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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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Auto Industry Insights - October 2020: This Roller Coaster Ride Isn’t Over!
Auto Industry Insights - October 2020: This Roller Coaster Ride Isn’t Over!
WRITTEN BY: TREVOR ROBINSON

Working in the North American automotive industry over the last six months has felt like a roller coaster ride. In April, we were click, click, clicking up that first big hill, not knowing the extent of the frightening descent just over the top of the tracks. We had concerns for ...

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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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Now Is the Time to Take Professional Risks
Now Is the Time to Take Professional Risks
WRITTEN BY: STEVE HALL

When I was a child not much would get me moving faster and doing more things outside of my comfort zone than peers daring me. Granted, many times these dares weren’t the wisest actions to take, but peer pressure will make you do some amazing things.

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