My thing is plate frames, you working at the dealership doeing wht ever the the car you see the dealership plate frame on car fadded damaged, slap a fresh one on and straighten out the plate as well
I understand how important it is to build a good relationship with customers but it is very difficult for me because I have social anxiety. Sometimes I go out if my way to NOT talk to a customer. I also don't like to go on road test with customers or other technicians. For the same reason. Its mentally stressful
TheCriminal3k I can totally understand that. When it is not at work, or with the blog, I don't really love being around people. I would say leaving a nice note with your card is a GREAT thing for you to try :)
I think I will definitely take the suggestion of leaving a note behind saying this is what I did. This is what you can expect in the future. And drop a compliment or something. And leave your name. Thanks!
Not a technician but similar story, the service manager at the Chevy I used to work at used to be a service advisor at the GMC Buick store the owner also runs. We would have dozens of people come a LONG way just to have the manager write up their car and I know for a fact there are 3 other Chevy dealers that were in comparable distance.
This is a great video, really good points made. However I do have a question, as a starting position technician I have no issues talking to customers, but sometimes I either can't or its the service writer's job to deliver the car to them, how do I get the service writer to actually speak like this? like you did in this video! this makes a good service writer but many dealerships I have shadowed don't have people like this.
Robert Espitia-Sanchez You could use a work phone and give them a call to let them know, explain in detail, what was done to their car. Sometimes I will make contact with a client if I need more info on a concern. It's not my job, but a lot more efficient than going through an advisor. It will show you really want their car fixed and not parts thrown at it.
My take on this subject. Make sure your boss(s) approve of you doing anything more than saying "hello" to customers. A little story about me when I was first getting into the "biz". I was working at a VW shop and I was amazed at how many issues could easily put a Bug on the side of the road. While waiting for her turn to pay a customer asked what I thought of VW's. I replied that while people at the time do not have too many other choices for small cars (this was 1972) the VW Bug had a lot of minor problems that could cause major damage. It was a small shop and the "lead tech" got wind of this conversation and took me in expecting the boss to chew me out. The boss simply said "only say good things about the car" The lead mechanic was livid that I did not get a stronger chewing out. Watch what you say about just everything involving the car or the Dealership, if in doubt about what to say,say nothing.
as far as being that 1 guy that can take care of it, how would you handle the other techs handing off the work they don't want to do to you, while they go off and do the better gravy work? I'm about to hang (or throw) my tools.... I'm the lowest paid technician in my shop, but the only one willing to even LOOK at anything with a German label on it. so frustrated.....
Yeah, I think these are all really important. Very important to build a repor with customers, IMO. Like I don't work on cars as a trade, I only do it as a hobby, and as such there's some stuff I'm not equipped to handle, such as AC or body work, so for stuff like that I'd take it to a shop, and there's a couple shops who I trust (dealerships don't apply as much for me b/c I don't buy new cars) and I bring my car or friends car or whatever back to them b/c they care. Any shops who I have got the feeling that they don't care, I don't go back to. I"m maybe a skewed statistic b/c I take cars to shops so infrequently, but when it comes to the things I do need a shop for, I have a person in mind to do it because I, as a customer, have built up a repor with them. Relationships are healthy overall, IMO. Had a friend at my local dub dealership in parts who would get me the parts at his cost (under list) - this was maybe 10 years ago, and while that's not exactly "proper", it means I'll always go to him. That stuff goes a long way!
I do the job correctly. ;) Just kiddin', I know most techies aren't bad. But yes, it's important to stand out, otherwise someone else is gonna get the job and you're gonna be stuck at your bench wondering why no one is coming back to you after telling them what's wrong right off the bat rather than warning them.
Business cards! Makes even the shade tree mechanic look ligit... Unless; PCNA used to let any employee with a sign on order business cards, and they let you put any title or phone number. "Porsche Whisperer" "Hands" "Tex" and my personal favorite "Super Tech". Needless to say, having a technicians cell phone number and or title became problematic. I think they are still free for employees but now require approval and operation.
