Meet the Mitchell 1 Team: Dan Kincaid (Part 1)

TruckSeries Repair Information - Mitchell 1 Team with Dan Kincaid

Dan Kincaid – Senior Technical Editor of the Commercial Vehicle Group

Finding Value in TruckSeries

They’re not just another cog in the wheel. At Mitchell 1, we like to take the time to recognize our team. We acknowledge the fact that we have many expert men and women who have at one point or another been on the front lines of the commercial truck and automotive repair industry. These professionals are not only passionate about the truck repair industry, but they are also excited about being able to pass on small nuggets of wisdom about how to make life around the shop a bit easier.

This is true of Dan Kincaid, Senior Technical Editor of the Commercial Vehicle Group, who has been with Mitchell 1 for over 15 years. Dan works in the Tractor-Trailer module of TruckSeries. We sat down with Dan this week, and he shared some helpful tips for getting more out of your TruckSeries truck information.

1. Tell us a little about your background and how you got to Mitchell 1.

When I was young, my next door neighbor was older than me. He was into automotive racing and drag cars, and it caught my attention. At that point I was hooked on the automotive world. Because of this fascination and passion, I geared my education towards automotive and got my certification from San Diego City College.

I started working in repair at a series of dealerships within San Diego County, including Chevrolet, Cadillac and Oldsmobile. I had accumulated 27 years in the auto repair business. At one point, a good friend of mine that I worked with at a Chevrolet dealership, Jake Schell, had taken a position at Mitchell 1. Looking to try something new, I told him, “If there were ever any openings, call me up!” He did, and I started in 2001. I started in auto and in about 5 years worked my way into truck when we started developing the product. I have been here ever since.

2. What is one of the common issues you hear from your customers and how do you solve it?

There are copious amounts of information that can be sought after by technicians. We do our best to make sure that TruckSeries has all of the available information in it that the market offers. Occasionally, a customer may run into an unusual or difficult repair and isn’t able to locate this information in the software. We look at this as a great opportunity to continue developing and adding to the product.

We handle this by using one of our best assets of the TruckSeries program, our Product Content Support (PCS) Team. They are the front line. When customers call in with an issue, the PCS phone agent will hear and assess the problem. If it is a quick find, they can help the customer navigate to the information they are looking for right away. If it is a little more complicated, the PCS agent will create a ticket that will be researched by our research team. Once the research team lets us know the solution, the agent promptly calls the customer back with an answer.

3. What feature of the product is underutilized that you think could be utilized more?

It goes back to the PCS team. I would say if the customer can’t find what they are looking for, instead of getting frustrated, all they have to do is give our PCS team a call. They’re awesome! They can easily and quickly help the customer navigate to the information. If the customer is still having difficulty finding what they are looking for, the team member will take the time to find the information themselves and send it directly to the customer. Our goal is to make finding info as easy for the customer as possible, and my guys do a great job of that.

4. Anything else you would like to add?

My guys, my team…they work hard to get information into the product, develop it and work with our customers. I don’t do everything for my team. I offer them enough and then give them the autonomy to make their own decisions. If they do run into a problem, they let me know and we work on it together. Above all else we are a close knit team that helps and supports each other in finding solutions.

 

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