I’ll never forget one time when I was driving down a highway and noticed several state troopers alongside the road in an old service station. One stepped in front of my car and flagged me in to the parking area. The officer quickly walked around my vehicle checking all of my turn signals and headlights. He also quickly checked tire condition and the emergency brake function. He did use me to turn the switches and push the brake and the…

If a General Manager had 50% of new or used car inventory aged at over 7 months without a sale, life would not be pleasant. Many dealerships have this concern in their parts department and are not even aware of it. Let’s look at some operational guidelines that will improve your parts department in every aspect. Every month end should generate a parts summary report that is given to the parts manager. This report contains some valuable information most General Managers never see. An…

Many dealerships today are finding it difficult to have profitable body shop operations. Costs are soaring in paint and materials as well as environment disposal fees. The future will see these costs building so Managers must have controls in place to minimize costs where we can.

1: Controlling paint and material costs.

  To begin let’s understand body shop supplies must be tracked by Technician. They should have their own supply box near their work area locked and controlled…

I feel fortunate to see so many different dealerships and how they do business. One of the things I hear often is the staff doesn’t have the time to perform processes correctly. The reality is without the right processes so much time is wasted with no way to place the cost of doing business that way. The advisers scramble to put out the latest fire pulling a technician off this job to work on that job. They feel the battle of their job is to act…

I am committed to never say a number is bad without providing processes to improve it. It amazes me that when people are trained on ways to improve and want to, how quickly the result goes to the next level. You must develop standards for your company and measure them against…

Recently I had my car serviced while performing a follow-up visit. I had the oil changed and tires rotated with the Technician suggesting replacement of my air filter. I was proud the Technician took the time to show the filter as everyone knows how important the visual is for selling. At lunchtime I left to get lunch and noticed a noise from the front end of my car. As I pulled out on the highway the noise became worse and I slowed and…

I have always taught that seeing is believing and it is a must to involve customers visually. Seeing is also buying and when customers see their issues they buy more often than not. It is also retaining the customer this will improve trust and never allow the dealership to have integrity questioned. I have been asked how to do this with drop off customers and now believe Chris had a…

The past four months I have spent more time engaging in social media activity than ever before. I am fairly new to this phenomenon but have fully embraced it! From Facebook and Twitter to dealerelite.net, I enjoy pushing my content (Fixed Performance Inc.) to these different social media platforms. 

Writing and…

In today’s competitive marketplace we must place our focus on the most important part of the business which is our customer. In my position travel is a must and exposes me to the differences companies place on the customer. The airlines are a prime example when hot meals have been replaced with a small bag of pretzels and a cup of soda. Seats are crammed together with long lines to be processed into the aircraft. Customers complain of lost luggage and poor service as prices soar into the…

During a recent dealership visit I asked a manager why she used a lateral support team system. The answer took me back when she said “That’s the way it’s always been done.” When thinking about her statement it came to me that many times we get stuck into processes or procedures that may need changed or altered. These changes are never acted on because many managers dislike change and operate in their comfort zone. Let’s look at some innovative ways to analyze what processes are right for…

There seems to be just as much talk the day after the Super Bowl regarding the creative advertisements than the game itself. On top of the beer and Dorito commercials, the automotive industry plays a huge role during the game. What was your favorite automobile advertisement during the big game? 

This site has every car commercial from the 2011 Super Bowl -----> …

Recently I requested a room for a monthly follow up visit and was told no rooms were available for the entire stay. Then I went to a competitor and they were similar quality and more centrally located for my monthly three day visits. The new place I stay every month now gets about three hundred a month additional revenue. I wonder how many service and parts customers are thrown away because when they call they are told no. Instead of no why not state “I’ll do my best” or “At least we will…

If I had a check made out with your flat rate Technician’s name on it for $10,000 payable in 12 months would you take the time to read this article? If your answer was yes then you will find the needed processes that form “The Professional Service Technician”.

• Keep the customers car clean. Never allow a foot print, greasy steering wheel or door handle to be noticed by your customer.
• Inspect the car for damage before you begin work. At least two times per year for every…