Course Overview

This course prepares participants to lead service operations by implementing service department plans, policies, and procedures that ensure profitable growth, consistent delivery, and fulfillment of maintenance, repair, and replacement obligations. Participants learn to manage teams and processes to achieve strong customer satisfaction and financial performance.

Module 0: Business Model & Strategic Foundation

• Understand how to implement a structured business plan
• Learn how businesses operate through processes, not individuals
• Define the roles of employees versus managers
• Understand labor utilization and its impact on operating costs
• Learn how proper staffing prevents margin erosion

Module 1: Pricing Strategy & Cost Recovery

1.1 Value-Based & Flat-Rate Pricing Fundamentals

• Learn why service businesses must sell value, not price
• Understand true job value beyond labor time
• Learn how flat-rate pricing recovers non-billable labor and vehicle costs
• Review consumer-friendly flat-rate pricing structures

1.2 Establishing Labor, Truck, & Warranty Cost Rates

• Calculate available billable on-site hours
• Determine hourly technician and crew costs
• Establish vehicle ownership and operating cost rates
• Account for warranty support and reserve costs

1.3 Service Agreement Pricing

• Define service agreement scope and deliverables
• Understand why service agreements drive stability and growth
• Calculate monthly and annual service agreement rates
• Price single and multiple-unit agreements accurately

Module 2: Lead Generation & Opportunity Identification

2.2 Onsite Opportunity Assessment

• Use structured assessment forms by call type
• Conduct logical customer interviews
• Identify additional comfort, safety, and efficiency opportunities
• Capture and follow up on post-call opportunities

Module 4: Trust-Based Selling Systems

4.1 Repair Trust-Selling

• Apply a consultative, trust-based selling process
• Standardize service call handling
• Understand how service agreements support sustainability
• Apply proactive repair-selling standards

4.2 Service Agreement Selling

• Understand the service agreement business model
• Communicate customer benefits clearly
• Set proper expectations
• Apply proactive trust-selling techniques

4.3 Replacement Trust-Selling

• Understand replacement and design-build sales
• Apply standardized replacement selling procedures
• Present professional proposals and investment options
• Address common customer objections confidently

Module 5: Written Operating & Work Delivery Standards

5.1 Why Written Standards Matter

• Gain stakeholder buy-in for standardization
• Identify required business and operational functions
• Understand why written standards reduce chaos and errors

5.2 Service Repair Work Delivery

• Follow best-practice repair workflows from lead to close-out
• Standardize technician and manager responsibilities

5.3 Service Agreement Work Delivery

• Apply standardized service agreement workflows
• Ensure consistent inspections and customer experience

5.4 Replacement Work Delivery

• Apply quality assurance procedures
• Establish payment, credit, and receivables standards
• Manage projects from lead through completion

5.6 Labor Productivity Optimization

• Understand field labor efficiency metrics
• Apply procedures to improve productivity
• Generate buy-in from technicians and staff

5.7 Installation Scheduling & Management

• Verify job readiness
• Assign install dates effectively
• Manage confirmations and close-outs
• Build and manage a weekly install capacity board

Module 6: Legal Protection & Risk Management

• Understand invoices and proposals as legal contracts
• Apply payment and liability protections
• Protect the business across repair, service agreements, and replacements

Module 7: People Systems & Retention

7.1 Employee Retention & Performance

• Implement work delivery standards company-wide
• Use performance-based job descriptions
• Monitor productivity and efficiency
• Build a culture of accountability and success
• Apply performance incentive systems

7.2 Performance-Based Job Descriptions

• Understand job descriptions as behavioral contracts
• Use them to evaluate and coach performance objectively

7.3 Hiring & Managing Customer Care Staff

• Hire effectively for dispatch and customer care roles
• Train staff in professional communication
• Handle objections and difficult conversations

7.4 Incentives & Culture of Success

• Align incentives with productivity and profitability
• Reinforce standards and conduct expectations

Module 8: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Calculate income, expenses, and break-even points
• Use KPIs to guide management decisions
• Track individual and financial performance metrics
• Apply rules-based management using KPI data

Module 9: Organizational Structure for Growth

• Design an efficient organizational structure
• Define departmental functions and accountability
• Forecast labor needs by work category
• Align staffing with revenue goals

Module 10: Customer Care & Call Handling Excellence

• Understand the impact of customer care on profitability
• Apply inbound and outbound call standards
• Train and onboard customer care staff
• Maintain organized office systems

Module 11: Budgeting & Spend Planning

• Build monthly labor and expense plans
• Forecast staffing needs accurately
• Use budgeting tools to model growth scenarios

Module 12: Recruiting, Coaching, & Counseling

12.1 Recruiting & Retention

• Avoid costly hiring mistakes
• Apply proven recruiting strategies
• Use structured hiring and screening tools

12.2 Coaching & Counseling

• Conduct background checks and proper job offers
• Assess training needs
• Apply coaching and counseling processes correctly
• Address performance and behavioral issues professionally

Module 13: Field Service Management Software

• Understand the link between field execution and customer satisfaction
• Identify operational benefits of FSM software
• Apply selection best practices

Module 14: Leadership & Professional Development

• Understand leadership styles and when to apply them
• Develop core leadership competencies
• Build a personal leadership development plan

Outcome

Graduates of this course are prepared to lead service operations by managing people, processes, and performance to deliver consistent service execution, fulfill contractual obligations, and drive profitable growth using standardized systems and data-driven decision-making.