Ramp Service Agent
Resume:
Charlie Gates
Staunton, Va. 24401
Are you receiving excellent results from your fixed operations management system? Are your customers’ vehicles receiving correct maintenance services during their visits? Are you retaining at least 60% of your new and used vehicles for their service needs? These processes are designed to achieve these results.
I would like to say that I have all the answers, but I don’t. My experience has proven to me that a dedicated set of procedures/processes will ensure that the goals and objectives that we all want to achieve will happen; for lack of a better term I will refer to these procedures as The Service Management System.
The System has four major goals:
To maintain customer satisfaction.
To generate a reasonable operating profit.
To increase the dealer’s service market penetration.
And above all, to support new and used vehicle sales.
I believe it is the customers’ service experience that makes the difference between customer loyalty and repeat sales. No other department in the dealership has as much influence on customer satisfaction as the service department – because it’s the service department that the customer sees month in, month out, during ownership of their vehicle.
The Service Management System is an organized approach to running the service department – which is an extremely complex part of the dealership’s overall business.
Three levels of management functions are covered:
1.The first level addresses how your customers’ are handled – and how the work gets done. At this level we are concerned with giving customers appointments, scheduling and dispatching the work to proper technicians, quality control, etc. – right through to proper follow procedures. Procedures for nine different activities are covered; these nine elements are referred to as the “ Basic System”.
2.In order for the system to work smoothly, management must provide a variety of supports. For example, there must be enough properly trained people in the department; There must be enough tools and equipment for the people to work with; There must be good communication with the parts department and with other functions in the dealership; there must be operating policies and procedures for activities like up-selling procedures, service promotions, financial management, and daily checklists for advisors and managers.
3.And above all, there are two overall management functions, which are essential if all the other elements are to work together smoothly – Planning, and Controls.
Dealerships which have successfully implemented the “Basic System” have in place what they need to keep their service operations running smoothly, through more efficient/effective customer handling, work flow management, productivity, and personnel management.
Over the years the “Basic System” has continually been updated, to take advantage of the newest ideas and the most successful management methods being used in our industry.
Nobody questions the need for every major department in the dealership to be profitable – the dealership is in business to make a reasonable profit, and every department should be expected to contribute. But what is a reasonable profit in the service department? The following financial guides are the goals of the “Basic System”.
A net profit of 20% to 25% to total sales.
Average customer- pay labor sales of 2.0 to 2.2 hours per repair order.
Labor gross (minimum) retention to be maintained @ 70% to 72% levels – in all labor sales accounts.
Work in process never to exceed 10% of current month’s total sales.
Warranty receivables never to exceed 30 days – preferred is no warranty receivables over 10 days old.
Effective labor rates to be maintained at never less than 5% of our posted rates.
Not having any open repair orders over 10 Days old – preferred is 7 days.
70% of all labor sales are customer pay labor sales.
Parts sales to labor sales maintained at .80 cents to each $1.00 of labor sales.
Service absorption maintained at 80% to 85% levels.
Preventive maintenance sales are 70% bundles of service sales.
95% of parts sales (Customer Pay) come from stocking levels – not from an outside source.
No customer-pay receivables. On an approved service account, no customer-pay receivables over 35 days.
Not having any special ordered parts over 15 days old still on the parts shelves.
As in any business, dealership department managers who make a reasonable profit tend to get more respect – and more flexibility of operation – than managers who are less effective in achieving financial goals. They are running a business – not just administering the “Back End”.
Finally, a profitable service department can afford to do the various things that are essential to provide service satisfaction to your customers – everything from hiring enough good people and training them properly, to the installation of technology to increase the efficiency and quality of the work.
I have enclosed processes that will give you a brief snapshot of the “Basic System’s” operating elements. I place heavy emphasis on the appointment and scheduling elements as these procedures can have an extremely positive effect on our daily operations, or an extremely negative effect.
I have also enclosed policies and procedures endorsed by N.A.D.A, which were developed during my tenure with the association, and updates which reflect these policies and procedures.
I hope this information will provide you with a glimpse of what I offer your service management staff. My experience has shown me that we usually have good people in the service department, but are lacking a dedicated service operating system of management.
