| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Automobile Dealership |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Workshop Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years as a service advisor or technician |
Service Advisor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Service Advisor
Department: Automobile Dealership
Reports to: Workshop Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Service Advisor is the customer facing point of the workshop. They receive the vehicle, understand the complaint, prepare the estimate, get approvals, keep the customer updated and hand the vehicle back explaining the work done. The role reports to the Workshop Manager. A good service advisor sets clear expectations, wins trust with honest estimates, brings in the right additional work without over selling, keeps the customer informed through the day, and delivers the vehicle on time and clean so the customer comes back and rates the service well.
Key responsibilities
- Receive vehicles at service reception and record the customer complaint and history.
- Inspect the vehicle with the customer and prepare an honest, clear repair estimate.
- Get customer approval for the work and for any additional jobs found during service.
- Open the job card and hand it to the workshop with clear instructions.
- Keep the customer updated on progress, extra work and revised delivery time.
- Recommend genuine additional and value added service without over selling.
- Check the finished job and vehicle cleanliness before delivery.
- Explain the work done and the bill to the customer at delivery.
- Follow up after service and address any concern the customer raises.
- Meet labour revenue and satisfaction targets for the assigned customers.
Requirements
- Diploma in automobile or mechanical engineering
- Manufacturer service advisor training is an advantage
- Good spoken Hindi, English and the local language
- 2 to 5 years as a service advisor or technician
KRAs and KPIs for a Service Advisor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Labour revenue | Labour and service revenue per vehicle above the agreed target |
| Customer satisfaction | Service satisfaction score for assigned customers above benchmark |
| Estimate accuracy | Final bill within the agreed variance of the estimate |
| Additional jobs | Genuine additional job conversion above the agreed level |
| On time delivery | Vehicles delivered by the promised time above the agreed level |
| Follow up | Post service follow up completed for assigned customers |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Dealer management system, Diagnostic scan tools, Estimation software, Tablet or terminal, Billing software.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Workshop Supervisor, Workshop Manager, Service Manager
Interview questions for a Service Advisor
- How do you build trust with a customer while preparing an estimate?
- How do you recommend extra work without seeming to over sell?
- How do you handle a customer whose bill went above the estimate?
- How do you keep a customer updated when a job runs longer than promised?
- How do you balance labour revenue targets with honest advice?
- What do you check before you deliver a vehicle to the customer?
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What does a Service Advisor do?
A Service Advisor is the customer facing point of the workshop. They receive the vehicle, understand the complaint, prepare an estimate, get approvals, keep the customer updated and deliver the vehicle explaining the work done. They recommend genuine additional work, meet labour revenue targets and keep service satisfaction high.
What is the difference between a Service Advisor and an Auto Technician?
An Auto Technician does the actual repair and service work on the vehicle. A Service Advisor handles the customer: reception, estimate, approvals, updates and delivery. The advisor translates between the customer and the workshop, while the technician fixes the vehicle behind the scenes.
What qualifications does a Service Advisor need?
Most roles ask for a diploma in automobile or mechanical engineering, and many advisors start as technicians. Manufacturer service advisor training helps, along with fluent Hindi, English and the local language, since the advisor spends the day explaining work and costs to a range of customers.