FIXED OPS JOURNAL

The decline in new-vehicle sales last year shifted more pressure to service departments to pay the bills and keep the lights on, and it made fixed absorption — the ability of fixed operations to cover a dealership's expenses — more of a priority for many managers.

Older dealership service customers are, in general, less interested in mobile repairs and pickup and delivery than younger customers, according to the 2021 Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study. Here's a closer look.

Mechanics from Mineola Motor Car Co. garage pose during the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race on Long Island in New York.

A growing number of dealers are using podiums and open-plan desks so advisers can show customers the full process of putting together their repair order on a screen.