There was a Service Advisor a couple of years ago on another forum, I (whose name I won't mention here but I think I remember it well), who was a Mercedes Benz dealer Service Advisor.


He explained that there was a formula in place that put the SA in the uncomfortable position, of recommending work not needed to be done, because he would be paid a commission or kickback or whatever you call it, of 50% of every extra hour of dealer labor he could convince the customer to sign on the work order.


I tend to distrust service advisors. I would much rather speak to the tech himself that worked on my car. amd read his mechanics notes.


When my Mercedes Benz was still new enough to be under warranty, or even out of it, yes I had to go to the Mercedes Benz dealer, but my impression is that one function of a Service Advisor is to keep the customers away from the shop and techs, and to feel free to encourage the customer to order many other profit laden, unnecessary jobs to be OK'ed.

The cost of the service advisor's liason services, the waiting room excellent biscotti and lattes and wide flat screen TV is passed on in the $150 per hour dealer labor charges. (An independent mechanic with a more modest shop without all that fluff can, and often does, only charge $80 an hour.)

For this reason, I would prefer the greasy shop without all those fripperies but run by people who like working on the cars and who will let me speak freely with the tech who does the job, and if I don't interfere, let me watch it.


I suspect my somewhat dim view of Service Advisors is shared by many. I do understand you are a lightning rod for their complaints, and many of the customers are SO retarded that they should hand their drivers licenses back to the DMV with an apology and some are nasty pieces of work, or greedy, tightwads, or cheaters and liars.


The Service Advisor I mentioned said the job is so stressful, with females claiming (Falsely) sexual harassment, their car was not washed right and other things, that the job turnover is very high

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)