At AVB BrandSource’s annual Summit next week, running Sunday, March 19 through Thursday, March 23 in Las Vegas, the buying co-op for independent CE, appliance and home furnishings dealers is upping the information stakes even higher with the group’s appliance service arm, ServiceSource, presenting a first-time management training program at the show.
Beginning on Wednesday and concluding on Thursday morning, AVB’s Institute of Service Management (ISM) will debut with a 10-hour course developed specifically for service department managers. Designed to meet the unique needs of service management leaders, the ISM sessions will explore the strategic, tactical and practical elements of running an appliance repair operation.
Attendees who successfully complete the course by scoring 80% or better on a final exam will earn Service Manager Certification, and their companies’ service operations will be designated a BrandSource Certified Repair Department.
Heading the initiative is ServiceSource Senior Lead Paul MacDonald, a 40-year veteran of the service industry who ran his own 38-tech service business, currently heads the PMDgroup and The Expert Service Program, and is a past president of the UASA.
“Service managers are often employees who have been with a company for some time in another capacity,” explained MacDonald. “Having performed well, they get promoted to a manager’s role and are suddenly in charge of customer satisfaction and technician performance. But who teaches them how to run a service department?”
“Seldom is there a written job description,” he continued, “and there are no schools or online training courses in appliance service management. Many managers do things the way their predecessors did for lack of new ideas and outside influences.”
Enter ISM, which can help members’ service departments rise above the competition and set a course to service profitability. Supported by Electrolux, GE, LG, Samsung and Whirlpool, along with multiple BrandSource service partners, the program will offer ten practical and information-packed educational sessions on topics including:
- Service financials
- Department efficiency
- Setting service rates
- Parts inventory
- Warranty claims
- Customer service training
- Marketing and online reviews
- Recruitment, training, and retention
In addition, enrollees will attend a special Wednesday night ISM dinner reception and keynote featuring Allstate’s Chris Trewin and Kristin Burall, and management consultant and motivational speaker Dave Mitchell, who will share “The Power of Understanding People.”
“This is one more way to differentiate your store from the competition, and will surely be a game changer for your service operations,” MacDonald promised.
See also: BrandSource Set For 2023 Summit
