Don’t take shortcuts, even when nobody is watching. The ripple effect of shortcuts can be profound, and could show up across multiple departments.
If there are two ways to complete a task (an easy way and a correct way) it’s best to commit to performing the task the correct way. Shortcuts can lead to an array of issues down the track, causing issues for yourself, your colleagues, your department and your customers – to name a few. Whether you’re serving a customer, inputting data into the DMS or replacing a part in the workshop, it’s important to follow procedure.
Consider these examples a Service Advisor might come across;
- You’re serving a customer on a Friday afternoon who has come to collect their vehicle, and because you’re in a rush to get home you leave out important information that they really need to know. The customer will probably return with an issue next week. Your Service Manager might get a call or email, and that’s not good news for you. If you spend the extra 3 minutes to explain their invoice, you’ll nip any issues in the bud there and then.
- You’re due to have lunch so you only enter the basics into your DMS for an RO that’s just landed on your desk from the workshop. If something is not noted or their contact details are not entered, you risk being unable to contact them to remind them about the upcoming service or not knowing whether the tyres were rotated last time they were in. This has a profound impact on the future services that customer books with your dealership. If you don’t remind them about their service being due, they might service elsewhere and you lose income and opportunities to upsell.
You may not see the impacts of cutting corners straight away, but someone always pays the price. The choices you make on following processes reflect your integrity, professionalism and commitment to excellence. It doesn’t matter what your position in the dealership is, don’t take shortcuts. Do it right the first time, every time.
