 Understanding your type will prepare you, your staff, and your dealer to set expectations that are job appropriate.
Would we expect an Accounts Payable Clerk to prepare next month's advertising campaign? In many cases that is exactly what we expect from our Service Managers.
Three styles/types of Service Management:
- Technical: Usually, these Service Managers are former technicians, and spend much of their time mulling around the shop. These Managers will be on top of TSB's and ensure your "fixed right first visit" scores are high.
- Administrative: These Managers can usually be found with an extremely clean warranty receivable, and ensure Advisors and Technicians properly document time punches, and ensure customer complaints are written effectively. You'll never have to worry about an audit with this type. They can effectively quote Policy and Procedures.
- Marketing: These Managers drive sales initiatives. They key in on menu promotions, spend much of their time working with the Advisors, and drive the productivity of the technicians. These managers are very visible to customers.
The challenge isn't in the identification of which "type" you fall into, but rather in recognizing that these are three extremely different styles and personality types. Understand, as an example, that it is simply not in the nature of a Technical Service Manager to put together a menu. The technical type gets bogged down in the fact that model "X" has different recommendations than model "Y", and ultimately always has a menu "in-process" of being made, yet rarely ever finished.
The same holds true for the Marketing types, in that, you will rarely find them mulling over old warranty claims, or diligently reading TSB's. This type is always driving today and tomorrow's business, and yesterday's paperwork is not a big priority.
Although it is certainly possible for one individual to share all three skills, it is indeed rare. Realize, too, that your existing staff and future staff will fall into one of these three areas and to be truly effective, you will need to have all the skills represented. As a Manager, your objective should be to become effective in all three areas. Recognize your strengths and limitations and strive to structure your leadership team with people who are strong in the areas in which you are weak. Your team is then complete and ready to roll!
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