getting in contact with you, is there another way or another person I can get in touch with?” These two questions will boost Sales in Service. Why? How many times have your Service Advisors set an RO aside for hours at a time because they could not reach the Customer? And when they finally did get them, it was too late in the day, there were other issues, the Technician was busy doing other work…blah, blah, blah. That leads to a Lost Sale and that leads to Lost Gross.
3.Train your Service Advisors to be investigatory. Investigatory means simply being inquisitive and asking questions. What kind of questions do you ask? Anything that leads to the discovery of more information. Questions in the service drive sound like “Have you had your tires rotated?”…”When was the last time you had ________?”…”Have you noticed any leaks? What color was the fluid?” These questions and others like them, will get you more action items on your Repair Order. At the writeup area you can ask other questions like “I noticed that the last time in we recommended ______ and I don’t see where we have taken care of that yet…is that right?”…These examples of investigatory questions help the Customer get the Best Service Experience and make the Service Advisor more proactive which leads to more Sales. This is the beginning of developing a culture of Salesmanship.
And that leads to a culture of Success.
Communication with the Customer is the key to Service Department Profitability. Training every Service Advisor in phone skills, how to contact the Customer and becoming an Investigator will pave the way on the Road to Success.
Send an email to rheywood@dealerprotraining.com or call 888-553-0100 and find out what your Dealership is capable of with a Profit Potential Analysis. You don’t know until you look.
Most of you reading this would say “We do communicate with our Customers all the time! We call them; we send them emails…why we even have a monthly newsletter that we send out. What more could they possibly want?”
Maybe…just maybe…they might want you to communicate with them the way they like to be communicated with…whaddya think?
Have you asked your Customers this question…”Mr./Ms. Customer, which way would you like me to communicate with you? Do you we contact you by cell phone? Do you prefer we text you? Would you prefer we send you an email? Or is there another form of communication that you would like for us to use?”
Once you have the answer to that question, you need to have people who are Trained to Communicate! And by training your personnel to Communicate they will become better at the one thing that they must be the BEST at in a Dealership…SALES!
“If you are willing to commit to training your entire Fixed Operations team how to effectively communicate with every customer on every phone call and at every visit you are well on your way toward creating a culture of salesmanship within your entire organization.” says Don Reed, CEO of DealerPro Training Solutions.
And that Culture is what is required to be successful and competitive in today’s Dealership.
You must have people who can effectively Communicate and that means you need to do 3 things.
1.Train everyone in Sales, Service and Parts how to answer the phone. It is a skill set like any other. There is a script or word track for just about every conceivable situation. Once they learn the script and begin to use it, it begins to sound natural and they gain confidence. There is nothing worse for a Customer and a Dealership than to have your Customer phone in and get someone who has absolutely no idea how to answer the phone or what to do. It sets the wrong tone and establishes the idea in the Customers mind that they may have made a mistake in choosing you to do business with. And that Customer will remember that experience for a long time. Think they don’t? Have you ever had a Customer start off a conversation with “One time I called here and _______ happened.”?
2.Train your Service Advisors to ask every Service Customer the following. “Mr. /Ms. Customer, what is the best way for us to contact you today?” when they drop it off for Service. The follow up question is “In case I’m having some difficulty getting in contact with you, is there another way or another person I can get in touch with?” These two questions will boost Sales in Service. Why? How many times have your Service Advisors set an RO aside for hours at a time because they could not reach the Customer? And when they finally did get them, it was too late in the day, there were other issues, the Technician was busy doing other work…blah, blah, blah. That leads to a Lost Sale and that leads to Lost Gross.
3.Train your Service Advisors to be investigatory. Investigatory means simply being inquisitive and asking questions. What kind of questions do you ask? Anything that leads to the discovery of more information. Questions in the service drive sound like “Have you had your tires rotated?”…”When was the last time you had ________?”…”Have you noticed any leaks? What color was the fluid?” These questions and others like them, will get you more action items on your Repair Order. At the writeup area you can ask other questions like “I noticed that the last time in we recommended ______ and I don’t see where we have taken care of that yet…is that right?”…These examples of investigatory questions help the Customer get the Best Service Experience and make the Service Advisor more proactive which leads to more Sales. This is the beginning of developing a culture of Salesmanship.
And that leads to a culture of Success.
Communication with the Customer is the key to Service Department Profitability. Training every Service Advisor in phone skills, how to contact the Customer and becoming an Investigator will pave the way on the Road to Success.
Send an email to rheywood@dealerprotraining.com or call 888-553-0100 and find out what your Dealership is capable of with a Profit Potential Analysis. You don’t know until you look.
