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Don't Let Your First Impression Be Your Last Impression
Don't Let Your First Impression Be Your Last Impression
WRITTEN BY: STEVE HALL

What does a new customer see when they pull into your dealership? You only have one chance at a first impression. Make sure it’s a good one with these tips from our expert.

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Why Core Values Can Be the True Pillars for Your Success
Why Core Values Can Be the True Pillars for Your Success
WRITTEN BY: RICK WEGLEY

The secret to long term success in any industry, and especially the automotive retail industry, is dependent upon relationships - the degree to which you invest in your employees, the level of service you provide to your customers, and the reputation you have earned as a provider to both your ...

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Effective Labor Rate – Strategies to Maintain Profitability In The Decade Ahead
Effective Labor Rate – Strategies to Maintain Profitability In The Decade Ahead
WRITTEN BY: RICK WEGLEY

Over the last several years many of our client stores have been challenged with the erosion of their effective labor rates, gross profit margins, and gross profit dollars. Much of this can be attributed to a shift in the work-mix coming through our service departments – newer vehicles which require ...

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CPRO Preservation Is Your Lifeline to Dealership Retention
CPRO Preservation Is Your Lifeline to Dealership Retention
WRITTEN BY: STEPHEN SMITH

Through the peak of the pandemic, we saw customer pay repair orders (CPROs) all but disappear in some markets and greatly diminish in most. In June 2020, a historically strong service month, CPROs were down 20% from the 2019 YTD average across all brands and greater YOY. Whether you believe it or not, your service departments are the conduit for your dealership customer retention. Think about this: If you do not get those customers back to your dealerships via your service departments as soon as possible, will they ever come back? I am not necessarily concerned with your service department’s growth during the pandemic; I am very concerned, however, with your dealership’s entire customer retention strategy, the foundation of which is your service department. Volume is the elusive elixir to profitability. As a moderator, I get asked this question by clients all the time, and more so during times such as those we are currently going through: “How do I increase volume?” or “How do I increase ROs?” Let’s look at a few strategies and paradigms that might affect our service retention and therefore our dealership retention.

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