Trust Starts at the Service Counter | Maylan Newton
Quality service writing focuses on the customer – not the car
Talking is exhausting,” Maylan Newton says, with a sigh. “But that’s the same problem service writers have.”
Selling service is not an easy job, per se. For many customers, the repair work is unexpected and they’re likely anxious and nervous about the cost. That’s exactly why service advisors need to be confident and act as an educational resource for their customers, Newton says.
Newton has seemingly done it all in the automotive world. His resume includes stints as ASE Master Technician, service writer, service manager, general manager, coach and consultant, and as a temporary service writer in hundreds of repair facilities coast to coast. He’s a preferred instructor in many industry trade groups and organizations, and is currently most known for his company, Educational Seminars Institute (ESI), located in Simi Valley, Calif.
“When I teach service writing, there’s two ways I teach it,” he says. “First, I need to present information. I need to show what the car needs and do it in a proper manner. The second aspect is you have to have fun. It’s a game; it’s like baseball. The better you understand the game, the more wins you have.”
Building a Connection
Here’s how Newton describes the act of service writing:
“You’re on stage; you’re presenting. It’s like a play and involves the same energy level. If you’re not enthusiastic about it and you’re not involved, customers won’t trust you and they won’t buy from you.”
Newton knows that consistent levels of energy and enthusiasm can be hard to muster day in and day out. He says that one problem in service writing is that many advisors don’t think of it that way and get off on the wrong foot immediately. People are in the shop due to a crisis; it’s the service writer’s job first and foremost to listen to them, and then to foster a solution-oriented conversation.
He says to remember that it’s really not about the car—it’s about the driver and the family, the life in which the vehicle operates. It’s merely a vessel for the customer, but it’s one they spend time in and rely on to go about their daily lives.
“They brought the car to you because they need you,” he says.
“If you decide not to inspect it and not to talk about it, you’ve done a disservice to the customer. Inspect the car but respect the relationship. Inform them of the main priorities and what needs to be done within their budget; that’s how you build a relationship.”
Newton knows that many drivers take their cars for granted and believe they’re cheap to repair.
“As an industry, we’ve done a poor job explaining the complication of the repair. Customers come in, they don’t value what we do, we tell them it’s easy, and we don’t build value when we sell it,” he says. “When you buy a brake job, what are you buying? You’re buying a car that stops. As an average consumer, do you care about the details of the repair? No—you don’t know about the finish on the bearings and the quality of the brake pads.
“We get that backward,” Newton adds. “Service writers can’t just think, ‘I’m here to sell.’ Customers won’t say no when they see you’re looking out for their best interests. And if they don’t say yes today, they may tomorrow.”
Failure is Not an Option
Newton still spends roughly two weeks per year in a shop as a service advisor to keep his skills sharp and a finger on the pulse of the market. The cars are more sophisticated, the problems within more complicated and customers ever more wary in an Amazon world and market that caters to instant gratification and quick—and often thoughtless—reviews of a product or service.
“Trust starts at the service counter,” Newton says.
“If customers call and the advisor is grumpy, the game is already over. The client has had a bad experience, trust isn’t built and you’ve lost a customer. And now they’re going to review you on Google or Yelp and tell you (and everyone else) about it.
“If we don’t do our job at the service counter, we’ve failed them. When they can’t take their kids to school and get to work, we’re compounding their problems. Our job is to tell them what it takes to have safe, reliable transportation.”
Maylan Newton’s 3 Service Advisor Secrets
You have to enjoy what you do. Dealing with people is difficult, but you have to smile and have a personality that says I’m interested.
Become a student of the job. Keep learning, keep your eyes open. Books such as Selling the Invisible, Extreme Ownership, and How to Win Friends and Influence People can be useful. You have to learn something new every day. Every customer tells you something through tone, speech, body language.
You’re not selling anything. You’re presenting a solution to their transportation problems.