Technology That Makes a Service Advisor’s Job Easier

Between corresponding with customers and communicating with technicians, service advisors have a lot on their plates. It can be easy to get bogged down in the little things and lose time and efficiency—feeling like they can never get ahead on work. With the proper technology, however, advisors will find that their positions will become more streamlined, allowing them to better focus on the bigger picture of the day-to-day functions of the shop as well as high level goals. 

Easily Meet High Level Shop Numbers

At the end of the day, advisors are focused on helping the owner meet the high level numbers for the business, such as AROs and car count. Through utilizing technology, they are able to weed out the noise and zero in on what’s most important for the business. The software will be able to take recurring maintenance items from a customer’s ticket and automatically plug them into the shop management system’s calendar (Mobile Manager Pro). Instead of relying solely on the customer to remember proper maintenance schedules, the software will ensure that customers stay on track, and increasing the chances of more repeat visits within the year.  

Digital inspections build transparency and trust by giving high level visibility to owners on the status of their vehicle. With better education and explanation on which parts need to be fixed and why, customers are more likely to agree to service, which leads to an increase in average repair order. Service advisors can expect to see an increase in AROs by an average of 39% by utilizing automotive repair technology. 

Streamlined Communication

Communication is a fundamental function of a service advisor’s role, and through technology, some of the strain and hassle can be eliminated. Phone tag is easily one of the most frustrating parts of a service advisor’s job. It slows down productivity and efficiency due to inefficient communication methods. With the service advisor’s ability to text customers for approval, they are able to speed up an otherwise tedious timeline. 

Since digital inspections show images and video of issues for the customer to clearly see, service advisors are able to use this as an education tool for customers. Since owners can clearly see what’s being communicated to them with their own eyes, they’re more likely to agree to services, decreasing the communication barrier between shop and customer. 

Create Quick Check-Ins and Easy Upselling

The morning rush can definitely be a headache, but with kiosk technology, much of this process can be easily streamlined and enhanced. As the early crowd filters in, they can be directed to the welcome station kiosk to check themselves in. This alleviates wait time for the customer, which helps to improve the overall customer service experience, while requiring less time and attention from the busy service advisor. The touch screen kiosks are easy to navigate for the user. Owners will simply need to enter their phone number, and Welcome Station can pull up information for new or returning customers. If contact information requires updating, vehicle owners will be able to do this themselves. The updated information will be reflected in your shop management system. As the customer moves through the prompts, they will be able to upsell themselves on recommended services based on their vehicle history, weather, and location. The kiosk program integrates in real time with the shop’s management software so advisors can then easily build out job estimates to review with the vehicle owner.