DealersEdge Professional Forums

Given the nature of this forum, this question may sound asinine, but just how difficult is it really for dealerships to hire qualified warranty administrators? I have seen a number of WA's who claim to only know one line of warranty. Just how unusual is it for a WA to know seven or eight manufacturers' systems? This is just a curiosity question, not a fishing expedition. I personally have been surprised at the lack of depth of knowledge, as related to me by service managers( not the one I work for). As a WA with experience with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Hyundai, Isuzu, and Nissan, I have been shocked by comments related to me, such as "I only do (fill in the mfr.), and I'm not going to learn (fill in mfr)." Is this a common situation?

In my experience that is not onlt common but it is the norm.

I find it is as common as technicians with the same attitude - I only work on this brand of vehicles.

I also think part of it comes from a level of comfort with their ability to do the job correctly. For instance, I may be guru on GM claims, but do I feel comfortable hacking through a Mazda claim? If I know enough about submitting claims then I probably realize what could happen if I do it wrong. In many cases I just think that the administrator doesn't want to learn another line because they want to be an expert walking in the door.

The problem is what you relate in your question. Let's say I am a Ford/Kia store and my warranty administrator leaves for greener pastures. I could probably look around and scrounge dig up someone to do Ford, but what if they refuse or struggle to learn Kia. That continues to be a problem. That might have been possible for a WA to get away with a few years ago when the domestics were the biggest hunk of the warranty business. Here in NJ a Ford/Kia store or Chevrolet/Hyundai is probably 50/50 in warranty work between the franchises. I tell new warranty administrators to learn as many franchises as possible and not be afraid of any of them.

Personally, Id be more afraid to flip between R&R and ADP than between two factories, and it is funny that few are resistant to learning a new computer system.


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** Rob, Editor WD&S **
Help is only a message post away!
robc@dealersedge.com

I was just curious. Personally, I have found it rather simple to apply the knowledge from one manufacturer system to another. While they do have their differences, the documentation requirements are often very similar. Also, once the logic of the coding system is learned, I do not see how it can be regarded with such animosity. I was floored when a service manager I know told me that a WA quit rather than learn a new manufacturer. I have provided basic on site training for several dealers in the past, when they gave up trying to win bidding wars, or were not satisfied with the "qualified" pool of applicants. The most common reason I was given was that (name) says the will only do (fill in the mfr) warranty. I was mostly curious about how widespread this attitude was. Personally, I do not share the attitude, and find it downright stupid. I was just curious how often it is a problem.