advisors afraid to set appts. for nights/saturday

[Tom H.]

LOOK FOR HELP MY ADVISORS ARE SHY TO BOOK WORK FOR THE NIGHTS AFTER 4:00 PM WHEN WE ARE OPEN TO 7:00 PM. SAME FOR SATURDAYS THEY SET THOSE LIGHT. DOES ANY ONE KNOW OF A SPIFF OR BONUS PROGRAM THAT WILL MOTIVATE THEM TO KEEP THE TECHS BUSY DURING THOSE TIMES.

ALSO LOOKING FOR A NEW AND FRESH FALL OR PRE WINTER SPECIAL TO PUT TOGETHER.

[Michael White]

THERE IS A PRODUCT CALLED "AQUAPEL" THAT IS DESTRIBUTED THRU KREX PRODUCTS. IT IS LIKE RAIN X ON STERROIDS. WORKS REALLY WELL. THIS IS A GREAT PRDODUCT TO USE AS A LEADER TO GET TO COME INTO YOUR DEALERSHIP TO GET READY FOR WINTER. YOU SHOULD CHECK IT OUT.

MIKE WHITE

[SDAWSON]

We have had that problem for saturday work to assist it we have set a goal for example in our ford store it 100 hrs on monday the people are told that will get $50.00 on saturday if they hit or exceed the 100 hrs. We have also done it where we give them the $50.00 on monday up front saying I wil give this to you now because i know you will hit 100 hrs this saturday. that then builds them more importantance on scheduleing those hours all week long to make the 100 hrs. It always sucks to give back money because you did accomplish what your boss thought you would. It has increased our saturdays but be cautious that it is sparatic and not the norm chage the give away make a day off or a dinner gift certificate and don't do it every week as the excitement grows with it you will also have to adjust your goals remember to keep them real to give a goal that is not achievable will only hurt your production.

[Gary J. Naples]

When you say your service advisors schedule light do you mean the customer potential is there but they are unwilling to schedule or are they only willing to schedule simple hassle free jobs.

If the customer potential is there, and your confident that its a matter of recognition for the extra effort, spiffs and bonuses may be the answer. On the other hand, the potential may exist and the advisors may be willing, but there could be circumstances preventing total commitment.

Before you write off the light scheduling to low motivation, due to lack of reward, make sure there are no other factors influencing the service advisors decisions. Here are some things to consider:

Is there a fear of parts availability? Your parts department may have outstanding availability. However, they can't have everything. Are there other convenient parts sources (dealer franchise or otherwise) that can be drawn on, if need be, to facilitate the repair? Are the advisors concerned about creating carry overs, comebacks, and customer confrontations due to complicated repairs or parts unavailability? Aftermarket installers, for example, do a fantastic evening and weekend business. But, they only take certain maintenance jobs that they know they can complete quickly and get parts for when and as needed. Perhaps, in your case, the advisors are trying to restrict the types of repairs. Have your technicians bought into the extended and weekend hours? Are the technicians subtly controlling or influencing
what is scheduled? Are the advisors unwilling to schedule because techinicians seem unmotivated or burnt out?

Hope this helps you.

Gary J. Naples

[Clifford Cope]

Tom,

Please forgive me if the answer to this question is obvious, but what reason do your advisors give for not scheduling work in the extended hours with the same level of confidence as they would in the regular hours?

Are they avoiding these hours for any specific reason?

Cliff