AutoFix AdvisorCast

Michael Doherty [00:00:00]:
This is the autofix Advisor Cast powered by Worldpac. Hey, service Advisor nation. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Auto Fix Advisor Cast with your host, Michael Dougherty. Hopefully everybody had a great Labor Day. Hopefully your shop was closed on Labor Day. If not, then I hope you had a good day anyways. But I know most of the shops are closed or closed on Labor Day, so hopefully you got that time to spend with your family or unwind or do whatever you did. But in any event, thank you for tuning in.

Michael Doherty [00:00:43]:
And today I wanted to talk to you about something I thought was pretty important along the, you know, the, I'll call it mindset for service advisors. So now let me ask you guys and Gail something. So you know, when you walk into the shop each morning, are you there just to make it through another day or are you there to make a difference? And hopefully your answer is make a difference. Because here's the truth. You know, you are made for more than just making a living. You are made for making a difference. And in particular, in the role of a service advisor, the ripple effect of your work goes way beyond the repair order just in front of you. So again, talking about that a little bit more, I guess number one would be, you know, the difference, right? The, the mindset behind that.

Michael Doherty [00:01:39]:
And there's actually a quote by Michelle Obama. It says, success is not about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives. So I really feel like as a top tier service advisor, that's what we want to do for our customers, our clients.

Michael Doherty [00:01:58]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:01:58]:
Again, we're building and maintaining client relationships. So again, that quote, success is not about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives.

Michael Doherty [00:02:08]:
So, right.

Michael Doherty [00:02:08]:
Being a service advisor isn't just about transactions, it's about transformations. Every customer is trusting you with their safety, their vehicle's reliability and their hard earned money. And when you shift from as a service advisor, I need to get through that call and get through those tickets today to I'm here to serve, I'm here to educate, and I'm here to protect you. Step into a difference maker role.

Michael Doherty [00:02:45]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:02:45]:
So again, extending past just being a service advisor, right? I mean, you're really stepping into what I call a difference maker role. And you know, again, the ripple effect of your work. So think about like this, right? If you've done your job, that mom of three kids that drops off the Honda Odyssey, right. Or the Toyota Sienna, you know, she leaves the shop confident that her van won't break down on the highway with her kids. You know, the business owner that has maybe a fleet of vehicles that needs to keep them up and running to keep his business going and to keep his employees working to take care of their families. See what I'm saying here? Like it extends past just being a service advisor. I mean, you're really, again, you know, you're, you're in a difference maker role, you're helping others. And again, you know, you're here.

Michael Doherty [00:03:44]:
We're here to serve, we're here to educate, we're here to protect. And protect means protect their vehicle.

Michael Doherty [00:03:50]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:03:52]:
I've mentioned it in the past, but sometimes we have to have those hard conversations with clients. And you know, it starts with, you know, what we do for our client is, you know, always going to be best for them. And what's always best for them 9 times out of 10 is outside of their comfort zone. So we got to have those hard conversations sometimes as service advisors with clients and really, you know, break it down past the point of mechanical to them and let them know the really urgency and importance of getting some of these things done. Because it is their vehicle, it is their safety.

Michael Doherty [00:04:33]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:04:34]:
And how do we convey that? We want to convey that in a way that they're going to understand it. But again, we always do what's right for our clients. What's doing right for our clients is typically outside of their comfort zone. And clients will fight like hell to stay in their comfort zone. I don't disagree with any of those things, and hopefully you won't either. But you know, we're again building and maintaining client relationships. And you know, there's a quote that I saw not too long ago, it's by a person named Viktor Frankel and it says, life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose. Again, life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.

Michael Doherty [00:05:24]:
So again, what's our purpose? What's our meaning? Why are we there? Yeah, we want to take care of our families, our own personal families. Right? We're in a job, we want to make income so that we can take care of our families. And what's the best way to do that is take care of other people and take care of their families. If you focus on that and think about that, as long as you're always looking out for them, the money's going to be there. It's just how it goes. It's the way the universe intended it to be. So you Know, think about that again. You know, if you're there just for the paycheck and you're just kind of passing through the time and you're looking at your, you're looking at your watch and you're looking at the clock on the wall, man, I gotta be here another two, three, four, five hours maybe it's not the job you want to be in, you know, and you need to make that decision.

