Technical Service & Parts Manager

Overview

Mid- Atlantic Region – preferred locations:  Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia

Position Summary

• Improve retail customer satisfaction with Suzuki products.
• Meet with Suzuki dealers and provide training to ensure the dealers can provide prompt, professional and courteous service to Suzuki owners.
• Provide technical assistance to dealers for difficult technical questions.
• Protect the company’s interests by controlling expenses and making proper and fair decisions for warranty and goodwill repairs.

Principal Tasks

• Contact Suzuki dealerships to ensure the dealer provides proper service and repairs to retail Suzuki owners. Establish contact through in-person visits and telephone consultations. Develop a strong relationship and rapport with dealer personnel and especially the dealership owner. Analyze the dealer’s service capabilities technically and management-wise using specially designed Service Surveys. Develop an action plan to implement the needed improvements.
• Provide technical assistance to dealers who experience diagnostic difficulties.  This assistance is accomplished two ways, in person during dealer visits and through Tech-Line, a telephone assistance hot-line. Respond to dealer Tech-Line contacts within a maximum two hour timeframe to ensure the quickest repair for retail customers. Visit dealers and train them on diagnostic procedures.
• Inspect vehicles/units that are involved in alleged defect related accidents. Provide thorough, detailed reports and photos of the inspection to allow Suzuki management to make appropriate decisions for potential lawsuit cases. Inspect vehicles/units that experience irregular operational characteristics or symptoms. Provide thorough, detailed reports of the inspection to help the factory analyze the situation and develop a course of action to remedy the dilemma and ensure a more satisfied customer base.
• Write reports to document field activity. Dealer action reports, completed daily, provide dealer status, TSM training efforts and future actions planned for the dealer and detail the dealer service department. Service department surveys completed once a year per dealer, provide an understanding of the dealer’s needs and current service performance.   New dealer visit reports submitted within one month of dealer set-up provide an overview of the service facilities and capabilities of newly established dealers.   Telephone contact reports for each call provide details of the dealer’s question, their inspection results and TSM recommendations.   Activity-expense reports submitted weekly provide accurate documentation of travel expenses and work performed.
• Make authorization decisions for both warranty and non-warranty goodwill repairs. Determine the value and effect these authorizations will have on the company, the dealer, and the customer in regard to potential future sales.
• Provide technical service expertise and perspective for product improvement, dealer training and retail customer education by participating with other company activities and events such as technical training curriculum development, technical training course instruction, product testing, consumer promotional events, dealer open houses and other industry events.
• Communicate with the home office on technical matters, customer relations contacts and other items of concern in assigned territory. This communication is accomplished both verbally and in written and e-mail form. Regular contact is needed to help management make critical time sensitive decisions.
• Work with the key management people within the dealership who have decision making authority to purchase parts.
• Educate the staff on the benefits of using genuine parts and assist the dealer with using the Suzuki parts purchase programs to their benefit.

Scope of Authority

• The incumbent makes decisions pertaining to authorization of non-warranty repairs on a daily basis. The costs involved are approximately $20,000 per year. These decisions have a direct affect on the company’s profitability and liability.
• Seeks advice and approval from direct supervisor on matters involving litigation and matters outside the normal realm of duties.
• Interacts on a regular basis with other department members and District Sales Managers to fulfill the job requirements and provide a field service perspective to situations out of the department.
• The incumbent regularly contacts Suzuki dealership personnel which include dealership owners, department managers, technicians, set-up staff, parts department employees and office staff.

Minimum Qualifications

Work Experience

Minimum 5 years experience as a technician at a dealership. Suzuki technical knowledge is preferable. Minimum 3 years service management experience at the dealer level.

Education Requirements

High school diploma required. Associate degree or 8 years motorcycle industry experience.

Required Skills

• A very strong technical background is essential. Must be an excellent communicator and possess superior organizational skills. Must be able to work and function well without supervision. Licensed and proficient in the operation of motorcycles and ATV’s. Some PC knowledge is required with experience in database, spreadsheet and word-processing software.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license with motorcycle endorsement and maintain a clean driving record.
• Must be able to proficiently ride both on-road and off-road motorcycles as well as all-terrain vehicles.

Physical Requirements

• Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer and telephone. Mobility to attend meetings at various sites within and away from the employee’s home office. Average time spent at a desk or in office setting is approximately 6 hours per day.
• Must posses the mobility to drive an automobile or light truck for up to a maximum of 500 miles in a day or 8 hours per day.
• Must possess strength to lift and carry materials weighing up to 50 pounds; and to right, move and or ride a motorcycle or ATV weighing up to 600 pounds.
• Must possess vision to read printed materials and a computer screen;
• Must possess hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone.