Why Are Dealership Internal Controls Crucial for Finances
Running a dealership involves juggling countless moving parts—vehicle sales, trade-ins, financing, parts, service, and more. With so many transactions across different areas, there’s a higher potential for mistakes, gaps, or even fraud to creep in. A missed step in accounting or a lack of oversight can lead to big problems, from financial losses to damaged […]
AI in Fixed Ops: What Service Managers Get Wrong
Walk into any dealership today and you’ll hear the same buzzword: AI. Everyone’s talking about it. Vendors are selling it. OEMs are hinting at it. In Service Drive Revolution #352, Chris Collins and the team dig into what AI actually means for dealerships—where it’s falling short, where it’s creating real opportunity, and why most businesses […]
How to Fix Common Bottlenecks in Auto Dealership Operations
Running a dealership involves a lot of moving parts. From managing service bays to keeping the sales and finance teams connected, dealership operations can easily become chaotic. Bottlenecks in communication, disorganized workflows, and delayed deliveries are just a few issues that can frustrate both staff and customers, ultimately cutting into profits. Organizing these operations doesn’t […]
How to Boost Dealership CSI Scores & Customer Loyalty (2026)
Surprise, bad surveys hurt. Dealerships often face terrible ratings right after customers seemed fine. Daily operational chaos—like unanswered calls, long holds, and zero updates—kills your numbers. The resulting drop costs stores hundreds of thousands in lost OEM incentive payouts and wrecks customer loyalty. Fixing the root causes will change that narrative. You need a systematic […]
What Makes Auto Dealership Pricing Truly Competitive Today
Setting the right auto dealership pricing can be a challenge at some point. Set prices too high, and potential buyers will surely turn to competitors across town. Go too low, and your profit margins start to shrink—putting your dealership’s long-term success at risk. Every car dealer faces this tricky balancing act, trying to serve customers […]
Strategic Dealer Incentive Programs That Drive Results
Running a dealership comes with its challenges. Sales can stall, employees might lack motivation, and customers occasionally need an extra push to make that purchase. Without a clear strategy, these issues can quickly turn into lost revenue and missed opportunities. That’s where dealer incentive programs can be a great strategy. Such programs are structured reward […]
How Fixed Operations Leadership Shapes Service Growth
Numbers never lie in the service lane. Service departments run on strict metrics like labor efficiency, menu adoption, and retention. The environment operates as a high-velocity ecosystem filled with customers, technicians, and constant micro-decisions. When managers lack the right traits, they build a culture that pushes away accountability and improvement. Cratering metrics usually point to […]
6 Signs You’re Meant for an Auto Service Advisor Career
Taking a vehicle to a repair shop often brings up anxiety and frustration. Car problems are usually sudden and urgent, leading to high stress levels for the owner. The thing is, most people do not comprehend automotive technology. And let’s be honest, customers usually do not walk right up to a mechanic working under a […]
Service Department Menu: 6 Tips to Increase Service Profit
A well-built service department menu can dramatically improve profitability in a dealership service department. Yet many SERVICE MANAGERS never analyze or update their menu pricing. In many stores, the menu was created years ago by a chemical vendor or copied from another dealership. In Service Drive Revolution #350, Chris Collins and the team break down […]
Revamp Dealership Profits: Chris Collins Coaching Works!
Are you tired of watching your dealership’s CSI scores stagnate while net profit margins shrink? Many service departments struggle to keep their heads above water. You might be working long hours, dealing with high employee turnover, and wondering why the results just do not match the effort you put in. It feels like constantly putting […]
How to Beat Peak Demand Bottlenecks in Auto Dealerships
When everything is moving smoothly, your team feels unstoppable. But then, suddenly, things slow down. Calls go unanswered, customers are frustrated, and your staff feels stretched too thin. These are the cracks caused by peak demand bottlenecks—and if left unchecked, they can disrupt your entire operation. So, what can you do? It starts with identifying […]
How to Profit from Declining Dealership Services Effectively
You present a repair estimate to a customer, and they just say, “No thanks”. Every service advisor faces that painful interaction. When drivers reject recommendations, they usually suspect overcharges or feel zero transparency. All those declined dealership services cost franchise dealers billions of dollars every single year. The good news is that service departments can […]
