Fixed Ops Management & Leadership Through Challenging Times
Join DealerPRO and other auto dealers and fixed ops professionals in sharing insight and to support each other managing through these challenging times.
If You Could Have Any Advantage
When we sell them the car, we gain home field advantage. The greatest advantage anyone could want.
Podcast: Strategies to Help Grow Your Fixed Ops Department
Chris Collins discusses strategies to help your fixed ops department and why he’s giving away a brand-new pick-up truck.
Auto/Mate to Roll Out Fixed Ops Portion of Reporting Engine
Report/Mate is comprised of four main sections: sales, office, DOC and now fixed ops.
How Employee Retention Impacts Owner Retention
You don’t tolerate underachievers in sales, but do you maintain a safe haven for them in your fixed operations?
Why Would I Give Away My Brand-New Pickup Truck?
When I see a service department losing money or an unhealthy dealership with low fixed absorption, I see a business with managers who are conditioned to lose. But Chris Collins is challenging service managers to take the first step in turning their departments into profitable businesses.
Why You Should Be Optimistic About Fixed Ops
Retail service traffic is increasing and net profits are improving. Great news for us all! My concern is this: What are you going to do with the additional service customers?
2 Strategies to Bump Up Service Business
The average dealership spends $10,000 a month on pay-per-click or search engine marketing. Less than one-fifth of that is allocated to promote the service department. This is a huge missed opportunity.
Why You Need a Fixed Ops Sales Team
Train your fixed ops sales team on the Road to a Sale and you will see your customer pay traffic increase, your CSI will be above average and your net profits will definitely beat last year’s.
Perception vs. Reality:
There’s an old saying that a customer’s perception is the reality. Very seldom do I speak with a general manager or fixed operations director where the topic of competing against Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys does not come up. After the warranty expires, 70% of those aftermarket dollars are flowing right into everyone else’s hands. The possibilities are endless in this $350 billion market where by most accounts, franchise dealerships will get about 30% of that number.
Customer Loyalty is Created in the Service Lane
One of the most significant trends that auto dealers are grappling with is the erosion of front-end margins. New vehicle gross margins have declined significantly in the last seven years, from 4% in 2011 to 2.2% in 2018.
Boost Recall Response Rates with Video
In 2018, owners of 32.7 million vehicles in the U.S. were notified of a mandatory recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and OEMs issued another 14.5 million voluntary recalls. That means one in four vehicles on the road currently have an open recall.
