listening skills not needed anymore

Aaron · August 31, 2009

I routinely sell more work than the service advisors, which is pretty sad. And for the most part, people don't even want a price on the shit. "Oh, that's broke?! Shit, you better fix it!"

Jim Warman · August 31, 2009

Aside from a few highly trusted customers, I insist on giving a price quote... to start with, the red circle on the QC550 gets real hard to ignore... next, you avoid "that look" when the repair is more than expected... add that you get the customer to approve the work...

LARRY BRUDZYNSKI · August 31, 2009

I insist on giving a price quote... to start with, the red circle on the QC550 gets real hard to ignore...

Not to mention that, but it also puts something in the service file to reflect on the next time the customer comes back. If it was a concern and not addressed at the previous visit it might be revisited on the return visit. The customer may or may not remember what was suggested on the previous visit.

Aaron · August 31, 2009

Definitely, customer always gets a price, if they want one or not - I don't need some guy with $100 to his name giving me an ok-doke to change the oil, fuel filters, rotate the tires, and service the brakes, without first seeing the price 'cause he assume it's less than a hundy.

Brad Clayton · March 23, 2010

Uh boy here we go again. I got an '05 Escape dumping trans fluid. Get it in the shop and see the left axle seal is the source of the leak. I go to the service advisor and ask if he would please call the customer and get approval to remove the axle and take a look see at what is going on. I then explain that it could be a seal but I doubt it due to the amount of trans fluid that is dripping off the rear bumper and covering the rear glass. I further explain that the axle could be gouged all to hell or worse.

He gets on the phone with the customer and says and I quote "hey mr. ________, well we got your Escape looked at and it's not as bad as you though. Yeah that is good. Well it looks like all your gonna need is a left axle seal. It'll run ya just over 300 dollars with parts and labor. What's that? Yeah we should have it done by today, no problem. Ok talk to you in a bit."

He then hands me the RO back and says go ahead. I just look at him in disbelief (sp.). Nowhere was any of that in the conversation 2 seconds before he picked up the phone. I go and pop the axle out and the bearing is trashed and the dif is gouged all to hell. Now the trans has got to come out and apart. I get the advisor out and say guess what now you gotta call this friggin guy back up and tell him your a moron.

Quote:

I can't sit in front of my service advisors when they call a customer. Sometimes they mince an explanation they were given mere seconds before they picked up the telephone.

Right on the money with that one Keith!