I had the pleasure of visiting several great retailers during a recent visit to Salt Lake City and I was pleased with how many owners and managers spoke about their service departments and their technicians as a key to the business’ success and their collective future.
Never sell your tools. Your tools and your skill can always make you money. – A wise mechanic
A good friend of mine once told me the statement above. As a lifelong mechanic, this makes perfect sense. It is the same principle on which any skilled profession works: baristas, dentists, auto body techs, photographers, you name it. Tools + Skill = Income.
This post is all about one critical skill in particular for excellent service departments: SERVICE WRITING
Service writing is a critical skill for any good service department. Many larger retailers employ full-time service writers or the senior mechanic/manager takes this task. Other smaller retailers have anyone who can sling a wrench doing this as a “check-in”.
The best of the best have a standard checklist they follow and SHARE with their customers. This gives the customer a sense of professionalism and a confidence in the work your business performs. Download our FREE Checklist below.
Whether you have a dedicated person or a group, it is crucial you follow five principles:
- Clear communication about the thorough inspection
- Always run the entire inspection list
- Be extra thorough
- Aim high – pad your estimates by at least 10-20%
- Maintenance, not repair!
CABAM! You will raise your professionalism and have more accurate estimates, happier customers, greater sales and higher profits.
Download our FREE Service Writers Checklist and Guide by entering your email below: