The general manager of a large auto dealer has hired you to help improve the performance of its service staff. After each service call, customers are asked to complete a customer satisfaction survey. These surveys address three areas: (1)their satisfaction with the quality of the service provided on their vehicle; (2)their satisfaction with the timeliness of the service (i.e., was the car ready when it was promised), and (3)their perception about the courtesy with which they were treated. Surveys for the last few months show that levels of customer satisfaction have decreased, particularly in terms of timeliness and courtesy. As a result, the general manager thinks that some type of customer service training may be in order.

Based on this scenario, need a one- to two-page report that addresses the following questions:

1. What steps will you take in order to assess the training needs for this auto dealer (i.e., needs assessment)? How do you determine who should be trained and in what areas?

2. What training method(s) or activities would you recommend to influence the behavior of the staff?