Mitsubishi’s top service staff

MITSUBISHI Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has named Rod Howes from Motorama Mitsubishi in Queensland as its 2009 Technician of the Year, and Paul Willoughby from Booth’s Mitsubishi in New South Wales as its 2009 Service Adviser of the Year.

The winners were announced at MMAL’s annual Service Skills Competition, held recently at the company’s head office in Adelaide, and followed a program of testing throughout the year. More than 800 service staff, including 244 service advisers and 559 technicians, competed in the event.

Mitsubishi’s technical publications and training manager Neil Dunn said the competition played an important role in lifting the standard of customer service at Mitsubishi dealers.

“All the contestants who participated displayed outstanding levels of performance in their respective fields,” he said. “This competition gives individual technicians and service advisers motivation to improve their diagnostic and customer service skills, and recognises those that strive to reach their maximum potential in their profession.”

Left: Service advisor of the year Paul Willoughby and MMAL's vice president of brand management Paul Unerkov.

Running since 1999, the program is designed to “increase customer satisfaction, reduce warranty costs, improve product knowledge for staff, and encourage efficient work practices across Mitsubishi dealerships nationally”.

The field was narrowed down to five competitors in each category after preliminary testing and regional qualifying rounds, with the top award decided at the finals held in South Australia. While the technicians tackled practical tests on vehicles and powertrains, service staff were “inundated” with mock customer enquiries and demands.

Mr Howes won the top service technician award from Matthew Burgess (Kloster Mitsubishi, Newcastle, NSW), Ryan Hage (Murray Mitsubishi, Murray Bridge, SA), Jarrod Nunn (Callaghan Mitsubishi, Warrnambool, Vic) and Robert Tesoriero (John Hughes Mitsubishi, Victoria Park, WA).

Mr Willoughby took out the top service adviser award from Adrian Holmes (Len Patti Mitsubishi, Toowoomba, Qld), Alysia Walker (Dutton Mitsubishi, Mount Barker, SA), Tim Hicks (another from Callaghan Mitsubishi) and Stephen Hincks (Wanneroo Mitsubishi, Morely, WA).