One of the most important processes in the service department is the use of ribbons on equipment. This is primarily the Service coordinator's job, but all members of the service team need to understand how using ribbons can help to increase efficiency and eliminate chaos.

A red ribbon means the equipment has been at the dealership less than 24 hours and has not been evaluated by a technician. The blue ribbon means the equipment has been "triaged" and is ready to be washed. The green ribbon marks equipment that has been serviced or repaired by a tech and is ready to be handed back to the customer. A yellow ribbon is placed on equipment that has been in the service department but is either waiting for another part or additional customer approval and must be moved back outside.

The goal is to keep like-colored ribbons together, if possible, in the outside staging. We want green ribbons in one area, yellows in another area and the blues and reds in a separate area, with all of the equipment placed in a neat line.

Having a system that keeps equipment organized will help everyone in the service department save time, increase efficiency and eliminate chaos.

For more on the service department:
Position Highlight: Service Writer
Position Highlight: Service Manager

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