Service centers and fixed operations are essential to the success of a dealership. A service manager must have a deep understanding of the mechanics of the automotive industry and be able to anticipate and solve problems before they become big problems. Here are the top insights from the most successful automotive service managers and how automotive training programs help them reach the top of their field.
Retail Automotive Service Manager: The Job
When it comes down to it, the job of a retail automotive service manager is all about running a successful service center. This position is responsible for ensuring that the technicians () (we never say mechanics, they are technicians) and other staff are doing their jobs correctly and that the dealership is making money. To be a successful service manager, you need to have a deep understanding of the automotive industry and be able to anticipate and solve problems before they become big problems.
Responsibilities are typically split between profit, productivity, and people-related tasks:
1) Profit: The service manager is responsible for making sure that the service department is making money. This includes ensuring that the service team is focused on providing the highest level of service possible to every customer by providing them with a safe and reliable vehicle.
2) Productivity: The service manager is responsible for ensuring that the service department is running as efficiently as possible. The best service managers in the business leads their teams by reviewing daily goals, coaching to increase performance and monitoring for results.
3) People: The service manager is responsible for leading a team of service sales professionals and technicians. This means that the service team gets consistent training, constant feedback on results and includes a fair pay plan that rewards for increased performance. The best in the business use this formula to achieve ongoing success no matter what the circumstances are.
Success Factors
There are three key success factors for automotive service managers:
– Best practices for managing People
– Best practices for managing Profitability
– Best practices for managing Productivity
Managing People
A dealership cannot function without the right people. It is the responsibility of the service manager to make sure that these team members are trained and qualified to do their jobs correctly. Additionally, the service manager must be able to consistently lead and train staff members in the correct techniques and procedures.
Managing Profitability
It is important for a dealership to be profitable to stay in business. It is the responsibility of the service manager to make sure that the service center is running as efficiently as possible. This means that the service manager must be able to identify barriers to perfomance, develop an action plan, implement that action plan and monitor for results.
Managing Productivity
The success of a dealership is largely dependent on the productivity of its staff. It is the responsibility of the service manager to make sure that the staff is working as efficiently as possible.
Automotive Training Programs That Help Service Managers Succeed
If you are looking for a way to help your service manager reach the top of his or her field, then consider investing in an automotive training program. These programs provide your service manager with the tools necessary to be successful in the automotive industry.
These programs range from in-dealership training to 24/7 online training with DealerPro VTN, workshops for your team or in the DealerPro Training Center for 2 and 3 day Advisor and Manager Fixed Operations Training. Whichever type of automotive training program you choose, be sure to consider the specific needs of your service manager. You can find a variety of automotive training programs that will not just boost your Service Manager’s performance, but the performance of your entire dealership!
Train at DealerPRO Training and Take Your Automotive Service to the Next Level!
DealerPRO is the leading provider of automotive service manager training and education. We provide comprehensive automotive training programs that will help your service manager reach the top of his or her field. Our programs are designed to help your service manager increase profits, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Our programs are comprehensive and tailored to meet the specific needs of your Service Manager. Service Managers and Fixed Operations Directors consistently rank our training 9.9 out of 10 because of the high-quality, hands-on training that we provide.
If you are looking for an automotive training program that will help your service manager reach the top of his or her field, then look no further than DealerPRO. Contact us today, and let’s talk about your Fixed Ops performance.