February 9th, 2010 by

Mechanics and service technicians who want to get to the next level in their career should consider automotive service manager training. Of course, there are several skills that are learned on the job while servicing cars. But there are different skills necessary to be a good manager and a training program can help with this.

Some innate qualities are necessary to do well in a management position. Among them are having leadership ability, being well organized, being able to multi-task and being proficient in computers and math. If this sounds like you, management training will help you make the most of these qualities.

You learn a lot about servicing automobiles when you are employed as a mechanic. It is the business side of auto servicing that you will learn in a manager training program. In this capacity, you are the liaison between service personnel, parts vendors and customers. For each part you need to play, there are things you need to learn.

Of course, dealing with customers is one of the most important parts of this job. The service job starts with taking appointments and writing up the customer service orders. When there are problems, you need to be able to deal with them calmly and find a solution that is acceptable to all parties.

Employee management is also important. You have to learn how to discipline as well as how to motivate. You may have difficult employees and these need to be handled properly. Before you became a manager, your staff may have been your workmates, making the job that much more difficult. Managers need to be able to have good relationships with the employees but also have their respect.

Training on inventory management will also be part of your course load. Inventory tracking is of vital importance, especially knowing when to order additional parts. You will also need to troubleshoot and problem solve. For example, if you are having a problem with the parts, it will be your job to resolve this with your vendor.

Accounting also cannot be avoided and will be part of your automotive service manager jobs. In larger dealerships, there will be a separate accounting department. Even so, you need to know how the accounting in the service department works with the rest of the company and be responsible for your part.

Marketing is also an area that will be covered, even though larger businesses will have separate marketing staff. However, the sales department has a huge effect on the marketing effort that you need to understand. For example, if the service department has a poor reputation, it is going to be hard to market it.

The bottom line is, to progress in your automotive servicing career, you will need some basic management skills. Next, by going through a course in service manager, you will further demonstrate and build upon those skills. By showing the motivation and ability for management and investing in the training, you are more likely to be offered a position.