Service Appointments – 15 Best Practice Principles

Does your dealership bookings process follow these 15 best-practice guidelines?

  1. Makes allowance for carry-overs, walk-in’s, and tow-ins.
  2. When setting appointments always starts with the current day and works toward future dates. Customers should not wait more than two days for an appointment unless they specifically request to do so.
  3. Appointments are booked according to the workshop available hours, and not by jobs per day.
  4. Determines if the customer will be waiting for the vehicle or will need alternative transportation, and then books the shuttle, courtesy vehicle, or rental vehicle as required.
  5. Staggers appointment times.
  6. Encourages customers with flexible schedules to make appointments during slower periods to reduce customer traffic and allow service advisors to spend more time with the customer.
  7. Prioritises appointments; giving priority to recalls, back order parts, workshop comebacks, and emergencies.
  8. Verifies that the necessary fast-moving parts are in stock (e.g. brake pads, filters, spark plugs, etc.).
  9. Checks availability and the expected arrival date for unusual or low-volume parts that may not be in stock (e.g. trim items) prior to scheduling the appointment.
  10. Contacts all Back Order Parts customers to schedule an appointment immediately when the parts arrive.
  11. Uses vehicle information to identify additional service needs (e.g. Recalls, Service Campaigns, Software Downloads, etc.).
  12. Contacts the customer the day before advance bookings to confirm the appointment
  13. Establishes the reason for a cancelation and tries to reschedule while the customer is still on phone.
  14. When an appointment is rescheduled, immediately enters the appointment change on the system to reflect the new appointment
  15. Calls no-shows within 30 minutes of the scheduled appointment time to reschedule.

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