What does a service department manager do?
A service department manager is responsible for leading the service department operations by assisting the staff in customer interaction, providing the highest customer service, and negotiating contracts and partnerships with clients. Service department managers coordinate with the sales and marketing team for brand promotions and advising the staff in selling new products to potential customers. They also handle and resolve high-level complaints, process replacements, and issue refunds as needed. A service department manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in encouraging and supporting the team members to meet the department's goals and objectives.
Service department manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real service department manager resumes:
- Manage service plumbers & HVAC technicians in daily operations, interview & hire new employees.
- Manage parts and service department operations while consistently meeting or exceeding industry standards for profitability and CSI.
- Process inventory through store computer system, POS register system and completion of all require paperwork.
- Enter schedule edits into KRONOS.
- Operate POS system and perform cashier duties.
- Enter schedule edits for entire store into KRONOS time clock system.
- Serve as in house technician, interviewing customers by phone and e-mail interaction to troubleshoot equipment issues.
- Answer all questions and help team members learn to troubleshoot any issues that occur when processing accounts.
- Work closely with the client regarding all service and repair issues of their HVAC equipment both commercial & residential.
- Supervise work and monitor payroll hours for additional administrative assistant.
- Complete necessary permits and enter payroll data for the commercial division.
- Train coordinators and supervisors in leadership skills, and how to maintain professional therapeutic relationships with individuals and families serve.
- Order, stock, maintain and merchandise art department.train junior employees.perform routine store maintenance.set fixtures.perform csm duties.
- Design business data storage, submit all health insurance applications including Medicare and Medicaid, and submit all claims.
- Maintain monthly and quarterly contract billing and Medicaid billing for multiple programs as well as collect monies owe on delinquent accounts.
Service department manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 49% of Service Department Managers are proficient in Food Safety, Food Quality, and Direct Reports. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Management skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Service Department Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Food Safety, 49%
Manage assigned systems such as training, food safety and inventory management.
- Food Quality, 43%
Investigate and resolve complaints regarding food quality, service, or cleanliness.
- Direct Reports, 1%
Communicate and influence direct reports effectively to develop good working relationships and teamwork.
- Customer Satisfaction, 1%
Established and executed quality improvement programs resulting in significantly increased solution stability, reduced customer trouble reports and increased customer satisfaction.
- Payroll, 1%
Increased productivity in the Assembly department allowed for a fifty percent reduction in personnel, reducing payroll accordingly.
- Warranty Claims, 1%
Assist warranty claims administrator in claims preparation, reconciliation and warranty claim analyst.
Common skills that a service department manager uses to do their job include "food safety," "food quality," and "direct reports." You can find details on the most important service department manager responsibilities below.
Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a service department manager to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." Service department managers often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "supported employees at all levels,including executive leadership.worked with senior-level management to createfair and consistent hr policies and procedures. "
Time-management skills. service department managers are also known for time-management skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to service department manager responsibilities, because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." A service department manager resume example shows how time-management skills is used in the workplace: "supervised customer service employees to ensure adherence to quality standards, deadlines and proper procedures, correcting errors and problems. "
Communication skills. A big part of what service department managers do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to service department manager responsibilities because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical service department manager tasks: "marketed products and services using strong interpersonal and persuasive communication skills upselling and increasing store gross profit. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in service department manager job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what service department managers do. Service department manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." You can also see how service department manager duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "resolved and documented all escalated guest complaints. "
The three companies that hire the most service department managers are:
- Healthcare Services Group533 service department managers jobs
- McDonald's47 service department managers jobs
- Kaiser Permanente25 service department managers jobs
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Compare different service department managers
Service department manager vs. Account manager and customer service manager
Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between service department managers and account manager and customer service manager. For instance, service department manager responsibilities require skills such as "food safety," "food quality," "direct reports," and "warranty claims." Whereas a account manager and customer service manager is skilled in "account management," "purchase orders," "customer accounts," and "vendor invoices." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, account manager and customer service managers reach similar levels of education than service department managers. Account manager and customer service managers are 2.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Service department manager vs. Manager
A customer service leader is responsible for managing a group of customer service staff to provide the best customer service for the company's clients, ensuring immediate action and resolution for all their inquiries and concerns. Customer service leaders regularly offer coaching opportunities for the team, identify their challenges, and provide strategic procedures to improve their interaction with the customers. They also help senior management search for business opportunities that would drive more revenue for the company and achieve profitability goals.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, service department manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "warranty claims," "service calls," "geotechnical," and "drive-thru." Meanwhile, a manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "financial statements," "management," and "loss prevention." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, managers earn a higher salary than service department managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, managers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $71,781. Whereas service department managers have higher pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $50,560.In general, managers achieve similar levels of education than service department managers. They're 0.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service department manager vs. Customer service leader
An assistant customer service manager is in charge of performing support tasks for managers, helping customer service operations run smoothly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include assisting managers in supervising customer service teams, managing schedules and objectives, coordinating staff, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. There are also instances when they must communicate with customers to identify and meet their needs. Moreover, as an assistant manager, it is essential to monitor the workflow and progress of the workforce, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, service department managers are more likely to have skills like "food safety," "food quality," "direct reports," and "payroll." But a customer service leader is more likely to have skills like "basic math," "sales floor," "store management," and "first hand."
Customer service leaders earn the highest salary when working in the transportation industry, where they receive an average salary of $34,987. Comparatively, service department managers have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $50,560.When it comes to education, customer service leaders tend to earn similar degree levels compared to service department managers. In fact, they're 4.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Service department manager vs. Assistant customer service manager
Even though a few skill sets overlap between service department managers and assistant customer service managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a service department manager might have more use for skills like "food safety," "food quality," "direct reports," and "payroll." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of assistant customer service managers require skills like "excellent interpersonal," "customer service," "store operations," and "bill pay. "
Assistant customer service managers reach similar levels of education compared to service department managers, in general. The difference is that they're 3.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of service department manager
Updated January 8, 2025
