I have been thrashing The Garage drum (check out www.NetProfitTraining.com) for a number of columns now. We and a hundred of our closest dealer friends have learned quite a bit this past year, both from victories and gaffes while implementing this un

Corina Diehl has been a dealer for three years, owner of the Diehl Auto Group in Butler, PA, a small town a few miles north of Pittsburgh. A devastating personal tragedy brought her into the business a year before the collapse of 2008 and 2009. Yet,

Less than 10% of used car buyers return to the dealership for customer-pay service work. But don’t take my word for it. Run the numbers and see for yourself. Run the VIN numbers for all the used vehicles you sold in 2009 and compare it to the VIN n

I had the pleasure of speaking at the AutoTeam America CFO Forum on Friday afternoon before the official opening of the NADA Convention.  The event is always well attended by dealers of all brands along with their financial personnel.  Based on the

I apologize up front if what I am about to write offends you. I am not a fan of country music. Even though my Dad dragged me out of bed when I was five years old every Sunday morning to listen to a four-hour concert of Flatt & Scriggs and Bill Mo

We do a lot of brain busting determining how to generate sufficient stall revenue, so that the entire dealership’s expenses can be covered by service and parts.  Essentially we have established there are three distinct work types in auto service s

Did you know that offering a warranty on a new or used vehicle, even one that is limited in duration, can open a dealership up to litigation years after the warranty has expired? Many dealerships currently offer written warranties on new and used veh

Last year, Mike Jackson, chairman and CEO of AutoNation, commented that our industry’s operating benchmarks have not changed in half a century.  He was speaking specifically about our inventory supply and the long held belief that a 60-days supply

In past articles, I have spent much time discussing the types of insurance coverage most dealers carry. As a change of pace, I thought it might be interesting to discuss some lesser-known policies that, in the right circumstances, may be just what yo