Since When is Selling a Bad Thing?
Service expert Don Reed has observed that dealers are reluctant to push for greater sales in fixed ops. Here he looks at the cost of that reluctance.
Service expert Don Reed has observed that dealers are reluctant to push for greater sales in fixed ops. Here he looks at the cost of that reluctance.
The most important part of a manager’s day is to manage the performance of their employees. Don Reed suggests some daily tasks for a fixed ops manager that can positively affect the performance of his team.
When Lupient Chevrolet received notice in 2009 that General Motors was revoking its franchise, the dealership ramped up business in service to help stay afloat. Ultimately, the dealership's franchise was reinstated, and the service department is now a profit powerhouse.
When upgrading their service departments, dealers must deal with many decisions and challenges like construction, provider selection, manufacturer requirements, and more. Auto Dealer Monthly took a look at the recent upgrade experiences of three dealers.
Currently dealers are getting only about 16 percent of the parts and service market. With the average age of a vehicle today at 10.8 years, it is imperative that dealers get those vehicles back into their service departments. Don Reed examines the dilemma of inactive service customers.
For the dealer who wants to thrive and not just survive in this very competitive industry, every department in the dealership must be a profit center. Don Reed discusses the need for dealers to elevate not only their service departments but their entire dealerships beyond average.
Sanderson Ford currently sells about $2.3 million in parts a month, so having an efficient and smooth-running operation is vital. Of course, a parts operation doesn’t grow to be this size overnight.
By outlining a fixed operations marketing plan with daily, monthly and quarterly plans, industry expert Don Reed explains how dealers can realize a 20-percent increase in fixed operations traffic.
As a dealer, you are the ultimate decision maker. You don’t need to take a vote every time you want to make a change in policy, process or personnel. Fixed operations expert Don Reed discusses how making changes might not be popular among employees, but can make the dealership more efficient and profitable.
Dealership general manager Joseph Clementi explains how to manage and more closely monitor special-order parts as a way to control cash flow.
Fixed operations expert Don Reed discusses the importance of measuring performance and outlines 28 different stats in the service and parts departments that should be measured for individual employees to evaluate performance.
Don Reed, fixed operations expert, discusses five technologically advanced products that will increase dealerships’ fixed operations sales and profits if used properly.
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The service department can become a profit machine with the right tools, processes and training. The use of maintenance menus and inspection checklists is a great place to start to focus on effective upselling.
At Jerry Seiner Chevrolet in Salt Lake City, Utah, the parts department has been cultivated to a level of success not seen by many, thanks in no small part to its wholesale operation. The department sells $1.6 to $1.7 million in parts each month.
Fixed operations expert, Don Reed, follows up on his previous article with facts and figures about dealers’ compliance with the Five Rules of Engagement for Service Customers. With dealers reporting more service customers coming in, dealers stand to earn a lot more business if they adhere to the rules 100 percent of the time.
