Service Advisor or Parts Advisor as a career

[MrNguyen]

Hi guys looking to switch up my careers and was wondering which one will suit me better Service advisor or Parts advisor. I have been working on, selling cars and parts all my life (BMW, Toyota, Honda, etc) but decided not to go into the field of tech since I didn't want to turn my love and hobby into a job so I went into X-ray. I noticed that I still end up helping people with cars here and there, giving them suggestions on repairs and parts no matter where I am and I like giving advice on things like that. Thing is only documented proof of my work in cars is high school tech class and brief time working for Strauss Auto before college. So now I feel I want to get into a field I love and have a passion for cars and helping people. Any information and opinions are greatly appreciated. So I guess my questions are:


1. How do I get into that position
2. What does each job require
3. Difference in pay (average)
4. Advancement opportunities
5. Pros & Cons

[slammin.e28]

I went to tech school. Decided, like you, I didn't want my hobby turned into work.

I did parts for 3 years at an indie shop. Not bad. Felt as though my potential wasn't being reached. Now I do service advising at a different indie shop. Same makes of cars. I hate people, but enjoy my job a lot. Coming from slinging parts to what I do now worked really well. I was already familiar with common fail points on VW, Audi, Volvo, BMW, and MB, as well as P-cars. Thus, I don't look like a dumbass trying to explain stuff to customers. I make more money now. Always can advance. I've been at my current job since Feburary 2014 and already got a hefty raise and basically run the place when the owner goes on vacay.

One hint, you're not here to help people. Your there to sell work. Can't advise people on how to fix their cars. Just what is wrong, how much, when it'll be done.

Only sucky part is if someone isn't happy, it gets directed at me. So far nothing terrible has happened, but we're a pretty tight shop that doesn't fuck shit up.

[QUKBMER]

I have been a Service Advisor/Service Manger for some 27 years now. Started out in 1988 and have been doing it since then. My dad did the same thing for 28 years (retired in 1997)and my sister has been doing it for 26 years now. I tried parts dept and didn't like it. I have been working for my current boss since 1994 and we service BMW,BENZ,VW,Audi,Porsche and other euro makes and i enjoy it.

[Julien]

tl/dr

parts advisor: gets shit on by techs & service advisors
service advisor: " " " by customers and management.


both excellent careers if you like getting shat on and working ridiculous hours

[Farbin Kaiber]

^excellent explanation. Did it for many years. Like he said, you are the face of the repair in the consumers eyes, and you'll always either end up the great guy to the customer, and bad guy to the techs, or bad guy to the customers, and great guy to the techs. It's a balancing act to try and stay an ok guy to both sides.

[markseven]

Stay in healthcare? Become a RN if you don't like the X-ray tech job description?

[efficient]

i work in a grocery store in a meat dept for 7years now. i applied to a car place to be a tech because I'm tired of the people at my job and I'm just tired of the grocery business. so i got an interview and the people laughed at me because i wanted to switch careers saying that this career sucks.
i denied the job because i couldn't take a big loss in pay compared to what i was making, i thought they paid more or a little less to that what I'm making but i guess thought wrong. i knew i was going to take a loss but not a big one.

[nando]

neither sound like much of a career to me. *shrug*

I'd stay in healthcare if I were you..

[mrsleeve]

I have been a Service Advisor/Service Manger for some 27 years now. Started out in 1988 and have been doing it since then. My dad did the same thing for 28 years (retired in 1997)and my sister has been doing it for 26 years now. I tried parts dept and didn't like it. I have been working for my current boss since 1994 and we service BMW,BENZ,VW,Audi,Porsche and other euro makes and i enjoy it.

I would like to note that your LONG TERM employment in management in the auto service industry is not the typical experience especially in the dealership environment. My FIL has been in it for 30+ years, Parts and service, and has worked at a store for an average of 16 months in the 15 years I have known him, before ownership decides he costs too much once hes fixed the broken department(s)..... They then lay him off, or cut his compensation to get him to quit, (normally after the "efficiency expert" comes though, and force a cross country move for another >2 years stint.


Op- Stick with the radiography, go back to to school get more certs, learn more shit for your field, you should be taking a HUGE pay cut from an Xray tech to parts slinger. If not you should be looking for a new position with a different facility with in your current field.

Edit: I assume your a medical Xray tech and not industrial

[Exodus_2pt0]

^ this.

I was in it for 10 years straight out of school. There is NO job security for a service manager. They always come and go like the cars you service.

[LSM3]

One of my good friends is a service advisor at a large Toyota dealership. He earns a bit under 100k. He's been there for about 10 years. Started as an advisor on the oil/lube side and then promoted to the service side. This is in CA so I'm am not sure if its representative of where you are from.

[einhander]

neither sound like much of a career to me. *shrug*

I'd stay in healthcare if I were you..

This

[chadthestampede]

I'm a parts advisor and it's great if you like the aforementioned being shat upon, working crappy hours and feeling generally unfulfilled.

Stay in healthcare.

[TurboJake]

Been there, done that.

Wouldn't recommend.

[QUKBMER]

I would like to note that your LONG TERM employment in management in the auto service industry is not the typical experience especially in the dealership environment. My FIL has been in it for 30+ years, Parts and service, and has worked at a store for an average of 16 months in the 15 years I have known him, before ownership decides he costs too much once hes fixed the broken department(s)..... They then lay him off, or cut his compensation to get him to quit, (normally after the "efficiency expert" comes though, and force a cross country move for another >2 years stint.


Op- Stick with the radiography, go back to to school get more certs, learn more shit for your field, you should be taking a HUGE pay cut from an Xray tech to parts slinger. If not you should be looking for a new position with a different facility with in your current field.

Edit: I assume your a medical Xray tech and not industrial

I have worked in the dealership side of this business and there are to many politics for me. My boss has owned his independent shop since 1988 and his business is always growing. He leaves for months sometimes and goes over to Europe to visit family and i run the shop as if its my own. It depends on how you look at. You are going to have asshole customers but they are far and between the good ones that come in. I can say that i love my job, yes i do and i have worked at shitty ones too. You just have to find the right place i guess and this job just isn't for everybody i guess.