Service Manager Certification Course List
Section One:
Service Department Structure
Organizational Structure
A simple look at how the service team fits together so everyone knows their role and your processes stop relying on guesswork.
Service Coordinator
An introduction to the person who keeps the shop moving by staging equipment, supporting techs, and eliminating wasted time.
Service Techs
A practical overview of how to grow strong technicians, manage their time well, and help them deliver consistent quality work.
Service Writer
A guide to the role that connects customers and the shop by communicating clearly, gathering details, and keeping work orders accurate.
Shop Foreman
A look at the position that supports both the manager and the techs by maintaining quality, efficiency, and daily workflow.
Warranty Writer
A breakdown of the responsibilities that ensure warranty work is documented correctly and your dealership gets paid what it is owed.
Service Manager
A full picture of how to lead the service department with vision, coaching, clear expectations, and strong processes.
Section Two:
Leading a Service Department
Employee Reviews
A straightforward system for conducting reviews that build trust, create clarity, and help your team grow.
Why Situations Escalate
An explanation of the emotional and practical reasons conflict heats up and how to prevent issues before they explode.
How to De Escalate
A calm and simple approach to guiding tense situations back to safety while protecting your people and your customers.
Leading Meetings
A blueprint for short, effective meetings that create unity, accountability, and direction without wasting anyone’s time.
Motivating Your People
A look at how to keep employees engaged by understanding their needs and addressing problems before motivation dies.
Leading Through Change
A practical method for helping your team handle change with confidence even when you are still figuring things out yourself.
Employee Effectiveness
A tool for measuring engagement and skill so you can coach more intentionally and spot growth opportunities.
Section Three:
The Service Process
Equipment Check In
A consistent process for gathering information, setting expectations, and identifying additional service opportunities.
Staging Equipment
A simple staging system that removes chaos by showing everyone where equipment is and what stage it is in.
Triage Process
A structured approach to evaluating equipment quickly so techs stay productive and customers get faster answers.
Pulling Parts and Estimates
A workflow that keeps parts flowing smoothly and ensures accurate estimates reach customers without delay.
Work Flow In Service
A daily planning method that loads jobs correctly so techs stay busy and the shop stays profitable.
Section Four:
Delegation
Why Delegate
A reminder that growth requires letting go and trusting others so you can focus on the work only you can do.
Building Trust
A practical guide to creating trust through empathy, logic, and authenticity so delegation becomes easier.
What Do I Delegate
A step by step process for identifying which tasks belong to you and which ones should be handed off.
Who Do I Delegate To
A thoughtful method for choosing the right person based on trust, ability, and capacity.
How Do I Delegate
A simple delegation process that teaches, trains, and equips your people so they can succeed with confidence.
Section Five:
Understanding The Numbers
Key Performance Indicators
A clear explanation of the numbers that act like dashboard gauges to show how your shop is performing.
Defining Your Service Department Capacity
A look at how bay count, square footage, and workload determine how much revenue your shop can truly produce.
Calculating the Recovery Rate
A method for tracking how efficiently you are using your technicians time and where lost hours may be hiding.
Determining Tech Efficiency
A tool for measuring how effectively each technician completes assigned work so you can coach or train accordingly.
Tracking Average Completion Time
A scheduling approach that predicts shop capacity and sets realistic expectations for customers.
Profitability for the Dealership
A space to evaluate how your service decisions impact the financial health of the entire dealership.
Section Six:
Understanding Your People
Driver
An overview of how to communicate with a direct, results driven personality that values speed and control.
Influencer
A guide to leading outgoing, relationship focused people who thrive on recognition and connection.
Steady
An explanation of how to support dependable, change resistant employees who value stability and clear next steps.
Compliant Thinker
A look at highly detailed, analytical personalities who need time, information, and precision to feel confident.
Motivators
An introduction to the different internal drivers that influence how employees make decisions and stay engaged.
Learning Styles
A breakdown of how visual, auditory, and hands on learners understand information so you can communicate more effectively.
Section Seven:
Developing Pricing Strategies
Posted Labor Rate
A method for calculating a profitable labor rate that aligns with technician wages and customer expectations.
Improving Time and Material
A strategy for reducing unpredictable billing and communicating clearly on repairs that cannot be flat rated.
Flat Rate and Menu Pricing
A system for creating consistent, fair pricing for common repairs and services that helps both customers and techs.
Warranty Claims
A practical approach to documenting warranty work accurately so you recover the dollars you deserve.
Section Eight:
Finding and Hiring
Where to Find Candidates
A creative guide to sourcing great people both inside and outside the industry.
References
A reminder that calling references is essential if you want to uncover a candidate’s strengths and baggage before hiring.
Job Descriptions
A framework for writing clear, honest job descriptions that attract the right people and set expectations from day one.
Interviews
A full process for interviewing in a way that reveals ability, desire, and team fit before you make an expensive mistake.
Section Nine:
Compensation Plans
Understanding Salary Caps for Service
A simple formula for knowing exactly how much you can afford to pay technicians based on shop performance.
Technician Compensation Plans
A plan for motivating technicians through balanced bonuses that reward efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Bonus Warranty Writer and Service Manager
A structure that ties leadership and warranty bonuses to recovery rates so everyone works toward the same goal.
Bonus Shop Foremen and Service Writers
A system for rewarding key support roles based on total shop efficiency and their impact on billable hours.
Section Ten:
Customer Service
Preferred Customer Program
A loyalty approach that rewards purchasing customers and encourages long term service relationships.
Defining Customer Expectations
A guide to setting clear expectations before work begins so communication stays strong and customers stay satisfied.
Creating a Wow in Service
A challenge to elevate the customer experience with memorable touches that make your department stand out.
Building a Loyal Customer Following
A method for increasing customer lifetime value by understanding needs and creating positive, consistent interactions.
Section Eleven:
Vision and Culture
Core Values
A simple formula for knowing exactly how much you can afford to pay technicians based on shop performance.
Casting a Vision
A plan for motivating technicians through balanced bonuses that reward efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Goal Setting
A structure that ties leadership and warranty bonuses to recovery rates so everyone works toward the same goal.
Dealership Culture
A system for rewarding key support roles based on total shop efficiency and their impact on billable hours.
Section Twelve:
Marketing and Growth Plans
Target Customers
A loyalty approach that rewards purchasing customers and encourages long term service relationships.
Marketing Budget
A guide to setting clear expectations before work begins so communication stays strong and customers stay satisfied.
Building Toward Slow Season
A challenge to elevate the customer experience with memorable touches that make your department stand out.