Issue Date: Service Advisor Feb 15, 2008, Posted On: 2/15/2008
Advisor Skills: What's trust got to do with it?
High ethical standards are a standout characteristic of great service advisors: They tend to operate with 'full disclosure,' telling their customers the negatives as well as the positives. Most of the top one percent of service advisors believe that their high ethical standards are an important factor in their success.
Research validates the importance of trust and respect from the customer's perspective as well. We've found that the vast majority of people will buy from a service advisor that they trust and respect the most. Interestingly, the buyers' need to trust a service advisor tends to increase along with the estimated cost of the service. Unfortunately, most service advisors don't know the right way to tell the truth within the context of a service presentation or write-up.
The numbers tend to support the theory that ethical behavior is a key component in success on the service drive. Believe it or not, the average income of top service advisors is in the low to mid-six figure range. In contrast, the lower 99 percent of dealership service advisors earn about the same as the average truck driver. Morally, being ethical is a choice; pragmatically, being ethical is a service imperative.