3 Important Steps to Increase Service Sales
Ooooohhh, you got a shiny new car. I got to admit….you look good in it! It’s all you…the color… the styling….all your friends and neighbors are just gonna scream when you pull it into the driveway…they’ll say things like “Nice ride” or “Man, that is saaaaawwweeeetttt!”
And for the next few months you are constantly looking for excuses to take that baby for a spin! Need a double A for the tv remote??? “I’ll be right back” is the only thing you shout as you rush out the door to a store clear across town just so you can “cruise it baby!” Know what I’m talking about?
You probably are not even thinking about this next question.
“What percentage of your customers take delivery of their new or used vehicle and then, once they get home, remove that maintenance manual so they can review their required and recommended maintenance schedule?”
asks Don Reed of DealerPro Training Solutions.
The answer, not many. The reason is, they are just like you and me. The last thing on our minds is “When will I need to take it in for my first service?” All this means is that the purchaser, who has become your new potential Service Customer, will need to know what maintenance is required in order to keep their vehicle in top running condition.
If you are in Service there should be a word that just popped into your head. Can you say “Opportunity? In order to capitalize on your potential ”opportunity” you will need to do at least 3 things.
1st, provide a friendly, inviting environment to have service completed. Some things you will need to have are Friendly People (not fake friendly), clean waiting rooms and restrooms (a real must!), adequately comfortable chairs to sit down (not the plastic high school lunchroom chairs), access to refreshments (does not have to be gourmet) and probably the number one item in the customers mind, a promise to meet the customers time expectations.
2nd, have personnel that are not only knowledgeable about the maintenance required, but can explain it in a manner that a customer can understand with a friendly, caring attitude. No condescending, no derogatory or demeaning statements, no expectation of compensation. Just a sincere and caring attitude in favor of the customer. Lastly, a thorough inspection of the customer vehicle when in for service. Everytime. When completed, the customer should receive a copy and complete explanation of what was found and the overall condition of the vehicle. Everytime. By doing this the customer and you will begin to build a relationship. One that will lead to continued customer loyalty to the brand and the Dealership and future business for you.
Are there many more things you need to do? Yep. These are just 3 of the most important. There are a lot more steps to take in increasing your service market. If you can accomplish these 1st 3, you’ll be on your way to having increased service business, returning loyal customers and increasing profit.
Now, go get your car and take it for a ride…somewhere there is a double A about to go bad and you are going to need a new one!
And for the next few months you are constantly looking for excuses to take that baby for a spin! Need a double A for the tv remote??? “I’ll be right back” is the only thing you shout as you rush out the door to a store clear across town just so you can “cruise it baby!” Know what I’m talking about?
You probably are not even thinking about this next question.
“What percentage of your customers take delivery of their new or used vehicle and then, once they get home, remove that maintenance manual so they can review their required and recommended maintenance schedule?”
asks Don Reed of DealerPro Training Solutions.
The answer, not many. The reason is, they are just like you and me. The last thing on our minds is “When will I need to take it in for my first service?” All this means is that the purchaser, who has become your new potential Service Customer, will need to know what maintenance is required in order to keep their vehicle in top running condition.
If you are in Service there should be a word that just popped into your head. Can you say “Opportunity? In order to capitalize on your potential ”opportunity” you will need to do at least 3 things.
1st, provide a friendly, inviting environment to have service completed. Some things you will need to have are Friendly People (not fake friendly), clean waiting rooms and restrooms (a real must!), adequately comfortable chairs to sit down (not the plastic high school lunchroom chairs), access to refreshments (does not have to be gourmet) and probably the number one item in the customers mind, a promise to meet the customers time expectations.
2nd, have personnel that are not only knowledgeable about the maintenance required, but can explain it in a manner that a customer can understand with a friendly, caring attitude. No condescending, no derogatory or demeaning statements, no expectation of compensation. Just a sincere and caring attitude in favor of the customer. Lastly, a thorough inspection of the customer vehicle when in for service. Everytime. When completed, the customer should receive a copy and complete explanation of what was found and the overall condition of the vehicle. Everytime. By doing this the customer and you will begin to build a relationship. One that will lead to continued customer loyalty to the brand and the Dealership and future business for you.
Are there many more things you need to do? Yep. These are just 3 of the most important. There are a lot more steps to take in increasing your service market. If you can accomplish these 1st 3, you’ll be on your way to having increased service business, returning loyal customers and increasing profit.
Now, go get your car and take it for a ride…somewhere there is a double A about to go bad and you are going to need a new one!
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