Drive to Success: Bottom Line Efficiency

In an industry as competitive as auto sales, dealerships must think creatively to find efficiencies and increase profits. From a focus on fixed ops and F&I to hiring and retaining the right employees, dealerships…

Margin Compression Solution: Fixed Operations

As other sources of revenue run dry, fixed operations can provide a steady stream customers and renewable income. In fact, according to economic research company IBISWorld, the parts and services segment was projected to generate 13.6% of dealerships’ revenue in 2017, outperforming both new and used vehicle sales.

Drive to Success: Fixed Ops

If you haven’t already, it’s time increase revenue with your Fixed Ops department. Read why experts suggest you drive customers to the service lane and how to do it.

Embracing mobile in your service department

Your service department is quickly becoming the next great frontier for mobile technology, thanks to innovations like mobile-friendly multipoint inspection tools. Make sure your service bays are delivering a customer experience that helps create happy and loyal customers.

3 Steps for a Smoother Annual Parts Inventory

It’s that time of year again, when your dealer principal or CPA requires a “firm” parts inventory count for tax and factory filing purposes. If you dread the event, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to be that hard. If you put several steps in place throughout the year to improve consistency and better secure your parts asset, you will minimize variances, risk of theft, and dread of the annual inventory. Industry consultant Mike Nicholes recommends every dealership put three steps in place to ensure a smoother annual parts inventory.

What do women want? Answering this age-old question for your service lane

What’s the best way to find out what women want when they go to have their vehicle serviced? Ask them. The answers can go a long way toward helping dealerships attract and retain more women in the service lane. That’s critical, because there are more women on the road today than men, and women increasingly call the shots when it comes to household purchases. Isn’t it in your best interest to cater to them?

Dealertrack sat down with Anne Fleming, president and chief executive officer of the women-focused dealer review website Women-Drivers.com, to share results of her company’s 2014 year-to-date survey results and tips for driving  more women into your service lane. 

Top 3 questions service managers should ask

Smart dealers know that the fixed ops department is their best bet for steady, consistent revenue. Yet the majority of service departments are leaving major money on the table. Why is this happening? It’s a perfect storm of a lax inspection process, no accountability and a service-not-sales mentality. In a market where competition is up and ROI is shrinking, you can’t afford to have your service technicians missing opportunities or just picking low-hanging fruit – like brake and power steering flushes – instead of completing a thorough inspection and selling customers on services they actually need. Not only does this approach improve sales, but it also improves customer loyalty and trust. Want to get more revenue out of your lanes? Make sure your service manager can answer these three questions.