I was 32 years old when I was promoted to General Manager of a Ford Dealership. I remember the fear and excitement I felt the first day I drove up to the building and parked my car in the parking lot.

I was told the “Customer Service Surveys and Scores” were not very good and we were losing our customer base. I knew that if you have customer service issues in a business, you either have people problems, process problems or both. Fortunately, we simply had process problems. Within a few months, our store was in the top quartile of our territory in regard to customer service feedback and scores. And as our customer service improved, so did profitability in the service department.

Research shows that if a customer does regular business with your service department, they are 86 percent more likely to become a repeat customer in the future.

If you want to be a Service Manager and Leader, register for the Service Management track in NADA’s new Professional Series. This program will provide the expertise and training needed to fill the skill gaps and develop your ideal career path.

You’ll learn to navigate and calculate financial and personnel metrics needed to successfully run your department. Using the DISC Model, we will identify your leadership style and learn how to capitalize on those leadership strengths to hire and develop a strong team. There are only 6 classes available for this Professional Series: Service Manager and Leadership Class in 2018. Sign up today to ensure you have the skills to gain instant success as a leading Service Manager.