As an automotive professional, you always want to stay informed on the latest trends in the industry. Economic forecasts, social behaviors, stock market fluctuation, and shifting political winds are all contributing factors in helping you “know wha

One of the first tasks that I had in a dealership was typing the daily heat sheet. The fact that I “typed” the heat sheet indicates how old I am and that I still remember this task shows how much of an impact this daily heat sheet had on me. For

Last week I saw an article in Business Insurance Magazine predicting increasing insurance premiums for 2011. While the article did not specifically mention auto dealership garage insurance, there is reason for concern. The article went on to blame th

Prior to becoming a dealer, Mike Reichenbach was a factory guy working at Ford Motor Co. After deciding automotive retail was the place to be and going to work for Tim Stewart Ford, Ford called on him three different times to act as interim general m

In my early years in the auto retail industry a dealer told me, “You cannot cut your way to a profit.” At the time, the comment perplexed me. It seemed to ignore a fundamental business fact. Specifically, profit is simply the difference between y

Dealers need to be wary of “warranty repair shoppers.” Sometimes, for various reasons, a car owner has decided he or she wants out of the vehicle. The disgruntled consumer is convinced the car is a “lemon” and nothing will change that person�

I admit that I watch too much sports. My time could probably be better spent with constructive activity, but I still tend to veg out a little. For example, I recently watched some of the Tour de France. Not an active cyclist, still, I got a little me

If you ask 10 service managers to define the perfect pay plan for service advisors, you will get ten different answers. Few topics stir the emotions of management and employees more than that of personal income. Over the years, I have worked with tho

I was making a 20 group presentation not long ago and someone said to me, “We need technicians and we can’t find them.” Wow! That was music to my ears. We are really starting to turn the corner it appears. Hopefully, we all have learned one thi