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6/9/03

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Page 5

Student Workbook

LV03
Effective
Working
Relationships

LV03/SWB

Student Workbook for Technical Certificates in

Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

MODULE LV03
EFFECTIVE WORKING
RELATIONSHIPS

Contents
Page
Introduction
Build and Maintain Effective
Working Relationships:
Teams
Exercise 1
Setting goals
Exercise 2
Creating a good impression
Exercise 3
Personal appearance
Asking for help
Company Structures, Job Roles
and Levels of Authority:
Typical company structures
Exercise 4
Role of each operation within the
workplace
Exercise 5
Time Management, Labour Costs
and Profitability:
Costing time
Exercise 6
Keeping others informed

4
4
5
6
6
7
8
8
8

9
9
10

...
Using Different Forms of
Communication:
Verbal communication
Exercise 7
Telephone use
Written communications
Electronic communications

14
14
15
16
17
18

Equal Opportunities:
Definition
Legislation
Stereotyping
Discrimination
Exercise 8
Exercise 9
Benefits of a diverse workforce
National minimum wage

19
19
19
20
21
21
22
22
23

11
11

12
12
12
13

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.Page

LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

-2Copyright Automotive Skills Limited 2003

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Introduction
Effective working relationships are part of everyday life that we take for
granted. We form relationships from the moment we are born, and then
throughout the various stages of our life, we keep existing friendships and
form new ones. Hopefully at the end of a busy and rewarding life we can be
remembered with affection for the contributions we made to other peoples
lives and situations.
The human race is gregarious which means it likes it to form groups, clubs,
clans etc. where people can meet and enjoy the same interests and hobbies.
Its from these social groups that more intimate relationships such as pals,
girl/boy friend relationships often develop.
There are times of course where we cannot choose our friends and we have
to make a real effort to join in and make friends in an existing club, rather like
when you start work for the first time. This can be a daunting experience with
perhaps difficulties settling in and working with older people who seem self
assured and experienced. However by being friendly and helpful you will
make the connection so that your colleagues and workmates will respect and
value you as a person and team player.
Effective working relationships hold out the promise of work becoming a
pleasurable experience enjoyed in the company of your fellow workmates.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Build and Maintain Effective Working Relationships

Teams

We have all been part of a team sometime in our lives, whether football,
hockey or the local darts team. If you have been picked for a team your skills
have perhaps been noted or somebody has recognised your potential. With
suitable training and experience you can raise your game from being a novice
to a regular team player. A football team will train together so that they can
harmonise and use their individual skills to take on the best and win.
By transferring the principles of team working into your normal work
environment you can personally influence the outcome of the success of your
dealership or garage.
Of course you will have to undergo training and development to learn the skills
of your trade, but after your apprenticeship is completed you will hopefully be
playing in the first team!

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Exercise 1
Here is an exercise I would like you to do. Select a sports team such as a
football team, if you are not a football fan pick another sport.
In a football team there are many personalities that bring the team success
including the manager, assistant manager, coach, physiotherapist, ground
staff, team captain and players.
Now look at a situation in a dealership or large garage where they also have
many personalities that carry out similar functions to a football team.
List the people in your dealership or garage who have similar roles and
responsibilities to a say a sports team.

Football Team

Dealership or Garage

Manager

Manager

Assistant Manager

__________

Physiotherapist

__________

Ground Staff

__________

Team Captain

__________

Players

__________

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Setting Goals
The proof of any teams success is the tangible results that they can
demonstrate at the end of the season, or in the case of a dealership the
quantity of cars or repairs carried out in a particular time period.
This is known as setting goals, for a sports team who wish to win a trophy at
the end of the season they will set targets, for example, to raise their level of
fitness and passing skills.
You will need to ensure that whenever you make commitments to others you
keep your promises, if not it can harm relationships and let down the team.
A dealership may want to improve its market share of repairs and servicing.
Their targets may be to send staff on dealer training to raise their productivity
levels. Whenever goals are set certain questions have to be asked. What do
we want? How do we achieve it? What investment is required?
This can be broken down into the following:
Objectives

Targets

Ultimate goal

Raise productivity in the

service department

More staff training

Increase market share

Exercise 2
You decide on a particular goal, with objectives and targets
Objectives

