The posting
Valley Ford Truck is seeking an experienced, results-driven Service Manager to lead our commercial truck service department. This individual will oversee daily service operations, lead and develop a team of service advisors, technicians, and support personnel, and drive departmental performance through strong leadership, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability.
Our service department specializes in commercial truck maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs across multiple manufacturers, including Ford, Isuzu, and Hino. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in commercial truck service operations, a proven ability to manage and develop a team, and the business acumen necessary to maximize productivity, efficiency, and departmental profitability.
This is an opportunity for a hands-on leader who understands the demands of commercial fleet customers and is committed to delivering dependable service, minimizing vehicle downtime, and building long-term customer relationships.
Key Responsibilities
Service Department Operations & Leadership
- Oversee all daily service department operations, ensuring efficient workflow, proper scheduling, and timely completion of customer repairs.
- Lead, motivate, and develop service advisors, technicians, and support staff to achieve departmental goals.
- Establish clear performance expectations, accountability standards, and measurable objectives for all service department personnel.
- Manage technician workloads, shop capacity, dispatching, and repair order flow to maximize productivity and efficiency.
- Maintain a clean, safe, organized, and professional service environment.
- Collaborate with dealership management and other departments to support overall dealership objectives.
Financial Performance & Profitability
- Manage departmental revenue, gross profit, expenses, and operating performance to achieve established financial objectives.
- Monitor key performance indicators, including labor sales, effective labor rate, gross profit percentage, technician productivity, efficiency, hours per repair order, and customer-pay sales.
- Develop and implement strategies to improve labor sales, technician efficiency, labor gross profit, and overall departmental profitability.
- Review departmental financial statements and operating reports regularly to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Ensure accurate labor time reporting, repair order documentation, warranty submissions, and internal accounting practices.
- Identify opportunities to increase customer-pay, warranty, maintenance, and fleet service business.
Technician Development & Shop Productivity
- Recruit, hire, train, and retain qualified technicians and service personnel.
- Monitor technician productivity, efficiency, quality of work, and performance against established objectives.
- Ensure technicians have the necessary training, equipment, tooling, and technical resources to perform their jobs effectively.
- Support ongoing technical development across Ford, Isuzu, and Hino commercial truck platforms.
- Identify shop capacity constraints, workflow inefficiencies, and equipment needs that may affect production.
- Promote a culture of quality repairs, first-time fixes, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
- Work closely with shop leadership to manage repair priorities, reduce delays, and maintain consistent production.
Commercial Fleet & Customer Relationship Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with commercial fleet accounts, business owners, fleet managers, and individual customers.
- Ensure customers receive timely communication, accurate repair estimates, clear explanations of required repairs, and consistent updates regarding vehicle status.
- Develop strategies to minimize vehicle downtime and improve turnaround times for commercial customers.
- Identify opportunities to grow fleet maintenance agreements, preventive maintenance programs, and recurring commercial service business.
- Resolve escalated customer concerns professionally and promptly.
- Support customer retention through dependable service, transparent communication, and consistent repair quality.
- Pursue opportunities to expand mobile service and on-site fleet support where appropriate.
Warranty, Quality Control & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with Ford, Isuzu, and Hino warranty policies, procedures, and documentation requirements.
- Oversee warranty repair processes to support accurate submissions, timely processing, and reimbursement.
- Ensure repairs are completed according to manufacturer specifications and dealership quality standards.
- Monitor comeback repairs, customer complaints, and quality concerns, implementing corrective actions when necessary.
- Maintain compliance with applicable workplace safety requirements, environmental regulations, and dealership policies.
- Ensure proper documentation and handling of customer vehicles, repair orders, and service records.
Customer Experience & Continuous Improvement
- Establish and maintain high standards for customer satisfaction, service quality, and communication.
- Monitor customer satisfaction results, complaints, and service department performance trends.
- Develop and implement processes that improve the customer experience and operational consistency.
- Conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions with service department personnel.
- Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve accountability, and increase department capacity.
- Maintain a proactive approach to identifying operational challenges before they affect customers or profitability.
Qualifications & Experience
Required Qualifications
- Proven leadership experience in automotive, medium-duty, heavy-duty, or commercial truck service operations.
- Demonstrated ability to manage employees, establish performance expectations, and drive measurable results.
- Strong understanding of service department financial performance, labor sales, gross profit, and expense management.
- Experience managing technician productivity, shop workflow, and repair order processes.
- Excellent customer service, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
- Strong computer skills and the ability to work with dealership management systems, service reporting tools, and performance metrics.
- Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced commercial service environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous Service Manager or Assistant Service Manager experience at a commercial truck dealership.
- Experience with Ford Commercial Vehicles and/or Ford commercial truck service operations.
- Familiarity with Isuzu and Hino medium-duty trucks.
- Knowledge of manufacturer warranty procedures, fleet maintenance programs, and commercial vehicle repair processes.
- Experience managing both flat-rate and hourly technicians.
