Where do you find your fixed ops recruits? If you’re raiding other dealers, that could be a BIG mistake. First, because by competing you’re driving up compensation, and second, you’re hiring other people’s bad habits. That’s why it makes sense to take a look at Green Peas.

It’s Green, Green They Say
Why would you want to hire service advisors who are used to writing 1.1 HPRO? Because chances are, if you are hiring from another dealership, that’s all you’re going to get … and because you are competing with their existing dealership, you are paying more to get them. It makes no sense.

You can get people who will become top producers by thinking out of the box. Here’s an idea —Have you ever been to Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse or how about Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse? When you were seated at your table, were you presented a menu? Of course, you were. Did you have to ask for one? Of course not.  It is not an option to receive or not receive a menu. It is company policy that every customer gets a menu at these restaurants.

A Talent Buffet
To find a motivated service advisor recruit, you can drive down to your local restaurant for lunch and seek out the best food servers. Tell them about all of your fringe benefits: no nights, few weekends, health insurance, paid vacations and earnings potential of $40,000 to $50,000 a year. They will be more than happy to present menus to 100 percent of your customers all day long since that is exactly what they are already doing.

When you hire people with this type of work experience, and who have good customer-facing communication and selling skills, yet with no automotive experience, the sky is the limit! Train them on your menu and pay them using advisor pay plans that are fair to you and motivate them. Chances are, even your basic compensation program will be highly motivational for them, especially when you add in the benefits …

• Paid Health Insurance
• 401(k)
• No Sundays
• No Nights
• Company-paid Training Programs
• Professional Work Environment
• Terrific Bonus Plans

They’re experienced in presenting 100 percent of their customers with menus 100 percent of the time. This process was not an option, it was a rule, and is now their habit. This rule simply means that every customer is given the opportunity to make choices. That’s plural not singular.

The Best Service
Serving your customers builds CSI. Maintenance choices are made based on the customer’s perception of likes and dislikes, value, price and benefits. Are the food servers high-pressure, forceful salespeople? Do they offend you by offering multiple menus that allow you to make choices based on your individual wants and needs? Do they refuse to offer you a wine menu because they don’t think you can afford a $50 bottle of wine? Do they ignore the dessert menu presentation because they think you “look” like someone who doesn’t buy dessert? The answer is obviously no. They don’t make judgments before giving their customers choices.

When it comes to presenting menus in the service drive, however, your average service advisors make judgments all day long. They make choices for the customer, locking you out of the potential for increased service sales, and failing to train the customer on proper and recommended maintenance choices.

Ho! Ho! Ho! The Answer
If you suffer from high service advisor turnover and lackluster performance, don’t hire replacements from other dealerships. Instead, hire and train Green Peas. You’ll benefit from:

• Increased motivation
• Better customer communication
• More sales per RO
• Improved CSI
• Higher Service Gross Profits

We know this works. We’ve helped hundreds of dealers build and train their fixed ops teams and generate record service gross profits along the way.  Each of our top 100 dealers increased their service gross profits by $300,000 or more year over year.

In fact, our dealers are generating more than $300 million in added service gross profits — many with a number of green peas on their staffs. Our top dealer generated nearly $1 million added profits in his first year.

If you need to hire additional service advisors or replace underachievers, think outside the box. Consider Green Peas.

This is an opportunity right around the corner. Go get it.