A thorough understanding of warranty policies
and procedures is also a must. Service advisors
must be able to explain and verify the applicability of
warranties, service contracts, service bulletins, and
campaign/recalls procedures.
Service advisors also serve as the liaison between
the customer and the technician in most dealerships.
They have responsibility for explaining the customer’s
concerns and/or requests to the technician plus
keeping track of the progress made by the technician
so the customer can be informed. This monitoring is
also important because it impacts the completion of
service on the vehicles of other customers.
Often automotive technicians or students of automotive
service programs realize a need to change
career choices but desire to stay in the service industry.
Becoming a service writer, advisor, or consultant
is a good alternative. This job is good for those who
have the technical knowledge but lack the desire or
physical abilities to physically work on automobiles.
Many of the requirements for being a successful
technician apply to being a successful service
consultant. However, being a service consultant
requires greater skill levels in customer relations,
internal communication and relations, and sales.
Service consultants must communicate well with
customers, over the telephone or in person, in order
to satisfy their needs or concerns. Most often this satisfaction
involves the completion of a repair order,
which contains customer information, instructions
to the technicians, and a cost estimate.
Accurate estimates are not only highly appreciated
by the customer, but they are also required by law in
most states. Writing an accurate estimate requires a
solid understanding of the automobile, good communications
with the customers and technicians,
and good reading and math skills.
Most shops use computers to generate the repair
orders and estimates and to schedule the shop’s
workload. Therefore, having solid computer skills is
an asset for service advisors.