Insight Global’s Post

💡 Prepare your customers for the unexpected! 🤔 Another lesson in setting expectations… Automotive service is absolutely full of surprises. So many things can happen during an inspection or a procedure that are impossible to predict. Sometimes during a brake job the technician will find out that a caliper piston is seized. Which means the advisor will need to inform the customer that a caliper replacement will also be necessary. Sometimes advisors become very defensive when this happens, and I get it, they just don’t want to end up with an upset customer. The key to navigate this is to first set proper expectations by simply stating that as long as their are no unforeseen issues we should have it ready by zyx. After that it’s all about simply communicating any issues to the customer in a way that places you and the customer on the same team. What I mean is don’t feel as if it’s your shops fault this happened. - It just happens. By aligning with your customer that you are also disappointed that this unforeseen issue has arose you can show empathy. By following that up with a quick solution you can express your sincere desire to help your customer. 🤔 Oh… and just a side note: It is my experience that often when a service advisor feels unconfident in these situations they are suffering from a leadership issue because their manager simply does not have their back. But I’ll digress. 🤓 ✅ Remember, you and your customer are on the same team with the same goals! Check out my FREE report “Needs Analysis Summary: Technician Training” that aims to shed some light on the technician shortage with REAL data from 11 automotive industry experts and 804 automotive professionals. Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/gBXCwdHh —— I’m Chris Craig. I create daily educational and coaching content for automotive employees. TikTok: https://lnkd.in/eMMVEWpC YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eTmW3WPS #serviceadvisor #technician #servicemanager #fixedops #learninganddevelopment #teambuilding #leadership #technicianshortage

Go to where the value is added.  Go to the gemba.  Go see the difference between work as designed and work actually done. For EMS, how do we do this? 🏆 If you're on a desk, get on a truck. 🏆 If you have new hires, get to a classroom (orientation or EMS class). 🏆 If you interview, get on a truck, go to dispatch, or wherever you hire for. 🏆 If you dispatch, get on a truck; if you're on a truck, get in dispatch. See their job from their perspective.  Understand their needs, their pressures, their gray areas... not only will it help improve relationships, it will also help with any changes--you'll better appreciate what's important to them.  Improvement works best when the people it affects have buy-in. When I'm not helping EMS Providers and agencies improve using Strengths and Quality initiatives, I'm assembling feed and manure-handling equipment. Seeing how the parts and pieces interact gives me a better understanding of what I'm doing back in the shop; I can better appreciate the needs of the customer (the human, not the cow) so I can work to add value to the system. I could show you a video of our products in action, but I'm betting no one would find a video of an 8' wide puddle of cow poo too tasteful (sorry... it's just the way the sentence flowed. 😏  ), so I'll instead give you this cow that was getting friendly with one of our engineers. Go to where the work is being done.  Breathe deeply in the aroma of their work. 😉 When was the last time you got to walk in someone else's shoes? #EMS #HighQualityEMS #SmilingCow #ImprovingEMS

High turnover among service technicians doesn't just affect your operations; it impacts your bottom line. In our recent LinkedIn post, we reveal the transformative power of innovative onboarding and the strategic use of incentives to keep technicians committed and satisfied. Discover actionable strategies that can set your dealership apart. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eyqutCPB #AutoDealers #ServiceExcellence

Opportunity is knocking.

High turnover among service technicians doesn't just affect your operations; it impacts your bottom line. In our recent LinkedIn post, we reveal the transformative power of innovative onboarding and the strategic use of incentives to keep technicians committed and satisfied. Discover actionable strategies that can set your dealership apart. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDduDB4u #AutoDealers #ServiceExcellence

High turnover among service technicians doesn't just affect your operations; it impacts your bottom line. In our recent LinkedIn post, we reveal the transformative power of innovative onboarding and the strategic use of incentives to keep technicians committed and satisfied. Discover actionable strategies that can set your dealership apart. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDduDB4u #AutoDealers #ServiceExcellence

🐘 What is the mammoth in the room? Your service organization probably didn't hire technicians for their soft (customer service) skills 😱 . Teaching customer service fundamentals should be a mandatory part of your onboarding process. We would be happy to help! Content is easy to access and consistent in execution. #service #fieldservice #training #customerexperience

When you look at just a short list of items needed to either correct or measure, or grow a profitable, fun, well known, the place to be dealership. How many of these are you coaching/measuring on a monthly basis? If you talk to any consultant that offers 1 or 2 weeks onsite...... Tell them NO!!!! You already know your staff will be pissed, sort of listen and then go back to how they were doing things before they blew up your store, AND WASTED YOUR MONEY. Create, implement, grow a dealers culture Parts and Service Manager development Technician development, Building Dealer operational hours and days Technician Video training Service Consultant training Express Service Development Financial statement analysis  Shop Loading skills and training Onboarding Development BDC Training Web Specials/ Marketing Expense Control Process Development Cashier training Service and Parts Forecasting Technician forecasting Skills Training On-Site Consulting Monthly Top down customized action plans reviewed monthly And so much more!!! If you are not tackling everything every month. You should give us a call. 425-224-0088

💡Set your customers EXPECTATIONS! 🤔 This is how you control the outcomes… While checking in a customer for service, it’s important to recognize how critical the interaction is. ▪️ This where impressions are made. ▪️ Opinions begin to form. ▪️ Confidence is built or eroded. ▪️ Outcomes are imagined properly or improperly. As a service advisor, you can alter all of the above bullets, and it’s most primarily done with setting proper expectations. It’s easier than some may think too. Just tell the truth. 👍 My technician will let us know what’s wrong. 👍 I’ll have an answer around 3pm today. 👍 We may need it over night, but I’ll know for sure by 1pm. ✅ Whatever the case is, just be honest and proper expectations nearly set themselves! Check out my FREE report “Needs Analysis Summary: Technician Training” that aims to shed some light on the technician shortage with REAL data from 11 automotive industry experts and 804 automotive professionals. Here is the link: https://lnkd.in/gBXCwdHh —— I’m Chris Craig. I create daily educational and coaching content for automotive employees. TikTok: https://lnkd.in/eMMVEWpC YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eTmW3WPS #serviceadvisor #technician #servicemanager #fixedops #learninganddevelopment #teambuilding #leadership #technicianshortage

They have to BELIEVE the plan is possible for them to act like it's possible. Step 2 in our Launch Readiness Assessment is to conduct interviews to assess the plan/timeline credibility. ➡ Was the plan built as the sum of the micro plans from each functional group? ➡ Is the plan based on the time available rather than the time required? ➡ Is the timeline based on "can" timing or "will" timing? (I CAN get it done in 5 weeks but I WILL get it done in 9 weeks because of workload, conflicting priorities, vacations, etc.) If you want the team to give all they have to execute a plan, they have to believe it's possible. If you can't expedite tasks to compress them you have to lower customer expectations so you can exceed them or you will have a gap between the quality of intended and perceived delivery.