Enjoying a Career in Automotive Customer Service

If you enjoy working with the public, and if you love cars, you may want to take the time to learn more about the Advanced Automotive Service Advisor diploma programs offered by many automotive schools. Designed to prepare students for the front lines of the automotive industry- interacting with customers on a daily basis- the programs contain both theoretical and practical components to ensure that graduates are prepared to excel in the automotive market, either as Service Advisors, or as Parts Consultants. Specific skills taught to students include:

Time management
Automotive systems
Effective communication skills
How to resolve customer conflicts
Management of invoices, inventory, and warranties
Customer service and customer care
Basic operations of a dealership
Diplomas for Advanced Automotive Service Advisor programs always place a strong emphasis on learning software systems in computer labs. Competent software skills are key in any profession, and the ever-changing automotive industry is no exception. Often, a student will spend up to 50% of their time learning the systems which are the backbone of today’s car dealerships. Examples of software systems which are taught to Service Advisor and Parts Consultant students are:

The Reynolds & Reynolds® dealership system
Automotive Business Management Systems (ABMS)
The Snap-On Shop Key estimating tool
The International Parts Corporation (IPC) parts catalogue system
No Advanced Automotive Service Advisor diploma program would be complete without hands on study. Typically, students begin learning the basics of customer service in a simulated parts and service counter with multi-faceted role-playing. Students are exposed to typical customer interaction scenarios in order to develop their skills and increase their comfort level with public interaction. Constant feedback is provided by teachers to ensure that students learn how to adapt to the dynamic service department of a car dealership. Next, students take part in a mutli-week on-site internship where they are placed in an actual dealership. This phase of a student’s learning is critical, as they gain invaluable experience, make contacts, and learn what life as a Service Advisor or Parts Consultant is really like. Many students appreciate this real-world experience, and consider it an integral part of their education.Throughout their program, students are encouraged to interact with their teachers, all of whom will have solid practical experience as well as sound theoretical knowledge. In the end, an Advanced Automotive Service Advisor diploma student can expect to graduate with the kind of training needed to be successful in today’s automotive market.

How to Market a Small Business Online

Small businesses don’t have limitless advertising budgets. In fact, in this day and age even the large corporations no longer have unlimited funds to spend on advertising and marketing. However, the limitations are amplified when looking at the challenges faced by a small business. This is why learning how marketing small businesses online works can be a huge asset for a business owner. It can also form the basis for forming an entire new business. So many small businesses can benefit from online marketing services that there is a huge market for companies to open their doors and provide internet marketing services to other small businesses in the area.So, how are small businesses best marketed online? It is actually much easier than it might seem at first. Although there are many more complicated aspects to this type of business that can develop down the road, and as companies continue to improve their online marketing, most firms can actually accomplish a great deal with relatively simple methods.The first step to marketing a business online is making sure that a business has a usable and effective website. The next step is to get people to that website. When starting internet marketing steps from the very beginning, we can divide the marketing efforts into three basic categories. These are search, social media or content and social networking. If all three of these elements can begin functioning, you are well on your way to marketing any small business online.The search element of marketing a business online is based partly on the website you have, and partly on the content that you have pointing to that site, among other factors. One area to concentrate on is that of local search. Small businesses are likely going to benefit the most by customers who find them online and then come into their physical store to make a purchase. Utilizing tools like Google places and online Yellow pages listings is going to be extremely important for success in this particular type of online marketing.The next way to market a business online is to start a strong social media campaign. This is going to mean creating lots of content for the business. The content can and should be about anything that is related to the niche that the business operates in, but there is one thing that it absolutely must not be. This is an advertisement. When writing articles or making videos which are part of an online marketing campaign, the one thing to never do is make them advertisements. This might seem counterintuitive to some people, but the most successful content is that which provides good information and content without seeming like it is pressuring people to visit a website or make a purchase. This is the type of content that will ultimately raise trust and the profile of the company that you are promoting.The final leg of this initial primer on how to market a business online is social networking. Almost everyone is now connected via Twitter and Facebook. A business should take advantage of these same tools so that they can connect to their customers. This provides a business with a tool to engage in an ongoing conversation with their customers, which can be a very valuable way to get people interested in their services.If you can combine a good website with a local search presence, a social media creation plan, and social networking profiles, you will be well on your way to successful promotion of a business online. These steps alone when followed for a reasonable amount of time can start to boost business for any company.

Fashion Design and Merchandising Programs

Fashion design and merchandising programs help prepare students for some of the most exciting careers in the fashion industry. There are many different diploma, certificate and degree programs in the fashion field and not all of them are related to designing clothes for the runways, as some might assume. There are also education and training programs related to the merchandising, marketing and business side of the fashion industry. Fashion merchandisers, also known as buyers, have an important role in the industry, ensuring that retailers ranging from small boutiques to massive department stores have the latest fashions in stock. It’s an excellent career for fashion lovers who also have good interpersonal skills and a knack for the business side of things.The Value of EducationIf you really want to get ahead in the field of fashion design and merchandising, a bachelor’s degree will probably be your best bet. Diploma and certificate programs will only qualify you for the lowest entry level jobs in the field, and many employers are also looking for more than an associate’s degree these days. You may, however, be able to complete your associate’s degree at an affordable community college or an online university and transfer into a four-year school that offers an accredited fashion merchandising program. If you have a specific job or employer in mind, it might be wise to see what level of education most of the people have in that position or with that company and where they went to school.The Cities of FashionThere are many fashion merchandising programs to choose from, and not all of them are in the bustling metropolis of New York City, as some might imagine. Some of the most prestigious fashion design, marketing and merchandising programs in the U.S. are at schools in California, particularly in the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Programs in cities like Miami, Chicago, Houston and Seattle also carry quite a bit of prestige, and you may find some very formidable programs in smaller cities as well. The curriculum of these programs vary quite a bit, but they all include some basic fashion design courses as well as courses in business, marketing, merchandising, accounting and other subject areas.Salaries for fashion merchandisers also vary anywhere from $25,000 per year to upwards of $70,000 depending on various factors, including education and training. The more effort you put into your degree program, the more successful your career will be.

3 / 11Firstprevious123456nextLast