Best Practices to Remember Throughout Your Service Advisor Career

Are you a strong communicator, and do you love working with both cars and people? A career as a service advisor could be perfect for you. Working primarily in automotive dealerships, Service Advisors serve as the main point of contact between automotive technicians and vehicle owners. When customers enter the dealership, service advisors will work closely with them to determine the problem they’re experiencing with their vehicle, develop repair estimates, prepare work orders and keep customers informed throughout the repair process. Primarily, service advisors are responsible for ensuring that a customer’s needs are met. Their strong customer service skills, attention to detail and technical knowledge are all competencies which enhance their success on the job. 

If you’re considering a career as a service advisor, possessing an understanding of the best practices which accompany this role will enhance your future success. Below, discover five best practices to adopt as a service advisor.

During Your Service Advisor Career, Customer Service Comes First

Once you become a service advisor, one of the most important things to remember is to prioritize customer service. After service advisor training, your job will be to make sure that every customer who enters your dealership is welcomed and feels that their needs are being addressed. Make sure to greet every customer upon entry, and ensure that their first impression is a positive one. When you make customer service a priority, the rest of the repair process is sure to go smoothly.

Verify the Information You’re Given

As a service advisor, one of the first things you’ll do when beginning the process of coordinating a vehicle repair is to obtain the necessary information from the customer. When initiating the process, it’s important to attentively listen to the customer’s wants and needs, ensuring that you understand how and where the problem happened, symptoms the customer has observed, and other relevant information. Make sure to verify what you’ve learned from the customer, asking clarifying questions and confirming by inspecting the vehicle itself. By qualifying the information, you can avoid errors and misunderstandings further along in the process.

Explain Technical Topics in Simple Terms

During your service advisor career, you’ll often find yourself needing to explain the reason that a repair or replacement is needed for a customer. While this sounds easy enough, many service advisors have difficulty communicating the necessity of a repair in terms that someone without a background in auto mechanics will understand. In order to avoid miscommunications and frustration, make sure to avoid using technical jargon, instead of using simple terms, visuals and comparisons to help a customer achieve understanding.

Prepare Written Proposals for Customers

As a service advisor, another best practice to incorporate is to always document and prepare written repair proposals for your customers. This proposal should include a detailed description of the problem and diagnosis, the repairs or replacements needed and why, as well as an estimated cost of repairs. Keeping everything in writing throughout the repair process will increase transparency, helping customers to understand exactly what they’re paying for.

Don’t Neglect the Importance of Good Relationships

Delivering quality customer service goes beyond the scope of the repair process. If you’re looking for ways to establish a long and rewarding career as a service advisor, one of the best things you can do is to invest in your relationship with your customers. When you have good relationships with your customers, you can ensure that they’ll keep relying on you for their services, and may even refer you to their friends! Techniques for establishing good relationships might include following up with customers after the repair is complete and their vehicle is returned and making it clear to the customer that you’re available if they have any other questions or concerns. 

Are you interested in enrolling in auto service programs?

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