Michael Doherty [00:06:13]:
You got to look in the mirror, have that hard conversation with yourself. Do I really want to do this or do I just. I'm just not feeling it, I don't think I want to do it or. You may be in the right. You might be, you might be in the right place, meaning like in your heart, like in your head, but the place that you're at isn't really the best place for you to be. And you know, if you really like being a service advisor, but you don't think you're in the right environment to okay to look around, it's okay to see what else is out there for you and you know, be part of a team that's a winning team. It's very important. Elevating the everyday.

Michael Doherty [00:06:49]:
So making a difference does not require hor. Heroic acts. I hear heroic. So making a difference does not require heroic acts. It comes from everyday excellence. Yeah, that's showing up, playing ball, doing the right thing not only for yourself, but for the co workers and your clients. Integrity.

Michael Doherty [00:07:12]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:07:13]:
Greeting every caller with genuine warmth. Yeah, absolutely. You know, if you pick up that phone and you're just going through the motions, they're going to pick up on that. That prospect, that client is going to pick up on that. And that's what they're hearing from every other place that they call. We gotta change that when that phone rings. You gotta shift your mindset before you even pick up that phone to shift your mindset. This is a family member.

Michael Doherty [00:07:40]:
Think of somebody that you really want to help, that you've helped in the past. Again, it could be a, A co worker, it could be a friend, it could be a family member. Envision that it's them on the under end of that phone and talk to that person the way you would talk to the person you're thinking of in your head.

Michael Doherty [00:07:56]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:07:56]:
I know it sounds crazy, but it's. Again, you gotta shift your mindset to. Man, this phone won't stop ringing. That's a great problem to have. It really is. And there's places where the phone doesn't ring. They don't have their Marketing in place for their shop, or they've got some not so great Google reviews that they haven't responded to or possibly contested. You know, again, there's a bunch of circumstances, but when that phone rings, man, it's game time.

Michael Doherty [00:08:24]:
Not practice time, it's game time again. That prospect, that client, they are interviewing you, you, because you're picking up that phone, you're answering, you are the face of the business at that moment. And it's, and it's an interview. And you gotta get them in the door, you gotta pull out all the stops, pull out the charm, pull out the smile through the phone. You know, great tonality. Enthusiasm again, mentioned in the past. Specialize. That word is super important.

Michael Doherty [00:08:56]:
I have my check engine lights on. I'm sorry to hear that book. Great news. We specialize in those types of repairs.

Michael Doherty [00:09:02]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:09:03]:
Again, throwing that word specialize out, it makes such a game changer because people aren't used to hearing that and they don't want to keep calling around. That's not the game they want to play. They want someone to tell them, I got you, I'm going to take care of you.

Michael Doherty [00:09:16]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:09:17]:
Greeting, actually, we want to regret. So educating instead of pressuring. Huge.

Michael Doherty [00:09:22]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:09:23]:
Educating instead of pressuring. Educating the client on what's going on with their vehicle and breaking it down in a format that they're going to understand instead of pressuring them. Oh, man, you know, I gosh, if you pick up this car today, I don't think your brakes are going to make it. You know, I mean, you can do what you want to do with your car, but, you know, I just, I, I wouldn't do that. I mean, you know, don't pressure them. Educate them on why it's important. Again, the why behind your recommendation will go a long way. And following up because you care, not just because you have to.

Michael Doherty [00:09:57]:
You know, these little actions compound into massive trust, loyalty and impact for those clients or those prospects right before they become a client. Because I think, you know, I'd like to think that when that phone rings, whether they haven't been in before or if they've been in 10 or 10 or 20 times, it's a client.

Michael Doherty [00:10:16]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:10:17]:
Again, we want to already act like we're doing business with them. So get in that mindset too.

Michael Doherty [00:10:20]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:10:21]:
We're already doing business with them. That's how we want to talk to them. But again, elevating the everyday and also, you know, challenges, you know, for advisors. Right. I mean, don't settle for, you know, I hate to say It. But being an order taker, it's not what we do. It's not what we're there for. You know, step up as the trusted advisor that you are who makes people feel safe, confident and cared for.

