Service advisors, assistant store managers and customer service reps are the conduit between customers and technicians in any auto dealership or auto repair driven business. Poor communication can lead to mistakes and unhappy customers. Most common mistakes made by advisors can be avoided with proper training and a true understanding of what needs to be performed by technicians and why.

According to Forbes, automotive service is a $200 billion a year industry, and since service advisors sell most of the work, proper training must be prioritized in order to guarantee peak performance, fulfilled advisors and satisfied customers who return.

Advisor training often focuses too heavily on word tracks, objection handling or incentive-based sales initiatives. While each of these has a place, and can enhance performance, there are three things that great advisor training must focus on in order to drive consistent dollars per RO, employee growth and retention and customer trust and satisfaction.

1. Technical Understanding: WHAT you are recommending and WHY - Advisors need to be able to understand and communicate confidently with technicians or they can’t confidently advise and educate customers. Proper technical understanding and delivery is the key to making a “upsell” feel like “education” to a customer. If technicians trust advisors to deliver the message, and customer’s trust their advisors to understand the safety and financial implications of their “advice” then more work gets sold to everyone’s satisfaction especially the customer.

2. Properly Written Repair Orders - Advisors need to understand exactly what needs to be written in a repair order and why. Properly storied repair orders create efficiencies in many ways. It saves unnecessary conversations due to lack of clarity. Warranty claims can get paid much faster and to their fullest potential without multiple people having to chase claims. Vehicle service history’s are clearer and more complete leading to a better experience for all down the road.

3. Understanding CSI and Where it Begins - Knowing the customer survey inside and out is the key to understanding where you can improve your customer engagement scores. Understanding what CSI is really about is even more important, and its simple: Trust and Communication. Understanding what you are saying, with technical confidence is critical to earning trust. Communication begins with telling customers when you’ll follow up, delivering on that promise 100% of the time. Punctuality, knowledge, and honest will get customers to spend money and provide great CSI scores.

With the limited supply of vehicles in today’s market, people are keeping their cars longer which means more maintenance and repair work is necessary than ever. It is now more important than ever to make sure that service advisors are properly trained to understand techs and educate customers in a way that is clear, concise and comfortable.

The Matrix Trade Institute is revolutionizing service advisor training with its unique Upskill and Efficiency Bootcamps that focus on the technical WHY behind money generating maintenance and light repairs.

About the Matrix Trade Institute:

The Matrix Trade Institute, based in Beachwood, Ohio, is and OSBCC approved career college and specialized school for Automotive Mechanics and Collision Repair Technicians. MTI’s accelerated 20-week, 80% hands-on approach and efficiency training model is designed to create productive entry-level mechanics and technicians who have the skills that employer demand. MTI’s blend of modern technology, hands-on training and operation repetitions ensure confidence and efficiencies that are critical to success and growth with employers.

MTI also serves industry employers with its innovative Upskill Efficiency Bootcamps that provide existing mechanics, technicians and service advisors with next level training to build and improve production-based skills and efficiency techniques to become more productive and to grow. MTI’s Efficiency Bootcamps are paid for by employers who want to provide a faster, more complete career path. This effective training and retention model gives employers that want to revitalizing current techs, retain their services and help them grow into highly productive mechanics, collisions technicians and service advisors for the mutual benefit of the employee and the organization that benefits from their loyalty and increased production.