As part of the South Korean manufacturer’s staff development program, Christine bested her Australia peers to be named Kia’s top service advisor in this country.
This qualifies her for entry to an international competition, held in Seoul, that pits Kia service advisors from different countries against each other for recognition as the most capable in the world.
Service advisors are the first and often the only point of contact customers have when a vehicle is taken to a dealership for service or repairs. Their job is critical to both customers and the dealership.
The Kia National Skills Cup is a significant event for Kia Australia as it highlights the brand’s commitment to customer service in a cut-throat market. The skills competition also serves as a platform to promote best practices in the automotive industry.
Kia Australia and the brand’s representatives in other countries that enter the competition are required to screen their own national candidates and identify their national champion.
From December 2022 to January 2023, up to 650 service advisors competed in a series of challenges globally, ultimately being narrowed down to six finalists.
To prove they were across the service advisor brief, all candidates participated in a knowledge test, a theory test assessing brand knowledge and history, procedures, general customer experience, and knowledge of compulsory IT programs.
A ‘mystery shop’ conducted by a customer experience specialist then tested the top 25 advisors’ real-life skills in customer handling, adherence to Kia processes and overall experience.
Points accrued during the mystery shop were combined with customer experience results from the previous 12 months to establish six finalists to participate in the final challenge.
Held at the Kia Australia head office in Sydney, the final challenge consisted of six controlled tasks timed at 30 minutes each. These included role play scenarios around customer arrival, vehicle handover and system assistance, and assessment tasks around vehicle quality control, Kia systems and skills, and the Kia 10-step service process.
The six finalists were Christine Dicker of Motorama Kia Moorooka (QLD), Madellyn Hayman of Maughan Thiems Kia (SA), Bailey Flannagan of Lismore Kia (QLD), Scott Turner of Werribee Kia (VIC), Benjamin Avery of Adelaide City Kia – (SA) and Isaac Dowling of Brian Hilton Kia Wyoming (NSW).
Christine’s performance earned her the winner’s title Down Under and she will travel to Korea in mid-June to represent Australia on the world stage.
“We are pleased to announce Christine Dicker as the winner of the Kia Australia National Skills Cup and congratulate all the service advisors who participated in the competition,” said Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith.
“Christine displayed exceptional talent, expertise, and commitment to delivering outstanding customer service. We will be cheering Christine on and wish her all the best in Korea.”
By Peter Barnwell