I'm at about 10:28 in the video. Funny you should mention the CAN bus, cause I have this problem with my radio where it's not properly wired into the bus, and I've tried searching and seeing what it is, and what it does, and I've just been hit in the face again and again with terms like "Communications protocol", "11- or 29-bit identifiers", and I was like "dude, I really want to learn however much I can about whatever happens in a car, but right now, I just need to know a basic definition, what it looks like, where it is in the car." Basically a "CAN-buses for dummies" kinda deal. I haven't been able to find that, at least not here on youtube.
Maaan,you're good at this! I now see why they got you supervising and training technicians. In theory it's all nice and dandy,but in reality,in most dealerships the environment is not so great and everyone is hustling for a buck,including the service advisors,who are nothing but salesmen. They will sell you anything and everything that is needed and not needed. And when the bill comes,you would have been charged for cans of brake cleaner at 12$ each and shop rags at 10$ each. To top it all off,the book time for a fuel filter replacement is 2 hours at 125$ an hour,even though it takes an hour at most for the majority of models. What can you tell a customer to make him feel better when that bill comes? What about when they are being charged for cabin filter changes that never get changed or for washer fluid that never gets topped off? What about sloppy work,like broken clips and electrical connectors tabs or overfilled oil tanks and rounded off bolts ? I'm sure you are different because there are good technicians and dealerships as well,they're not all bad. Also,I appreciate your willingness to teach technicians the right way. Thumbs up for that! I'm sorry,but if you know anything about cars and are passionate about your vehicle,the dealership is the last place you have on the list for servicing. Unless...and this is a big UNLESS...you build a good relationship with a good tech and you have him service your vehicle in your own personal garage or his as side work.
though it is not written or expressed in any way it seems to me that the dealership i work for would prefer that I, as a tech, should have minimal if any contact with customers so as not to conflict with any info relayed by writers. I tend to agree with this. I am great with customers but that simply isnt my role at the dealership and i acknowledge this. Any and all info related to a customers car should come from the writer as that is the person with whom the customers have the report. Independent shops are of course incredibly different.
This is a great podcast I have been in the field for 30 plus years I now teaching diesel mechanics and I use these videos in class all the time what a positive influence your videos are. Keep them coming
There is so much good advice in this video. When I was in sales I would tell the customer that I was never off duty. If they wanted to call me at 3 AM on Sunday I would be glad to talk to them. I gave them my number and they knew that I meant what I said. It went a long way to build confidence
great video, my dealership is set up where we pull cars up to the drive and end up standing at the cashiers desk next to the customer. Sometimes that is ok and sometimes, if you have taken a really long time, they are pissed and that can be ugly! You are totally right about just talking to them, if you sound intelligent and caring they will love it. I have found over the years they really like meeting the individual who worked on their vehicle. Not a lot of people in the shop even want to see the customer let alone have to talk to them and I try very hard to change that in my shop.
will you be my mechanic? too many times ive gone into a shop and got scowled at as if i'm wasting their time and this is from the guy who works the counter and doesn't work on the vehicle.
Hey man Iam just starting out in the industry and you have been a lot of help I actually scored a lube tech job and they offered me to be an apprentice to one of our techs and Iam learning a bunch and you have helped me with buying tools and what to expect
very good video the little tip about notes but in a old school dealership where techs don't talk to the customers I feel like it would be difficult for techs to do vs like a small mom and pop place. but thin again taking that extra step will pay out in the long run
I had people request me because I have a VW tattoo. One customer said,”I want the guy that has the VW tattoo because if he is serious enough about VW to permanently put on his skin he’s serious about his work”. I also had some customers request me because I drove a mk3 VR6, so word got around that I was the VR6 guy. Same thing happened with mk2’s and air cooled stuff.
HumbleMechanic -I actually went to NTI, through their standard program, service writing, NASCAR, Ford FACT, and got accepted to the VW program. After NTI, I went to UTI in Exton, PA. to take the VW program. (Equivalent to the VW Apprentice Program that come about later)
Very nice! I used to put my business card clipped into the edge of the rear view mirror so it was the first thing seen when they picked up their car. I also never moved the drivers seat or re positioned the rear view mirror when moving the vehicle. Two small things that helped me obtain loyalty.
