Who influences more sales in your workshop?
Your best technician? Or the person talking to every customer?
It's an interesting question.
Most workshop owners invest heavily in developing technicians. Better diagnostics, new equipment, technical training.
All are important to any workshop.
But what about the person who greets every customer, explains every repair, answers every objection and presents every estimate?
If that role isn't performing at its best, your workshop is probably leaving profit on the table.
Before a technician touches a vehicle, your Service Advisor has already started shaping the customer's experience.
They're building confidence from the first conversation. They're setting expectations. They're establishing trust.
And they're creating the first impression of your business.
A great Service Advisor doesn't "sell", they help customers make informed decisions.
The takeaway - The quality of the customer conversation often determines the quality of the repair approval.
Think about the last time you approved an expensive repair on something you own. What convinced you? It probably wasn't the quote. It was the confidence of the person explaining it.
Customers want to understand:
When those questions are answered well, price becomes just one part of the decision.
When a customer says, "I'll think about it", it's easy to assume the price was too high. Sometimes that's true. Often it isn't. It might be because:
That's not a pricing issue, that's a communication opportunity.
One of the biggest frustrations for technicians is interruption
Stopping halfway through a diagnosis to answer questions.
Repeating information.
Waiting for customer approval.
Chasing updates.
It's also not what you as a business owner, are paying them to do!
A skilled Service Advisor protects productive workshop time by:
The result? Technicians spend more time repairing vehicles and less time leaving the workshop floor. And, your customers have a consistent point of contact, leading to a better customer experience.
The takeaway - A great Service Advisor improves productivity across the entire business, not just at the front counter.
Many workshops invest heavily in technical training but very little in developing customer facing skills. Yet the Service Advisor influences almost every job booked. Consider developing skills in:
Like any role, confidence grows with practice and training.
The answers often reveal just how valuable this role has become.
Repco Authorised Service has long recognised that exceptional customer experiences starts well before the vehicle enters the workshop. That's why the program continues to invest in developing Service Advisors through initiatives including:
These programs aren't about teaching people to "sell", they're about giving Service Advisors the confidence and skills to guide customers through what can often be an unfamiliar and stressful experience.
For many member workshops, investing in this role has improved customer satisfaction, increased repair approvals and created a smoother, more productive, profitable workshop.
Your Service Advisor is often the first person customers meet and the last person they thank.
Investing in that role is one of the smartest investments you can make in your business.
If you're looking for practical ways to strengthen customer experience, improve workshop performance and develop your team, discover how Repco Authorised Service supports independently owned workshops across Australia here.