Guide to Successful Dealership Profit Participation Models
Running a dealership is no small task, especially when it feels like profitability is always under pressure. Between growing competition, shifting customer expectations, and managing operating costs, finding ways to stay ahead can be overwhelming. You know there’s potential in your F&I department, but unlocking it isn’t always straightforward. Dealership profit participation programs could be […]
SERVICE ADVISOR Process Problems That Hurt Fixed Ops Performance
In many dealership service departments, leaders struggle with the same frustrations year after year. Advisors skip walk-arounds. Appointments pile up late in the day. Customers approve diagnosis but can’t afford repairs. For a structured team path beyond this article, review the fixed ops training options. At first glance, these look like people problems. In reality, […]
Pro Tips for Dealership Collections Calls That Build Trust
Missed payments and overdue accounts can quickly become headaches for dealerships. Reaching out to customers is often challenging, and without the right approach, collection calls can feel awkward, unproductive, and even damaging to customer relationships. The longer these problems remain unaddressed, the larger the influence on your cash flow and operations. But with the right […]
How to Measure & Improve Dealership Team Performance 2026
It’s frustrating when your dealership team isn’t meeting its potential. Missed targets, inconsistent efforts, and a lack of engagement can drag the whole operation down. You might feel like you’ve tried everything, but the same challenges keep popping up. What’s often overlooked is the power of building the right processes, sharing data insights, and involving […]
Service Advisor Pay Plans That Motivate Advisors and Protect Gross Profit
A strong service advisor pay plan should do two things at the same time: motivate advisors to sell the right work and protect the dealership’s gross profit. The best plans usually combine stable base pay with performance incentives tied to metrics like labor gross, effective labor rate, hours per repair order, customer satisfaction, and retention. […]
5 Key Car Dealership Reports to Track for Success
Running a car dealership comes with no shortage of challenges, but one of the biggest is knowing exactly how your business is performing. Without clear insights, it’s easy to miss important trends or waste time focusing on the wrong areas. Are you keeping track of what really drives growth, or are key details slipping through […]
Dealership Employee Engagement Strategies That Work
Dealership employee engagement is more than a soft skill. If your team feels cut off or flat, it can ripple through customer service, sales, and your store’s name. An out of sync team can slow growth, strain customer ties, and create a poor work setting that pushes good people away. The fix starts with a […]
Why F&I Reinsurance Is Key to Dealership Profitability
Running a dealership means juggling a lot of moving parts, especially when it comes to F&I products. But here’s the problem—most dealerships are handing over a big chunk of potential profits to third-party providers. On top of that, these providers control key decisions about claims and customer service, which can impact customer loyalty and satisfaction. […]
Intentional Goal Setting for Service Managers in Fixed Ops
As the calendar turns, many dealership leaders begin thinking about what they want the next year to look like. New targets, new habits, new plans. However, in Fixed Ops, SERVICE MANAGER goal setting often falls into the same trap year after year. Goals get written down. Motivation spikes. Then reality hits — and momentum fades. […]
Proven Dealership Hiring Tips: Build a Winning Team Today
Hiring for a dealership isn’t easy. You’re not just looking for someone to fill a spot. You’re searching for people who can meet unique demands, thrive in a fast-moving environment, and contribute to your business’s long-term success. But too often, the dealership hiring process feels like a gamble—posting an ad, crossing your fingers, and hoping […]
Unlock Fixed Ops Potential: Effective Labor Rate Explained
You walk past the service drive and see your posted labor rate on the wall—maybe it’s $120 or $190. It is impressive on a menu, but that figure is usually only a dream, not a reality. The truth is, what you say you charge and what actually ends up in the bank are rarely the […]
Unapplied Labor in Fixed Ops: What SERVICE MANAGERS Must Fix Now
Unapplied labor in Fixed Ops is one of the most misunderstood — and dangerous — problems inside dealership service departments. It doesn’t show up loudly. It doesn’t trigger alarms. However, it quietly erodes profitability month after month. In Service Drive Revolution #338, the conversation breaks down what unapplied labor really is, where it hides, and […]
