All Blog Posts Tagged 'advisor' (70)

People say the darnedest things, don't they.

We hear many things in Service.

Stand on any Service Drive on any given day and you will hear Customers describe all kinds of noises related their vehicles. The variety of sounds people make describing their …

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on May 30, 2012 at 10:24am — No Comments

What's that noise on your service drive?

Have you ever blown up a balloon and then just let it go and listen to the sound it makes? If you have children or a crazy Uncle Lenny, chances are you've heard this noise before. It is so distinctive that once you've heard it, you are not likely to forget it the rest of your life.

I've heard this same noise in my head many times in the service drive right after an Advisor says something he or she shouldn't have. In our business there are many things that must happen to make sure that…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on May 23, 2012 at 6:30pm — 1 Comment

Are your advertising dollars well spent?

In fixed ops we constantly worry whether or not we are getting a return on every one of our ad dollars. Every manufacturer tracks it. Every ad vendor tracks it. And when we spend the money and don't get an immediate return, we start to fret.

Here is the rub.

Customers don't make a connection with an ad. Customers don't make a connection with an offering or a…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on May 21, 2012 at 5:28pm — 2 Comments

Want to have a big day today? Get a checkup.

“When our research tracked 20,000 new hires, 46% of them failed within 18 months. But even more surprising than the failure rate, was that when new hires failed, 89% of the time it was for attitudinal reasons and only 11% of the time for a lack of skill. The attitudinal deficits that doomed these failed hires included a lack of coachability, low levels of emotional intelligence, motivation and temperament.”  Mark Murphy, Hiring for Attitude, Forbes

In the car business , it’s all…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on May 3, 2012 at 10:36am — No Comments

R this and R that

R this and R that.  Which one is the right R for our Dealership?  If we concentrate on ROI, what do we lose in ROR? Is it possible to have too much focus on ROR?

Wait. I didn’t explain what I am talking about very well.  Ok.  ROI is referring to Return On Investment.  This “Investment” can be anything. Time, Money, Parts, Labor…anything.  And when we…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on March 23, 2012 at 10:30am — No Comments

"Missed it by that much"

There is an old saying carpenters use. "Measure twice, cut once."…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on January 17, 2012 at 9:09am — No Comments

Smothered by the Rut Blanket

What would a Professional Service Advisor do?



Professional Service Advisors are prepared for the day ahead of them and don't get caught in the "why bother because everyday is the same and nothing changes" rut.



Now, why is this so important? I mean, c’mon, isn't every day just the same?



Open the door, reset the alarm, start the coffee, turn on the computers, check for night drops, check your email, flip through the stack of carry-overs, etc, etc,…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on September 5, 2011 at 10:30am — 4 Comments

Exceeding the Expectation

What would a Service Professional do?



A Professional understands their Customers Expectations.



Now this has got to be the easiest “no brainer” post you

have read in years! You would think that every person who works in the Dealership has heard of Customer Service (here’s a little hint: WE ALL DO) and would take the time to understand their Customer expectations. And then try to EXCEED them!



You would think.



And every day in the field at a Dealership there… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on August 26, 2011 at 8:24am — 7 Comments

The one word every Advisor needs to hear...

There is one word every Service Advisor needs to hear.



This word is the key to their future...whether they become a top-notch superstar a middle of the road average Joe or a washout...they need this word.



It defines greatness as well as highlights deficiencies.



The word is...No.



Since our Company trains in Dealerships all over the country, we are exposed to every possible version of Service Advisors imaginable.



From the greenpea who is day… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on July 15, 2011 at 9:30am — 1 Comment

How to Get to Carnegie Hall

A boy walking in Manhattan asked an older gentleman, “Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?”  “Yes,” the man replied, “Practice!”…

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Added by Lance Boldt on June 1, 2011 at 6:00pm — 6 Comments

A recent study of Fixed Operations and what it reveals about Service Sales, Profitability and more...

Recent studies show that Service Advisors that hand out menus during the write up process experience an increase in Customer Maintenance Sales. The study also shows that this corresponds to an increase in the Service Advisors pay.



These recent studies also show that Technicians that completed a Multipoint Inspection on every vehicle flagged more hours than Technicians who did not. An interesting side note to the study, Technicians who completed the most Multipoint Inspections made the… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on May 23, 2011 at 5:30am — No Comments

Today is number 56. There are 309 days left in this year.

