Summary
Service Advisor Panel Meeting
October 20 - 22, 2010
Ford Motor Company recognizes that dealership Service Advisors are the face of Ford to customers requiring vehicle service and a key interface with Technicians. To best understand Service Advisors' challenges and needs as they fulfill these roles, a Service Advisor Panel was established in early 2010 to gather feedback and input on a wide variety of topics.
Twenty-four Service Advisors were selected to participate on the Panel, one from each of the 22 FCSD regions and two from Select Dealer regions. The Panel members have participated in two three-day meetings in Dearborn, Michigan in 2010. In addition, Panel members participate in a monthly one-hour teleconference/WebEx meeting.
The second face-to-face Service Advisor Panel meeting was held in Dearborn, Michigan October 20 - 22, 2010. In addition to 22 of the 24 Service Advisors on the 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 October 2010 Service Advisor Panel Meeting
Doug Beasley Bobby Jones Ford Augusta, GA
Jenny Berry Wiscasset Ford Lincoln Mercury Wiscasset, ME
Jake Boekee Ron DuPratt Ford Dixon, CA
Peggy Boyle Gary Yeomans Ford Lincoln Mercury Daytona Beach, FL
Denise Caylor Apple Valley Ford Lincoln Mercury Apple Valley, MN
Rachel Curry All American Ford Old Bridge, NJ
Jen Davis David Ford Lincoln Mercury Keene, NH
Bryan DeVoll Garnet Ford Chadds Ford, PA
Jeff Hamstead Reynolds Ford of OkC Oklahoma City, OK
Jeff Krogman Lynch Ford - Mt. Vernon, Inc. Mt. Vernon, IA
John Loposky Benson Lincoln Mercury Pittsburgh, PA
Ken Nazarian Vista Ford Lincoln Mercury Woodland Hills, CA
Larry Nelson Earnhardt Ford Chandler, AZ
Mike Piggott Elder Ford Troy, MI
Steve Quezada Joe Myers Ford Lincoln Mercury Houston, TX
Rich Rhoades Spradley Barr Ford Fort Collins, CO
Bobby Sparks Beau Townsend Ford Vandalia, OH
Marty Tant Homer Skelton Ford Olive Branch, MS
Jason Turrell Diehl Ford Bellingham, WA
Jeff VanLaar Capital Ford Raleigh, NC
John Vassion Titus-Will Ford Tacoma, WA
Kurt Zahner Olathe Ford Lincoln Mercury Olathe, KS
Andy Holmes (TRP Rep) Beach Ford Suffolk Suffolk, VA
Kevin Scott (TRP Rep) Evergreen Ford Evergreen Ford, WA
Paul Cole (PSMAC Rep) North County Ford Vista, CA
Topics Discussed
Opening Comments
Dave Arne – Channel Marketing Manager
Steve DeAngelis – Manager, Technical Support Operations
Dave & Steve welcomed the group and informed them that due to the value of the input received from the panel during 2010, we have received approval to extend the panel for a second year.
They discussed sales & service improvements, and reviewed a list of changes that have occurred as a result of the May Service Advisor Panel meeting in Dearborn and the subsequent teleconferences.
Welcome/What's On Your Mind
Mike Berardi – Director, Service Engineering Operations
Mary Lou Quesnell – General Sales Manager, FCSD
Brett Wheatley – Director, FCSD Marketing
The panel was acknowledged for their role as Service Advisors, and thanked for providing feedback to support our efforts to improve customer satisfaction and fix-it-right. The panel was invited to provide comments or ask questions about any topics they were interested in. Discussion included:
Service Advisor Website Concept
Shawn Alexander – Technical Programs Marketing Manager
Shawn reviewed a concept of a website that would give Service Advisors a unique portal with dynamic VIN-driven access to resources. The Service Advisors responded with excitement at the possibility of quickly and accurately accessing the web-based tools they need to serve customers and sell products and services.
VIN Scanner
John Norton – Technical Service Information Manager
John demonstrated a scanner designed to collect VINs from vehicles and transfer them to OASIS. Service Advisors provided their viewpoint on the utility of the scanner in their job.
Changing Work Mix
Steve DeAngelis – Manager, Technical Support Operations
Leo Hughes – Manager, Technical Field Operations
Steve and Leo presented data showing that the service work mix has shifted from predominantly warranty to predominantly customer-pay in the last few decades. The panel provided feedback on how the change has impacted service advisors and technicians roles and their dealerships in general.
Bar-coded Owner Information
John Norton – Technical Service Information Manager
John demonstrated a barcode feature in the Owner Guides that links customers to Owner Information websites. Panel members provided suggestions about how to let dealership employees and customers know about the feature.
Windstar Axle Field Service Action
Charlie Kopeika – Manager, Recall & Quality
Tom Bazil – Manager, Recall and Service Programs
Bob Case – Operations Manager, Recall & Service Programs
The recall team discussed the Windstar Axle Field Service Action. Panel members asked several questions that team members answered and provided input on further information that should be communicated to dealerships. There was also discussion and suggestions around streamlining the claim process.
Improving Fix-it-Right-the-First-Time (FIRTFT) and Customer Satisfaction
Jeff Nienhuis – Manager, TSO Sales & Marketing
Keith Barron – Manager, Customer Viewpoint
The panel was asked for suggestions on improving fix-it-right and customer satisfaction metrics. Several suggestions were provided and discussed.
