Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821175
To keep a shop humming and wrenches turning at near peak effi ciency, service providers can develop simple, repeatable processes for transparent com- munication that informs and alerts vehicle owners to service event progress and moves each repair order toward conclusion. Pre-service communication A practical service event transparency plan begins long before a truck enters a bay. The fi rst meeting between a customer and service provider, especially with new customers, should feature the latter asking the former questions to learn how they would prefer to communicate in the future. Presented during active discussion or as part of informational documents new customers are re- quired to complete, these probing questions provide a service provider with multiple methods of contact information, preferences for when and how that information is used and fi nancial barriers where repairs must be individually approved. The goal is to acquire enough information up front that future periods of phone tag and waiting- based downtime are greatly reduced, if not removed entirely. Failing to do so is a headache for both parties, says Mike Payne, director of Continuous Improve- ment at Velocity Vehicle Group, and co-chair of the Technology & Maintenance Council's (TMC) 'Service Event Data Transparency' task force. 15 Cover Story W W W . T R U C K P A R T S A N D S E R V I C E . C O M M a y 2 0 1 7 | T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E K eeping a customer informed during a repair is an important task for any service shop. Customers become anxious when they aren't provided regular updates on their vehicles, and in the case of larger repairs, there's only so much a service technician can do before a customer's approval is necessary. Techniques for improving communication during a service event