The Automotive Service Advisor serves as a bridge between the customer and the team of professionals with Auto Mechanic Training executing repairs and inspections. Their main function is to guide clients, by providing estimates of costs as well as the time needed for repairs and helping them decide what work should be done on the vehicle. To be successful in this type of career, it helps to be passionate about cars, but also be well-organized, have a good communication skills and love interacting with customers. You’ll need to translate car terms and jargon into comprehensible explanations for clients as well as manage the flow of customers in a busy garage, responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner, both over the phone and in person. Above all, you’ll need to prioritize client satisfaction, as this will likely translate into sales of additional services or repeat business.
Additional tasks for this type of position can include:
- Completing and reviewing repair orders with customers
- Ensuring final invoice is the same as the estimate and that the vehicle was delivered on time
- Managing the status of work orders
- Scheduling service and repair appointments
- Operating computerized work order systems
- Sharing ideas and suggestions to improve the customer experience
- Complying with health and safety policies and regulations.
Work environments
An automotive service advisor can work in many different types of environments, including dealerships, garages or privately owned shops. The skills you gain as a service advisor can translate to different types of businesses, which means you can adapt your trade depending on your circumstances. In this line of work, your employers can also include:
- New or used car dealerships
- Automotive custom and specialty shops
- Aftermarket stores
- Retail automotive repair facilities
- Heavy Duty Truck Repair facilities
- Vehicle rental companies
Over time, it’s also possible to rise to the position of Service Manager. Some service advisors also use the advisor position as a springboard into a more specialized career within the automotive industry, such as in sales or working in the garage. This usually requires additional training from a mechanic school, but being a service advisor can be a great way to get your foot in the door of the automotive industry.
The ideal candidate
If you’re interested in auto mechanic course or an automotive career, the role of automotive service advisor can be a great way to gain some experience working in the industry. Of course, when hiring a service advisor, employers will be looking for certain traits. These can include:
- Good knowledge and understanding of mechanical components of automobiles
- Some awareness of market trends in the automotive service industry
- The ability to work effectively with auto parts ordering systems and computerized work orders systems
- Some math and keyboarding skills
- Prior customer service or customer support experience
