Summary
Service Advisor Panel Meeting
October 10 - 12, 2012
The second and final face-to-face meeting of the 2012 Service Advisor Panel was held in Dearborn October 10 - 12, 2012. In addition to panel members, 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 October 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
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
Mike Jeanotte (TRP) Luther Family Ford Fargo, ND
Russ Patton (TRP) Hamilton Big Country Ford Clovis, NM
John Bernath (PSMAC) San Tan Ford Gilbert, AZ
Topics Discussed
Day One: Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Welcome
Steve DeAngelis, Technical Support Operations Manager
Dave Arne, Channel Marketing Manager
· Steve and Dave welcomed the group back to Dearborn for their final meeting.
· They reviewed information on dealership profitability from fixed operations and programs to support profitability.
· They showed two videos on future technologies planned for service areas.
What’s on your Mind?
Mike Berardi, Service Engineering Operations Director
· Mike provided an overview of the financial status of the company and vehicle quality metrics.
· Mike also described some of the upcoming vehicle launches.
· Panel members asked questions and Mike answered them.
Service Advisor Portal
Tony Farr, e-business Manager
· Tony presented statistics related to the job roles and regions of people using the portal as well as portal registration and usage data.
· He also discussed the results of a survey that was sent to the panel related to job aids to be included on the portal.
· Panel members asked questions and gave suggestions for changes to the portal. Tony agreed to review the suggestions and consider them for future enhancements.
Owner Information
Bill Holzheuer, Technical Service Information
· Bill discussed proposed future plans for Owner Information and requested feedback.
· Panel members provided feedback and asked questions.
2013 Prior Approval Programs
John Jorgensen, Prior Approval Manager
· John discussed the Parts Coverage Look-up Tool enhancement to Prior Approval and demonstrated it.
· John also discussed proposed plans for 2013 Prior Approval.
· Panel members provided feedback.
Technical Service Hotline and Digital Imaging Tour
John Jorgensen, Prior Approval Manager
Kimberly Palczynski, Technical Service Hotline Operations Manager
· John and Kimberly divided the group into two parts based on whether panel members had visited the hotline or digital imaging during their previous visit. The two groups then visited the area they had not seen during their previous visit.
Customer Viewpoint Changes
Margaret Kishore, Voice of Customer Manager
· Margaret discussed proposed changes to Customer Viewpoint and answered questions asked by panel members.
Day Two: Thursday, October 11, 2012
Credit Card Program / Rebate Submission Process / Race of Champions
Jessie Scott, Contests & Incentives Manager
· Jessie provided information on Consumer Rebates, the Ford Service / Quick Lane credit card, and Retail Race of Champions. She requested feedback following each discussion.
· Panel members provided feedback and asked questions.
Retail Service Sales Team Panel Discussion
Dave Arne, Channel Marketing Manager
Jonathon Cuff, National Advertising Manager
Dean Bruce, Retail Training Manager
Mike Farrere, Owner Advantage Rewards Manager
Jennifer Boyer, Marketing Strategy Manager
Jessie Scott, Contests & Incentives Manager
Marty Field, Retail Channel / Tire Programs Manager
Dan DeRubeis, Retail Commercial Specialist
· The Retail Service Sales team answered questions from panel members.
· Panel members provided suggestions that retail team members agreed to consider.
Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS)
Dave Gregoricka, Service Publications Manager
Santos Rivera, SLTS Analyst
· Dave and Santos discussed the process used to determine Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) and panel members asked questions.
· The panel then went to the garage for an on-vehicle demonstration of the process.
Fix-It-Right-The-First-Time Activity and Best Practices
Rick Elliott, Technical Support Operations Manager, Midwest Market
· Prior to the meeting Rick had asked the panel members to provide Voice of the Customer data from their dealerships related to customers who did not feel that their vehicle was fixed right the first time. Rick now reviewed the summaries of the data he had created with the panel.
· Rick also asked for best practices used in dealerships to avoid having customers return with a vehicle that was not fixed the first time. The panel voted on the best practices and prizes were awarded to the top three.
2012 Service Advisor Panel Accomplishments
Elizabeth Tarquinto, Technical Programs Marketing Manager
· Elizabeth asked the panel to discuss their accomplishments during the past year.
· Members provided several accomplishments and also listed items they felt were undone and should be addressed by the next panel.
Day Three – Friday, October 12, 2012
Scheduled Maintenance Tool
Dan DeRubeis, Retail Commercial Specialist
· Dan discussed plans and timing for the Genuine Scheduled Maintenance Tool.
· He asked for feedback on several items and answered questions.
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.
· Panel members asked several questions. Frederiek answered them.
Tire Pricing Launch on Quick Lane and Ford/Lincoln Owner Sites
Marty Field, Retail Channel / Tire Programs Manager
· Marty demonstrated improvements that have been made to the Tire Inventory Management (TIM) tool based on feedback from the panel and other dealership employees.
· He also demonstrated the web pricing and inventory capability of the tool.
· Answers were provided to several questions that were asked during a previous teleconference.
· Marty also responded to new questions asked by panel members.
Panel Accomplishments and Feedback
2012 Service Advisor Panel Members
· Chris Rizzo, a member of the 2012 panel, presented the results of the previous day’s discussion on panel accomplishments and items left for the next panel to address to Steve DeAngelis and Dave Arne.
· Panel members provided feedback on their tenure on the panel.
· Steve and Dave thanked the panel for their contributions and suggested that they carry the discussion forward to other Service Advisors.
Other Questions/Answers
· When there is an issue with part availability – what is our policy regarding pulling parts from the assembly plant to satisfy a customer with a vehicle that is down?
1. If there is a vehicle down situation, the dealer should submit a “Parts Order Status” PACO request and select Yes for “Unit Down”. This PACO request will be routed to the Supply Chain Vehicle Down Team, whom will try every available option to secure a part for the customer – including pulling a part from the assembly plant.
2. The zone manager can issue a CUSTRESP eTracker which will be directed to the Supply Chain Vehicle Down Team
3. If the CRC is made aware of a vehicle down or a customer in a rental vehicle, the CRC will pass the information to the Vehicle Down Team for assistance.
4. FCSD and VO work together to allocate supply constrained parts to minimize unit downs.
· Company vehicle prior approval question –what is the policy for servicing a company car outside of SE Michigan? Prior approval requirements for a repair can be found in the following EFC communication:
http://www.fmcdealer.dealerconnection.com/sites/ford_lm/edc/Pages/EFC01770.pdf