Anybody here work as a Service Advisor?

[avacado11]

I currently only handle car sales at my shop. The mechanical work is all handled by the mechanic himself. Mechanic ends up spending more time ordering parts and taking in vehicles and the turn over is longer than what would be ideal.

I’m considering taking over the SA work too since sales aren’t constant. Do SAs deal with the same amount of bs compared to selling cars?

I deal with a lot of tire kickers selling cars. Not sure if I should go ahead and hire a SA or deal with it myself.

 

[AutoMechanic]

We have a few on here. Can’t remember all of them though.

 

[LazyDog]

Why not hire some one to take over the ordering parts and keeping the inventory for the business.

 

[avacado11]

Why not hire some one to take over the ordering parts and keeping the inventory for the business.

Have a part time college student who does the parts but being a student he isn’t around all day. Service all makes and models.

A SA would be ideal since the mechanic, according to customers, sometimes comes off as rude.

I don’t mind taking it on myself. I’m already here during the business hours and Alot of the time is just sitting around waiting for any buyers. I can control the repair rates this way which is also another issue. Mechanic is quoting just enough to cover his salary but brings no positive revenue on the shop side of the business.

my only concern is do I want to put up with the bs? I’ve never worked a SA position so I have no clue how it is. Tho I’ve seen some bad customers come thru(whole situation was posted in a thread on here) I wasn’t the one to deal with them directly. If it’s half or even 3/4 of the bs of car sales I’ll gladly take it on.

 

[Passport1]

I once had a friend that was a SA. I'd rather crawl over broken glass everyday than put up with what he did.

 

[Hall]

Mechanic is quoting just enough to cover his salary but brings no positive revenue on the shop side of the business.

Ouch ! So just using made-up numbers, his pay is $25/hour and that's also the shop's labor rate (give or take a little) ??

 

[sloinker]

Used car salesman/Service advisor? That sound to most of the discerning public like a turdvomit sandwich. Not much love for either lying, cheating position. Combined?

 

[Danno]

I manage the used car department at a new car dealer, we move 500 used cars a year. I appraise trade-ins, manage the detail department and approve Recon work orders.
Having the mechanic removed from the customer interface is in my opinion, a good thing.
Dealing with customers, chasing parts and managing the mechanic will be the challenges. Nothing like taking it on and seeing how it works. You should work it so you get a bonus on WO writes, as a % of the WO.
PM me if you want more info.

 

[MolaKule]

My master mechanic, who owns his own shop, hires a part time qualified mechanic when business get's really busy, and his daughter does the scheduling, meets and bills customers, and order's parts, a situation that works out well.

His business includes everything from fluid changes to building/rebuilding racing engines and transmissions. He is also one of my formulation testers and he is honest in both his business dealings and in his feedback.

 

[avacado11]

Ouch ! So just using made-up numbers, his pay is $25/hour and that's also the shop's labor rate (give or take a little) ??

Shop rate is $85/hr. Mechanic is on a salary, and he’s not purposely just making enough to cover his pay. The estimates are basically ball parked hours to do a certain job plus parts costs. The only revenue coming in is labor.

For ex. Did a x3 steering angle sensor a few weeks ago for $350. Part was $130 and the installation was 2 hours. Then programming was another 1.5hr that would have put the total cost $430 so “lost” $70 on the job. $70 might not be much but adds up. At this current rate it’s equivalent to charging $45-50/hr, if not less.

 

[Danno]

Most shops do flat rate on jobs for mechanic pay, it takes the variables out of it.
Mechanics may not like it but holds them to standards.
You have to compare to your competition on the $/Hr. Our charge out is $100 USD an hour.
Parts markups are 40 - 60%. A lost opportunity for your location.

 

[Motu]

I will need to be looking at this soon...I'll be running this shop on my own in a couple of weeks. At the moment I do 90% of the work, the boss deals with the customers, booking and parts, and does his own projects and stuff he specialises in. I've done it before, sole charge for 10 years, my shop for 11. But I know what happens - the half hour job turns into a 2 hr job, the 2 hr job becomes a 4 hr job....and the 4 hr job turns into 3 days. Finding a mechanic to answer my beck and call will be hard to find, we are looking at a couple of young guys who have done some training but no apprenticeship. Just to keep work ticking over while I deal with other stuff.

 

[Wolf359]

Have a part time college student who does the parts but being a student he isn’t around all day. Service all makes and models.

A SA would be ideal since the mechanic, according to customers, sometimes comes off as rude.

I don’t mind taking it on myself. I’m already here during the business hours and Alot of the time is just sitting around waiting for any buyers. I can control the repair rates this way which is also another issue. Mechanic is quoting just enough to cover his salary but brings no positive revenue on the shop side of the business.

my only concern is do I want to put up with the bs? I’ve never worked a SA position so I have no clue how it is. Tho I’ve seen some bad customers come thru(whole situation was posted in a thread on here) I wasn’t the one to deal with them directly. If it’s half or even 3/4 of the bs of car sales I’ll gladly take it on.

Yeah you need good people skills.

 

[RooflessVW]

I tried being a salesman, mechanic, and finally SA at a BMW/VW store.

I'll never work in the car business again. Ever.

 

[avacado11]

I tried being a salesman, mechanic, and finally SA at a BMW/VW store.

I'll never work in the car business again. Ever.

friend of mine used to have a performance shop in the Atlanta metro area years ago. Sales and builds. He told me there wasn’t money in it. I’m starting to realize what he meant, especially with him having a family. If one thing could change for the better, I would move shop away from the ghetto. But have too much invested in the spot now it’s not something that can be done easily.

rich people are ******es too but they’re much more willing to take things to court vs trying to run the mechanic over/torch inventory.

 

[Dave Hess]

I tried being a salesman, mechanic, and finally SA at a BMW/VW store.

I'll never work in the car business again. Ever.

What are you currently doing for employment ?

 

[RooflessVW]

What are you currently doing for employment ?

I'm an aircraft mechanic.

 

[Breanna]

Powersports shops must be a much friendlier environment, than automotive. People love their bikes, PWC, ATV, so just want it fixed right, because it is a passion, not just a humdrum mode of transportation.