Chris Collins and Sam argue that digital tools like kiosks and online booking are replacing traditional service advisors in auto shops. Technicians will need better customer-service skills as they take on more front-facing work, while video diagnostics and text updates handle what the front desk used to do.
Questions this video answers
June 17, 2021
8333-ASK SDR (spoken as '8333 Ask SDR')
offers.chriscollsinsc.com (spoken as 'offers.chriscollsin c.com' in the transcript)
Chapters
What else do you see in the future?
Well, you know, so there's. I think it's been coming for a long time that we're looking at technicians now to actually have some sort of customer service. You know, there used to be those walls and there used to be those signs that say no customers beyond this point because of insurance or whatever else. I think those days are gone. The customer is much more educated. The customer wants those answers from a technician. And now we're moving into the no more brick and mortar part of our business. Everybody says that they wish the MA and PA shops were everywhere, but I guarantee almost all those people shop Amazon. Right. They just don't say it. Well, Lifty is bringing on driveway now. And now we're moving out of just the sales part of it, and we're going to bring that into service where they can reach out to us online, set the appointment, we pick up the vehicle. Everything is communicated electronically. We'll have video, the text actually showing the customer. This is what I found and why. And they're having to be part of the customer service. So that's a whole new skill set that a technician is probably going to have. And it breaks my heart. But the days of having all the service writers seem to be getting dwindling. Now we've got the kiosks and everything else. I have my own personal feelings about that. But the customer is going to dictate us, dictate to us how they want to do business. And we have to be the first ones to the market on that or we'll get left behind.
Interesting. I don't know if you remember, but that was a conversation we had seven years ago was, will advisors exist?
Yeah.
And could you run it without. Because it's a. It's a big chunk of personnel. I mean, I tell people all the time when they're talking about their advisors, and I can't get them to do this and that. I'm like, listen, if your results would be better if the customer pulled right in the shop, you don't need them. It's your fault.
Absolutely.
Like, you know, why are you allowing somebody to work for you? That isn't improving the communication.
Right.
Isn't communicating with the customer and making the process better. That's why we added that level of personnel, that 8% of gross or whatever. We're spending a lot of money there. If it isn't making the process better.
Exactly. Then you certainly have to look at it, you know, and, and, you know, we have some, some pretty big shops and, and the ones that have kiosk, I think it takes care of that customer that wants to drop their car off before opening and be gone. You know, that might. Maybe that's one of the customers that throws you the keys and take care of it. Right?
Yeah.
But, you know, I think there's still a mix. There's still a reason for an advisor to handle those customer service issues and to, like you said, you know, to actually talk to a customer and then you find out that's an $8,000 job. Right. I'm pretty sure a kiosk isn't going to, you know, there might be a conversation warranted, maybe just a little bit, but a lot of that's. Like I said, it's going on the technicians now as well. And with that model of talking to the customer electronically and showing them what's going on electronically, I think that technician does have to have a customer service, some skill set. Maybe not as great as a seasoned advisor, but it's coming.
Yeah. I don't see that any different than what happened with doctors in Bedside Manor. So the medical industry was completely transformed with malpractice suits.
Sure.
And then their ability to get malpractice insurance. And what all the insurance companies went out and did is they tried to figure out, like, why is Ed here killing somebody's son and he doesn't get sued? But Tom over here hasn't killed anybody. He gets sued constantly. And it all came down to Bedside manner.
Absolutely.
And it's all about how it's delivered. And it's also the time, like, you know, spending more time with each patient. Not, you know, kind of like we do with advisors. We think they can write 40 ROS in a day.
Right.
And be successful.
It's not going to. You're going to make relationships.
Yeah.
I mean, you can't. It's not enough time.
And I think that's the text or the parallel to that. They're the doctors. They're the ones driving everything. They're. Nothing exists without the techs. We could do it without the advisors. We could do it without a shuttle driver. We can't do without the tech. And so they. They are, over time, going to have to learn bedside manner. But the thing that's always surprised me when we do, like, clinics, right. Like, say you do a big Saturday clinic and you have the customers go in the shop with the text. I've always been blown away by how even the text that you're like, you know, keep them away. They clean up and they, you know, their fathers their husbands. They're like everybody else just because, you know, they, they have a different image to us when it's, you know, when it's a customer, they usually have pretty good bedside.
Yeah. Yeah. And it's, it's improving constantly that the customer's more and more involved in everything. It just, that's the way we're.
And it'll dictate. They'll have to, it'll just be part of it.
Yep.
But, yeah, I think that's a, that's a really good insight into that.
Thanks so much for watching this clip of Service Driving Revolution. We're uploading new stuff every day, so make sure you subscrib, subscribe and click the bell icon so you don't miss out. If you have a question you'd like us to answer on the show, call 8333-ASK SDR and we'll answer your question on the show. That's 8333 Ask SDR. For special deals on our books and training, head over to offers.chriscollinsinc.com now that's offers.chriscollinsInc.com I'm Chris Collins and I'll see you in the next video.
