Summary

Service Advisor Panel Meeting

April 25 - 27, 2012

 

The first face-to-face meeting of the 2012 Service Advisor Panel was held in Dearborn April 25 – 27, 2012.  In addition to 22 Service Advisors on the panel, two members of the 2010-2011 Service Advisor Panel, two representatives of the Technician Review Panel (TRP), and one representative of the Parts & Service Managers Advisory Committee (PSMAC) participated in the meeting. 

 

Panel Members and Guests Participating in the April 2012 Service Advisor Panel Meeting

Dan Benedict                                     Bickford Motors                                  Snohomish, WA

Nick Courville                                     Ron DuPratt Ford                                Dixon, CA

Ramsay Davis                                    Patriot Ford LLC                                  Purcell, OK

Tom DeDios                                      Gus Machado Ford of Kendall              Miami, FL

Marcus Finlayson                               Larry H. Miller Ford Lincoln                   Sandy, UT

Steve Fischer                                     Luther Family Ford                               Fargo, ND

Billy Fitzpatrick                                   Al Packer's White Marsh Ford               Middle River, MD

Kasi Gregson                                     Dave Knapp Ford Lincoln                     Greenville, OH

Brian Gurney                                      Parks Lincoln of Longwood                  Longwood, FL

John Herrin                                        Cherokee Ford                                     Alpharetta, GA

Doug Jezowski                                  Tuttle-Click Ford Lincoln                       Irvine, CA

Jeff Johnson                                     Klaben Ford Lincoln of Warren             Warren, OH

Chris Kolody                                      Hopkins Ford                                      Jenkintown, PA

Jason Lane                                        Banner Ford                                        Mandeville, LA

Gustavo Lopez                                   Horne Ford                                          Nogales, AZ

Joe Malsack                                      Kocourek Ford Lincoln                         Wausau, WI

Ed Mangus                                        King's Ford                                         Cincinnati, OH

Craig McCarthy                                  Pfeiffer Lincoln Inc.                              Grand Rapids, MI

Chris Rizzo                                         Otis Ford                                             Quogue, NY

Rob Robertson                                  Auburn Motor Sales                             Auburn, ME

Dan Whittley                                      Dave Sinclair Ford                               St. Louis, MO

Michael Young                                   Capital Ford                                        Raleigh, NC

Ray Garver (TRP)                               Krapohl Ford                                       Mt. Pleasant, MI

Ted Repousis (TRP)                           Springfield Ford Lincoln                       Springfield, PA

Rachel Curry (2010-2011 SAP)             All American Ford                                Old Bridge, NJ

Larry Nelson (2010-2011 SAP)             Earnhardt Ford                                    Chandler, AZ

Steve Clark (PSMAC)                         Superior Brookdale Ford                      Plymouth, MN

 

Topics Discussed

 

Day One: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

 

Welcome / What We Do / What’s On Your Mind?

Steve DeAngelis, Manager, Technical Support Operations

Stacy Spragg, Cross Channel Strategy Manager

·         Stacy reviewed the Marketing & Sales Team role at Ford and FCSD.

·         Steve reviewed Service Engineering and the technical role the organization plays at Ford and FCSD.

·         The role of the Service Advisor Panel (SAP) was discussed.

 

Previous Panel Accomplishments

Rachel Curry, 2010-2011 Service Advisor Panel member

Larry Nelson, 2010-2011 Service Advisor Panel member

·         Rachel and Larry discussed changes implemented as a result of suggestions made by the 2010-2011 panel, including several changes to Service Advisor training and the initiation of a Service Advisor Panel Facebook page to support discussion among members.

·         Larry and Rachel encouraged the new panel to continue to bring up topics and suggestions, even if previously the change was not implemented.  They said “Ford listens”.

·         They also mentioned several items they felt were left incomplete at the end of the previous panel’s term and encouraged the new panel to address them. 

Service Advisor Portal

Tony Farr, e-business Manager

·         Tony discussed the history of the Service Advisor Portal.

·         The value of CuDL access was discussed and methods of accessing the information were described.

·         Tony asked for feedback on items that had been previously suggested for the portal.  Members responded.

·         Tony asked for suggestions on how to promote the Portal so that the Advisors who do not use it will begin using it.  Panel members gave several suggestions. 

