Service advisors are vital to every auto repair shop. The right hire can boost your business, while the wrong one can slow it down or sink it. Jodi and Darren Knepper put it in memorable terms: would you rather bridle a racehorse or saddle a donkey? You will work just as hard either way.
The Kneppers have owned Lee Myles Auto Care & Transmissions franchises in Birdsboro and Reading, Pennsylvania, for nearly two decades. In episode 73 of Maximum Octane, they talk with Kim Hickey about balancing franchise rules with their own style, why digital vehicle inspections matter, how to identify service advisor talent, and the story behind their second location.
What You Will Learn
- Why DVIs make Auto Care and Transmissions shops’ lives easier
- What’s the primary trait every service advisor should have
- Would you bridle a racehorse or a donkey?
- How to realize if someone is service advisor material
- Where is the best place to get good service advisors
- The story behind owning a second auto repair shop
- Always be the dumbest person in the room
Following the Rules While Adding Your Own Style
As franchise owners, Jodi and Darren work within a system that comes with certain rules. They share how they balance those requirements with their own leadership style and values. That balance applies to any owner working within structures, whether a franchise, a network, or a set of industry standards.
Franchise systems provide brand recognition, marketing support, training, and proven processes. In exchange, franchisees follow certain standards and pay fees. Successful franchisees often find ways to add their personal touch within the system, through how they treat employees, engage with the community, and deliver service. Independent owners can learn from this balance, adopting proven systems while preserving what makes their shop unique.
For independent owners, the lesson is that structure and personality are not opposites. Documented processes for phone calls, inspections, estimates, and follow-up give customers a consistent experience no matter which advisor or technician they deal with. Within that structure, the owner’s values show up in how people are treated, how mistakes are handled, and how the shop shows up in the community. Shops without any structure often depend entirely on the owner’s presence, while shops with structure and a clear personality can grow beyond one location.
Why DVIs Make Life Easier
Around the 6 minute mark, the Kneppers explain why digital vehicle inspections make life easier for shops. DVIs use photos, videos, and notes to show customers what technicians found. That transparency builds trust, speeds up approvals, and reduces misunderstandings. But a DVI is only as effective as the advisor presenting it.
ATI’s The Top Five Reasons to Use Digital Vehicle Inspections outlines the benefits, and Bruce Nation goes deeper in Stop Wasting Your DVIs.
DVIs reduce friction between the shop and the customer. Instead of trying to describe a worn component over the phone, advisors can send photos and videos that show the problem clearly. Customers can review the information on their own time, share it with family members, and make decisions with confidence. DVIs also create a record of the vehicle’s condition, which helps track wear over time and supports warranty and liability documentation.
Getting full value from DVIs requires consistency in the bays and at the counter. Technicians need clear standards for what to photograph, how to label findings, and how to note urgency. Advisors need to review the inspection before contacting the customer and walk through it in plain language, starting with safety concerns. A common mistake is sending a long inspection link with no explanation and waiting for the customer to call back. Pairing the DVI with a short, personal conversation turns photos into understanding and makes approval far more likely.
The Primary Trait Every Advisor Needs
Jodi and Darren share the primary trait every service advisor should have. Listen to the episode for their answer. In general, great advisors combine genuine care for customers with the confidence to recommend needed work clearly and honestly. Technical knowledge can be taught. Attitude and communication skills are harder to train.
Many experienced owners say that the best advisors combine empathy with confidence. Empathy helps them understand customers’ concerns and communicate with care. Confidence helps them recommend needed work clearly without hesitation. Advisors who have both can build trust while also driving sales, because customers believe they are being told the truth.
Racehorse or Donkey?
Around the 12 minute mark, the Kneppers explain their racehorse versus donkey analogy. A racehorse needs to be guided and channeled, but it has energy and drive. A donkey has to be pushed to move at all. When hiring advisors, it is better to find someone with natural drive and channel it than to hire someone who must be constantly pushed.
Hiring for drive and energy means looking for people who take initiative, show curiosity, and want to grow. In interviews, questions about past achievements, goals, and how candidates handled challenges can reveal these qualities. Once hired, these people need guidance and structure so their energy is channeled productively.
Racehorses come with their own challenges. Driven advisors may push ahead without following processes, overpromise on timing, or clash with technicians when work does not move fast enough. Channeling that energy means setting clear expectations about how the shop operates, explaining why processes exist, and giving them goals that reward the right behavior. When a high-energy advisor understands that honest recommendations and accurate promise times are part of winning, their drive becomes a major asset rather than a source of friction.
How to Tell If Someone Is Advisor Material
The Kneppers share how to recognize whether someone has what it takes to be a service advisor. Signs might include how they communicate, how they handle pressure, and whether they genuinely enjoy helping people. They also discuss where to find good advisors, which may not always be in the automotive industry. People from hospitality, retail, and customer service backgrounds often bring valuable skills.
ATI’s How to Find Quality Service Advisors and Rainmaker or Order Taker: Which One Is Your Service Advisor? are excellent companion resources.
