DealersEdge Professional Forums

Service Manager looking for some helpful ideas on dispatching. Due to economy we have had to cut staff and currently I am dispatching along with all the other duties. It is becoming extremely difficult for me to do it all and looking for ways to do dispatching differently. At one time I had group leaders who were flat rate techs and also dispatched. This no longer works for me. I have two service advisors and 7 flat rate techs along with 1 quick service tech and a part time quick service tech. I would appreciate any advise. Thanks

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

I like what you were doing before with the team leaders dispatching, I feel it works better then most systems, I would not put it on the service advisors although many do. If you have the right team leader I think the system is a great solution for you, maybe you have the wrong team leaders, for instance I have 3 advisors and 11 techs, and I have tryed 4 different techs to dispatch, I have 2 now that understand the game and challenge the advisors on a daily basis to try shut them down with too much work,you need team leaders that will push other techs and not try to shut the shop down. The 2 techs are paid 1.00 more per flat rate hour to dispatch-works here just fine

With four techs per writer I would have the writers handle it. They have a vested interest in making certain the correct tech gets the job, and that they are getting the work thru the shop.

Likely you would have to sub over some work, diesel and trans come to mind. Unless you have more than one tech that can do that type of work. But that is not the biggest challenge, again, the writers shuld be able to control the flow of work and keep everyone busy.

Thanks for the advise. I appreciate it.

I agree with flyboy, let the advisors handle it. Lateral support works best. I've been full blown team, dispatch, DMS dispatch, etc. Fit the right techs with the advisor, your life will be smoother.