Everyday customers come into your Service Drive, we perform routine maintenance for them and/or repair their cars. We may get them in and out in a timely manner and everyone leaves smiling.
But how do we really know our customers are getting offered legitimately needed service and maintenance services? How do we know our Advisors and Techs are following established protocols to give our customers the best experience, cover our bases for factory process rules and ensuring the Dealership has the chance to profit where appropriate?
Unfortunately, let’s face it, left to their own devises, your Advisors and Techs may deviate significantly form the established Service Sales Processes or not quite execute the way you would have liked. Left unchecked the process you worked so hard to define and refine will crumble right before your eyes.
Feet to the Fire
We can set the best processes and train, train, train but the truth is, the BEST Sales Process IS worthless WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY! The employee accountability definition is the responsibility of employees to complete the tasks they are assigned, to perform the duties required by their job, and to be present for their proper shifts in order to fulfill or further the goals of the organization.
So how do you know when things are being done right? How do you know who is doing an awesome job and who is short cutting all the important steps related to retail sales in your Service Drive? Often Managers really don’t have a check and balance per se to ensure their mandatory process rules are consistently followed.
Here’s where a simple but consistent spot-check process will ensure you’re not just spinning your wheels. The Daily Accountability Review – This should take you 30 minutes maximum for the whole process here. So let’s get started, grab a couple dozen of yesterday’s RO’s, page through them stopping to make notes on the front page in felt tip marker, or with sticky notes related to Advisor and Tech process improvement and noting when processes result in success (Very important)
Do about two dozen a day, once you have made your notations have each Tech and Advisor report to you for an impromptu One-on-one review. Call the individual to your office to go over your findings one at a time. During these encounters make sure it’s not all bad. Encourage good behavior and highlight the instances where your people did a great job. People want desperately to be appreciated for sound work, and they should when they deserve it.
Execute, Then Reward
Also, where process steps have been skipped or where there was an obvious short cut, offer counseling on how to improve and stress the need to improve. Make sure your people know WHY, HOW, WHEN, and what REWARDS will happen IF they execute consistently. But don’t let them slide if they are not improving. Escalate issues with individuals who do not make a positive change in their behavior over time. Here are some of the critical things to look for related to expanding customer pay sales and customer service.
- Walkaround information related to vehicle damage, inspections done on the drive including tire wear status, wipers, fluids, etc.
- Menu presentation, offering the customer recommended services to keep their vehicle in optimal condition
- MPVI op code on RO. Is there an inspection operation code on every RO?
- MPVI physically attached. Is there an actual inspection document attached? Did the customer sign it and get their copy?
- Customer contact as well as current and all contact information. Is their complete address and telephone information? Is there an email address on every RO?
- MPVI filled out property. Brake, tire and battery measurements taken?
- Service history with repair order — investigate what was and has been done on the car — and when.
- Technicians noting preventative maintenance needs including needs evident when a repair diagnostic is estimated. Did the Tech recommend additional legitimate services?
- Prioritized estimate attached and prepared including totals per category and grant total. Did they actually offer needed services to EVERY customer? Evidence of approval or decline on services offered.
- Follow Up (Condition) Op codes on R.O. that were not approved?
- Proper warranty documentation relating to complaint, cause and correction?
- Customer signature on the Repair Order
You will also invariably see opportunities for other types of improvements that may not necessarily be directly linked to customer pay sales or warranty documentation. Look for utilization of proper op codes, promise times, mileage in and out recorded properly and consistently and other things you may have on your radar.
The thing about accountability is that people actually respond to the expectation of process compliance if the culture is there to support it. Do this simple process daily and people will respond positively. Most employees will act in the correct manner if the realize you are watching it closely and it’s important in the further advancement of their employment and the satisfaction of your customers.
