Service Advisors

January 22, 2011 by

Pain Point: Salesmanship in the Service Lane

Resolution: Service Writers

Your hot-shot salesmen might parade around the showroom in starched shirts with French cuffs. But your biggest-grossing employee might be on the job long before the showroom doors open.

High-performance service advisors keep everyone in the store busy. Unfortunately, far too many employees in the service lane are masters of the profit-killing “one-line repair order.”

Before you fix another vehicle, fix that problem. And in the video right below, you’ll see how.

For more information, download our Service Advisors PDF.

Filed Under: Featured Videos, Parts, Service Tagged With: , , , , , ,

First Time Fill Rate

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: What’s Your Parts Department Batting Average?

Resolution: First Time Fill Rate

In baseball, a player’s batting average is a key measure of success. Anyone hitting .300 is performing way above average. Only 23 players batted .300 or better in 2010.

But while a .300 batting average is terrific in baseball, that would be an awful performance for your parts department, one that would not only be a profit drain but make for a lot of unhappy customers.

In the video, you’ll learn how to measure your parts department batting average and how to spot clues that it could be doing a lot better.

For more information, download our First Time Fill Rate PDF.

Filed Under: Body Shop, Parts, Service Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Brand Management

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Is Your Reputation Getting Hammered Online?

Resolution: Page One Management

Reputation. It takes years and untold amounts of money to build a solid reputation. But only seconds to lose it on the Internet.

Brand damage usually refers to a product in crisis. But in the case of dealerships, the brand is the dealer’s name. It’s easy for dissatisfied and disgruntled consumers to go online and attack dealers. Nobody’s perfect and everyone makes mistakes but dealers put their dealerships in peril if they don’t defend their reputations online.

The video describes some of the challenges and solutions.

For more information, download our Brand Management PDF.

Filed Under: Internet, Sales / Leasing / Finance, Service Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Shop Proficiency

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Why You Should Close Your Back Parts Counter

Resolution: Shop Proficiency

Shutting down your back parts counter may sound drastic but some dealers have done it with good results. They include more efficient — and profitable — parts and service departments.

The origin of the adage, “Time is Money” can be traced to the ancient Greeks. The modern variation of that phrase for dealerships would be “turning clock hours,” which is the key to profitability.

The video shows how to spin the clock a little faster.

For more information, download our Shop Proficiency PDF.

Filed Under: Body Shop, Parts, Service Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Service Department Expenses

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: The Dollars and Cents of Nuts and Bolts

Resolution: Cutting Service Department Expenses

A highly profitable service department saved more than a few dealers during the economic downturn. Once considered the back end of the business, it’s now the backbone of a dealership.

Two signs of a successful service department are busy techs and a steady stream of vehicles into your service drive. But just as important as increasing service revenue is keeping a lid on expenses.

The video offers several ways to do just that.

For more information, download our Service Department Expenses PDF.

Filed Under: Body Shop, Business Management, Parts, Service Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Selling Tires

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Pumping Up Service Profitability

Resolution: Selling Tires

Are your service advisors on the lookout for wear and tear on the vehicles pulling into the service drive? All it takes is a few seconds to check the tread and add a line to the repair order.

In fact, you’ll be surprised how many people need new tires. Improving the customer’s grip on the road also propels profitability into the fast lane for both your service and parts departments.

As the video explains, every new set of tires you inflate triggers several benefits for the store, and customers will appreciate being alerted to potential safety issues.

For more information, download our Increasing Service Profitability PDF.

Filed Under: Parts, Service Tagged With: , , , , , ,

CRM

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Boosting Be-Backs and Closing Ratios

Resolution: Good CRM

Dealers have lived the adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” But is your sales department giving up after the first try? Of course, it’s not your policy to give up. But sometimes practices and procedures, or the lack of them, produce the same result. Managers and employees need to know that the store’s success—and their jobs—depend on getting a second chance with people who didn’t buy on their first visit.

Watch the video for an explanation of why Customer Relationship Management is the way you “try, try again.”

For more information, download our CRM PDF.

Filed Under: Sales / Leasing / Finance, Service Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Paint Booth Rules

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Are You Ready for New Paint Booth Rules?

Resolution: NADA University training on new EPA rules for Body Shop Emissions

Between six and eight thousand dealers have body shops. The new rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency govern the equipment being used and the employees using it. The rules are intended to protect the environment, body shop employees and the people in the surrounding community.

The video provides an overview of dealership responsibilities.

For more information, download our Paint Booth Rules PDF.

Filed Under: Body Shop, Legal / Regulatory, Service Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ten Point Inspection

January 7, 2011 by

Revenue Booster: How “Free” Adds Up!

Free Inspection

Resolution: Free Maintenance Inspection

If there is any good news in vehicle sales at recession levels, it’s that the aging fleet on the street needs more service than ever. More and more people are keeping their vehicles for longer periods and, more than ever, need their cars kept in good running order.

All of that is obvious to the naked eye. But sometimes managers are blinded by “fires” they have to put out on a daily basis. The fact is many dealers don’t need more customers in the service department—they need to more fully service their existing customers’ vehicles.

As the video shows, that all starts with the word “free.”

For more information, download our Ten Point Inspection PDF.

Filed Under: Body Shop, Service Tagged With: , , , , ,

Selling Service Hours

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Perishable Profits

Perishable Profits

Resolution: Sell all Service Hours available

Dealers don’t sell fruits and vegetables but they carry something that’s even more perishable and far more valuable. Tick. Tock. Every second that passes by is a lost opportunity. Tick. Tock. Every lost minute is potential revenue lost forever. Tick Tock.

Dealer perishables don’t smell up a storeroom as crates of spoiled supermarket produce would. But when you take a look at the impact on your bottom line, you’ll want to hold your nose. “Perishable Profits” explains the one place in the dealership where you never get a second chance at a sale.

Watch the video, and learn to hold on to those Service Department profits!

For more information, download our Selling Service Hours PDF.

Filed Under: Body Shop, Parts, Service Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Exception Deviation Report

January 7, 2011 by

Pain Point: Stolen Service Profits

Resolution: Exception Deviation Report

The famed bank robber Willie Sutton said he robbed banks because that’s where the money is. If he were going after dealership profitability, his richest target would be your service department. Whether through theft, fraud or simply poor practices and processes, it’s easy for profitability to erode in the service department. But when it happens, it’s a stealth attack. No alarms blare. No one dials 9-1-1. In fact, nobody notices a thing.

Click on the video to learn about a financial alarm that will alert you to trouble.

For more information, download our Exception Deviation PDF.

Filed Under: Business Management, Human Resources, Service Tagged With: , , , , , , ,