The right people, the right training and the right procedures are essential. 

Arguably the most important role in your shop is that of the service advisor. They are the front line of your business when dealing with your customers and ultimately, how they communicate and work with your clients will determine the future success of your business in both reputation and revenue. Yet often, in our industry we don’t spend enough time properly hiring and training service advisors. This means that we leave a lot of money on the table and miss out on opportunities that allow us to grow our business.

Traditional approach often detrimental
Traditionally, the aftermarket has approached the role of service advisor as somebody that needs to have a great deal of knowledge related to the industry, specifically vehicle systems and repairs. Yet often, that can be detrimental, especially when you’re dealing with customers.

Let’s think about a dentist or a doctor’s office for example. Your first point of contact is likely the receptionist. They are the person that schedules and books appointments, and the one that relays the information from the doctor or dentist about the procedure and schedules follow up appointments. They don’t go into depth about the procedure—that’s the role of the doctor or dentist—but they do relay that information in a clear to understand format for the customer and they ensure that work is billed and follow ups are scheduled. They are without doubt the most important people for the business, since without them, you won’t have an efficient system for booking appointments, having work scheduled and getting paid for that work.

Effective communicator
That’s why, when it comes to service advisors in your shop, it’s far better to have somebody who’s an effective communicator and a people person, rather than somebody with a great deal of automotive knowledge. When you bring somebody in that’s “green” to the industry, if they have a good work ethic, strong people and communication skills and a willingness to learn, you can teach them the knowledge required for the job.

Besides effective communication and people skills, a good service advisor needs to be organized and good at multi-tasking since they will be performing a range of different tasks during the day. They also need to be computer literate, and they also need to be able to relate to your client base.

For example, in our area, there are a lot of retirees, and at our counter, we have someone who is friendly and energetic and can relate to our customers. She has great soft skills, is even keeled and patient and has helped our business earn a solid reputation for car care in our community.

Does it make sense?
It can be tempting for shop owners and managers, to think of placing highly competent technicians on the counter, due to their skills and knowledge, but you must ask yourself if they can relate to your customers. Furthermore, by pulling a good technician out of the service bay, they are no longer making you money, so from a business perspective it doesn’t really make sense. You’re far better off, bringing in a good communicator that your customers can relate to and then teaching them the automotive knowledge required for the job.

Systems and procedures
Additionally, there are a number of reputable automotive service and business trainers that can effectively enhance their knowledge and performance in the role, and by extension elevate your business. Yet leveraging good training ultimately boils down to having effective systems and procedures in place at your shop that ensure your clients are always in control of their money. If you don’t have those, then ultimately, you won’t be very successful, no matter who you hire or train.