Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/243961
Service Department PSB FOCUS m www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • January 27, 2014 • 15 ith ng ew nd oys. chs e," y're he ou hey e." mred ail red ail is monitored by management and shared with staff members individually. "I try to let them know they're doing a good job," he said. "If we can point out areas of improvement during the process, we can usually define what that is by judging the hours they've turned versus the hours they're available." Rather than incentivizing with efficiency, all Kent Powersports techs are paid on a flat rate, with niceties like the occasional free lunch, flexible scheduling and supplies like gloves, uniform purchase assistance and specialty tools for specific projects. To improve its customer service, Roemer places a focus on hiring service writers with the right traits — outgoing, friendly and people who care about their appearance. He also seeks out service writers with enough technical know-how to understand the customers, but not so much that they attempt to diagnose problems from the desk. "My guys are instructed to list the complaint verbatim from the customer," Roemer said. "Don't try to read into a diagnosis, get as much information as you can and then we can pass that along to the technician. It helps in the diagnosis of the unit if you can describe exactly what the customer says because … there are clues in there." Other initiatives include a 10-foot rule, which requires that all staff must acknowledge any customers that come within 10 feet of them nd So cts ow d it erow usice veng ent lty in- has rtmn ifihe re. hey mfic on See Service, Page 17 Adding a "big board" to the service department walls can help to light the competitive fire among techs striving for efficiency honors. THE TRAINER SAYS… mDP n't me ost out ad on ZIEBRON to ensure nobody has been ignored or left without a prompt greeting. The company has also focused on maintaining and advancing technician certifications and training. Several mechanics are Honda Red Level Certified, including Roemer, and all are encouraged to complete online training courses during any downtime. As a result, Kent Powersports has improved customer loyalty and received the Suzuki Super Service Award two out of the last three years. When asked what advice he would provide to service managers just starting out or with less training, Roemer suggests remaining consistent and following through on all promises to customers. "A promise is a promise. When you start breaking those, you start losing the trust of the people [whose business] you're trying to capture," he said. ost staff and business. Such metrics include service efficiency, hours per work order and service absorption, which is the percentage of the entire dealership's operating expenses that flow through the service department. Part of her approach focuses on writing accurate job descriptions for service department staff, making sure they reflect everyone's recurring duties. She suggests management create an organizational chart to make sure all duties are accounted for. Knowing what is expected of everyone can also help improve staff job satisfaction, and can act as a guidebook VALERIE Grounded by her experience in the field, Valerie Ziebron is a service-minded trainer with a well-earned reputation through her independent work and also as a consultant for Yamaha Marine University. Like Van Zeeland, Ziebron urges business owners and managers to monitor key service metrics that provide a foundation for creating improvements that are customized to your nd on ace es, ans P13x17-PSB2-Focus.indd 15 1/15/14 12:01 PM