Michael Doherty [00:10:46]:
I'll repeat that again. Step up as the trusted advisor that you are who helps people feel safe, confident and cared for. That's what we do, right? That's what we do as a service advisor. And, you know, that's the difference between, I think, you know, kind of just making a living and making a difference. So the late Steve Jobs has said, your work is going to fill a large part of your life. And the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. Again, maybe you hit a rut.

Michael Doherty [00:11:30]:
Maybe you had a bad week, maybe you had a couple bad weeks, maybe you had a bad month. Doesn't necessarily mean that you can't get out of the rut. But if you're focusing on the negatives and maybe pointing fingers, this wasn't my fault. That wasn't my fault. I'm not calling you out. I'm not. I'm just saying it's happened to me before. But you are in control of your attitude.

Michael Doherty [00:11:56]:
And if you've got a downtrodden attitude, it's going to permeate. You're going to get even more bad weeks to come of things like that because you're focusing on the bad instead of maybe the lesson that maybe why it was a bad week. There's always a lesson in there somewhere. Good, bad or ugly, there's a lesson and chances are it's going to repeat itself until you pull a lesson out of it and understand what that was or is and think about it that way. But again, you know, the late Steve Jobs said your work is going to fill a large part of your life. And the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. That is a perfect quote, I think in general for any industry but automotive especially, and service advisors, right? So again, it's okay if you didn't have a bad week, couple bad weeks, things can and will turn around.

Michael Doherty [00:12:59]:
But instead of looking at outside things to make that change, you've got to look in again, look at the mirror self. Talk is so important in this role. It really is because it's easy to get beat up. Again, we're a liaison, right? We're Concierge, between the client and the technician, sometimes the parts department and the extended warranty company. We get it from all angles. We really do. But again, you've got to plant the seed in your mind. You're going to get through it.

Michael Doherty [00:13:36]:
Tomorrow's another day. Things will change. I know they're going to change. And you got to have that mindset also speaking to your service advisors out there, right? So growth, growth through service. You know, when we commit to making a difference, we grow just as much as the customers benefit. And it's so true. I mean, you know, again, in. In my tenure of being a service advisor for, you know, realistically, a little over 20 years, 22 years, you know, what that role made me.

Michael Doherty [00:14:14]:
And for things to come in my life, the position I'm in now, where I work, how I operate myself, motivational, you know, when I. What I bring to the team, what I bring to the table, how I can help on a daily basis, you know, going through all those, we'll call them, trials and tribulations as a service advisor, you know, in the automotive industry, and I'm still in the automotive industry. I do independent marketing for. All right, sorry. I do marketing for independent automotive shops, and I probably speak to maybe 20 or 30 shops nationally every month. And it's just, you know, we all have the same problems, believe it or not, in the front end, in the back of the shop. And no, I'm not going to just say they're all easy fixes. But again, if you're focusing on the negative, if you're just thinking about the negative and carrying that from day to day and then say, you know, day one something negative happens, and then day two, something negative happens is day three something negative happens.

Michael Doherty [00:15:19]:
I mean, it's just compounding. You've got to break that cycle. Seriously. I mean, if you have to take a day off.

Michael Doherty [00:15:27]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:15:28]:
Personal, you know, mental health day. Yeah, it should exist on the employment calendar.

Michael Doherty [00:15:33]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:15:33]:
Mental health day. Hey, I can't. I can't do this another day. I can't be involved in this, this week anymore. You know, I need a clean slate. I gotta get my mind right.

Michael Doherty [00:15:42]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:15:42]:
And especially as this role is so important because again, we're interfacing with clients and we're the face of the business. We all deserve some mental health days. I'm not saying abuse those just to use them. But again, you know, it's not really a sick day. You know, we're not calling in sick. We're not using a vacation day. You know, it's it's a mental health day. And I think employers should recognize that for service advisors and, you know, build some of those into your payment plans or your compensation packages.

Michael Doherty [00:16:12]:
You know, every quarter, you know, you're allowed up to two mental health days off if you need them, and they're paid days.

Michael Doherty [00:16:20]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:16:20]:
We go through a lot. We really do. But again, you know, committing, committing and making the difference. And again, what, what, what you transform into while taking care of people, it's, it's, it's marvelous, right? We sharpen our communication, our empathy, our leadership. Yeah, absolutely. It is a leadership role, if you think about it. You know, don't let anybody tell you that it's not a leadership position. It definitely is.

