What does a service porter do?
Typically working in car dealerships, a service porter is in charge of performing a variety of tasks to maintain smooth operations. They maintain vehicles in good condition by conducting regular maintenance checks and repairs, refilling gas tanks, inspecting tires and batteries, and cleaning the interior and exterior of cars. There are also instances where they perform clerical support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, and monitoring the inventory. Moreover, a service porter may also assist potential buyers and keep them company during test drives.
Service porter responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real service porter resumes:
- Manage stock of the vehicles; document vehicle locations and individual VIN numbers.
- Ensure customer satisfaction through efficient maintenance of service areas and improve cleanliness.
- Wash and detail RV's as well as transport to sublet repair shops.
- Maintain the proper inventory records of all vehicles and ensure that they match the correct RV.
- Maintain cleanliness around service department and showroom.
- Prepare cleaning solutions as necessary and follow safety procedures as prescribed by OSHA.
- Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedges and bush trimmers.
- Construct accurate hard file system for entire office-personnel, payroll, and accounting.
Service porter skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Service Porters are proficient in Customer Vehicles, Cleanliness, and Work Ethic. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Hand-eye coordination, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Service Porters that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Vehicles, 19%
Greeted incoming service appointments and provided diagnostic documentation on customer vehicles to be serviced.
- Cleanliness, 12%
Ensured customer satisfaction through efficient maintenance of service areas and improved cleanliness.
- Work Ethic, 12%
Work ethic it takes to ensure each job is done efficiently and completely.
- Service Drive, 10%
Assisted customers on the service drive, test drove vehicles, washed vehicles, drove customers to their desired destinations.
- Customer Service, 6%
Stock restrooms/ janitorial-light maintenance/customer service care
- General Cleanup, 5%
Performed general cleanup of vehicles and property as well as shuttle customers as needed.
Common skills that a service porter uses to do their job include "customer vehicles," "cleanliness," and "work ethic." You can find details on the most important service porter responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a service porter to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what service porters do because "hand laborers and material movers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers." Additionally, a service porter resume shows how service porters use customer-service skills: "greet customers and park cars, bring repair orders to mechanics, take customers cars threw car wash."
Hand-eye coordination. Another essential skill to perform service porter duties is hand-eye coordination. Service porters responsibilities require that "most hand laborers and material movers use their arms and hands to manipulate objects or move objects into specific positions." Service porters also use hand-eye coordination in their role according to a real resume snippet: "greet customers in service department coordination of customer service visit valet assistance and new inventory preparation fork lift operation part time"
Listening skills. service porters are also known for listening skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to service porter responsibilities, because "hand laborers and material movers follow instructions that a supervisor gives them." A service porter resume example shows how listening skills is used in the workplace: "organized the checking in and out of customer vehicles to speed up the service process communicated required vehicle information (ie. "
Physical strength. For certain service porter responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical strength." The day-to-day duties of a service porter rely on this skill, as "some hand laborers and material movers must be able to lift and carry heavy objects." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what service porters do: "strengthened customer loyalty through providing excellent customer service. "
The three companies that hire the most service porters are:
- Sonic Automotive21 service porters jobs
- Lithia Motors18 service porters jobs
- Asbury Automotive Group17 service porters jobs
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Compare different service porters
Service porter vs. Automotive detailer
An automotive detailer typically works at car shops and dealerships, where they primarily focus on the upkeep of a car's interior and exterior. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding the clients' needs and preferences, cleaning the vehicles according to protocols and client requests, scraping off dirt, coordinating with paint technicians and mechanics, operating devices and machinery such as vacuums and buffers, and adhering to timelines and budgets. Moreover, an automotive detailer also monitors the inventory of supplies and handles calls and correspondence.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between service porters and automotive detailer. For instance, service porter responsibilities require skills such as "service drive," "general cleanup," "honda," and "tire pressure." Whereas a automotive detailer is skilled in "engine compartment," "air compressors," "dexterity," and "buffing machines." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Automotive detailers earn the highest salaries when working in the retail industry, with an average yearly salary of $31,614. On the other hand, service porters are paid more in the real estate industry with an average salary of $28,989.The education levels that automotive detailers earn slightly differ from service porters. In particular, automotive detailers are 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a service porter. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service porter vs. Aircraft cleaner
An Aircraft Cleaner specializes in maintaining the cleanliness of an aircraft's interior and exterior according to protocols and standards. Their responsibilities include cleaning cabins and compartments, disinfecting restrooms, utilizing tools and equipment, and replenishing stocks such as soap and tissue. There are also instances where they assist baggage handling teams, utility personnel, and aircraft staff. Moreover, an Aircraft Cleaner typically functions in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that service porter responsibilities requires skills like "customer vehicles," "cleanliness," "work ethic," and "service drive." But an aircraft cleaner might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "squeegees," "safety procedures," "aircraft cabin," and "clean aircraft."
Aircraft cleaners earn a higher average salary than service porters. But aircraft cleaners earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $33,063. Additionally, service porters earn the highest salaries in the real estate with average pay of $28,989 annually.In general, aircraft cleaners achieve similar levels of education than service porters. They're 1.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service porter vs. Assembly cleaner
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, service porters are more likely to have skills like "customer vehicles," "cleanliness," "work ethic," and "service drive." But a assembly cleaner is more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "basic math," "clean room environment," and "dexterity."
Assembly cleaners make a very good living in the professional industry with an average annual salary of $32,384. On the other hand, service porters are paid the highest salary in the real estate industry, with average annual pay of $28,989.Most assembly cleaners achieve a similar degree level compared to service porters. For example, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service porter vs. Pressure washer
Types of service porter
Updated January 8, 2025
