Fixed Ops Journal - December 2019 - F22

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

FOJ FORUM II

STEVEN MILLER PHOTOS

Our annual conference features good advice, lively conversation

DAVID KUSHMA
dkushma@crain.com

RLANDO - Experts in fixed operations offered hands-on recommendations for improving parts
and service repair procedures at
this year's Fixed Ops Journal Forum. There also was a look at the future of a
profession grappling with changes in vehicle
technology and consumer behavior. The second annual event was held Nov. 13 at the Hyatt
Regency Grand Cypress. Here are highlights.

Chitty

Vantine

Hargreaves

Technical writing

Lexus legend

Chitty's example
Richard Chitty, retired parts and service
chief of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., described how he had to address the negative
effects of the recalled flagship LS400 sedan
soon after the U.S. launch of Lexus in 1989. He
used that experience to help develop a philosophy that came to define Lexus as the standard of fixed ops excellence and customer satisfaction.
Chitty cited his six R's of service: reservation,
reception, (w)rite-up, repair, redelivery and
re-contact. He displayed flow charts he created that detailed job processes for all dealership fixed ops employees, from porter to technician to service manager. Individual dealerships can create similar productive processes
for their shops even without the backing of a
dealer group or automaker, Chitty added.
"The biggest thing you folks do is create the
big word of trust," Chitty told forum attendees.
"People are going to spend their money some-

PAGE 22

place they like, trust and respect. You've got a
short time to do that trust factor. But you'll
keep the independents at bay working on that
trust."

DECEMBER 2019

Preparing effective estimates
Mark Hargreaves, service manager of Gator
Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in Melbourne, Fla., offered advice on training technicians to write
repair estimates that are more likely to persuade customers to accept service recommendations.
Among his tips: First, pay attention to what
service customers say they want done and
how they prioritize these items. Then propose
needed additional services, in order of urgency and importance. Provide essential information in ways customers can understand
and visualize. Use keywords. Be specific and
precise.
"An organized estimate will increase the adviser's close ratio," Hargreaves said. "It will decrease the time it takes to get authorization,
and it will increase your hours per repair order. If we can do a better job when we write
the descriptions up on the estimates, we'll
make more money."

Who's calling?

Service BDC to the rescue
Sarah Vantine, business development center director for Scott Clark Auto Group in
Charlotte, N.C., said the BDC she created to
field service calls at the group's three dealerships "rescued our shops."
Previously, Vantine said, the dealerships'

service advisers were required to take customer phone calls. That annoyed customers with
appointments who had to wait for advisers' attention and left many calls unanswered. With
the dedicated service BDC, she said, advisers
have more time to complete walkaround vehicle inspections on the service drive.
More than two-thirds of the dealerships'
service customers now schedule appointments, Vantine added. A large percentage of
the 40,000 calls the BDC handles each month
are made to service customers, to inform
them of promotional offers and solicit business, she noted.
"Our representatives are empowered to
handle a price call, to check part availability,
to see if [customers] have an open recall," Vantine said of the service BDC. "It's sped up shop
times, it's sped up wait times. We've had better
retention, better customer satisfaction and a
much more controlled pace in our shop for
our technicians."

3 questions

Focusing on hours, not dollars
Tully Williams, parts and service director for
Niello Co. dealership group in Sacramento,
Calif., urged forum attendees to concentrate
on generating service hours rather than focusing exclusively on fixed ops revenue.
see FORUM, next page

Fixed Ops Journal - December 2019

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