It’s Your Turn: Service advisors are your ambassadors

As this crazy busy tire season winds down and Christmas is fast approaching, I can’t help but reflect on days gone by.

I think as we get older, our memories are important for our mental health. My father always used to tell me, “I’m going down memory lane.”

Why am I writing this? To express how important service writers are in your business. In fact, let’s call them your “shop ambassadors.”

They are the front line and need a better knowledge of human nature than automobiles. The ambassadors greet your clients, listen to their needs and interpret that into a document technicians read.

When our business was growing, I knew I had to get out of the bays. I couldn’t be in the right state of mind going from being in the middle of a complex repair to greeting a customer with a smile. It then became one of two ambassadors in the office. It didn’t really occur to me then how important the position was.

I had a lovely customer named Dorothy. Her friends called her Dot. She insisted I do the same. She was an attractive lady, most likely in her late 70s. What made her attractive was her upbeat attitude and zest for life.

Dot drove an older Chevrolet Cavalier, which we would see maybe twice a year. But time flies, seasons pass and you lose track of who comes and goes. I got an out-of-town call from Dot’s daughter. Her mother had passed away and was reading her last wishes. Dot wanted me to be a pallbearer. The daughter explained to me that I made an impression on her and she considered me a friend. 

I simply treated her with dignity and respect. 

Our current team of ambassadors are often the first to hear about someone being pregnant, getting accepted at university, engaged and, sometimes, divorced. 

These ambassadors keep the day running smoothly and promote your business better than any marketing can. Don’t overlook these ambassadors. They are the key to a successful shop.

Bruce Eccles is the semi-retired owner of Eccles Auto Service in Dundas, Ont.