When a customer calls to make a service appointment at a Group 1 Automotive dealership, there’s a roughly 95 percent chance their call will be answered within 20 seconds and only a 2 percent chance the call will go unanswered. Stats like that explain why the nearly 150 participating Group 1 stores ranked first in
A fair number of fixed ops departments nationwide turn away customers every day by failing to do something very simple and elemental: efficiently handle phone calls and book service appointments. In fact, according to a survey performed by Pied Piper Management Co., an average of 1 out of every 9 “secret shoppers” — or around
Service managers striving to optimize fixed ops performance might want to rip a page from the playbooks at Sherwood Ford in Alberta and Shaheen Chevrolet in Michigan. In short: Get employees together to crack open a good read. Reading groups in both dealerships’ service departments have amped up efficiency, developed better leaders, empowered decision-making, boosted
Service departments must start bolstering their customer retention efforts now or risk significant revenue declines in two to three years when warranties on new cars purchased in 2022 expire and typical levels of customer defections ensue, warns a service and parts trainer. Lee Harkins, CEO of M5 Management Services, said the steep decline in new-car
The Diehl Collision Center in Pittsburgh is a model of efficiency. Designed by a consultant from Axalta Coating Systems with input from the collision center’s director, the 26,000-square-foot space includes 20 repair bays, four paint booths and an array of profitability-enhancing equipment. “Too much time can be lost without proper design to maximize workflow,” said
Several years ago, Corina Diehl — owner of Diehl Automotive Group — decided to roll the dice and build a 26,000-square-foot standalone collision center in Pittsburgh. The final cost: About $2.5 million. The calculated gamble has turned into a smashing success. Since the Diehl Collision Center opened in October 2019, annual revenue has increased by
Imagine a tiny army of software “robots” that perform mundane and repetitive data-entry tasks for dealership employees — actions such as inputting online sales leads or determining the value of trade-ins. While that may sound far-fetched, it’s a reality at the nine stores owned by Servco Pacific on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Maui and
Jennifer Swope was convinced the F&I departments at the six stores owned by the Swope Family of Dealerships had untapped revenue potential. The main obstacle? Silos. From her perspective, each finance department worked independently with little collaboration, even though five of the stores are close to each other along what’s known at Swope as the
Sending customers videos that bolster suggested repairs and maintenance revealed by multi- point inspections is a proven way to amp up service and parts revenue. But persuading technicians to videotape their inspections can be as difficult as removing rusty manifold bolts. But at Austin Subaru and Austin Infiniti, two adjacent dealerships owned by Continental Automotive
