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Dorman Announces New Products for May 2022
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Dealing With Overcharged and Contaminated AC Systems
What should you do if your customer has attempted to fix their AC system with an off-the-shelf product? In a 45-minute webinar, the experts at Transtar AC will cover what happens to an AC system when it is overcharged or exposed to certain oils, sealants and dyes. The content will include information on R12, R134a and R1234yf systems.
Questions the presenters will answer:
Speakers Andrew Markel, Director of Content, ShopOwner
Underhood Service targets repair shops that derive 50 percent or more of their revenue from the service and repair of under-the-hood systems. The expanding amount of knowledge and capital needed to keep up with technological advances has led these shop owners to concentrate on underhood systems, while also offering preventive maintenance services on most major vehicle systems. By subscribing, you’ll receive the ShopOwner digital edition magazine (12 times/year) featuring articles from Underhood Service and the Underhood Service eNewsletter (twice weekly). Access to digital editions, contests, news, and more are ready for you today!
Underhood Service targets repair shops that derive 50 percent or more of their revenue from the service and repair of under-the-hood systems. The expanding amount of knowledge and capital needed to keep up with technological advances has led these shop owners to concentrate on underhood systems, while also offering preventive maintenance services on most major vehicle systems. By subscribing, you’ll receive the ShopOwner digital edition magazine (12 times/year) featuring articles from Underhood Service and the Underhood Service eNewsletter (twice weekly). Access to digital editions, contests, news, and more are ready for you today!
High underhood temps, increased power demands and vibration can damage alternators or starters. Sponsored by ACDelco.
Don’t settle for “almost” - it matters where the engine is manufactured or remanufactured. Sponsored by ACDelco.
Brake pads are thoroughly developed to produce the best result. This video is sponsored by ZF Aftermarket.
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Great service advisors focus 100% on the customer’s complaint and ask “when” and “where” questions.
The two most powerful words in a shop are “customer states.” This simple phrase has been turned into internet memes and TikTok videos. But, to a service advisor or technician, it is a phrase that is the start of all diagnostic processes.
The one trait shared by all great service advisors is that they let the customer talk. They don’t try to solve the customer’s concerns or explain what the problem might be or even how a car works. Instead, they ask questions and record the customer’s concerns. That is all.
Letting the customer talk can be challenging for service advisors who are “recovering” technicians. It is challenging because all ex-technicians want to come up with a diagnosis as quickly as possible. It is part of their flat-rate DNA. Great service advisors focus 100% on the customer’s complaint and ask “when” and “where” questions that could help a technician replicate the problem.
Rookie service advisors will say, “It could be the…” This opens you up for the follow-up question, “How much will that cost?” This sets an expectation with the customer that a repair should cost only that much, and they will usually start asking around how much that will cost at another shop.
The next most valuable trait of a great service advisor is they repeat the customer’s concern back to them. This establishes trust with the customer because you just reflected their words back at them. As a result, they feel like they are being taken seriously.
You might think it is a waste of time, but repeating the customer’s complaint has significant benefits. Just try it when your partner is complaining about something you have done. Even if you disagree with their grievance, they will feel better that you might understand their plight.
The last trait of a great service advisor is they write down all the details for the technician. These notes do not have to use complete sentences with proper grammar or even seen by the customer. Instead, you can use bullet points to document the details. Remember, repair orders are not an essay, and you are not being graded.
Anybody can be a successful service advisor if they follow the three steps of listening, repeating and writing. Even if a service advisor or technician has a limited technical background, if they use the three steps, they will always be able to sell diagnostic labor. It is like a Jedi mind trick.
If you are a technician, you must put every word under a microscope and not dismiss a single detail. Never assume the customer is full of crap. Remember, the owner will spend more time behind the wheel of their vehicle than you ever will.
The next step is to verify the complaint. If the problem is happening all the time, it will be easy. If the problem is intermittent, you should replicate the conditions when the complaint occurs within reason. Skipping the notes and going right for a scan tool to get the codes will often lead to misdiagnosis.
Great technicians will use the word “confirmed” on notes to the service writer. They do not guess that a repair will solve the initial complaint. A technician should never guess. They always confirm their diagnosis with specific tests and procedures. These tests and procedures put a tangible value on diagnostic labor charges.
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