Service Management Training

Creation of Service/Parts Profitability through
Process Development and Consistency

Mitchell Automotive Service focuses on service personnel and how they affect the customer and the organization. We define service processes as individuals and comprise these ideas to develop service managers as consistent leaders of customer service. We then analyze these practices to maximize overall department efficiency and profitability. Our final step is assisting service management in observing and supporting each individual service employee with processes that fall outside of their current training and methods of conducting day-to-day business. Through small changes with each individual, we create an atmosphere of consistency in service and ultimately a paradigm shift towards a culture of teamwork and dealership success. 

First we meet with dealer principal and service/parts managers to define:

1. A service model—how do we want our people to do business? From a very broad prospective, define issues of honest business practices, sales tactics, career development, and customer service
2. A template outline of all processes involved in customer service, job dispatch, invoicing, warranty, and job descriptions

Our next step involves personnel (from an outside source) going into the dealership to observe each individual service employee and how he/she specifically completes each of our defined processes. These observations are not pervasive and do not attempt to criticize, analyze or interfere with current practices. This is merely an information gathering process.

We then take a look at this compiled information and attempt to create a detailed process for each step involved in the service employee’s day. We look at what works specifically for this dealership and apply industry best practices to develop a working model for service.

After completion of the operations manual, we review our findings and opinions with service management and the dealer principal. We then formulate your final operations manual for the dealership. We also include a review process for service management to set specific goals for each individual service writer and clearly define what is expected of each writer upon implementation of these processes. We do not expect immediately for all personnel to conform to new practices and ask that service management follow the review process. Support and consistency in dealing with each individual are paramount in making this program a success.

In store visits are tailored to assist management with specific issues of each individual service employee and to review and adjust processes to meet the needs of the department.