Ultimate goal

Targets

After your team has attained their objectives and goals you hope to share in
the success.
For a company that may mean increased profitability and a bonus for the team
or top dealer position and the accolade which that brings to the team.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Creating a Good Impression

You passed the interview because you created a good impression on your
future employer. The important thing is to maintain and progress that good
impression so that you become an important and valued employee, one that it
would be difficult to replace.
Learning and applying new skills are an essential part of your apprenticeship.
But equally important is your skill in developing positive working relationships
with fellow workers and customers.
Unlike after work friends, whom you personally chose because you have an
affinity with them, your working colleagues may not all be to your liking. It is
how you manage relationships with people who in normal circumstances you
may not choose as your friends which mark out your success as a team
player.
Of course it is equally important that the impression you personally relay to
your workmates is positive. Sometimes it is important that you step back and
self analyse your approach and attitudes.
The questions you may want ask of yourself is - How do my work colleague
perceive me?. Is it as someone who is?:

dependable

honest

safe.

Most people strive to be these things, however, there will lapses when
incidents and pressures of work may upset normally good working
relationships. It is at these times that every effort must be made to solve or
find remedies for the situation. Your supervisor or mentor is the person you
should speak to if you are unhappy or concerned about your work relations.
If situations arise that affect working relationships it can have a profound
effect on a departments performance. What do you think could happen if
relationships broke down?

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Exercise 3

Morale: Workers unhappy, workers wanting to leave, team spirit damaged

Productivity:

Company image:

Personal appearance
Your personal appearance is a reflection of your own standards. It should
follow the guidelines set out by your company. Usually this will mean a good
standard of personal cleanliness and a clean uniform.

Asking for help

You must always ask for help if you are unsure of the next step in the repair
process. You may want to follow these guidelines or ask the following
questions:

Are my requests reasonable?

Are my workmates busy trying to deal with their own work?

Can I receive this help from another source?

Can I ask for assistance and be patient?

To summarise, your interaction with your fellow workmates should be one of

mutual respect and understanding. Also the opportunity to prosper and
develop a successful career will be enhanced if your company recognises
your talent in building and maintaining effective working relationships.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Company Structures, Job Roles and Levels of Authority

Typical company structures

A simple organisation chart for Speedy Motors

Speedy motors
Mr Cheque
team captain

Mr Glasses
Car Sales Manager
team 1

Mr Sander
Bodyshop Manager
team 2

Mr Fix-it
Service Manager
team3

When you joined the company you were allotted a team to work with. Of
course you cannot pick and choose your new colleagues so you have to fit
in and accept the existing situation. It can be a very difficult time until the ice
is broken and you are accepted. There are people who are appointed to help
and advise you so the transition is easy as possible. Once you are in your
team, for example the Service Department, you will appreciate the
dependency that team members have amongst themselves and to other
teams in the dealership. An illustration of dealer teams is given below:

General
Manager

Finance

Sales

Service

Parts

Car rent.

Body shop

Fleet

Man.

Man.

Man.

Man.

Man.

Man.

Man.

Assistant Service
Manager
Foremen (2)
Technicians (12)
Apprentices (3)

A more complex organisation chart is shown above. It highlights the service

department and the number of people who work in it.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Everybody has a role to play in the success of the company, though the more
responsibility you have is normally equated with a higher salary or
remuneration. Typical job roles, responsibilities and authority are given in the
following example.

Exercise 4
Complete as a short exercise on the job roles, responsibilities and authority of
supervisors, technicians and apprentices.

Owners/directors: Overall control _____________ answerable to

shareholders
Managers:

Implement strategy _________ control, plan and

communicate

Supervisors:

lead teams, meet targets and develop and

motivate staff

Technicians:

Work diligently to a standard, sell skills, team

player, customer orientated _______________

Apprentices;

Work with others, assist, ___________ learn and

qualify.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Role of each operation within the workplace

Different types of operations and departments
Parts Dept-

Finance Dept. -

Parts order

Accounts, wages

Service orders

Invoicing

Vehicle sales -

Service

Warranty repairs

Department

Parts Dept.
Returned parts

Pre- delivery

Warranty returns

Car rental

All departments

Repairs

Completed work

Service

From the diagram above you will appreciate that many teams contribute to the
success of the company, including the parts team, vehicle sales team and the
finance team. If we did not have finance people to collate and price all the
hours worked and the parts used, the company could not bring in the money
required to pay their own bills and make a profit.