·         Several members suggested additional updates to the portal.  These were recorded by the e-business team and will be considered. 

 

Owner Information / Owner Manual Changes

Pat Dwan, Technical Service Information Manager

Kevin Dimitry, Owner Guide Development

Sherri Rogin, Owner Guide Development

·         Planned changes for the 2013MY Owner Information were discussed as well as the future vision for Owner Information.

·         The panel was asked what sources they use to find information on new vehicles.  Panel members provided feedback. 

·         The panel was then asked what sources the customer uses to find information.  Panel members provided input.

 

My Touch Updates / Recall

Tom Bazil, Recall & Service Programs Manager

·         Tom described the four My Touch upgrade programs in place at that time.

·         Ways that Service Advisors can support the upgrades were discussed

·         Tom discussed the availability of recall information and the availability of parts for recalls.

 

New Warranty Training Course

Craig Burkeen, Global Warranty Operations

·         Craig discussed a proposed warranty training for Service Advisors and requested feedback.  Members provided feedback. 

·         Members asked several questions and Craig provided answers.

 

Day Two: Thursday, April 26, 2012

 

Tire Program

Kevin McGuirk, Retail Channel & Tire Program Manager

·         Kevin discussed current and up-coming tire programs.  Panel members provided feedback.

·         Panel members asked questions and Kevin responded.

 

Ford & Lincoln Scheduled Maintenance

Dan DeRubeis, Retail Specialist

·         Dan discussed scheduled maintenance and requested feedback from the panel.  Panel members provided feedback.

·         Panel members asked questions and Dan responded.

 

Digital Imaging Prior Approval Program

John Jorgensen, Prior Approval Manager

·         John provided an overview of the hotline and prior approval program functions.

·         Panel members were divided into smaller groups and taken to observe actual hotline and digital imaging contacts.

·         During a follow-up session panel members discussed their impressions of the processes.

 

Employee Excellence

Sharita Crawford, Dealer Reward & Curriculum Manager

·         Sharita provided an overview of the Employee Excellence (e2) program and the website

·         Sharita discussed the rewards that are planned for the 2012 program and requested feedback.  Panel members provided feedback.

·         Members asked questions and Sharita responded.

 

Factors Affecting FIRTFT and OSS

Jeff Nienhuis, Business Development Manager

Rick Elliott, Technical Support Operations Manager, Chicago/Cincinnati

·         Jeff provided data showing the categories that customers who did not feel that their vehicle was fixed right the first time fall into.

·         Jeff discussed historical actions for improving Fix-It-Right-The-First-Time (FIRTFT).

·         Panel members were asked what they feel the internal drivers are that impact FIRTFT.  Members provided feedback.

·         Panel members were asked what external drivers they feel affect FIRTFT.  They provided feedback. 

·         Rick discussed the Technical Field Operations (TFO) role in FIRTFT and Overall Service Satisfaction (OSS).

 

Marketing Team

Dave Arne, Channel Marketing Manager

·         Dave and the Marketing team discussed the areas they handle and answered panel members questions.

 

 

Day Three – Friday, April 27, 2012

 

Owner Advantage Rewards

Jennifer Boyer, Owner Advantage Rewards Manager

·        Jennifer discussed the philosophy behind reward programs in general and the impact of Owner Advantage Rewards (OAR) on service loyalty.

·        Members asked questions and provided feedback on specific aspects of the program.

 

State of the Business / Q&A

Frederiek Toney, President, Global FCSD

·         Frederiek gave a global overview of the current and future state of the business.

·         At a local level, he discussed satisfying customers, including the level of service available in the specific timeframe, competitive pricing and convenience.

·         The role of technology in shop efficiency was discussed.

·         Members asked questions and gave feedback on several topics.

 

Customer Viewpoint

Keith Barron, Customer Viewpoint Manager

·         Keith reviewed the Customer Viewpoint (CVP) procedures with the team.

·         Members asked questions and Keith responded.

 

Panel Member Feedback / Closing Comments

Steve DeAngelis, Technical Support Operations Manager

Dave Arne, Channel Marketing Manager

·         Steve and Dave thanked the panel members and guests for their participation.

·         They asked members and guests for feedback on the meeting.  Members and guests provided feedback.  

 

The next in-person meeting is planned for October 10 – 12, 2012 in Dearborn.