'Certified Service Advisor'

Module 1: Successful in the role of a service advisor

Subtopic 3: Service advisor – role description, importance, requirements

'Service counter receptionist' or ‘Certified Service Advisor'

What is the difference?

... service counter receptionist? ... service advisor?

December 1, 2011 Slide 2 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

The important role played by the service advisor

•The service division performs a vital function for Daimler AG and its authorized workshops:
- It generates sizable income streams (from sales of parts and accessories and labor).

- A customer's interaction with Mercedes-Benz during the entire period of his or her ownership of a vehicle is
limited almost exclusively to interaction with the service division. Through contact with the customer, the
service advisor is able to have a personal influence (positive or negative) on the customer's perception of the
brand.

- Good service establishes the basis for future vehicle sales.

•The service advisor is the link between the customer and the dealership.

December 1, 2011 Slide 3 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Balancing conflicting expectations

Customer

Service
advisor

Sales organisation/MPC Dealership

December 1, 2011 Slide 4 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

What expectations do the following groups have of the Certified Service Advisor in your
opinion?

MPC Your dealership Your customers

December 1, 2011 Slide 5 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

 Customers' expectations of the service department I

Reliable and high-end, top-quality service 59%

Good value for money 49%

Generous warranty/goodwill arrangements 41%
Work and repair jobs completed quickly with the ready
availability of replacement parts
36%
Competent, technically knowledgeable personal 35%
contacts when delivering or collecting the vehicle
Proper behavior of the dealership if a repair was not 30%
fully or not properly completed
Emergency assistance in the event of accidents or breakdowns 27%
Alternative mobility assistance if the car has to remain
in the workshop 25%
Information on changes to the scope of the repair or 25% Source: Roland Berger
completion date
Example: 49 percent of all Mercedes-Benz drivers surveyed
included good value for money as one of their five most
important demands of the service department.
December 1, 2011 Slide 6 Mercedes-Benz Global Training
Customers' expectations of the service department II

These requirements are mentioned by customers explicitly because they view them as not fulfilled.
 We need to do better here!

Requirements such as:

- dealing attentively to customers
- addressing customers by name
- taking customers seriously
- not downplaying the severity of problems

are rated as less important because, as a rule, these are already fulfilled.
 We need to keep up our good work here!

December 1, 2011 Slide 7 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

A professional role description ...

 ... offers guidelines for activities and actions in the market;

 ... helps to identify the potential for development;
 ... and thereby provides guidance during the learning process.

Role description

TOP
20 days service
Selection at training advisor
the dealership Certification Other
by the line Consolidation professional
manager during Certified development
based on the the dealership service advisor at the
requirements periods dealership
profile Implementation
Reflection

December 1, 2011 Slide 8 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

The role description of the ‘Certified Service Advisor'

• The service advisor is the most important link between the customer and the dealership.

• The service advisor sets the benchmarks for customer orientation and customer care.

• The service advisor shares significant responsibility for ensuring the profits of the service department.

• The service advisor is aware of and considers the impact of his or her actions on the commercial success of the
dealership as a whole.

• The service advisor is responsible for guiding and further developing the customer-oriented service process.

December 1, 2011 Slide 9 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

The role description of the ‘Certified Service Advisor'

• The service advisor takes responsibility for developing his or her professional persona and professional expertise.
He or she should use problematic situations and information obtained from customers as opportunities.

• The service advisor sees customers as human beings with needs and feelings.

• The service advisor is always there for the customer.

• The service advisor instills in customers a sense of excitement about the brand, product, service and personal
interaction.

December 1, 2011 Slide 10 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

The three areas of competence in the requirements profile:

• Personal and social skills

• Methodological skills

• Professional skills

December 1, 2011 Slide 11 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Personal and social skills ...

• Ability to adapt and willingness to learn • Authenticity/genuineness

• Mental flexibility • Contact openness / Interpersonal Skills

• Conscientiousness • Communication

• Self Assuredness • Cooperation / Teamwork

• Ability to cope with stress / • Ability to deal with conflicts

work under pressure
• Empathy
• Motivation
• Customer Orientation and
• Appearance and Conduct Service Motivation

December 1, 2011 Slide 12 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Methodological skills

• Planning/organizational skills

• Process Assuredness (WP 2010)

• Advisory skills

• Sales skills

December 1, 2011 Slide 13 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Technical skills

• Service Key-Figures

• Legal basics

• Product Knowledge (vehicles and service products)

• Technical knowledge

• Handling and customer oriented explaining of systems

December 1, 2011 Slide 14 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

The job description of the ‘Certified Service Advisor'

Purpose of the function

The primary function of the service advisor is to engage in direct contact with customers. Functions that are only related
indirectly to customer care (e.g. administrative or organizational activities) are secondary, i.e. the service advisor should
always be there for customers and pro-actively seek contact with them.

