The service department is one of the most important departments in a dealership. It is a key profit centre with more people, facilities and equipment than any other department. It is also the key to the success of a dealership. If customer do not receive prompt, Courteous and reliable service, it is unlikely that they will come back.
Today's SERVICE TECHNICIAN job is more skilled and challenging than ever before. New vehicles and trucks are for more complex than they used to be, and a modern service bay is beginning to look like a science lab, with expensive, sophisticated diagnostic and repair equipment, including computers.
The "grease monkey" image is a thing of the past.Although hand skills remain important, physical work is no longer the major aspect of automotive servicing. Today, the emphasis is on diagnostics, a process that requires an ability to think through problems in the abstract. The ability to diagnose the source of the problem quickly and accurately requires good reasoning ability and a thorough knowledge of automobiles. In fact, many mechanics consider diagnosing "hard to find" troubles one of their most challenging and satisfying duties.
As automobiles are becoming increasingly complex, a person who chooses a service techincian career is committed to life long learning to keep up with rapid change. Technicians are well-paid (frequently based on skill and speed) and are in high demand.
If you are interested in a career in this field, you should be mechanically inclined, have good reading comprehension and strong math skills, and enjoy working on vehicles and trucks. High school and technical school training in auto mechanics is an advantage, of course, as is training in chemistry, electronics, physics and computers.
If you have no previous training in auto mechanics, you can get started in a dealership as a porter, lot attendant or car washer, helping to prepare new and used vehicles for delivery and familiarizing yourself with the way the dealership's team works.
The next step is APPRENTICE TECHNICIAN where, under the close guidance of a qualified technician, the shop foreman and the service manager, you will learn the trade thoroughly in order to advance to the job of LICENSED JOURNEMAN TECHNICIAN. There are four levels of apprenticeship, each requiring a combination of on-the-job experience, eight weeks of classroom instruction and passing an exam before you move on to the next level. As you graduate through each of these levels, your responsibilities and skill-demanding assignments will increase at the dealership.
