Assistant Service Manager

Automotive Training Network -

An Assistant Service Manager is a critical support role within a service-focused organization. The position typically involves assisting the service manager in overseeing daily operations, managing customer interactions, coordinating staff, and ensuring efficient service delivery. It requires customer service skills, technical knowledge, and operational management abilities.

Assistant Service Managers serve as a bridge between customers, service advisors, technicians, and upper management, helping to ensure that service-related processes run smoothly and that customer satisfaction remains high.

Role in an Automotive Dealership

In an automotive dealership, the Assistant Service Manager is critical in the service department, which handles vehicle maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs. They support the Service Manager in supervising daily operations and contribute to the department’s success by enhancing workflow, optimizing customer service, and maintaining strong communication between the front end (customers) and back end (technicians).

This role is central to the dealership’s after-sales service experience and directly impacts customer retention, repair order efficiency, and the service department's overall profitability.

Core Responsibilities

The specific duties of an Assistant Service Manager may vary by dealership size and structure, but typically include:

  • Customer Interaction: Greet customers, discuss their service needs, and ensure all repair concerns are documented accurately. Acting as a liaison between customers and service advisors or technicians.
  • Work Order Management: Assisting with creating and reviewing repair orders, ensuring that services are properly authorized, parts are available, and work is scheduled efficiently.
  • Team Coordination: Supporting service advisors, dispatchers, and technicians to maintain workflow. May step in to assign jobs or manage technician schedules when needed.
  • Quality Control: Review completed work for accuracy and quality, address customer concerns, and verify that all documentation is complete.
  • Customer Follow-Up: Contacting customers post-service to ensure satisfaction, address concerns, and encourage future visits or additional service recommendations.
  • Administrative Support: Assisting with internal reporting, warranty claims, repair order tracking, invoicing, and helping manage service department metrics (like hours per RO, CSI scores, etc.).
  • Conflict Resolution: Handling upset or dissatisfied customers and working to find fair solutions in collaboration with the Service Manager.

Skills and Qualifications

To be effective, an Assistant Service Manager typically possesses a blend of technical and interpersonal skills:

  • Strong communication and customer service abilities
  • Basic understanding of automotive systems and repair terminology
  • Organizational and multitasking skills in a fast-paced environment
  • Problem-solving mindset with attention to detail
  • Familiarity with dealership management software (DMS), scheduling tools, and service process workflows
  • Leadership potential to support and motivate the service staff
  • Often requires prior experience as a Service Advisor or similar role

Impact on Dealership Operations

A strong Assistant Service Manager helps the dealership run more efficiently by:

  • Reducing bottlenecks in service flow
  • Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty
  • Supporting sales through an excellent after-sales experience
  • Maintaining consistency in service department performance, especially during peak hours or when the Service Manager is unavailable
  • Enhancing communication between departments, especially parts and service

An Assistant Service Manager is vital to any automotive dealership’s service team. By supporting the Service Manager, coordinating day-to-day operations, and ensuring top-tier customer service, this role contributes directly to the success of the dealership’s after-sales experience. With the right mix of technical knowledge, people skills, and operational focus, an Assistant Service Manager helps drive efficiency, satisfaction, and profitability across the board.