Unsuccessful service advisors have one thing in common: They're not doing well because they're waiting for the customers to come to them. They throw the doors open in the morning and just expect that there will be a steady stream of customers begging to do business with them. Waiting gets you nowhere. Simply standing at the write-up desk waiting for bothersome customers to ruin your day will not help you meet your goals. You need to be proactive. You have to go out to the shop or to the customer's vehicle to make things happen.

In service, you differentiate yourself by taking the initiative and being proactive. Customers hate to call in to check the status of their vehicle; they hate the feeling that their constant monitoring seems to be the only thing that moves the repair process along.

That leads to distrust and frustration, which means any service suggestions you offer will likely fall on deaf ears. And that is a shame, because the services you  might suggest to the customer are not the same as peddling snake oil or a miracle vitamin. A snake oil peddler doesn't care about reaching an understanding; a snake oil peddler simply wants to push his own agenda. A professional advisor seeks to understand the client. A snake oil peddler wants the customers to empty their wallets and then go away.

You know specific details about the vehicle and customer's driving habits and you can recommend a service that will give the customer the greatest value. But for the customer to accept such ideas they must believe you understand their point of view and you are making statements that address their agenda.

Service advisors succeed when they learn how to do the following:

u  Research, plan, organize and make things happen.

u  Capture the customer's interest.

u  Understand and influence people and build lasting relationships.

u  Understand customer needs and create or uncover the right solutions.

u  Position yourself against the competition.