Service Meetings? Is your time worth it?

[d7guitar]

How many times have you sat through a service meeting just to get told how to do your job differently to make the salesperson or management happy?
............. Boring!
Or maybe you work for a company that is very professional and you look forward to the next meeting because it is informative and helps you raise your game?
..............Yes!
Share your "Rants and Raves" about your companies service meetings.

[cobiray]

I have to sit through a weekly meeting run by the sales department and I dread every minute of it. It usually lasts between 60 and 120 minutes. We watch sales videos, hear stories that are somehow supposed to relate to my customer relation skills and get told how "we're all salespersons." While I understand the reason for it, I really think that having these meetings once a week is negatively impacting the service departments ability to respond to our customers needs on those days. I realize that we all may need some refreshers on the finesse of customer service from time to time, but I don't think I need weekly reminders and/or instructions on how to read customers body language, persuasive selling or any of the other vaguely service related items discussed. I think if I have to sit and listen to them discuss these things once a week, then they should have to learn how to operate the machines, know which accessories will or won't work with each machine and how to order what the customer needs and not what fattens up his commission check.

That didn't sound too bitter did it?

[Jimbo1]

I have run the gamut from a company that fed us breakfast once a month(I mena breakfast not Krispy Kremes)and passed out service awards to having to get up at 4:30 in the morning to drive two hours to the home office to be there in time for an 8:00 am service meeting only to have the guy look around at everyone and say go to your calls so I climb back in my car with much coffee and drive two hours back up to my area to run calls.



That smile is a sure sign I'm not right in the head.

[DallasTech]

I've contemplated faking my own death to avoid our weekly meetings, but I just haven't worked out the details to keep my job.

[fixthecopier]

My boss feels that a meeting is a waste of time, it is up to us to share info, we are on our own. In 9 years we have had 2 meetings that lasted about 5 min each, and each was the result of someone robbing parts off a new machine. In my company, techs rule, salespeople are something you scrape off the bottom of your shoe. I know the name of the one that has been here longer than I have.

[kyoceradude]

We used to have monthly meetings, starting at 7:30 am. We did get paid for it and got free donuts & coffee. They were a waste of time, because it was mostly a bitch session about incomplete paperwork, or lack there of. Now were so busy it dosen't pay to have 12 techs in the office for an hour or two. And of course they hang around and have to be chased out.

[Travis06]

I hate when they call a meeting to bitch us out, because one person isn't doing there job, instead of just going after the culprit.

[pepper38_cnd]

Who called this meeting?

Well since I see your all here, you all get one "At a Boy". Obviously you are all great Techs who take this job so seriously, that your still doing it in your spare time on the forums. I think your bosses should be proud of you and consider a fat bonus and a pay raise for each of you.

The salesman makes the first sale to a customer, the Service Tech makes every sale after that.

Keep up the good work.

[Baphomet]

We have a meeting every other Friday. Sometimes we are given information we can actually use, sometimes it is a waste of time. If I were an independent or one man show then I would believe my time is being wasted. But when you work for a large corporation then you need to please the administrative politicos more than the customers. I listen, act interested and enthusiastic, then do my calls and go home to collect my paychecks. Guys who let their displeasure show general find themselves on some sort of nefarious shit list.

[rthonpm]

I have yet to attend a meeting that I actually got something out of. When I worked for a direct manufacturer, the meetings were few and far between (only three in four years) and mainly were just corporate cheerleading from whatever big-wig happened to be visiting.
Now that I'm with an independent, there is a weekly meeting but it mainly seems to involve sales not sending in the right paperwork with their orders. Only once has a service issue ever come up. Service covers more in twenty minutes and a cup of coffee or an email than management does in a forty-five minute weekly meeting...

[mjarbar]

We tend to have meetings every 3 months or so and usually end up having breakfast courtesy of the management, and usually it is quite productive as our engineers have been able to get our sales people to do the required paperwork when and how we like, we have also got the sales people to work more closely with the service dept. as it is the engineers that go to the customers more often and so are better able to see and understand what the customers requirements really are.

So on the whole I'd say they are worth it, so long as everyone listens to what everyone says.

[cobiray]

...usually it is quite productive as our engineers have been able to get our sales people to do the required paperwork when and how we like...

Does this also require torture or blunt head trauma?

[prntrfxr]

Service Meetings? Is your time worth it?

I believe there is no substitute for training. As a Service Manager, I NEVER let sales people control the meeting. It is a SERVICE meeting for service personal, not sales. SALES people are NOT invited to my meetings, nor is management, but I will permit anyone to observe (including customers on occasion). I assign 1 technician per week to do a verbal report on one of the following (15-20 min): 1) problem noticed with machine and solution found, 2) new product, training, or feature in industry, & 3) customer service technique or procedure to follow. I occasionally allow a billing person time to explain or address problems with filling out workorders clearly with sufficient info or a sales person to address a problem (but the techs have input on how the problem can be resolved). I follow-up with items of importance I feel need to be addressed and resolve problems that happened during the week. Total time 1 hour - but a PRODUCTIVE not a waste your time meeting.

[mjarbar]

Does this also require torture or blunt head trauma?

No we just send them pieces of their car to them through the post!!!