Assigning responsibility, accountability to your staff

In all operations within the store, tasks have to be identified and placed in an order of importance. Why? Because some tasks have significantly more importance to the operation than others. Some are critical while some are routine. In some cases, the task performer will help to identify those tasks that must be performed, customer-focused tasks for example versus when a wash room will be cleaned. Nevertheless, it is still important to identify all the tasks that are required to maximize performance throughout the operation.

The ideal way to start is by identifying the employees by job description and what their job requires them to do. All aspects of the job must be considered, the timeframe to which they are accountable to perform work tasks, the degree of importance of each task as it relates to the finished product and how each task relates to sales and customer service.

Let’s look at a specific job that has significant impact on the customer:

Counter person, service advisor, customer service rep: pick a name, but this is the person who is responsible for setting the customer expectations for your store. This is the first caller, first contact, and first line of conversation with the customer. A fact that must be considered is that this job is the store. This job represents the store in the eyes of the customer. This person is the customer moment of truth.

The tasks that are typically associated with this job description are as follows:

The greeting

• ​How it’s delivered
• Can the employee speak with a smile?
• Is the tone of the conversation inviting?
• Is the employee capable of keeping eye contact when necessary?

​Answer incoming calls made to the store

• ​First contact with customer
• Number of rings before call pick up
• Communicating repair steps
• What comes next?

​Make outgoing calls to customers

• ​Identifying customer, next steps for claims/repairs
• Documenting call content in file/repair order
• Clear identification of repair chain of events

​In some cases liaison between the store and a third party payer

• ​If third party payer's specific questions are answered
• Supplement handling
• Repair order questions or concerns

​Identify open scheduling opportunities

• ​Ensuring that promised dates are acceptable
• Updates to schedules and production flow     

​Scheduling work into the store

• ​Making sure that the promised “in date” and the promised “out date” can be kept and any changes are updated at least 24 hours in advance of the promised dates

​Assist in bringing vehicles into production​Making arrangements with customer for drop- off

Maintaining white boards or computer-generated scheduling charts to ensure that production sequencing is correct by day, week and month

​Make sure that there is an adequate supply of forms

• ​Is there an adequate supply of forms maintained in the store to ensure that there are no issues when customers come into the store to drop off?
• Ordering necessary forms, and other office supplies

​Make sure that necessary forms are placed into repair order folder

• ​Having a ready supply of presorted folders with direction of pay, inspection, photo and other necessary paperwork prepared for customers

​Create repair order document​Using the pre-supplied information from third party payer, or information supplied by the customer on initial contact to preload the electronic or paper repair order worksheets to reduce time spent on this process with the customer

​Complete vehicle check-ins

• ​Complete vehicle check-in form making sure that all indicative information for the customer and the vehicle is complete and at the ready
• If using a scheduling visual such as the X on the windshield, make sure that it is completed so that the visual is useful at time of production

​Complete vehicle walk-around

• ​Walk around the vehicle with the customer and upsell any unrelated prior damage especially in areas where it will be adjacent to repair work that the store will be completing
• Be sure to point out any and all damage so that there is no question that it was there when the vehicle is delivered in the event that the customer doesn’t want it fixed

​Take necessary photos

• ​Take photos of ALL DAMAGE on the vehicle particularly that damage that isn’t related to the current loss
• Be sure that good pictures are taken of any areas that show a paint mismatch for future reference
• Be sure to take pictures of the dashboard while the seven-second test burn is occurring as well as once the test burn has cycled through in the event there are fault codes not related to the current loss

​Process file for the estimator/blue printer

• ​Ensure that only completed repair order paperwork is passed along to the estimating/blueprinting staff to minimize questions
• Provide a supplement repair check sheet with the RO to be used during the repair process in the event that damage is missed during the disassembly process

​ Document the in-process repair order​If the task of documenting the in- process file is delegated to the front office staff, ensure that any updates are made to the file daily to avoid the loss of thought or need for follow- up calls

Assist as needed with follow-up calls

​Arrange for rental car when scheduling is verified including repair in and repair out dates

Close the file

• ​ARs and APs finalized
• All parts listed
• Supplements complete

FREE WHITEPAPER on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
	Meeting your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) obviously is important to you as a repair or collision shop owner or manager. But do your employees recognize the importance? Download our free whitepaper on Standard Operating Procedures