SYNC
Fay Watts – Manager, Emerging Technologies
Tom Hodges – Manager, SYNC & Digital Marketing
Metrics related to SYNC repairs were presented. The panel was asked to share experiences from their dealerships and suggest methods for addressing SYNC concerns.
A tester was demonstrated that could be used to test USB, voice recognition and Bluetooth. The panel was asked for feedback on the usability of this tester in their dealerships.
Owner Advantage Rewards (OAR)
Jennifer Boyer – Owner Advantage Rewards Manager
Jennifer discussed merit programs in general and the intent of Ford's Owner Advantage Rewards program. The panel asked several questions which Jennifer answered.
State of the Business
Frederiek Toney – Vice President, FCSD
Frederiek discussed several items, including:
Frederiek then opened the floor for questions and discussion. Topics included:
Employee Excellence Recognition Program
Sharita Crawford – Dealer Rewards & Curriculum Manager
Sharita provided an overview of Employee Excellence and presented data on the importance of training. She asked for feedback on awards for future years and methods of communicating with dealership employees.
Brake Family & Menu Pricing
Drew Laird – Manager, Product Marketing
Drew distributed a variety of marketing pieces for brakes. He asked for feedback on the materials and brakes promotions in general.
Battery Marketing
Robert Boss – Marketing Manager, Policy & Incentives
Robert provided data around battery testing and sales in dealerships. He asked the panel for suggestions on how to effectively close sales. He also asked for feedback on family pricing and its implementation in dealerships.
Robert role-played a battery sale with one of the panel members, demonstrating the talking points on Ford's battery marketing material. He then asked for feedback on the value of the material provided by Ford.
Tires Sales Tool
Kevin McGuirk – Field Strategy
Kevin provided information on the current tire promotion. He demonstrated the 2011 Tire Sales Tool and asked for feedback.
He also talked about Ford's retail growth initiatives and proposed dealer signage. In addition, he presented details about Ford's Automated Card Everyone initiative currently being piloted.
ESP Service Drive Tool
Joe Wiegand – ESP Program Manager
Joe discussed the Extended Service Plan (ESP) Service Drive tool and asked for feedback from the panel.
Genuine Scheduled Maintenance
Brandon Edens – Wholesale Strategy Manager
Gary Hileman – Advanced Technical Senior Engineer
Features of the intelligent oil monitoring system were discussed. A sample of the proposed revised maintenance schedule was reviewed and the panel was asked for feedback.
Panel members requested a job-aid to tell them how to reset the oil minders vehicle by vehicle.
Training
Jim Gwaltney – National Incentives Manager
Dean Bruce – Curriculum Manager
Jim told the panel that, at their suggestion, Service Advisors will be required to be base-level certified to earn Race of Champions payouts starting with the second 2011 race. The panel was asked for suggestions on how to most-effectively communicate this change.
Dean explained the proposed revised Service Advisor curriculum. The panel recommended that Service Advisors be required to complete training on new model vehicle product launches and new technology to maintain certification levels. There was further discussion related to training and rewards.
Ford Owner Site
Brian Weyers – FCSD Digital CRM Manager
Brian demonstrated the Ford Owner Site, which is intended to serve as a one-stop shop for customers to schedule service, receive coupons, view maintenance schedules, etc.
Field Operations
Rick Elliott – Technical Support Operations Manager (TSOM), Midwest Market
Eric Gillanders – Technical Support Operations Manager (TSOM), California Market
Rick and Eric explained the roles of Technical Support Operations Managers (TSOM) and Field Service Engineers (FSE). They asked the panel for feedback on their relationship with their field representatives and on how they view themselves in relationship to the fix-it-right metric.
Customer Care Team
Denise Feil – Manager, Customer Assistance Center
Mont Wright – Customer Satisfaction/BAC Manager
Denise gave an overview of the Customer Care Team's purpose, benefits and structure, including the role of the Customer Service Manager (CSM). The panel asked questions and provided feedback on several topics including the Customer Data Link (CuDL), the Customer Loyalty Program (CLP) and a customer's Long Term Value score (LTV).
Roadside Assistance
Mont Wright – Customer Satisfaction/BAC Manager
Ed Kimmerling – Roadside/TAP Manager
After introductory comments, the floor was opened for questions and feedback. Panel members shared Roadside Assistance success stories and suggested process improvements.
Prior Approval & Warranty Claims Assessment
Pete Bandoske – Prior Approval & CLP Manager
Kevin Pefley – Manager, Warranty Processing
Bill McDonnell – Supervisor, Warranty Claims Assessment
Comments were provided on dealer self-approval authority for diesel claims over 30 days old. Panel members asked questions about specific warranty claim issues and processes
One Warranty Solution (OWS)
Mike Roberts – Warranty Strategy Manager
Mike discussed One Warranty Solution (OWS) and explained that its purpose is to provide a modern, global warranty system. He presented many details about the system and answered several questions.
Panel Member Feedback/Closing Comments
Dave Arne – Channel Marketing Manager
Steve DeAngelis – Manager, Technical Support Operations
The panel was invited to give feedback on the content and processes of the meeting. Panel members expressed their appreciation at the respect shown to them and their ideas. They made suggestions for topics to be addressed at future meetings.
Next Dearborn Meeting: May 11 – 13, 2011
Monthly Teleconference/WebEx Meetings: Typically the first Thursday of each month, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET
Contact: Janet Vecchio, jvecchi2, 313-323-7109