simple. Hire a few individuals to answer the phone in the service lane. While the concept seemed like a simple enough plan, the implementation was fraught with pitfalls that shaped up to be ironically similar to the issues the new team was created to relieve. The same problem still needed to be solved. It just had a new name and was directed at the new team. TRANSITION TO A COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Five months went by after that attempted solution launched before I was presented with the opportunity to create the brand-new Service Business Development Center. When I introduced myself to the surprised individuals who would then be within my department, I was met with both excitement and skepticism. How was I going to make a difference in a culture where the employees felt they were nothing more than an errand people? Five months had passed since they had been hired and, in that time, they had been through a wave of responsibilities and corresponding emotions. They were approaching burnout. 1. COHESIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY A few months after I took on building our business development center, we had completely overhauled the expectations and objectives for our fledgling department. Customer communication became their only priority. Clear expectations were set by the hour and by the day. Inbound and outbound call strategies were implemented. Soon after our move off the drive, I began to collaborate JULY AUGUST 2021 || FIXED OPS MAGAZINE constant communication was critical in the success of both our business development center and our fixed operations. 15http://wmcnow.com