Service Manager at Bilnor Staffing Solutions

• Bilnor Staffing Solutions' client in the Automotive sector is seeking a qualified and experienced Service Manager to join their team in Newcastle, Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Minimum Requirements:

• Grade 12 / Matric
• Relevant technical/business qualification advantageous
• 5–8 years' workshop/service environment experience, including 3–5 years in a supervisory/management role
• Experience with a Dealer Management System (DMS)

Skills & Knowledge

• Sound technical knowledge of workshop operations and quality/warranty processes
• Computer literacy (MS Office, DMS)
• Strong leadership and customer service orientation

Purpose of the position:

• Independently managing and developing a customer-orientated and profitable workshop business. This includes, in particular, optimally utilizing the market, a high level of customer satisfaction, and high yields for the department, as well as planning, controlling, and monitoring processes in customer service areas. Managing and developing employees. Ensuring all DC standards are met and legal regulations on labor and environmental protection are complied with.
• The Service Manager is a competent expert in after-sales, an excellent manager of an efficient service team, and is committed to providing a service to customers and the company. A Mercedes-Benz Service Manager has extensive knowledge of business administration, has experience in workshops business, and knows methods of quality assurance, staff selection as well as HR Development. He/She knows how to use marketing measures to successfully present services and can implement these effectively and efficiently. He is aware of his competitors' organization and activities, as well as current trends in his branch. A Mercedes-Benz Service Manager can create a good working atmosphere, enthuses and motivates his team, and holds his team's performance in high esteem. He recognizes the skills of individual team members and promotes these, opening up paths for able employees to progress to other levels. He also recognizes his own personal development needs, allows others to express an opinion and feedback, and takes constructive criticism seriously. He is able to reach target agreements with employees and monitor the level of target achievement. He delegates responsibility in projects. He is very good at dealing with conflict and defends his own position accurately and objectively.
• A Mercedes-Benz Service Manager represents the brand's motto of "Fairness and Commitment". He is committed to providing a service, thinks in terms of the use for the company and customers, and creates added value. He uses resources economically and responsibly.

Roles and Responsibilities / Key Performance Indicators
Planning

• Defining market targets for workshops within the framework of performance targets defined by DTBSA and, together with the company management, drawing up a corresponding annual plan.
• Compiling and maintaining a resource plan for the workshop and developing concepts and measures for load optimization.
• Ensuring planning for facilities, bays, machines, tools, diagnosis installations, etc. is carried out correctly; optimal design on workplaces and processes.
• Preparing planning and calculations for investments in workshops, facilities, and HR together with the company management.
• Developing concepts for increasing use for the customer, turnover, and profitability in Services.
• Agreeing on planning and concepts with the company management.
• Putting forward suggestions to the company management regarding an overall EDP concept of the range of software and hardware used.

Marketing

• Regularly reviewing prices for workshop services and, after prior agreement with the company management, adapting them to suit the market.
• Selecting and controlling cooperation partners for external services in Services.
• Planning and controlling Service advertising.
• Planning and controlling customer loyalty activities.
• Planning and controlling customer surveys and other measures for monitoring customer satisfaction.
• Involvement in determining the communication budget.
• Monitoring quality of advisory service provided and, if necessary, planning and controlling measures to improve market utilization.
• Monitoring the regional market with respect to new competitors.
• Carrying out analyses of the competition/benchmarking in Services.

Human Resources

• Determining HR Requirements for workshops.
• Ensuring the search for new staff members is carried out and, if necessary, supporting the company during recruitment.
• Making the initial selection of candidates based on Mercedes-Benz requirements.
• Involvement in interviews and decisions regarding employing new staff.
• Employ new staff and develop an induction plan.
• Managing, coaching, and motivating employees and thus ensuring a high quality of employees.
• Defining target agreements with employees.
• Reviewing the level of target achievement and reaching/agreeing on measures to correct these, should deviations occur.
• Assessing employees and, if necessary, initiating disciplinary measures and regularly carrying out employee discussions.
• As a part of HR Development, ascertaining employee's qualification requirements and developing corresponding development/qualification plans.
• Ensuring permanent specialist further training is available.
• Together with employees, establishing personal development goals and agreeing on means of achieving these.
• Monitoring changes in employees following HR development measures and supporting/rewarding if these are positive.
• Ensuring the quality of further training measures meets standards.
• Fostering team development.
• Involvement in management of remuneration.
• Ensuring attendance and holiday planning of employees they are responsible for are correct.
• Recording employees' suggestions for improvements and, if necessary, implementing their ideas.

Profit Management

• Controlling cost management for own department.
• Monitoring and optimizing productivity and performance of employees.
• Carrying out a monthly evaluation of results for own department and, if necessary, initiating the required measures.
• Analyzing the attractiveness/profitability of key customers and customer groups/types of business.
• Ensuring consistent use of all customer contacts in day-to-day business.

Operative Management

• Guaranteeing correctness of customer service through dialog and active involvement in all issues relating to workshops and spare parts.
• Looking after customers dissatisfied with workshop services and those with complex complaints.
• Ensuring advice on accessories sales is correct in each instance of customer contact.
• Ensuring mobility of customers in so far as necessary.
• Ensuring documentation of all guarantee cases is correct.
• Checking mobilo drive processes and carrying out any necessary negotiations with MPC.
• Making decisions within the scope of own competence regarding granting of Mobilo drive terms, or making preparations so that the company management can make decisions.
• Ensuring the efficiency of use of HR and efficiency of processes in workshop and warehouse.
• Ensuring job time planning and task allocation for the workshop are carried out correctly.
• Ensuring pre-determined job times are adhered to.
• Ensuring all required technical test equipment and tools are available and ready for use.
• With the prior agreement of the company management, organizing acquisition of workshop equipment and expendable materials.
• Guaranteeing cleanliness and orderliness of workshops.
• Monitoring compliance with all statutory regulations.
• Selecting external service providers (e.g. paintwork/body shell) according to Mercedes-Benz guidelines and concluding the corresponding contracts.
• Ensuring data are collated for invoicing and services/spare parts are invoiced correctly.
• Ensuring quality control of all completed tasks.
• Ensuring vehicles are handed over in a customer-oriented manner.
• With the prior agreement of the company management, ensuring technical emergency services are available.
• Ensuring customers and mechanics have quick access to spare parts and accessories from the warehouse.
• Ensuring customers and mechanics have access to advise on identifying which spare parts they require.
• Ensuring service and invoicing regarding spare parts are carried out in a customer-oriented manner.
• Ensuring permanent availability or sourcing at short notice of spare parts is carried out in a customer-oriented manner.
• Ensuring permanent availability or sourcing at short notice of spare parts and accessories.
• Ensuring defective spare parts from complaints and warranty claims are returned correctly.
• Ensuring sales staff are supported correctly in technical questions raised when advising customers.
• Utilizing customer service contacts to actively provide sales advice.
• When requested by Sales, ensuring technical appraisal of used vehicles is carried out.