Retention of service customers is a key measure of a dealership's fixed ops performance. Three out of 4 vehicle owners generally prefer getting maintenance and repairs for their cars and trucks at franchised dealerships rather than alternative service providers, a new survey suggests.
From July 8 through 15, DealerRater polled for Fixed Ops Journal more than 16,000 consumers who had visited a franchised dealership recently. Of those respondents, 75 percent said that they mostly go to a new-car dealership for service on their vehicles; the rest said they go somewhere else.
Owners of luxury-brand vehicles were especially likely to opt for dealership service — 81 percent of those respondents said they usually choose a dealership instead of an aftermarket competitor, such as an independent garage, a quick-lube outlet or a tire store.