‘Plug in’ to these complimentary BrandSource services
By Paul MacDonald, Service Source
Just before a recent ServiceSource Thursdays: Ask the Factory session, my guest manufacturer had to cancel after being involved in a severe car accident.
I was relieved to learn that he would be fine, and proceeded with the Zoom meeting, substituting a service-focused open mic event. I was pleasantly surprised by the 60-minute, ad-hoc discussion on all things service with a number of BrandSource dealers. One of the topics we touched on was onboarding a new-hire technician, and I was asked if I could recommend a tool list. After the call I did some research and found three suggested technician tool lists that service vendors had posted online. Check them out:
In addition, when I revisited BrandSource’s updated Service Playbook 2.0, I found, much to my delight, ServiceSource’s own recommended technician tool list on p. 38. The comprehensive list includes hand and specialty tools for the technician and his truck.
Given the wealth of services BrandSource provides its members, this invaluable and exclusive service guide can sometimes get lost in the sauce. But the more I reviewed the Playbook, the more I found answers to questions and references to issues that came up during that open mic session. The Service Playbook contains 43 pages of resources and guidelines on all things service related. The Playbook is your essential guide to running a successful and profitable service operation. The Playbook covers technician recruitment, training and offers advice on retaining your technicians once hired.
The guide also tackles technician compensation and bonus structures and which key performance indicators (KPIs) you should track in your service department. Under the operations sections, you’ll learn how to set your service rates based on your business cost and determine the cost of a truck roll. There are also instructions on increasing efficiency, first-call completes, fleet management and parts inventory management, plus a section devoted to website and marketing strategies, soliciting and responding to online reviews, and customer satisfaction surveys replete with a sample you can implement or build on.
In short, ServiceSource’s complimentary Service Playbook 2.0 is a must-have, members-only guide to operating a profitable service business for service managers and admin staff. Be sure to download your copy today from the BrandSource members’ Backroom. Like some of the myriad other resources that BrandSource provides its members to “plug in” and succceed, it can sometimes get overlooked.
Getting back to ServiceService Thursdays, and speaking of BrandSource initiatives, this weekly value-add zeros in on your service operations every Thursday of the month. On the first Thursday of the month we publish the ServiceSource newsletter you are now reading. Add your service team’s e-mail addresses to our distribution list so they never miss an issue.
On the second Thursday of the month, we bring you ServiceSource Thursdays Coffee Break, a live, members-only Zoom call, featuring a visit by a BrandSource service vendor partner who describes their product or service and fields questions from the audience. The Coffee Breaks are an excellent opportunity to learn what our service vendors bring to the table; you can sign up for the series here.
On the third Thursday of every month we host ServiceSource’s Ask the Factory, another live and exclusive video conference in which a featured manufacturer’s service leadership brings us up to speed on what’s new with their brand’s warranty policies and procedures. We also set aside 45 minutes for you, the audience, to ask hard-pressing questions to better understand how best to partner with them. Register for the next Ask the Factory here.
Rounding out the month, we encourage you to celebrate your service team on the last Thursday with a brief “Service Huddle” to review all that has transpired, both good and bad, over the last 30 days. This practice will help ensure continual improvement in your customers’ service experience.
Be sure to join me and the following guests at these upcoming ServiceSource Thursdays events:
October 12: Jeff Diamond, VP, Marcone Supply
October 19: Matthew Ganus, Director of Home Services, Whirlpool
November 9: Adam Butcher, owner, Fred’s Academy
November 16: Matthew Emmons, Director of Field Services, LG Electronics
See you then …
Paul MacDonald, AVB’s senior ServiceSource lead, ran his own 38-tech service business and is a past president of the UASA. He currently operates The Expert Service Program, which helps servicers run their operations more efficiently and profitably. You can reach Paul at (647) 500-7785 or at Paul.m.Macdonald@brandsource.com.
