Articles for Service Experts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Don Reed - A worthy goal for every dealer would be to sell a new or used vehicle today and keep that customer coming back to your dealership for life. You want them coming back for all their service needs, for parts, for body repairs, to buy additional vehicles for their family and of course, to trade in the vehicle you just sold them to buy another. Makes sense, right?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Don Reed - Most dealers today understand the value of an F&I department, and history shows that this department can be a significant profit center when the right processes are implemented, enabling managers to sell additional products and services to every customer who takes delivery of a new or used vehicle.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Don Reed - After spending the last nine years working with hundreds of dealerships all across our country, I have discovered an amazing phenomenon permeating fixed operations. One could compare this phenomenon to cancer. The good news is this cancer is 100 percent curable for every single dealer who really wants to be cancer-free! The cancer is called “Lack of Accountability.” I find maximum accountability for everyone’s performance in the sales department ...
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Hal Scott - A few wrong decisions today and even those dealers fortunate enough to have old family money could easily be gone. This is not a revelation for many of you, as fear for financial survival has savagely ripped through every...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Hal Scott - Success today requires strong fixed coverage. Your service, quick service, parts, body and detail departments have to be “dialed-in.” Adding 0.5 hours to each repair order in service, quick service and body shop is not just...
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Don Reed - One very effective way to correct this is to send all incoming service calls to a business development center (BDC). Properly trained BDC personnel can provide a multitude of services that will increase owner retention...
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Don Reed - In the pursuit of additional profit opportunities in your service department, you must focus on maintenance of your customers’ vehicles. This is a missed opportunity for many dealers who do not perform complete, thorough inspections of...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Don Reed - Why do we classify half of our dealership as variable and the other half as fixed? What is the difference between the two? Should they operate independently of one another or operate as one? Is one more important than the other?...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Don Reed - The first step in recruiting for any position is to determine the maximum compenstation you are willing to pay a top performer...
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Don Reed - If your dealership’s new vehicle unit sales decline by another 6 percent, what does that mean to your bottom line? For those of you who own a franchise that is also losing market share, the decline is even greater...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Don Reed - Does your parts department provide every customer the highest level of service they possibly can? Well, to answer that question properly, we must first determine who is the customer?...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Don Reed - If you want to focus on “controllable” expenses, then take a long look at policy adjustment and shop supplies. Implement a log for each of these and require your manager to review it with you weekly...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Don Reed - Starting today, ask each of your advisors what maintenance is required by your respective manufacturer. I’m betting they don’t know. If that is the case, then require them to read the warranty book and they will find the words...
Friday, December 21, 2007
Don Reed - It doesn't matter what the price of gasoline is or what the interest rates are because there will always be opportunities for improvement in dealing with the retail service customer...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Don Reed - First, I want you to determine the condition of your technicians. To do this, you should start by asking your service director/manager to conduct an assessment of their individual skill levels. This will answer two questions...
Monday, November 05, 2007
Don Reed - Any customer who declines a technician’s recommendation for these needed repairs and/or services should be turned over to the service drive sales manager or service manager for a second review with the customer ...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Don Reed - Total vehicles in use are at their highest levels in history totaling over 244 million. So, with a record number of vehicles on the road with a median age of 7 or more years, why isn’t the new car dealer thriving in the retail service and parts business?...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Don Reed - If new unit sales are down, of course F&I gross profits are also down. When new unit sales go down by 30 percent or more, there is a direct negative effect on service and parts revenue because of fewer PDIs and declining warranty repairs...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Don Reed - Let’s get serious about service and analyze what the real consequences are of this action. First, do you really believe your service manager will be able to spend the time needed to properly service 18 customers a day?...
Monday, July 09, 2007
Don Reed - Having a lot of one-item repair orders also tell us that your technicians are not inspecting 100 percent of the vehicles they service, and your advisors are not reviewing the results of the 27-point inspection with 100 percent of your...