The recipe for a better adviser-technician relationship: Heaping spoonfuls of communication

“As an adviser, I was totally dependent upon my technicians for providing me the information and a good enough story to sell repairs to the customer. I heard the word alternator, but I didn’t understand what it did. I was always going back into the shop and bugging the technicians saying, ‘Can you explain this to me?’ I don’t think advisers give enough credit to the technicians to go back and ask questions. They’re definitely willing to explain it and provide the information, and so you [should be] a good steward of their time providing them good write-ups and detailed information so that they can do their job quickly and be productive. It’s just a matter of communication — being willing to get into other conversations, not just business all the time. You’ve got to know if they got a kid. You’ve got to know if they’re married. You’ve got to know what’s going on with them and what makes them happy and engaged. Just like as a manager, I’ve got to know what’s going on with my advisers so I can communicate and press the right button as far as what’s keeping them from reaching their potential. Communication, communication, communication is the thing; customers hate [when there’s] a lack [of communication]. And it’s what can kill a [service] drive and kill a shop.”