Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
      USW alleges COVID-19 violations at Kumho plant
    • Stengel promoted to president of NAPA parent Genuine Parts Co.
      Former auto exec Tyrone Jordan joins Cooper board of directors
      Bridgestone crafts virtual city to showcase sustainable-mobility initiatives
      Ford, Hyundai earn 2021 top North American vehicle honors
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      H&H broadens precure OTR business with Continuum mold acquisition
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
    • Gary Price to head Love's Truck Care operations
      TA opens 6th Oregon location, bringing 50 jobs to area
      Love's opens Speedco shops in Ariz., Calif., Ga.
      TIA adds more Spanish language training
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Wireless auto data debate continues
      World rubber demand in 2021 to recover to 2019 levels — IRSG
    • Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Ferentino Tyre opens Sri Lanka plant; eyes exports to U.S., Europe
      Sailun to expand Vietnam plant capacity over three years
    • TGI secures Cosmo-brand naming rights at Fla. race track
      Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg postponed until April
      MotoGP extends Dunlop race tire contract through 2023
      Revived Yokohama Drivers Cup to feature Ferrari, Porsche models
    • Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      The new One: Nokian unveils all-season passenger tire
      Ford, Hyundai earn 2021 top North American vehicle honors
      BKT expanding its ATV/UTV lineup with Sierra Max Pro radials
    • Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      J.D. Power survey: Quick greeting key to customer satisfaction
      Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Marko Ibrahim promoted to president, Bridgestone Retail Operations
    • Point S Canada adds 61 stores to network in 2020
      J.D. Power survey: Quick greeting key to customer satisfaction
      ASE opens registration for upcoming certification testing
      Bolt On, Global Payments aim for easier text payments for auto repairs
    • Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
      AAPEX: Using social media to promote your business
      AAPEX: Road trips trending, commuting on the wane
    • Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
      Latest COVID relief bill includes $325B in small-business support
      AAPEX: Do more cars in the shop mean more profit?
    • Apollo to raise prices of Vredestein brand, effective March 1
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
      Kumho launches commercial LT, performance tire lines
      Michelin completes rigid dump-truck tire lineup
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
    • Video: Demounting
      Demounting Equipment
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
    • Video: Safety
      Making friends with OSHA
      Ergonomics on the shop floor
      Customers
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TMPS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      All types of lifts for all types of work
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
      The gravity of proper lift points
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
May 29, 1995 02:00 AM

SERVICE DIAGNOSIS: FORD REVIEWS DEALERS: UPGRADES OF SHOPS COULD BE IN THE OFFING

Mary Connelly
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    DETROIT-Before it asks its dealers to remake their service departments, Ford Motor Co. believes it should ask itself some basic questions. For example: What message do customers get when they enter a dealership and see a world of glass and chrome in the showroom. . . and a land of cement and cinder block in the service area?

    This year, Ford will probe countless questions like that in an attempt to overhaul parts and service operations at its dealerships. The process differs from previous, scattershot approaches aimed at curing trouble spots.

    Now, Ford says, it is taking a systematic approach to the entire operation, looking at questions such as:

    What is the optimal distance between the service adviser and the cashier and dispatch areas?

    Can the service adviser see all areas where a customer might need help?

    Ford wants to translate answers into dealership designs that promote the best service practices.

    In one model, service write-up areas are showcased in the showroom along with the new-car sales reception area.

    In another, a customer lounge provides a view of a clean, high-tech repair area.

    Ford will spend much of this year studying such issues, said Joe LaFramboise, leader of the repair process development team in Ford's Customer Service Division.

    The company then will take the evidence to its Ford, Mercury and Lincoln dealers and ask them to make changes at their dealerships.

    ``With dealers, we have to present irrefutable evidence,'' Mr. LaFramboise said.

    ``They worry about losing technicians and affecting grosses. We have to show that not only did the process change and customers are happier, but it was done with no loss of business. We are not there yet.''

    The new philosophy says ``return on investment is not the singular focus you need to have,'' he added. ``That drives short-term decisions. We need to convince them that customer focus and long-term focus will result in profits.''

    Ford is taking pains to point out that it is not creating a blueprint for dealers to follow by rote.

    Instead, Mr. LaFramboise said, the new approach asks dealers to examine how the results of the new methodology can best be applied at each store.

    The stakes are high: Parts and service represented more than 50 percent of total dealership profits in 1993, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. And that share has been growing.

    Like other carmakers, Ford is trying to find ways to capture more of the customers who spent a total of $114 billion in the U.S. parts and service aftermarket in 1993.

    Four teams are working on specific areas:

    Customer appointments, write-up and dispatch processes;

    Diagnosis and repair;

    Parts availability; and

    Customer follow-up, delivery and handling.

    The three chief areas of review are facility upgrades, the write-up process and a return to hourly compensation for repairs.

    Ford knows that the writing and process-ing of service orders has a significant effect on twin goals: fixing it right the first time and customer satisfaction.

    So the company's wide-ranging review covers recruitment of service advisers, the skills needed to handle a customer, how the write-up system can improve service diagnosis and how technology can help.

    Ford is reviewing possible use of computer ``prompts'' that would guide the service adviser through the write-up process with a series of questions.

    Similarly, because parts availability is critical to customer satisfaction, Ford is trying to move beyond the current target of same-day parts availability.

    ``Customers don't want same-day availability. They want same-moment availability,'' said Mr. LaFramboise. ``Current reliance on a manufacturer's distribution center won't give you same-moment availability.''

    Ford also is examining how it can better forecast parts demand and share parts inventories among dealers and other local supply sources.

    Ford is handling the review differently than it would have 12 months ago.

    Essentially, the company is trying to move a practice known as ``process engineering'' into its dealerships.

    Many U.S. corporations have invoked the system in recent years. Ford itself is using it in the global reorganization the company began this year.

    In simplest terms, process engineering involves pinpointing all the steps needed to complete a given job.

    Proponents say efficiencies can be found when a task is broken into its components. The practice has been widely used in automotive manufacturing operations.

    In a service shop, process engineering would look at what happens step-by-step when a customer arrives. Everything, from the appointment system, through write-up, order dispatch, diagnosis, repair, parts availability, customer delivery and follow-up, is examined in a systematic way.

    ``You focus not only on what you do, but how you do it,'' Mr. LaFramboise said. ``You want to know if the process is delivering what you want it to. If not, you re-engineer the practice.''

    Ford is betting that dealers will take a long-range look at their parts and service operations and use the new approach to discover what needs to be improved.

    ``We used to look at the symptoms. We never got down to the root cause,'' Mr. LaFramboise said. ``When you become process-based, it is a more holistic approach.''

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • List Rental
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION