Father’s life provides a blueprint

It was Kieran Stack’s father’s death in Ireland in 2017 that convinced him he wanted to do more with his life.

His father, a teacher for 32 years, made such an impact on so many lives, thousands of people in town came to pay their respects.

On Stack’s 40-hour trip back home to Australia, he assessed how he’s influencing others.

“I figured out I wasn’t here to make a living; I was here to make a difference and my area of expertise is service departments,” he says. “I wanted to help people grow in that area and be better at what they do.

“And I wanted people to come to my funeral one day to say to my kids, ‘Your dad was awesome; he helped me in my journey.’ ”

Stack began his automotive career in his native Ireland as a parts adviser at a BMW dealership. In 2009, he met his future wife who was visiting Ireland from her native Australia. Four years later, the couple moved Down Under, and he held roles as service adviser and service manager for several brands, eventually ending up as fixed ops trainer for BMW Group Australia.

In 2021, he founded Service101, an automotive training company. And in August, he published “Service Advisor 101: A Blueprint to Becoming a High Performing Service Advisor.”

Instead of chapters, the short book is broken into seven elements such as: Be Driven; Act with Integrity; and Always Be Refining.

At the end of each element, there is an opportunity for the reader to reflect on the material presented and rate their abilities in certain areas. For the Priorities element, readers are asked to rate on a 1-to-10 scale their ability to build rapport with customers. As a followup, the reader is asked to write down three things they can do to increase their rating.

Stack bills the book as “the best 30- minute investment you can make in your career today.” And the feedback he has received from readers is fulfilling his wish to make an impact like his father.

“It’s filled my tank,” he says. “It’s given me greater confidence.”