Exercise 5
Think of your own situation in the dealership and construct an organisation
chart that reflects your own team and your position within it. Consider the
following departments in your structure: service, parts, bodyshop, aftersales,
warranty, vehicle recovery, sales and accounts.
Your chart:

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Time Management, Labour Costs and Profitability

Costing time
The service department has to be profitable after paying its staff their wages
and paying a proportion of the overheads. It is therefore essential that every
hour the team works is chargeable time to a customer. If you are not working
for any reason, e.g. sickness, feeling a bit lazy or a slack period in the day
your time cannot be charged out and the team may miss their targets.
The service manager can calculate the number of hours available for sale to
customers by multiplying the hours available each day/week/month by the
number of technicians and apprentices available e.g. 10 technicians working a
35 hour week has the potential of 350 hours for sale. If the charge out rate is
say 50 per hour it is possible that the service department could earn 3500
in that particular week. The service manager may allow some drift for
example it may be decided that 90% efficiency is the target for that week
i.e. 90% x 3500 = 3150.
To calculate the charge out rate the company accountant will take into
consideration the direct costs such as wages, and also the indirect costs as a
share of the overheads, such as heating and lighting. The charge out rate
has to be competitive with the other dealerships in the area so as to ensure
that the customer is not tempted to take his or her custom to a competing
dealership or garage.
To play your part in achieving the objectives of the department you must
ensure that you manage your own time successfully. This will include being
punctual, working within the (standard) times given to you and completing the
work by the time specified.
Exercise 6
Based on the model above assume 12 technicians are working a 37 hour
week on a charge out of 60 per hour. Assume an efficiency of 80%; what is
the potential income for the dealership over a one-week period?
Your answer:

Of course that is not profit, profit will be calculated once all the costs are met.
This is calculated through the profit and loss account.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Keeping others informed

It is essential that you keep your mentor or supervisor informed of your
progress. This communication is very important as promises have normally
been made to customers on completion times. If the customer has made
special arrangements for the vehicle handover you can imagine the difficulties
and possible loss of custom that could entail if the work was not completed on
time.
To ensure customer satisfaction and the avoidance of faulty returned work
you should inform your mentor or supervisor of:

unforeseen difficulties

time constraints

any additional or potential faults that have to be recorded

You should also ensure that all work is completed to company policy and
regulatory standards.
Supervisors and managers must be kept informed of possible delays so that
customers are contacted and alternative arrangements made. Remember,
failure to communicate progress can lead to angry customers and lost
business.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Using Different Forms of Communication

Verbal communication

Using the correct form of communication is essential in ensuring the correct

message is being relayed between parties. If misunderstandings arise it may
lead to a breakdown in customer confidence and possible safety issues.
From a technical viewpoint you must always be absolutely sure of your work
details. I f unsure you must ask your supervisor or mentor so that details are
clearly clarified. Never carry out work of which you are unsure of the
consequences.
When giving and receiving verbal information there are a number of elements
that you should adhere to. This is based on establishing a rapport and trust
with the other person. How you approach and ask your colleagues for
assistance will determine their response.
These elements can be summarised as follows:

gather your facts

be polite

decide whether formal or informal

be a good listener

be precise and accurate

check understanding

say thank you.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Exercise 7
Complete the sentences below by entering the missing words.

Make _______ contact with the other party, show that you are
___________ direct all your attention to the other speaker.

Nodding and showing that you are ____________ by saying I see will
make it ___________ for other person to keep on _______________.

____________ the main points of what the other person says and restate
them in your own ___________. This will help the other person
__________ his or her own thoughts and feelings.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Telephone use

Telephones are extensively used in a dealership, for example they are used
for arranging appointments with customers and ordering parts. Since the other
person cannot see you it is important that the expression in your voice gives a
positive evaluation of your personality and reliability.
To transmit information promptly and accurately you should follow the
following rules of telephone communications:

memo pad and pen beside receiver

answer promptly e.g. within 3 rings

friendly greeting

introductions to company, yourself, offer assistance and apologise if caller

has been kept waiting

ensure caller has identified themselves, if not ask now

listen carefully and take notes

confirm that you are listening by offering reassurance

summarise important points with the caller

thank the caller on behalf of the company

allow the caller to hang up first.

