DealersEdge Professional Forums

Hello all,

I've been the parts manager at medium sized import dealer for a few years, and I've been offered a position that would be over both Parts and Service.
Can you service managers offer any advice?

Thanks,

Dave

Umm, run like hell!!!

PICK UP A COPY OF "THE SEVEN CONTROLLABLES"
PUT OUT BY ATCON. GREAT BOOK. YOU WILL BE FINE JUST DONT TRY TO CHANGE TO MUCH AT ONE TIME.

Umm...run like hell..bin there done that..run and don't look back

I've been a PS Director/Fixed Ops Mgr for 17 years now......sometimes I'd give anything to be "just a parts manager" again. Man, those were the days! But, overall, its been a good ride.

I suspect you'll find service problems much more....um.... challenging.

My advice? Well, as FOM you'll probably (should be) given quite a bit of authority. Use that to surround yourself with the best staff that you can find. Pay them what they deserve, treat them well and respect them, and watch how they rise to the occassion.

Of course, that little tidbit of advice is just one sliver of ice chipped from a very large iceburg

If the terms are good, and you can handle larger problems without the veins in your head popping out, I say "go for it"

Cheers
Doug

Polish up your people skills and be prepared to be a high priced babysitter.
Understand one thing, technicians will never be satisfied, they always remember the slow weeks and never remember the good weeks.

[This message has been edited by Mike Vogel (edited 03-26-2005).]

Good Luck and remember the good days will out number the bad days!

Always remember from "whence you came"

------------------

I did the same thing 25 years ago. Scared me to death - but I had 15 years of fun and excitement and watched our business grow from $20,000 labor a month to over $200,000 labor per month - in the process, We Took CSI to #1 in our region five years in a row.

There are things you can do to control your destiny and there are things you can't control. The wisdom is to focus on the 70% of the day you can control and handle the rest as it comes (stay positive.)

Write a job description for yourself and pick out the top 5 things you want to control. Ask you boss what is important to him and make those top priority. Remember:
- you can't do it all at once.
- fix a problem one time then develop a process to keep it from happening again. you will be too busy to solve the same problem 5 times a month.
- train your people to do it right the first time - train - train - train - then train some more.
- the answers are usually more complicated than a 20 group solution.
- When everthing is a priority, nothing is a priority.
- Ask for help when you know you are over your head.

Good luck - email me if you need help (pika68@aol.com) - there is lots of help on this site from others also.

John
815-654-1450

Advise everyone has there owne opinions if you have confidence in your self and you want to work you way up the ladder then do it .
i worked the parts department for 15 years and have been in the service department the last 20+years and there are times i wish i could go back into parts but i know i never will you miss the protection of the 4 walls and moving among the bins and dealing with things logically ,, not so in the service dept .. people problems will be most of your problems .. enough said .. the best piece of advice has already been given and i am quoting now
"fix a problem one time then develop a process to keep it from happening again. you will be too busy to solve the same problem 5 times a month."

paul