The service consultant plays a large role in the warranty process. They
are the initiators of the warranty repair order and the customer’s first
dealership contact. Service
consultants must be familiar with warranty coverage. It may be beneficial
to have
a warranty coverage reference chart, or better yet, a copy of J&L’s
Official Warranty Guide,
which helps consultants quickly determine factory warranty on every vehicle
by manufacturer. Also, access to a
vehicle information system (i.e. GMVIS, VIPP, OASIS) should be readily
available to all consultants to confirm warranty coverage on a specific VIN
including delivery date, warranty claim history, recall eligibility, branded
title, and vehicle build information.
Determine Warranty Coverage
By ensuring warranty coverage is always confirmed on each vehicle that enters
the service department, consultants
may avoid many unsightly rejects once the claim has been submitted to the
factory. It is recommended that the consultant perform a vehicle
information report on all vehicles that enter
the service department. The few moments it takes to perform this
report will cost much less than audit charge backs you may receive
for making goodwill adjustments after the fact by applying an
authorization code and resubmitting the claim.
Repair Order
Write-up
Once warranty coverage has been determined, the service consultant
may now write the repair order. They begin by making a line-by-line analysis
of who is covering each repair. If the responsibility cannot be readily determined,
the line should be coded as customer pay until further notice. If the technician
determines the repair should be warranty, they notify
service management, and the responsibility is changed. The same is true if
the technician finds a warranty-coded repair that the customer should be responsible
for.
The service consultant is to write a brief description of each customer concern.
The consultant should listen to the customer’s description of the concern
and ask leading questions to clearly define the problem:
- What happens?
- When does it happen?
- Where does it happen?
- How does it happen?
A diagnostic
worksheet
may be used to assist the service consultant in capturing a description of
the customer concern. Technicians find these very helpful in completing repairs
with more quality and efficiency. The worksheets are also helpful in reducing
shop comebacks and in turn, aiding in customer loyalty.
Parts
Whenever a part has been ordered for a customer and the vehicle returns, the
consultant must restate the customer concern when they write the R.O. The
proper way to write up a claim when a part was previously ordered should be
as follows: “Vehicle was in on xx/xx/xxxx
for a rough idle condition. Oxygen sensor was ordered by technician
#7 on R.O. # 142589. Special order part is in.” The repair order
can now be distributed to the correct technician who will be familiar with
the vehicle and able to research, if necessary, the previous repair order
to check the
initial diagnosis. By noting part order information on the repair order, the
consultant is assisting not only the technician, but also the parts department
with finding the customer special order part.
Signatures
Next, the service consultant must obtain the customer signature, which authorizes
the dealer to perform the requested service. If the customer drops the vehicle
off as an early bird repair, attach the envelope to the repair order hard
copy. If the customer leaves a list of concerns, attach that as well. The
service manager is
to sign and state the reason for service customers that you are unable
to obtain a signature for. The customer may sign the invoice copy in the instance
that their vehicle was towed in, dropped off or picked up.
Added Operations
Any customer concern that is added on after initial repair order write
up must be identified and entered on the repair order as an added operation.
If service consultants are responsible for adding additional lines, they must
be familiar with the
factory add-on repair policy. All added operations should
be verified and approved by a
service management signature on the repair order prior to the work
being performed and include the specific reason for the additional repair.
Courtesy Transportation
Finally, the service consultant should be aware of courtesy transportation
options. The two primary purposes of a rental vehicle given to a customer
is for an overnight repair or if the vehicle is inoperative or unsafe to drive.
The consultant may
explain the
rental policy and if needed, offer the customer shuttle service. The reason
for courtesy transportation, the type provided, dates, times and driver information
may be
documented on the repair order. If the customer is not pleased with these
options you may want to offer vehicle delivery.
Customers often see service consultants as the official representative of
the dealership and the
factory. A consultant that is properly educated in warranty procedures
will be greatly beneficial to the dealership.
© J&L Warranty Pros™
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