Signs of advisor potential can show up in unexpected places. A server who handles a busy restaurant section gracefully, a retail employee who builds rapport with customers, or a receptionist who calmly manages a crowded office may all have the skills to become great advisors. Training can teach the technical knowledge, but natural people skills are harder to develop.
A role-play is one of the most revealing interview tools. Asking a candidate to explain a simple repair recommendation to a skeptical customer, or to handle a caller upset about a delayed vehicle, shows how they think on their feet, how they listen, and whether they stay calm. Candidates do not need technical knowledge to do well. What matters is whether they ask questions, show empathy, and communicate clearly. These short exercises often reveal more than a resume and help owners avoid hiring someone who interviews well but struggles with real customers.
The Story Behind a Second Location
Around the 18 minute mark, Jodi and Darren share the funny story of how their second location came about. Growth opportunities do not always arrive on a planned timeline, and being ready to act when they appear makes a difference.
Opportunities for growth often appear unexpectedly, such as a nearby shop for sale or a landlord offering space. Owners who have documented systems, strong teams, and financial reserves are better prepared to take advantage of these opportunities when they arise.
Always Be the Dumbest Person in the Room
The Kneppers close with advice that reflects their love of learning: always be the dumbest person in the room. Surrounding yourself with people who know more than you is one of the fastest ways to grow. ATI’s Peer Networking Groups create exactly that kind of environment.
Surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people accelerates learning. Peer groups, industry events, and mentorships expose owners to new ideas and proven practices. Being willing to learn from others, including employees, shows humility and creates a culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing knowledge.
Training New Advisors for Success
Even naturally talented advisors need training to succeed. A strong training program covers the shop’s processes, software, pricing, warranties, and communication standards. Shadowing experienced advisors, role-playing customer conversations, and reviewing estimates together help new advisors build skills quickly.
Ongoing coaching remains important after the initial training period. Reviewing metrics such as closing ratio and average repair order, listening to customer calls, and discussing challenging situations help advisors keep improving. The Kneppers’ experience shows that investing in the right people, and then supporting their growth, pays off in stronger shops and happier customers.
ATI’s Why This Person Has the Most Important Job in Your Shop explains why advisors deserve this investment.
Common Service Advisor Hiring Mistakes
One frequent mistake is hiring an advisor based mainly on technical knowledge. A former technician may understand repairs perfectly but struggle with the pace, people skills, and selling responsibilities of the counter. Another is hiring someone simply because they are available, which often leads to the donkey scenario the Kneppers describe.
Owners also sometimes skip structured onboarding, expecting a new advisor to learn by watching. Without clear training on the shop’s processes, software, and communication standards, even talented people develop inconsistent habits. Finally, some shops set pay plans that reward the wrong behavior, such as pushing sales without regard to customer trust. Aligning pay with both results and customer satisfaction helps advisors succeed the right way. ATI explains the value of structured development in its look at service advisor training.
Service Advisor Hiring Checklist
- Define the traits that matter most for advisors in your shop.
- Look beyond the auto industry for candidates with strong people skills.
- Include a role-play in your interview process.
- Train every advisor to present DVIs confidently.
For more on great service advising, listen to Brittany Schindler in Treating Every Internal Customer as a Leader and Michelle Wood in The One Skill AI Will Never Learn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good service advisor in an auto repair shop?
Strong service advisors combine genuine care for customers with the confidence to recommend needed work clearly and honestly. They listen well, stay calm under pressure, explain technical issues in plain language, and keep promises about timing and cost. They also work well with technicians and follow shop processes. Technical knowledge helps, but it can be taught. Communication skills, empathy, and drive are harder to develop, which is why many owners hire for those traits first.
Where can I find good service advisor candidates?
Look beyond the automotive industry. People with experience in restaurants, hospitality, retail, and customer service often have the communication skills and composure that advisors need. Pay attention to people who impress you in everyday service interactions. Referrals from employees and customers can also help. Once you find someone with the right attitude and people skills, a solid training program can teach the shop processes and technical knowledge they will need.
How do digital vehicle inspections help auto repair shops?
Digital vehicle inspections use photos, videos, and notes to show customers what technicians found. They build trust by letting customers see the condition of their vehicle for themselves, which can speed up approvals and reduce misunderstandings. DVIs also create a record of the vehicle’s condition over time. Their effectiveness depends on consistent technician documentation and advisors who explain the findings clearly and prioritize recommendations by urgency.
How long does it take to train a new service advisor?
It depends on the person’s background and the shop’s training program. Someone with strong customer service experience may handle basic tasks within a few weeks but need several months to become confident with estimates, technical explanations, and the full workflow. A structured plan that includes shadowing, role-playing, and regular coaching shortens the learning curve. Ongoing coaching on metrics and customer conversations continues to matter long after initial training ends.
Resources and Links From This Episode
- Lee Myles Autocare & Transmissions website
Connect With the Guests
- Jodi: LinkedIn
