As a former road, shop tech, & Service Manager, I found it very tough to try and please the whole batch. They put Sales in charge of Service. (oil & Water - two seperate concepts). As a Tech I had to follow directions (right or wrong). As a Service Manager I had a real juggling act going. I had to keep the Management happy (COSTS, COSTS, COSTS). I had to keep the Tech's happy ( hours, OT, Parts, etc). And from all sides I had to attempt to keep the Customers happy ( Billing, Service, why parts are not IN Stock? Why isn't the Tech waiting for my unit to break down? Etc.) Parts departments that had no concern was also a headache and created even more difficulties. (Poor Management, priorities, etc.
A tech has only one job to worry about at a time in many cases, while a Service Manager has all the Techs (Road & Shop), also all the customers to please, all the while acting as a buffer between sales (management) & Service. I was in an enviroment that 9Rule 1) parts was never wrong. (If parts was wrong, refer to rule 1)
I worked for dealers, etc. And now I work privately, with approx. 60 units, I am the Tech, Service Manager, Parts Dept, Purchase & Sales. It not the best, but it is much more satisfying than before.
PS. The company (Sales) was always worried that I would take the customers with me when I left if I got to close to them. Lo & behold, The customers that arrived with me did move away from the dealer, not because of me, but because of the attitude displayed by the company.