How many Service Managers, Directors and General Managers are focused on the monthly financial statement and not really focused on the day to day numbers of the service advisors and their technicians. I know many who look to the financials to tell them where they have just come from over the last month.
The way to truly run your fixed operations is to know every day where you are going, your projections and the daily numbers for each employee, this enables you to tweak and pull more out of your department.
If you are a manager who is in constant pursuit of additional gross profit opportunities within your fixed operations, you need to focus on consistency. Focusing on the maintenance of your customers vehicles through the use of proper inspections and making the repair recommendations to 100% of your customers, will add bottom line gross to your business. All of your advisors or service consultants need to present the estimate and recommendations exactly the same way. The service-walk-around and write up procedures need to be the same for each and every advisor. Consistency is something your customers expect and crave.
McDonalds pioneered the up-sell and they are consistent no matter where you go, “Would you like fries with that, or would you like to supersize your drink”. You can visit a McDonalds in Madison Wisconsin, NY City or Chicago and you will hear the same things and McDonald’s food also tastes the same no matter what location you frequent. This is selling consistency at its best! People become accustomed to the same procedures, product and experience and look forward to the same experience no matter who serves them at the counter.
How many of your fixed operations customers have read their owner’s manual and know what services they need at particular time or mileage intervals, I bet not many. How many of your service advisors are recommending the maintenance items to your customers, again I bet not many. Coolant flushes, brake fluid flushes, transmission flushes, air filters, cabin filters, tire rotations, wheel alignments, transfer case oil changes, differential oil changes and you can probably add a few more items from your own facility packages.
The opportunities are endless and only need to be positioned and presented to your customers with clear concise language to each customer, every time. The key is to be consistent with each customer that frequents the facility. Most dealerships notify their customers when their state inspection is coming due, why not notify your customers that their yearly alignment or 30,000 miles service is coming due. Be proactive, not reactive and again be consistent.
Some tips on helping you become more consistent and gain more gross profit are things like having the service advisor perform;
• A pre-write vehicle history check and inspect for previous declined service recommendations
• Conduct a proper walk-a-round of the vehicle with the customer, touching and pointing out issues
• Present a good, better best menu and offer the maintenance service packages
• The advisor needs to maintain eye contact and ask probing questions of the customer concerning the issues with the vehicle
• The advisor MUST make at least one recommendation to the customer based upon the customers description of the vehicle concerns
• All advisors must meet and greet, perform the walk around, and position recommendations the same way
Consistency sold millions of burgers therefore consistency can help you sell more hours. When it comes right down to it that’s what we are really selling isn’t it?
David
