Have you ever wondered what exactly a Toyota Service Advisor does? We peek at a day in the life of an SA to find out how he ensures customers are driving happy

Singapore – Most car owners know of a Service Advisor (SA) as the person they see when they get their car serviced. You hand them the key, magic happens, and you get your car back after a short while.

Or at least that’s the story if the aftersales and service department is a top-notch one, like at authorised Toyota distributor, Borneo Motors.

But have you ever wondered, what is it that a Service Advisor does each day, and what does the job entail, exactly?

To find out just what the job entails, we followed a Toyota SA around in person. Mohamed Azri has been a Service Advisor with Borneo Motors for six years, and to him, every day on the job is another chance to bring joy to customers.

Azri’s job begins once the customer walks through the automated glass doors. Upon taking a queue number, every customer is assigned his or her own SA. From there on, it’s all about listening to what the customer is saying and applying a personal touch.

For regular servicing, Azri will answer any question that customers may have about the procedure, and provide a clear and concise explanation about the basics. If the appointment was made to address a specific issue, then Azri’s conversation with the customer is aimed at finding out what the problem could possibly be, before passing the information to the technical team.

There’s obviously a strong sense of camaraderie between the two teams: “We work closely with our technicians on a daily basis – in that sense, I feel Toyota is truly one big happy family and I’m proud to be part of it,” says Azri with big grin.

It’s surely not an easy job – most of us aren’t technical experts – but Azri and the other SAs all have enough training and expertise to communicate with the customer clearly, and transparently answer any queries about the costs and steps needed.

“When a customer walks out with a smile on his face, satisfied with the service provided – that’s what I call a great day.” – Mohamed Azri, Toyota Service Advisor 

But it’s not all about numbers and figures of course. Each customer is different, and has different needs. After all a mainstream brand like Toyota sees buyers from literally all walks of life.  

“We want our customers to feel at ease with us. We want them to see us as representatives of Toyota, who are well versed about our cars, able to educate and advise them during the process of the servicing experience,” he says.

So it’s clear the job is twofold: One is understanding the needs and wants of the customers, and the other is to have an intimate knowledge of how the technical team operates, and to support them with the information they need to do their job efficiently.

As soon as the issues are put to paper, the car key is placed in Azri’s hand for safekeeping. He ensures that the customer is informed of all the issues with his vehicle, as he inspects the car in preparation for the next step. This is done meticulously before the vehicle repair order form is signed and stamped.

With that, the vehicle is sent to the workshop. Azri will keep the customer updated on every step of the process – in fact it’s something he describes as one of the most crucial parts of the entire service process. As the clock is always ticking, the last thing they wish to do is keep a customer waiting unnecessarily.

When asked what he deems as a good day at work, Azri responds: “I’d have to say it’s when a customer walks out with a smile on his or her face, satisfied with the service provided – that’s what I call a great day.”

We asked him to recall a positive experience from his job, he shares a story about a gratified customer bringing back snacks for him and his team. In other words, they were so pleased with the aftersales experience, they didn’t just drive off happy, but even came back to spread some of their joy.

As we’ve seen, there’s a lot of care and attention to detail that goes into the seemingly simple act of receiving a car from a customer and preparing for servicing. It’s clear that for Toyota and Borneo Motors, ensuring a customer is driving happy really only starts when he or she leaves the showroom after buying a new car – it is, in fact, the beginning of a long and fruitful journey together.