Write Things Down

I have always had a terrible short term memory. In fact, when I can't find something around the house, I always check my hands first, just to make sure I'm not carrying around whatever it is I thought I had lost. So, whenever I take a call from a customer, I use a simple system to sound more professional. I write things down.


I keep a tablet of scratch paper near the phone and grab it whenever the phone rings. As the customer talks, I write down any pertinent information they say. Typically, by the time the customer has introduced herself and described the problem she is having, I have all of the information I need to fill in her appointment on the schedule (Name, vehicle, symptoms) and I don't have to ask any stupid questions like "What was that name again?" or "Now what kind of car was that?"


As the focal point of all shop activity, the service writer has plenty of plates in the air at any given time. Writing things down will help you avoid having to ask a tired mechanic the same question twice.