| Independent Shops By Kenneth Calhoun, Vice President, Customer Relations, Truck Centers of Arkansas; Service Provider Director at Large, Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Board of Directors; Immediate Past Chairman, TMC S.16 Service Provider Study Group Templates for establishing equipment user/service provider relationships Guidelines for strengthening these relations In today’s business environment, it is important to build and strengthen equipment user/service provider relations, especially in the area of streamlining communication and improving business processes. Relationships with third-party service providers need to be based on communication, performance, trust and accountability. In the course of creating these business relationships, one essential element is defi ning the expectations of both parties to ensure mutual satisfaction of the service experience. In this column, we’ve showcased the eff orts of TMC’s S.16 Service Provider Study Group in developing recommended guidelines for fl eet/service provider business practices. Each column has focused on a particular recommended practice (RP). Among the TMC RPs – which are revolutionizing fl eet/service provider relations – discussed: • RP 1601, Guidelines for Measuring Equipment User Customer Satisfaction. • RP 1602, Repair Order Authorization and Approval. • RP 1603, Warranty Workfl ow Procedures. • RP 1604, Rapid Repair Assessment. • RP 1605, Justifi cation for a Parts and Service Assistant. • RP 1606, Standard Repair Time Implementation Guidelines. • RP 1607, Technician Career Development. • RP 1608, Confl ict Resolution Guidelines. • RP 1609, Quality Control Guidelines. • RP 1610, Emissions Tampering Guidelines. • RP 1611(T), Parts Acquisition for Service Providers. In Progress Going forward, the S.16 Service Provider Study Group is planning to expand on this base of important information with new recommended practices covering the following areas: • Service event data transparency. • Parts core management for service providers. • Shop workload and prioritization. • Mentor development. • Implementing TMC RPs in fl eet and service provider operations. • Safety guidelines for mobile maintenance. When adopted, they will join more than 450 other RPs that have been created for the purpose of improving maintenance effi ciency and providing the industry with trucking solutions. Kenneth Calhoun is vice president of customer relations for Truck Centers of Arkansas (www.truckcentersar.com), a full-service dealership headquartered in North Little Rock, Ark. He serves as a service provider director at large on TMC’s board of directors and is the immediate past chairman of TMC’s S.16 Service Provider Study Group. TMC (www.trucking.org/Technology_Council.aspx) is North America’s premier technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals. It’s about improving MAINTENANCE EFFICIENCY. Business relationships between equipment users and third-party service providers are most successful when they are based on streamlined communications, performance, trust and accountability. Photo courtesy of DK Communications VehicleServicePros.com/10095513 34 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com
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