While I didn’t start my first job as a warranty administrator during the days of hand written repair orders, at least the first dealership I started working at had been computerized. Compared to what a dealership has at its disposal now, I feel like I was working in the dark ages.
Unfortunately those tools can be spread all over the dealership. The Internet connection is in one office and the computer with the technical data in the shop.
The ultimate warranty administrator’s office would be equipped so all of these indispensable tools could be accessed from the ease of his or her own desk. With the need for a wired dealership becoming more of a requirement than a luxury, the ultimate warranty administrator’s office can be put together relatively easily when the dealership is wired up as a whole.
The component that is integral to the setup is a good, solid, up-to-date PC. It can’t be a relic from the showroom or the old PC that was used by the technicians.
As far as specs, it should have at least 1 GB meg of memory (although 2 GB would give the system more ability to handle future larger applications), a DVD drive for accessing flat rate time manuals, warranty administration manuals and possibly for use with some of the CD or DVD disks that get changed out regularly on the shop diagnostic equipment. The hard drive should have a minimum of 80 GB of storage.
To network the computer, it will need two, possibly three network connections to access the information on other computer systems. The first network connection would be for Internet access over cable modem, DSL or a T-1 line. Most manufacturers have moved their dealer communications to the Internet and it’s important the warranty administrator have access to this wealth of information.
A second network connection would be needed to access the in-house computer system. With most manufacturers now having their service bulletins and manuals online, a third network connection should only be necessary if that type of information is still being accessed with DVDs on a computer in the shop. If that’s the case, see if you can network the warranty administrator’s computer to the shop computer to get access to that information.
With all of the information a warranty administrator may need to access at the same time, consideration really should be given to a higher end monitor. I’m not talking about one that’ll be a budget buster. I would suggest a 22 inch wide screen monitor. This should be enough screen space to keep different applications open and occasionally view two applications at the same time without shrinking them down to a point that you can’t easily view either one. Prices for this kind of monitor are around $400 and with some bargain hunting, you can find some closer to $300.
A printer is a must with any computer system. With the amount of information a warranty administrator has to printout from the manufacturer’s web site, they really need a printer of their own. Spend a few dollars on a decent printer (about $100) and you’ll be set.
In my opinion, the best type of desk would be a U-shaped workstation. This allows a warranty administrator the most workspace without taking up anymore floor space than they already have. Hasn’t every warranty administrator had to spread out papers all over the place to work on schedules and claim payment reports? A U-shaped workstation is perfect to do that kind of work on.
A lateral filing cabinet next to the desk would allow the warranty administrator easy access to the last few months of claims as well as a place to keep credit memos going back much further and any of the other mounds of paper a warranty administrator needs at a moment’s notice.
While not a requirement of the ultimate warranty administrator’s office, it would make the job so much easier if the copier and fax machine were in close proximity to the warranty administrator. Probably the biggest single user of the copier in most service departments is the warranty administrator.
Don’t forget a phone at the warranty administrator’s desk. All too often I’ve seen warranty administrators that needed to go to other parts of the service department to make a phone call. You’d be surprised how often calls need to be made about warranty claims. The phone should also have speakerphone capabilities. Sometimes the warranty claims hotlines can leave you on hold for a long time.
Hopefully by outlining our thoughts on what the ultimate warranty administrator’s office would be like, we’ve given you a few ideas to try in your service department. Believe it or not, the suggestions I’ve given aren’t all that expensive to implement and could benefit the service department. When you give the warranty administrator the tools they need, they can become more efficient and more effective at the job.
You can’t expect someone to work in a Flintstone’s environment and produce Jetson’s results. When a warranty administrator is rushed in their job, they often push paperwork through quickly and that can bring on mistakes and more importantly, miss important claiming opportunities.
If your warranty administrator was missing out on claiming 5% of what could be claiming because they were rushed, that could hurt your profitability. In a dealership that has $1 million a year in warranty claims, that could hit the bottom line for $50,000 and you would never even know it. Not to mention the possible slip ups and missed documentation that could be costly in an audit.
Invest in your warranty processes so you can stay profitable for years to come.
