Is Fixed Ops Benchmarking Enough to Drive Real Growth
Keeping a close eye on key performance indicators has become second nature for dealerships. Many invest heavily in fixed ops benchmarking, stacking up their numbers against top performers and obsessing over monthly reports. Yet, even with all that data at your fingertips, real growth in service and parts often stalls. So what’s the problem? The […]
How to Fix a Broken Service Department
Most SERVICE MANAGERS can tell when something feels off in their department. Customer complaints increase. Employees become frustrated. Productivity drops. Profits shrink. Yet many dealerships spend months—or even years—trying to solve the wrong problems. In Service Drive Revolution #362, the discussion centered around what it actually takes to turn around struggling service departments. One of […]
What Drives Service Manager Accountability in Dealerships
When a dealership’s service department misses the mark, it’s rarely about a lack of good intentions. More often, the real issue is unclear expectations, inconsistent follow-through, and a team that’s left guessing what “success” actually looks like. The reality is that without strong service manager accountability, standards slide, communication breaks down, and high-performing staff often […]
Are You Losing Money to the Effective Labor Rate Problem
Service departments work hard, customers fill the bays, but profits don’t always reflect that effort. What a tough pill to swallow, isn’t it? The effective labor rate problem often hides in plain sight, quietly draining revenue through unseen variables. When labor rates don’t align with technician wages and local market conditions, or when discounts flow […]
How Do You Master Dealership Financials (The Right Way)
Most dealerships are sitting on a ticking time bomb and don’t even realize it. Service departments barely break even or run at a loss, and the numbers on those dealership financials can look like a foreign language. The worst part? Seeing your customer base drop off to independent repair shops while you struggle to pinpoint […]
Is Your Service Drive Ready for the Summer Car Maintenance Rush
When summer rolls around, dealerships see a wave of customers hoping to avoid roadside headaches as the temperatures climb. More drivers on the road for family vacations, weekend getaways, and long hauls means a bigger demand for routine checks and emergency repairs. During this season, engines work harder, fluids evaporate faster, and small issues can […]
Which Fixed Ops Performance Metrics Drive Real Growth
It’s easy for fixed ops performance metrics to get overlooked in the rush of daily dealership operations. Not monitoring these numbers closely will only lead to missed opportunities and service drives falling short of their true potential. For many dealers, it’s a struggle to pinpoint exactly which metrics show where things stand and how to […]
Best Ways to Increase Service Department Profitability 2026
Are you finding it tough to keep your service department thriving, even as customer needs and operating costs shift? Well, you are not alone! Many dealerships struggle with rising expenses, changing customer expectations, and the challenge of standing out in a crowded market. It’s pretty normal to feel that way. Especially, all these factors can […]
Why Every SERVICE MANAGER Should Understand Dealership Financials
Most SERVICE ADVISORS and SERVICE MANAGERS spend their careers chasing numbers they don’t fully understand. Hours per RO. Effective labor rate. Gross profit. Net profit. Expense percentages. They’re expected to improve these metrics, yet many never receive a clear explanation of how they’re calculated or why they matter. The reality is that understanding dealership financials […]
How Should Service Advisors Handle Customer Objections
Every dealer knows that strong sales conversations rarely start with a simple “yes.” Instead, customer objections pop up at every turn. It may be questions about pricing, concerns about features, or doubts about financing, you name it. Now these moments can stall the deal, slow momentum, and sometimes cause you to lose a sale even […]
Top Service Advisor Phone Scripts to Book More Appointments
It only takes one missed phone call or awkward conversation to lose a customer you’ve worked hard to earn. Yes, you heard it right. Many service advisors find themselves stumbling over words, losing track of critical details, or sounding too scripted. The result? Missed opportunities to build loyalty and secure future business. Even though it […]
How Did Chris Collins Build the Best Advisor Training
Strong advisor training is the backbone of a dealership’s success, but it’s where many stumble. Too often, service advisors get thrown into the deep end, armed with theory but missing the practical tools to handle packed schedules, upset customers, and real-world curveballs. The gap between what advisors learn in a classroom and what actually happens […]
