I took this job because I needed work to move here to the D/FW area. I knew I'd crack eventually. I cracked in November 2006 when I walked out of a Land Rover dealership back in Jersey. 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. I need to find something else before I crack.......

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

Ever seen the movie, "A Bug's Life"?

The overlord grasshopper "Hopper" instructing Princess Atta the "ant in training" on her response to a screwup by one of the ant workers...

..."First rule of Management...EVERYTHING is YOUR fault!"

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Don't I know it..

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

- 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."
This is awfull, harrasing women who are trying to get their car service.
- 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.
I don't get it. You had a loaner set up for Wednesday, then changed the appointment to Monday and you forgot to get a loaner for the earlier appointment. Your job is to provide customer satisfaction. Be more careful

- 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 ?
Good, the problem on Friday was not resolved and now it is Monday and it is back. Open the shop on Saturday AM and you will get better customer satisfaction.

Did I read this right $5700 a month to provide customer satisfaction at a car dealeship in Dallas, TX. You get a cut ($2) for every hour of inflated shop time. Every customer fills out a SATISFACTION report or just the ones that complain fill it out. Best that you give a cut of your pay (TIPS/SATISFIED customer reports) to the cashier and whom ever. This way you form a team.

It has been 5 years since any of my cars have taken to a dealership. Glad that all my cars are out of warranty. Seems like everyone on the staff should be on some type of incentive plan.

Robert Illan
Mercedes 1991 190E 2.6L engine tear down
Alabama

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Robert Illan
1991 190E 2.6L 190Kmi
engine tear down

What he said. The three things you mention as rattling your nerves wouldn't register an eye twitch to what I have to deal with during my day (when I am working)


Sounds like you are in the wrong business--I am sorry, but my experience with the service writer's and their compensation plan at MB dealerships is that is a scam, and maybe you are frustrated by the system. I try to point out at the dealer ship in my area that I know the system, so don't try it on me (previous owners were a client), but they try to pad me every time I go there--now I just carry my note to self digital recorder in my pocket for when they say "yes you did tell me to have that done."

From the way AdvisorGuy put it, it sounds like it's a tech or one of the staff who wash the customers' cars and bring them around for pickup who's doing that. It doesn't sound like AdvisorGuy is doing it, and therefore it's one of several things over which he has no or little control.
.

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-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

In the chain of mgmt., the SA is supposed to be a liason between the customer and the tech, so it is his problem, even if his only duty is to tell the service manager. The customer was right to complain to him.

- Agree on harassing female customers. He was fired this morning.

- You got it wrong. Our next available day for an appointment was Wednesday. He asked if he could bring it in the Friday before - we were booking for Wednesday June 4th, he brought it in Friday may 30th because he was "starting a new job on Monday the 2nd and wanted to get it done before starting." I made it clear that there was no loaner available and we MAY not get to the car with the present work load. It was not an issue. The fact that I got him 3 days ahead of the next appointment AND got it done THAT day is clear that I went over and above. I am "careful" of what I do.

- We are open Saturday 9-5.

- As for me, or any other advisor, "tipping" or giving a portion of our pay to others in the dealership, that's ludicrous. They get paid for doing their job. I get paid for doing mine, albeit on a different scale. They may get paid hourly or on salary. We don't.

As for the "inflated shop time", that's a whole other argument. You make that statement as if no other profession/service on the planet does not inflate prices. I don't defend dealership pricing but I will debate it when people act like doctors,lawyers, plumbers,carpenters,etc don't have off the wall pricing.

You may have dealt with ****ty advisors but you've never dealt with ME. Blanket me in with others when you've actually dealt with me and I've screwed you. Am I the best advisor on the planet ? Of course not but I'm a far cry above anyone you've ever dealt with. I have clients from other brands & dealerships I've worked at in the past still call ME when they have issues. YES, I AM that good....

Check this thread... A day in the life of a service advisor.....

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

Still seems like you are pretty worked up over what appear to me to be part of the territory, just the same.

I've dealt with MB SA's in different parts of the country--didn't lump you in with anyone. The system of SA's at MB is fundamentally not a good one.

I checked the thread--seems like a thread whining about being in customer service, which there would be no need for if the customer was already an expert.

Again, I agree you seem to be in the wrong business.

I agree that I'm in the wrong line of work. No doubt about it. Service advisors take all the crap that the dealership does as a whole - the Marines of the dealership, so to speak. The front line. I never had a problem with it until recent years. I've always been good with people no matter the work I've done. What I "whine" about is the general lack of accountability, from consumers and employees alike whether in a dealership or in personal goings on, business or otherwise.

If you read thru some of those posts, the general theme is the same - "it's not my fault." It's not simply automotive consumers but since that's what I do at the moment and this IS a car forum..... I've been in the car repair business for 20 years - 20 years too long. Leasing has turned it into what I "whine" about today. People feel they have no responsibility for the car they lease, as my previous thread shows all to well. It's not the lack of knowledge on consumers part that gets me, it's the stupidity and lack of accountability. I don't know a whole helluva lot about computers, so I ask when I have a problem. I don't tell the I/T guy he's stupid and doesn't know what he's talking about.

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
-
Do I miss being a service advisor ???

1. No intense offended.
2. Its funny you mentioned this first, because I was going to relay that I am almost convinced leasing is the way to go, because we have Lexus lease, and it is almost like taking a mini-vacation when I take it in (or they will pick it up).
3. I identify and agree wholeheartedly with your second and third sentences.

Again, hope I didn't offend. I will humbly suggest that it may not be just the car business you need away from, but the service industry as a whole--people getting service in other areas aren't any more smarter or easier to deal with.

Maybe for ease of experience at a dealership, but definitely not financially.
This is taken from edmunds. (Scroll down to find the part I cut and pasted)
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/47079/article.html
Leasing vs. Buying New — Using the figures presented in this article, it is $6,752 more to lease a new car over a five-year period, than it is to buy the same car outright. This breaks down to $1,350 more per year to lease rather than to buy a new car.

Leasing vs. Buying Used — It is $15,750 more to lease a new car over a five-year period than it is to buy and operate a used car for the same amount of time. This is an additional yearly cost of $3,150.

Buying Used vs. Buying New — Not surprisingly, it costs a lot less to buy and drive a used car over a five-year period than a new car. In this example, it is $8,998 less for five years or $1,799 less per year.

I was going to tell him the same thing. It is people that are causing you headaches. Not the job itself. If you want this to go away you will either have to accept people for being people or find a job where you don't deal with people.

That doesn't change the numbers that it costs more, just that you don't pay the added costs.

And I'm definitely not paying for it!

If you tell me that it can change the numbers, you are now entering into salesman territory.

Although I have no idea what they are I can assume it is some sort of loan fad.