The service management system is not a “cookie cutter” approach to daily duties, but can be customized to fit your personnel, and the personality of your zip code.
Any questions you may have, or if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Thank You,
Charlie Gates
Work History
From: March 1994
To: Present
I conduct my own individual consulting business in the Service Management (Fixed Operations) arena.
My strengths are in understanding the relationships between our customers and us and the best practices that company employees use to exceed their needs.
My methods are centered on the best practices that the service staffs use to conduct their daily duties. Processes are very detailed in the scheduling, reception, work distribution, work performance, quality control, invoicing, delivery duties, and the collection of payment segments. Within each segment, personnel are trained in the “How to do it” process with standards established, priorities established, and variables built in, to handle all of the issues that occur every day in the service department.
I’m a firm believer in monitoring each staff’s member daily results. Minimum standards of repair order accuracy – Is the repair order – clear – concise-and complete? Is the monetary value of the repair order meeting our established goals? Are we offering maintenance packages at appropriate mileage intervals? Are we achieving a 70% closing average on our suggested recommendations? Do we follow up within 48 hours on all declined work?
In addition, daily hours of production are addressed per technician, daily fill rates from the parts department are monitored, and fixed right/serviced right the first time is the guiding theme on all transactions with customers.
From: September 1981
To: March 1994
N.A.D.A. Based In McLean, VA.
1. Served as a Service Management Consultant
a. Was sent to Dealerships to evaluate Operations and to set up Management Programs to achieve goals of Revenue – Customer Satisfaction – and Employee Satisfaction
b. I was promoted to Senior Service Consultant; I worked with factories to set up Policies and Procedural Manuals – I conducted workshops at conventions – and maintained my client base.
From: February 1968
To: September 1981
Dave Pyle’s Pontiac – Oldsmobile – Marlow Heights, Md.
Dave Pyle’s Lincoln – Mercury – Annandale, VA.
1.Served as a Service Advisor
2.Served as a Customer Relation Manager
3.Served as a Service Lane Manager
4.Served as a Service Manager
From: January 1964
To: January 1968
1.Served in U.S Army – 101st Airborne Division
2.Entered as an E-1; Honorable Discharge as E-5
From: July 1959
T0: January 1966
American Airlines @ National Airport
1.Ramp Service Agent
a.Handled passenger luggage
b.Handled Air Freight Shipments and Tariffs and Tracking
c.Handled Post Office and Railway Express Shipments
d.After two years served as a Line Foreman
2.Passenger Service Agent
a.Worked on Ticket Counter issuing Tickets and all related
passenger activities
b.After one year was promoted to Passenger Service Manager
3.Ticket Lift & Operations Agent
a.Handled boarding of passengers and related duties
b.Handled Flight Plans, Weight & Balance Charts
c. Handled misconnected passengers- Denied boarding passengers
References
Mr. William Kindle-Owner
Mr. Dave Sharp-GM
@Kindle Auto Plaza
525 Stone Harbor Bvld.
Cape May Courthouse, NJ. 08210
Mr. Lee Peterson-Owner
Mr. Rory McViey-GM
@Lee Peterson Motors
410 South First Street
Yakima, Wa. 98901
Mr. John Hubler
@ Hubler Nissan
Greenwood, In.
Mr. Paul O’Baugh
Mr. Greg O’Baugh
@ O’Baugh Ford
Staunton, Va. 22401
Mr. Donald Latham-Owner
Mr. Mitch Bowden-SM
@ Parkway Volvo-Subaru 5920 Market Street
Wilmington, Nc. 28405
Mr. Dale Willy
Willy Buick
1-800-252-NADA
Mr. Robbie Franklin-Owner
Mr. Dan Cook-GM
@ Franklin Toyota/ Chevrolet/Cadillac
400 Northside Drive Statesboro, Ga. 30458
Mr. Joe Craig
@ Craig Gmc-Toyota
Madison, In.
Mr. Mark Gorges-Owner
Mr. Dave Eichman-GM
@ Volvo Motor Cars 3211 North Webb Road
Wichita, Ks. 67226
Mr. William Hasley
Huffman Acura
Lousiville, Ky
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