Michael Doherty [00:16:48]:
You're. It's essentially the quarterback position on the football team. It really is. If you think about it and stop seeing the job as just a grind again. If you're treating it as a grind, you're going through the motions, or alarm clock goes off again. I don't know what your routine is, service advisors out there, but painting the picture, right? What's your routine look like? What's the grind? Alarm clock goes off, maybe you get up, maybe you don't. Maybe you get up. You know, you hit the snooze button.

Michael Doherty [00:17:20]:
Another 15 minutes goes by. Now you really get up. You're kind of scrambling. Grab a piece of toast, you burn up the toaster, forget to put butter on it, you're out the door, you're in your car, forget to tie your shoe. I don't know. But you get there and you're just disheveled, I guess is the best way to put it. You're just not really kind of, again, you're going through the motions. It's just the grind instead of seeing it as.

Michael Doherty [00:17:42]:
It's your craft. And every day you can get a little bit better. You know, you're never going to reach full optimization because there's always so many new things. Every day is different. It really is. The only day that it's not different is on the days off where that, you know, you're not there to answer that phone, that you're not there to have those conversations. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. I almost say bad.

Michael Doherty [00:18:04]:
But hard conversations again, with staff or co workers, clients, whatever. But, you know, know, again, look at it. Stop seeing it as a job in your grind, and look at it as your craft, right? And you know, I think that is, you know, the secret sauce, you know, in, you know, it's, it's, it's the Best personal development tool in disguise.

Michael Doherty [00:18:27]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:18:27]:
Again, you know, it's our craft. And you know another quote, I love quotes from Albert Einstein, he says only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. So again, while we're at work, while we're in that service advisor position, yeah, that's our job. We're taking care of others. So again, that quote by Albert Einstein. Right. Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. So again, we're, we're in a serving type position.

Michael Doherty [00:18:57]:
Doesn't mean that we're below somebody. But again, that's what we're doing. We're serving, we're helping, we're educating, being empathetic, we're guiding customers to the right decisions about their vehicles. And that's super important. So pat yourself on the back for that. Service advisors. And also I think there's another element, you know, legacy beyond the counter.

Michael Doherty [00:19:23]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:19:24]:
Again, you know, when I say that, you know, when you walk, customer walks in, usually have a counter there, right? Service advisors on one side, clients on the other. So, you know, you know, think about the long game, right? What do you want to be remembered for in your job?

Michael Doherty [00:19:38]:
Right?

Michael Doherty [00:19:39]:
That's important. Not the invoices or the part numbers or the statistics, but I think important is how you made them feel, right? It makes a difference, right. And knowing that you made that customer feel the way that you would want to feel for that transaction is paramount. That's why they come back. That's why they leave that glowing five star Google review. That's why they refer neighbors, family members and you get more customers and your business builds because you did the right thing and you took care of them.

Michael Doherty [00:20:16]:
Right.

Michael Doherty [00:20:16]:
So again, I call that kind of legacy beyond the counter. It's beyond that transaction that just happened once they leave the door and again, little things like that. But Service Advisor Nation, I really appreciate you. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Autofix Advisor cast. And I wish you good health, actually apologize. Great health, keeping your base full. And hey, it's September, right? Hopefully cooler weather starting everywhere I think in most places. But I know we've spent a heck of a heat wave this summer nationally.

Michael Doherty [00:20:54]:
I know there's still a good bit of AC work going on throughout the, you know, the shops that you know are across the United States right now. But again, I think we're getting into some cooler months and depending on where you live, I'm looking forward to seeing those leaves change colors along with those beautiful sunsets. You know, it just looks so awesome. In the sky. But again, Service Advisor Nation. Thank you so much for tuning in and see you next time. Stay healthy, take care of one another, keep those baseful. All right, bye.

Michael Doherty [00:21:26]:
Hey, thanks for listening to the Autofix Advisor Cast. If you're ready to take your shop to the next level, check out our sponsor WorldPak and the WorldPAC Training Institute WTI. Big thanks to them for their sponsorship. Follow the podcast on social media for more insights and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Oh, and tell your friends we want to help the industry grow and help advisors love their jobs. Again. See you on the next Autofix Advisor Cast.