OK, I found the link.
Here's a taste, from the first post by him. NOT a Mercedes Benz dealer this time, but you get the idea of how they work.
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The hours and the pay structure are getting on my nerves. I work 55 hours per week 3 weeks out of the month and 64 hours on the weeks I work Saturdays, not including the time I don't leave "on time" due to some disaster or late customer.
Here's just a few things I walked into this morning:
- Young lady picked up her car Saturday morning and left this voice mail: "Can you please tell the guy who brings my car up to stop hitting on me. It's the second time and it makes me very uncomfortable."
- Guy I bent over for last Friday, getting him in 3 days ahead of our appointment schedule, ****s me on the survey call: "The car could have been done quicker" and scores me a 68.5. Granted I didn't have a loaner car for him as I explained we were booking for Wednesday (last) when he wanted to get his car in (Friday May 30th), but his car was done THAT day, ahead of some others.
- 2008 A8 in for it's first service Friday. One complaint was the right rear tire losing air. Guess what's back still losing air ?
What I ultimately take home at the end of the month relies on that damn CSI survey but there is so much that effects that overall score that is beyond my control. So many other people have a hand in the client's overall satisfaction but their pay does not suffer.
EXAMPLE: Let's say that I get paid $5.50 for every hour of service I write for the month - cash, warranty and internal (pre-delivery inspections,etc). If my cash/customer pay average is 2.5hrs per repair order, add $2.00 per hour. Then, if our CSI score is at or above our region, add another $2.00.
So let's say I write 600 hrs worth of service for the month, if all falls into line, that's $5700.00 for the month. I have yet to falter on the 2.5hr average but the CSI has sucked collectively lately. Deduct $2.00 per hour X 600 hours - knock $1200 out of that $5700.
How I effect CSI:
- If I'm rude, don't smile, don't explain what we did to the car, communicate on a regular basis. All of which are within my control.
What effects CSI that I have NO control over:
- car comes back for a repeat concern. The c/e light was on, we "repaired" it, and they're back the next day.
- "car could have been washed better" - Yes, people actually said that on surveys.
- car wash or some other employee damaged the car in some way.
- car wash lost the key.
- call a client and say "the car is ready." They come in 2-3 hours later and they wait 20+ minutes for the car to be brought up because it hasn't been washed yet.
- cashier not paying attention that no one responded when she called for a particular car to be brought up.
So any number of those things, or more, can effect how someone answers the survey. The only passing answers are: EXTREMELY SATISFIED and DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. Answer VERY satisfied or PROBABLY YES to the recommend questions and the score for those questions is 50 out of 100. A word play as to pay us as little and infrequently as possible on CSI. A tech ****s up or a lazy ass cashier doesn't do their share in the "whole experience" and they don't lose a damn cent. They take home their hourly or salary pay no matter what. The only answer management has is: "If you trained the customer on the answers and did an "Active Delivery" (basically kissed ass at the time of pick up), you'd have gotten a perfect score." And they wonder why they have high turn-over rates.
Yeah, I know it's the same with any business but those who have worked for dealerships know what I speak of.
Here is the link to the rest of the thread:
I need out of the car business... Monday morning rant.
I don't usually like to cross-pollinate Sections or repost things, but in this case I thought this Open Discussion is dead on relevant here, and people might have let it slip by and missed this.
A similar thread was posted by an ACTUAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER SERVICE ADVISOR on Benzworld.com I think in General Mercedes Benz discussion. His name was "Streetglower" I believe, and if anyone is motivated enought, it is in there to read, also, from about 1-2 years ago.
It is a real eye opener into how and why Mercedes Benz dealers have the compensation system set up that makes the Service Advisors do what they do, to you. He did not like it either, as I recall..........