- The role of the service advisor is to establish and nurture long-term relationships with customers.
- He or she should clarify the needs/requirements of customers, analyze complaints and implement and manage the
service process.
- The service advisor is responsible for realizing the full market potential through direct contact with customers, i.e. by
pro-actively selling services and thereby ensuring the full use of the workshop's capacity.

December 1, 2011 Slide 15 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Main responsibilities

1. Main professional responsibilities

1.1 Order acceptance
1.2 Creating and clarifying orders
1.3 Order processing
1.4 Quality assurance
1.5 Vehicle handover to customer
1.6 Follow-up customer care

2. Management tasks
Managing employees (only applies to dealerships with teams of employees)

December 1, 2011 Slide 16 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

1.1 Order acceptance

r = takes responsibility / i = implements personally / c = contributes

Service advice at the vehicle r, i

Determines the scope of the repair job r, i
Conducts test drives r
Estimates costs and quotes prices (offers) r, i

Agrees appointments with customers r, i

Conducts payment discussions r, i
Conducts consultation discussions (about accessories, service contracts, r, i
promotional offers, etc.)

December 1, 2011 Slide 17 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

1.2 Creating and clarifying orders

r = takes responsibility / i = implements personally / c = contributes

Registers the customer's requirement or complaint and establishes the findings (by asking r, i
questions, conducting customer consultations and test drives and liaising with workshop
specialists)
Determines/agrees the scope of orders/individual job items and draws up the order r, i

Clarifies the payment method r, i

Clarifies costs r, i
Agrees a time/date for the vehicle to be collected r, i

Clarifies the customer's mobility situation r

Presents the current service offer, consults and sells r, i

Clarifies/ensures the availability of parts c
Clarifies what service actions are due r, i
Checks/clarifies warranty and goodwill claims r, i
Incorporates accident protection guidelines and safety directives in the order r, i

December 1, 2011 Slide 18 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

1.3 Order processing

r = takes responsibility / i = implements personally / c = contributes

Manages prior appointments r, c

Ensures the full use of workshop capacity c
Monitors job completion status of repair orders r
Agrees extensions to the order and re-scheduling of appointments r, i

Initiates the invoicing process i

December 1, 2011 Slide 19 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

1.4 Quality assurance

r = takes responsibility / i = implements personally / c = contributes

Checks the scope and performance of the work r

Ensures a final check is carried out (the person doing the work signs off the order) r
Ensures cleanliness and tidiness (of the customer's vehicle) r
Captures header information on the order (e.g. completeness and correctness) r, i
Ensures that the work is completed on time r
Ensures that quality controls are carried out i

December 1, 2011 Slide 20 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

1.5 Vehicle handovers

r = takes responsibility / i = implements personally / c = contributes

Informs customers of work that has been carried out and agrees on the next steps for r, i
orders that have not been completed
Conducts vehicle handovers personally or ensures someone else does r, i

Explains the invoice to the customer r, i

Conducts a test drive after the repair, if required or requested by the customer r, i

December 1, 2011 Slide 21 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

1.6 Customer (follow-up) care

r = takes responsibility / i = implements personally / c = contributes

Adds customer acquisition details to the job order (e.g. vehicle emissions/general r, i
inspection check-ups, customer care by telephone, etc.)
Specifies the preferred method of contacting (for follow-up contacts) r, i, c
Determines the frequency of the follow-up contacts r, i, c
Carries out the follow-up contacts i
Passes on feedback from customers (positive and negative feedback) to senior r, i
management, colleagues, the workshop team and other departments
Informs customers (who do not respond to written correspondence) of necessary c
service measures
Develops and implements dealership-specific customer care standards r, i, c
Gives the highest level of priority to listening to and dealing with complaints r, i, c

December 1, 2011 Slide 22 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Responsibilities

External focus areas

• Establishes, nurtures and builds on customer relationships (customer contact)
• Ensures that individual customers are satisfied and turns them into loyal and regular customers (customer
satisfaction/customer retention)
• Gives priority to the processing of complaints and quickly seeks solutions (re-establishing customer satisfaction)

Internal focus areas

• Ensures the long-term full utilization of workshop capacities (through consultations and selling)
• Designs customer-oriented and well-functioning processes (process security)
• Collaborates constructively with dealership colleagues (working atmosphere)
• Realizes identified potential for improvement and, if appropriate, informs those responsible (by contributing ideas,
collaborating and assuming shared responsibility)

December 1, 2011 Slide 23 Mercedes-Benz Global Training

Organizational integration

The service advisor is supervised functionally and line-managed directly by...

(e.g. service manager, after-sales manager, etc.).

In the case of absence due to annual leave, illness, etc., the service advisor is deputized functionally by ... (e.g.
colleague, team member, etc.).

December 1, 2011 Slide 24 Mercedes-Benz Global Training