2009 Mitsubishi Service Skills Final Winners Announced

CLOVELLY PARK, AUSTRALIA – November 25, 2009: Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has announced the winners of its annual Service Skills Competition, held last week at its South Australian head office.

The Mitsubishi Technician of the Year title was claimed by Rod Howes from Queensland’s Motorama Mitsubishi and Paul Willoughby from Booth’s Mitsubishi in New South Wales was named Mitsubishi’s Service Advisor of the Year.

The announcement came following a full program of tough testing throughout the year, with more than 800 keen Mitsubishi Service Staff competing.

Mitsubishi’s Manager of Technical Publications and Training, Neil Dunn was very pleased with the calibre of contestants in this year’s Service Skills final, a competition he believes plays a very important role in the standard of service for Mitsubishi’s customers.“All the contestants who participated displayed outstanding levels of performance in their respective fields. This competition gives individual technicians and service advisors motivation to improve their diagnostic and customer service skills, and recognises those that strive to reach their maximum potential in their profession,” said Mr Dunn.

The annual Mitsubishi Service Skills Program began in 1999 and recognises excellence in customer service and technical expertise across Mitsubishi’s national network of over 200 dealerships.

The program promotes and develops Mitsubishi service staff and helps to increase customer satisfaction, reduce warranty costs, improve product knowledge for staff, and encourage efficient work practices across Mitsubishi dealerships nationally.

This year’s competitors were very strong in both categories, with a total of 244 Service Advisors and 559 Technicians vying for the title in their respective fields. After nation-wide preliminary testing and regional qualifiers, the finest five technicians and the top five service advisors were brought to Adelaide for the finals to decide one national winner for each category.

The technician finalists faced five practical tests on vehicles and engines across the Mitsubishi range, with only half an hour at each station to diagnose a problem. The pressure was on, but all contestants performed very well, displaying a broad range of technical skills and sound product knowledge.

Customer service role-play put the service advisors through their paces, with scenarios that kept them on their toes. Although they were inundated with “customer” enquiries and demands, each finalist was poised, polite and professional at all times.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to this year’s winners, and my thanks to all participants for their efforts in the 2009 Mitsubishi Service Skills Competition,” said Mr Dunn.

Mitsubishi’s 200 plus national dealer network provides excellent servicing standards for all the company’s passenger and commercial vehicles.