Service Writer

About the role

The Service Writer assists customers, the Service Manager & Service Team, in the day-to-day operation of the Service Department. The Senior Service Writer helps organize, lead, and control the flow of service work through the service department in a professional, timely manner while ensuring quality repairs at a fair cost to the customer.

***$30.00 - $35.00/Hour based on Experience

Essential Duties

Operations – related

• Meet with the Service Manager and other service department stakeholders each morning to establish repair strategies based on the night notes, dispatch sheets, and job priorities.
• Assign jobs, as needed, to technicians based on skills and abilities.
• Maintain updates to all repairs via the technology platform for customer estimates and internal / external communications.
• Review repairs in process as to time / estimate commitments.
• Review technician write-ups for accuracy and completeness.
• Confirm that all cores are returned to parts and that warranty parts are properly tagged and stored.
• Coordinate with the rear parts counter on repairs waiting for parts.
• Open warranty claims with Eaton’s Real Time, Cummins’ Rapid Serve, etc.
• All notes concerning customer conversations must be noted in the technology platform for customer estimates and internal / external communications.
• Assist the service team with preparing accurate repair estimates using the technology platform for customer estimates and internal / external communications
• Walk around customer’s vehicle and make note of any damages.
• Schedule work for each day keeping in mind the current workload, the availability of technicians, and their capabilities.
• All competed repair orders must be processed within 48 hours.
• Assist the Service Manager in determining training requirements by recommending needed training based on repairs coming into shop that cannot be performed due to lack of technician skills.
• Assist the Service Manager in maintaining a dealership prescribed standard (manual) for proper hours for repairs aka Mitchell
• Assist the Service Manager in establishing departmental goals and forecasts for each day and aid in accomplishment of these goals.
• Understand and follow federal, state, and local regulations regarding disposal of hazardous waste, OSHA, MSDA, right-to-know, etc,

Customer – related

• Greet all customers in a friendly and timely manner.
• Maintain contact with service customers via the technology platform for customer estimates and internal / external communications DAILY.
• Check repair status and update customers as to changes in promised completion time, change in estimate to complete repairs, or needed additional repairs & update via the technology platform for customer estimates and internal / external communications DAILY.
• Open and close repair orders as needed.
• Recommend adjustments to invoices to the Service Manager.
• Work with the credit department to maintain proper credit status (MSR) on each repair order.
• Check warranty or recall status on each vehicle and put printout with repair order.
• Obtain all customer information and vehicle information prior to creating the repair order. Note all the customer’s complaints. Obtain customer’s authorization, email and signature prior to beginning repair.
• Obtain purchase orders from each customer as needed (both internal, external, and warranty).

Qualifications

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
• Two years in a truck service department is preferred.
• Excellent communication skills – written and verbal.
• Clean DMV record and current driver’s license.

Skills and Competencies:

• Microsoft Office (Word / Excel) & Microsoft Outlook

Working Conditions

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; high, precarious places, and fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Cognitive and Physical Demands

• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients,…