Other factors that you should be aware of are the duration and cost of
telephone calls. Keep calls brief and to the point, it saves time and money for
the company.
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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Written communications

Written communications are usually in the form of technical reports and repair
needs. The essential criteria are accuracy and legibility as any mistakes in
writing reports or repair needs can be costly to the company and the
customer.
The main points to observe in writing any message within or on behalf of the
company are:

accuracy

legibility

correct spelling

correct grammar

within company policy

legal.

You must remember to date and sign all correspondence.

If you are an apprentice undertaking a vocational qualification you will have to
prove your competence through work-based assessment. This may entail you
keeping work records safely for your visiting assessor to view and assess. It
is important that any work records you present for assessment are completed
fully and with the correct details for the assessor. Demonstrating your ability
to communicate and demonstrating your developing competence by verbal
and written means, will give your visiting assessor the confidence that you are
on target for qualifying for a national standard.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Electronic communications

Many companies have e-mail and a web site. Web sites offer an alternative
platform for showing products and services. In some cases they are
interactive and allow customers to buy products and services over the web.
Most large dealerships advertise vehicle sales on their site. Customers can
view the car and receive details of its history and purchase price.
Customers can contact web sites through e-mail addresses. This allows the
customer to dial up the site and view its facilities and products. E-mail can
also be used to send and receive messages to and from clients and
customers.
E-mail facilities and the dialling up of web sites are usually prohibited to
employees unless it is in the course of the business where technical queries
and contact with manufacturers and suppliers are considered necessary.

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Equal opportunities
Definition
Equality of opportunity means ensuring there is no inequality or difference in
treatment, except for extra supportive interventions, between individuals from
any race, gender, nationality, age group disability or group sexual orientation.
This definition applies inside or outside your normal place of work.
Legislation
The legislation that gives equality of opportunity is the Equal Opportunities
Act. This act provides the framework for a number of other important and
complementary acts called:

Sex Discrimination Act

Disability Discrimination Act

Race Relations Act.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Stereotyping

It is easy to fall into the trap of stereotyping people and groups without really
knowing them. To many people motor mechanics are usually male, cocky
and wearing dirty overalls, whereas as the car salesman is usually male,
snappy dresser, with the gift of the gab and not to be trusted. Most of this is
history as vehicle dealerships and manufacturers have gone to great lengths
to negate this stereotyping of the people that work in our industry.
Lack of equal opportunities can affect people in the workplace. The
perception is given that they are second class citizens and as such, never
given the opportunity of realising their potential.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Discrimination

Stereotyping people and groups can lead to prejudice and discrimination.

Discrimination is giving less favourable treatment to individuals and groups.
Discrimination can lead to harassment, which can be defined as any conduct
that is unwanted by the recipient(s) or affects the dignity of any individual or
groups.

Exercise 8
List two more examples of harassment by completing the following:

Racial harassment:

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

Exercise 9
List three more examples of people you would consider to be at risk of
discrimination:

Elderly

___________

___________

___________

Good companies will abide by the legislation and offer opportunities to all
sectors of our society. It may mean that they will have adapted their
workplace to accommodate disabled people, but the benefits of employing a
diverse workforce are recognised by all forward thinking companies.

Benefits of a diverse workforce

Benefits of a diverse workforce

Many companies have realised the benefits of a multi-cultural and multi-racial
workforce by actively recruiting from the minorities, they include

positive marketing of vacancies to minority groups

making employees feel equally valued and respected, thus encouraging

higher productivity and creativity

diverse communities will see themselves represented within the workforce

and become potential customers of the company.

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1

National minimum wage

The national minimum wage is designed to increase the pay levels of many
low paid workers. The Low Pay Commission is an advisory body set up to
advise the government of the day about national wage rates and a proposed
national minimum wage.
The national minimum wage applies to all experienced adult workers.
Summary

make an impression through personal endeavour

working in teams increases productivity and rewards

know the company structure and who you approach for advice and
assistance

know the importance of money to the company and how it is made, earned
and distributed

learn and use a variety of communication methods to ensure your

message is accurate

know the importance of equal opportunities and the role you can play in
meeting its objectives.

- 23 Copyright Automotive Skills Limited 2003

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LV03: Effective Working Relationships Issue 1