How to Increase Effective Labor Rate at Your Dealership
Many dealership leaders pay close attention to their posted labor rate, but far fewer understand the impact of their effective labor rate. The difference between the two can quietly cost your service department thousands of dollars each month. While many dealerships assume an effective labor rate should naturally fall below the posted rate, that mindset […]
Why More Service Traffic Isn’t the Answer
Most dealership leaders say the same thing when service sales start to flatten: “We need more traffic.” At first glance, that sounds logical. More appointments should mean more repair orders, more labor sales, and more profit. In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #368, Chris Collins, Adam, and Hogi challenge that assumption and explain why […]
High Performing Service Advisors: 7 Traits That Drive Results
What separates average advisors from high performing SERVICE ADVISORS? Success in Fixed Ops is not luck.It is not traffic.And it is never just the location. In Service Drive Revolution #349, the conversation focuses on the seven core traits that consistently show up in top SERVICE ADVISOR performance across hundreds of dealerships. If you are a […]
What Is a Service Advisor? Duties, Pay, Skills, and Career Path
A service advisor is the main connection between dealership customers, technicians, and the service department. The role is part customer service, part sales, and part fixed ops coordination: advisors listen to customer concerns, write repair orders, explain inspections and estimates, get repair approvals, communicate timelines, and help the shop turn vehicle problems into approved work. […]
How to Reset a Toxic Shop Culture and Get Your Technicians Back on Your Team
There’s no easy button for fixing a struggling shop culture—but there is a process. And if you’re a service manager or service advisor trying to regain control of a shop where the technicians are “running the show,” you already know the stakes are high. Technician morale, productivity, respect for leadership, CSI, and even retention are […]
Auto Dealership Consolidation Trends Reshaping the Market
Auto dealerships are changing, and not every business is keeping up. Smaller dealerships are struggling with deteriorating profit margins, aging systems, and increased competition contra larger, well-funded groups. It’s clear that the old model of running a dealership isn’t cutting it anymore. Consolidation is becoming the go-to solution. By merging operations, dealerships can reduce costs, […]
Success Boost: Finance Office as Dealership Leadership Hub
Running a car dealership is a high-stakes operation. The automotive industry generates over $1 trillion in annual sales and employs more than 2 million people in the United States. But, did you know? In such a demanding environment, the finance office often gets overlooked. It is perceived as where paperwork is done, not a growth […]
Extended-Range Electric Vehicles Growth and Global Interest
Getting more people to switch to electric vehicles hasn’t been easy. High prices, limited driving range, and a lack of convenient charging options have kept many buyers from making the switch. For some, the idea of relying solely on battery power feels risky—especially with long road trips. Here comes extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), solving the […]
Data Risks in Dealerships: Protecting Customer Information
Current dealerships handle large volumes of personal customer information, including credit ratings and bank account information. However, as AI-driven infotainment systems become more common, there is an increasing threat that such data will be revealed or misapplied, particularly when combined technologies are not managed correctly. These risks may result in violations, legal disputes, or even […]
Service Department Leadership: How to Survive Bad Bosses, Bias & Broken Systems in Fixed Ops
If you’ve spent any time in a dealership service department, you already know the truth:Most of the chaos doesn’t come from customers—it comes from the leadership inside the building. Bad bosses, biased decision-making, missing processes, and broken communication systems damage performance far more than RO backlogs or parts delays. In this episode of Service Drive […]
Why Dealers Are Shifting to AI-Powered Infotainment in Vehicles
Driving used to be all about getting from one place to another, but let’s be honest—using traditional infotainment systems can feel frustrating. Unintuitive controls, outmoded interfaces, and limited functionality make drivers wish for more intelligent, less complex tech that would make road trips more enjoyable and less distracting. The good news is that artificial intelligence […]
Service Department Roundtable: What’s Changed in Fixed Ops Leadership
When the Service Drive Revolution team gets together for a roundtable, you know you’re about to hear some hard truths mixed with real dealership wisdom. In this episode, Chris Collins and his team reflect on how the service drive has evolved over the years—and how the core challenges for SERVICE ADVISORS and MANAGERS remain surprisingly […]
