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Course I: ASMs in the
Service Process
This course is an overview of the 7-step
service process.Through activity-based,
small-group role-plays, ASMs interact
throughout the day and practice these
skills:
[1] Writing repair orders that
meet the needs of the customer
and technician
[2] Managing multiple customers
[3] Explaining repairs and their cost
to the customer,ensuring the
customer clearly understands the
service provided
[4] Communicating effectively with
customers and internal team
members
“Developed after a compre-
hensive assessment, these
courses were done to find out
exactly where an educational
course could assist ASMs in
improving their job perform-
ance,” continues Whitson. “We
reviewed the results of a sur-
vey conducted by an outside
company that showed where
associates felt education
would help them improve
skills. We also considered cus-
tomer feedback obtained
through J.D. Power and
Associates. For
example, cus-
tomers stressed
the need for more
detailed explana-
tions about the
work that needed
to be done on
their vehicle as
well as a more
efficient vehicle
delivery process.
“Additionally,” says Whitson,
“we conducted focus groups
with Toyota technicians, the
primary users of repair orders,
to learn more about what they
needed from ASMs in order to
repair the vehicle right the first
time. All of this information
helped the Curricula
Development group create
these three targeted courses.”
Perhaps the most dramatic
insights, however, came
straight from the ASMs who
have already attended the first
course in the series, “ASMs in
the Service Process.”
“It was one of the best
courses I’ve ever attended,”
says Rick Freeman, ASM at
Adams Toyota in Kansas City,
Missouri. “It wasn’t just a day
of sitting and lis-
tening. Instead, it
was fast-moving
and interactive. As
an ASM you move
around all the
time, so it doesn’t
suit us to just sit
in a classroom all
day. Plus, our facil-
itator was previously an ASM,
so he knew what it was like to
be in our shoes.
“After many years of doing
the same thing, you tend to
make automatic
assumptions
about what a cus-
tomer is trying to
say,” continues
Freeman. “So the
role-playing in
this course was a
great wake-up call
to take a step back
and really listen to
what the customer
wants and needs from you.”
Throughout the day, class
participants took turns playing
the ASM and the customer, at
times taking a somewhat
fiendish enjoyment in with-
holding informa-
tion about “their
vehicle” until
asked specifically
by the ASM. “That
really made us
think about the
details from the
customer’s point
of view,” says
Zorrie Cope, ASM
at Eddy’s Toyota
in Wichita, Kansas. “And it
definitely gave me a broader
perspective of my role, while
reinforcing all the basics you
can lose sight of
during the course
of a day.”
Does that mean
“ASMs in the
Service Process” is
too basic to be
worthwhile for an
experienced ASM?
“Unequivocally
not,” says Mike Goldenberg,
ASM at Reliable Toyota in
Springfield, Missouri. “I’ve
been here for three years and
found the class an eye-opener
that inspires you to see the
customer’s side of the whole
process. Regardless of tenure,
you gain a completely new
perspective on communicating
with your customers as well
as the rest of the dealership
team. It’s an awesome course
that I recommend for every
ASM and I’m looking forward
to attending the next two in
the series.”
With more customer contact
than any other dealership
position, ASMs need special-
ized tools to communicate
more effectively, ensure
customer satisfaction,
enhance sales
and maximize
their time
throughout
the day. The
University of
Toyota has
created this
exciting new
series of courses
to ensure every
ASM is well-
equipped to enjoy the
rewards of long-term customer
relationships and lifelong
learning.
>
continued from page 11
New ASM Courses at a Glance
To provide maximum flexibility in scheduling, each of the following three new courses has been designed for independent delivery,none assuming
the others as prerequisites.For more information, check with your District Service and Parts Manager or regional office.
Course II: Managing
your Workday
This course focuses on the ASM’s time-
related challenges.It offers unique
hands-on, group decision-making activi-
ties which parallel the daily time man-
agement challenges of the ASM at each
step in the service process, such as:
[1] Tracking appointments and vehi-
cle status throughout the day
using a production schedule
[2] Pre-planning and prioritizing
each day’s activities at the end of
the previous workday
[3] Dispatching work based on latest
start time
[4] Monitoring work in progress in
order to secure customer authori-
zations and meet promise times
Course III: Customer Focused
Service Sales
This course focuses on selling in a con-
sultative way to help meet the needs of
the individual customer and increase
sales.The students will participate in a
variety of role-play activities and prac-
tice customer-focused selling skills by:
[1] Identifying appropriate sales
opportunities at each stage in
the service process
[2] Using the LACE communication
technique to understand cus-
tomer needs
[3] Learning to effectively use the
Toyota maintenance schedule,
dealer service menus and vehicle
history files to identify mainte-
nance needs
[4] Following up after service to en-
sure customer satisfaction while
also reminding customers of
maintenance recommendations
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