5 Keys to Leveraging Your Service Department to Prime

BDR Trainer and Sr. Service Coach Jennifer Shooshanian conducted a session about leveraging your service department to Prime at this year’s ServiceTitan Pantheon User Conference. Your service department holds the key to your business’s profit center and should yield the highest gross margin in the company. No gimmicks are needed to achieve Prime results, just a focus on key foundational principles.

Let’s review the 5 Keys to Leveraging Your Service Department to Prime that Jennifer discussed in her session:

1. Implement a flat rate (with proper management)
2. Offer accessories complimented with a spiff program
3. Coach technicians on how to avoid common billing omissions
4. Create a procedure for system diagnostic, not “symptom diagnostic”

Billed Hours

Here’s where we can really get into the nitty-gritty of the operations to make some major improvements! Efficient and effective use of your technicians’ time is imperative.

1. Embrace flat rate
2. Become a “billing detective”
3. Reduce callbacks with system diagnostics
4. Provide dispatchers with proper training
5. Implement a truck stock strategy

Drive Time

Reducing drive time between calls can make a huge difference. Savings of as little as 10 minutes per call can generate an extra $92,400 in revenue per technician.

1. Train your dispatch team on technician zoning, efficient call routing, and dispatching one call at a time
2. Implement real-time GPS
3. Schedule lunches and breaks

Maintenance Agreements

A strong maintenance agreement program can provide steady income and work all year round.

1. Create a company-wide culture
2. Provide training for all team members
3. Price agreements profitably
4. Have a strong spiff program
5. Offer tiered maintenance

Revenue Per Truck

Implementing the first four keys will increase your revenue per truck as well, but don’t stop there.

1. Offer accessories at every opportunity
2. Eliminate missed billing
3. Improve dispatch efficiencies
4. Drive call count with maintenance sales
5. Price all services at a profit
6. Capture opportunities for system diagnostics

Leveraging your service department to Prime may seem overwhelming, but by implementing these five keys, you’re well on your way.

Not sure where to start?

BDR offers training to help get your team on track. Our Service Dispatch University workshop can help train your dispatchers on the most efficient dispatching practices to help your team get to more calls and generate more revenue. Our Top Gun Technician Excellence training class can improve your technicians’ customer communication skills, sales leads, and referral generation through a defined service delivery procedure.

Want to know more about BDR training classes and workshops? Visit https://www.bdrco.com/upcoming-bdr-events or contact our BDR University Advisor, Angie Swartz, for details.