Aftersales Controller- Changan Wakefield

D. M. Keith is looking for an ambitious and commercially
minded Aftersales Controller to join our Changan Wakefield operation.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has developed
strong experience within a dealership Aftersales environment and is now looking
for the opportunity to take responsibility for the day-to-day running and
development of an entire Aftersales operation.

This isn't a traditional Service Advisor role, and we are
not necessarily looking for an experienced Service Manager. Instead, we're
looking for someone with the capability, drive and ambition to take ownership
of a smaller operation and help us grow it.

About the business

D. M. Keith is a long-established, family-owned automotive
group with a strong reputation across the industry.

This role offers something particularly valuable for an
ambitious Aftersales professional: the opportunity to take ownership of a
complete Aftersales operation and develop your management capability within an
established automotive group.

You will have the support of the wider D. M. Keith
Aftersales team, while having the autonomy to make a real difference at
Wakefield.

As the retail proposition develops and the business grows,
there will also be opportunities for the successful candidate to progress their
career within the wider D. M. Keith Group.

About the role

Our Wakefield site currently operates with three
technicians and has a diverse Aftersales operation comprising:

• Changan
  franchise Aftersales
  
• Multi-franchise
  used vehicle preparation, typically 20–30 vehicles per month
  
• A
  growing retail non-franchise workshop proposition, designed to
  attract local customers with competitive servicing, maintenance and repair
  offers
  

As Aftersales Controller, you will play a key role in making
the operation efficient, profitable and customer-focused, while helping us
develop and grow the retail side of the business.

You will be responsible for coordinating the workshop and
ensuring our technicians are effectively utilised, while also managing customer
requirements, parts, used vehicle preparation and the day-to-day commercial
performance of the department.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Workshop Control

• Plan
  and control the daily workshop workload
  
• Allocate
  work effectively across the three technicians
  
• Monitor
  technician productivity, efficiency and utilisation
  
• Manage
  WIP and ensure jobs progress through the workshop efficiently
  
• Identify
  opportunities to maximise available workshop capacity
  
• Maintain
  high standards of quality and customer service
  

Customer Aftersales

• Manage
  customer bookings and vehicle requirements
  
• Provide
  professional and knowledgeable advice to customers
  
• Identify
  and present additional maintenance and repair opportunities
  
• Ensure
  customers receive regular updates throughout the repair process
  
• Deal
  confidently with customer concerns and complaints
  

Retail Customer Growth

• Help
  develop our new non-franchise retail Aftersales proposition
  
• Drive
  workshop bookings from local customers
  
• Support
  local marketing and customer retention activity
  
• Identify
  opportunities to increase customer-pay labour and parts sales
  
• Monitor
  lost opportunities and work to convert them into future business
  

Used Vehicle Preparation

• Coordinate
  the preparation of 20–30 used vehicles each month
  
• Prioritise
  work according to vehicle requirements and business needs
  
• Manage
  parts availability and workshop capacity
  
• Monitor
  preparation turnaround times
  
• Ensure
  vehicles are completed to the required quality standard
  

Changan Aftersales

• Manage
  the day-to-day Aftersales requirements of our Changan customers
  
• Ensure
  manufacturer processes and standards are followed
  
• Support
  warranty, servicing and maintenance activity
  
• Maintain
  strong customer satisfaction and retention
  

Parts & Commercial Control

• Ensure
  the correct parts are ordered and available when required
  
• Monitor
  parts usage and stock
  
• Understand
  labour sales, parts sales and departmental profitability
  
• Monitor
  key Aftersales KPIs and take action where required
  
• Provide
  regular performance information to the wider Aftersales management team
  
  

About you

We are particularly interested in hearing from experienced:

• Workshop
  Controllers
  
• Senior
  Service Advisors
  
• Experienced
  Aftersales Advisors
  
• Aftersales
  professionals ready to take their first step into broader operational
  responsibility
  

Previous Service Manager experience is not essential.

What is important is that you have the capability and
ambition to take ownership of an operation and make it successful.

You will need to be:

• Highly
  organised and able to manage competing priorities
  
• Commercially
  aware and motivated by performance
  
• Confident
  managing and coordinating technicians
  
• Comfortable
  discussing technical work with customers
  
• Customer-focused
  without losing sight of profitability
  
• Proactive
  in identifying opportunities to generate additional business
  
• Confident
  using Aftersales KPIs and performance information
  
• A
  strong communicator
  
• Able
  to work independently and make decisions
  
• Ambitious
  to develop your career within Aftersales
  

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who doesn't
simply want to administer the workshop.

We want someone who wants to improve it, grow it and make it
successful.

What we offer:

• Competitive
  salary, dependent on experience
  
• Performance-related
  bonus opportunity
  
• 25
  days holiday plus bank holidays
  
• Staff
  vehicle benefits
  
• Manufacturer
  and D. M. Keith training and development
  
• Career
  progression opportunities
  
• Support
  from an experienced wider Aftersales team
  
• The
  opportunity to take genuine ownership of an Aftersales operation
  
• A
  role where your ideas and contribution can make a visible difference
  

Ready for your next step?

If you're currently a Senior Service Advisor or Workshop
Controller and feel you're ready to take responsibility for more, this
could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.

We don't necessarily need someone who has already been a
Service Manager.

We are looking for someone who has the capability to
become one.

If you have the experience, commercial mindset and ambition
to help us build the next stage of our Wakefield Aftersales operation, we'd
love to hear from you.