One of the questions that almost always gets asked during my workshops and seminars is: “How do I find great service advisors?” It is a great question because it seems like great service advisors are difficult to find; however, it’s not really that hard at all if you know what you’re looking for and where to look. I know through decades of experience working in the automotive industry that great service advisors are everywhere, the problem is usually with how dealerships approach the process. If you can’t find great service advisors, you are doing something wrong that needs corrective action.
Most of the time, when a dealership expresses a problem with finding great service advisors, it can be traced to one of these problems:
- Ineffective job ad
- Don’t know how to interview
- Don’t know how to train
- Your training isn’t adequate
- Don’t know how to motivate them
The Service Advisor Job Ad
The problem with job ads is that most dealerships post the same ad repeatedly saying the same thing; they are not motivating. Instead, highlight what the position can give applicants. Service advisor job ads must highlight what the job will do for them. It is recommended that the job ad focuses on the financial and economic benefits like earning $65,000+ per year. A second job ad strategy must focus on experienced service advisors by highlighting dealership strengths that are attractive. Emphasize how your dealership gets it done and how the job will promote a partnership where everyone benefits.
Pocket Guides Recommended
Service Advisors can benefit greatly from having a quick reference tool on standby in the form of a Pocket Guide. The Pocket Guide basically gives service advisors a brief overview of all services and what’s included. The great benefit of having an easily accessible Pocket Guide is that service advisors have easy access to all the information that they need to become a service expert in any customer situation. Every Pocket Guide also highlights common customer barriers with best practice sales techniques. Pocket Guides are available from Jeff Cowan’s Pro Talk for only $17.95 apiece. Every Pocket Guide purchase comes with a video series that explains in detail exactly how to use it.
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