Last month, my article focused on helping you hold your people accountable to your service processes. Odds are your dealership has sound processes in place, but is it time to do a process “makeover?” In other words, is it time to update and refre

Many dealerships or manufacturers have a formal or informal policy with respect to “goodwill” or customer satisfaction repairs. Usually dealers perform these repairs because a problem is not covered under warranty, the warranty covering the vehic

Some things aren’t funny, they’re just freakin’ wrong. While working in a northeastern dealer’s service manager’s office, located next to the tech parts counter, I had the opportunity to listen to all the conversations b

People (pee-puhl) noun 1)    Human beings 2) The followers or subordinates of a leader or manager   Processes (pros-es-iz) noun 1) A systematic series of actions and operations directed to an end 2) a series of changes  taking place in a def

Each November, some 100,000 plus aftermarket and new vehicle manufacturer personnel, gather to view the latest in parts, accessories, tools, equipment, wheels, tires, performance enhancements, customization, car care, business services, and restorati

The past two years have been the roughest time in the history of the automotive business. The number of car dealerships in the United States has been declining for decades. Roughly 200 dealers close their doors every year. Last year, however, 2,000 d

We are a time-hungry society. We need and demand more – period. As consumers, we are no different than our customers. We demand convenience in what we do, as well. We have developed a dependence on it everywhere we turn. It never ceases to amaze me

I was consulting in a mid-sized GM dealership one evening. The service manager and I were looking through carefully prepared pre-write packets (menu, history, pre-write, recalls, MPI, and notes), to determine how well the service advisors had pre-loa

I want every dealer who has a body shop to listen up. Your body shop should be a major focal point in 2011. Body shops can and should be a significant contributor to fixed absorption. According to a recent survey shared with me by a GM source, 65% of