When Kaleigh Haffke submitted her application for 2022 Mack Service Lane MVP, she briefly thought about being selected, but then she went back to work.
Little did she know that a few months later, she would be on stage at the Mack UPTIME event in Dallas, Texas, in front of her peers to accept the title of 2022 Mack Service Lane MVP.
A few weeks before the event, Kaleigh was called into her boss’s office. When she walked in, she saw both Darin Anderson, RDO Truck Centers — General Manager, and Shane Macklem, Service Manager, waiting for her.
They surprised her by telling her she was selected as a finalist and was taking a trip in just a few short days to attend the event with them.
“I had no idea I would actually be selected,” Kaleigh said. “At first I was shocked, but then I got really excited.”
taking a risk
Kaleigh knows her way around a shop. Growing up, her dad worked at a major Chevy dealer as a Service Director. He instilled the importance of understanding how to maintain her car — she was taught to change her oil, change her tires, and to not be afraid to fix her vehicle. While cars and commercial trucks are completely different, some of the same concepts she learned when she was young still applied.
In 2014, Kaleigh started a job in credit and accounting at a CAT dealership in Houston, Texas. The sales manager noticed her work ethic and asked if she’d ever be interested in selling heavy equipment. She thought, why not, and jumped right in, and worked in sales for three more years at CAT.
In 2018, Kaleigh relocated to Omaha. She enjoyed working in the industry and working with the customers at CAT, and while she enjoyed her time in sales, she was ready for a new challenge.
She applied at RDO Truck Centers with encouragement from her brother-in-law who is a Mack customer, as well as a CAT dealer in Omaha. She got offers from both places.
Communication is key
Kaleigh started as a Service Advisor and is now the Lead Service Advisor for Uptime. Her days are spent interpreting what the Service Technicians find and communicating it to her customers and parts team. While she didn’t have experience as a Service Advisor prior to starting with RDO, she was able to pick up concepts quickly.
“I’m a visual learner, so if I need to really understand something I go into the shop and say, ‘OK show me,’” she said.
“I need to be able to understand what is wrong. My customer relies on me to communicate the issues and explain the work that needs to be done,” said Kaleigh.
Within the truck shop, Kaleigh deals with a lot of moving parts. She has to make sure that the parts department has all the information they need, the technicians are on schedule with their jobs and the customer understands not only what the techs are working on, but how long it could take.
“My job, and the entire team’s job, is to make sure we get our customer’s back on the road,” Kaleigh explains. “They aren’t driving a car. Their truck, no matter if it’s a construction truck or a long hauler, is what makes them money. So, it’s extremely important to get them on the road or back on the job.”
Customers First — Always
Kaleigh’s customers are at the center of everything she does.
“My customers are amazing,” she said. “Over the years I’ve built relationships with them. We deal with a lot of construction customers who have 40-50 vehicle fleets, so they are in the shop on a regular basis — they really do make my job easier,”
Even when things don’t always go the way they expect, Kaleigh handles it all with the customer in mind.
“The phone calls I have to make aren’t always the easiest. Telling a customer that their engine needs to be rebuilt is hard for them to hear. That’s why building these relationships, over-communicating and making those hard phone calls are all so important. I know that my customers trust what I’m telling them, and that I have their best interests at heart.”
From Service Advisor to MVP
Kaleigh’s journey to MVP included asking a lot of questions and continuing to learn through OEM training. In 2019, she took the Master Advisor training through Mack Academy. It included 40 hours of online training and many tests, which she completed after-hours and on weekends. Once she passed the online test, she traveled to Greensboro, N.C., to the Mack Uptime Center for hands-on learning. She had the opportunity to network with other service advisors and see the technology behind Mack’s Uptime Guarantee.
“I was lucky to get to experience the in-person part of the training,” Kaleigh said. “I learned so much more being able to act out scenarios and get hands-on with the technology.”
The finalists from 2022 and 2020 competed at UPTIME in Dallas, Texas. The competition included a walk-around, where contestants acted out a scenario with a judge and were tasked with pointing out any damage, checking in the truck and offering preventative maintenance upsells, like valve adjustments and oil changes.
“The competition was pretty nerve-wracking,” Kaleigh said, laughing. “Not only was I in front of judges, I also had an RDO cheering section in the room watching me.” Kaleigh laughed.
She said was able to get over her nerves and thought she nailed it when she was done.
Overall, Kaleigh says the competition was a lot of fun and a great opportunity.
The experience
“(This was a) once in a lifetime opportunity” Kaleigh said. “Not only was the competition fun, but meeting everyone and getting contacts from other dealers around the country was just as important. Sometimes our customers are stuck in other parts of the country and need help. It’s great to have a contact at another dealer so I can help them get their trucks fixed. My customers trust me so they will call me asking for referrals in other states. And dealers appreciate that, so they will return the favor.”
taking home the trophy
The biggest question still remains, though: How did it feel to win?
“I was shocked at first. I heard my name, and it took a second to realize that they said my name because I won,” Kaleigh said. “I was pretty excited. It’s a big accomplishment and I’ve worked hard so it’s cool to be recognized for my work.”
Director of Service, Jeff Anderson said, “Kaleigh represented herself and RDO Truck Centers very well at Uptime. All five of the finalists were very qualified, but she stood out and took home the trophy. We are extremely proud of her accomplishment.”
Mack Service Lane MVP Competition
Mack Trucks hosts the Service Lane MVP Competition annually, and it’s open to all dealers in the U.S. and Canada. In 2022, there were more than 100 submissions, with each entry including a video submission highlighting the technician’s role and Uptime process. Judges from Mack Trucks chose five finalists, who attended the UPTIME Conference in Dallas, Texas, and competed by performing a complete customer check-in and walk around truck inspection in front of a panel of judges.