It’s the end of February. Are you happy with the results you achieved this month? Is your year on track to be better than last year? Are you concerned or content? Lets review 3 possible answers and see which one fits you.



For you the month of February in the Service Department was Great! You hit the Goals you set for HPRO, EFL and Profit Margins! Your CSI has never been better! Overall, you could not have done any more. Congrats! And, March looks like it is going to take off as well!… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on February 25, 2011 at 1:00pm — No Comments

The 3 MMMs of Change

Ok. You are practicing the 3 Ws of Leadership and not getting it done.



Wanting.



Waiting.



Wishing.



Most definitely the 3 Worst strategies in Leadership when it comes to changing behavior.



If you want to make changes in behavior you need to turn your W into a M.



Measure



Monitor



Manage



The single most important element to effecting change is to Measure what it is you are trying to change. If you are… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on February 9, 2011 at 11:17am — No Comments

3 Strategies for Failure

There are 3 Strategies for Failure that many Service Managers and Fixed Operations Directors use (with little Success) to facilitate changes in their daily operations and the behaviors of Service Department Personnel.



Yet, these 3 Strategies are the most common response many otherwise capable Managers (and Dealer Principals) use over and over again with little to no results. This in turn leads to a downward spiral of resentment followed by anger followed by the inevitable angry… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on January 20, 2011 at 10:53am — No Comments

When is Enough...Enough?

When is enough...enough? If you are in Fixed Operations, this question is surprisingly easy to answer.



NEVER!



There is never enough Gross Profit. In fact, when was the last time you and the Dealer Principal sat down in the office and he or she took out the latest financial, looked it over and then said to you "Go ahead and close the service drive and take the rest of the month off. We have enough Gross Profit!"



There is never enough Service Absorption. We live in an… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on January 12, 2011 at 4:30pm — No Comments

John Q. Service Advisor

John Q. is a underachiever at ABC Motors. His HPRO is at .9 and his Gross Profit Margin is below 70%. Now, John Q. is not necessarily a bad guy. In fact, he is a likeable and hard-working employee. He comes to work on time and believes he contributing to the overall success of the Service Department.



Johns current performance level is not acceptable. And the consequence of not taking action has verifiable results. Take a look at Johns numbers.



His current HPRO at .9 at the… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on December 23, 2010 at 9:36am — No Comments

The Hundred Mile An Hour Goat

Two friends are out hunting, and as they are walking along they come upon a huge h*** in the ground. As they approach it they are amazed by the size of it.



The first hunter says “Wow, that’s some h***; I can’t even see the bottom. I wonder how deep it is.” The second hunter says” I don’t know, let’s throw something down and listen and see how long it takes to hit bottom.”

The first hunter looks around and spies an old automobile transmission lying in the grass. He tells the… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on November 29, 2010 at 11:57am — No Comments

Just Because It's The Obvious Answer

I am constantly surprised at what people say when the answer they are seeking is the obvious one, it's simple and they don't accept it.

It's kinda like the Customer who is buying a car and you hit them right on the number on the first pencil... they look at you like you are screwing them! "It can't be this easy" they are thinking or "I'm paying too much."

In Fixed Operations it's the same. If a Customer needs a repair done and you go back to them with a repair that obviously…

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Added by Leonard Buchholz on November 17, 2010 at 5:29pm — No Comments

3 Ways Service Advisors Can Speed Up Service Sales

One of the most frustrating things that Service Advisors have to deal with is the unavailability of the Customer after they have left the Dealership.



In 100% of the cases there is a series of steps the Advisor can do during the writeup and repair process to increase the chances that they will be able to contact the Customer once the vehicle has been inspected or the repairs have been completed.



Step Number One.



Get a “Pre-Approval” amount. This is amazingly… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on November 11, 2010 at 3:05pm — No Comments

10 Reasons Multi-point Inspections are Important

In our world there is a constant search for “better.”



Better personnel, better systems, better procesess, better sales…you get the idea.



Is there “better” out there in Fixed Operations?



Sure. In recent years software and computers have made getting every conceivable report possible and as easy as a press of the button.



Software applications like ASR Capture from Reverse Risk is a prime example. Here is an application that does nearly everything that old… Continue

Added by Leonard Buchholz on November 5, 2010 at 12:23pm — No Comments

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