Recent Stories
Volvo provides free kits to relieve debt burden for new techs

Volvo hopes to recruit 225 new technicians by 2023, and the need is urgent. To help with recruiting, the automaker launched its Volvo Technician Tool Program in August.
Boost in digital marketing spend aids retailers as pandemic lingers

The sudden importance of service marketing in the early days of the pandemic led many dealers to closely examine new strategies.
Dealership sees recovery role in targeted social media marketing

Woody Buick-GMC in Naperville, Ill., is spending $2,500 a month on highly targeted social media and SEO efforts. It's money well spent.
10,000 no-touch service loaner contracts

Even before social distancing became a thing, consumers were trending toward transacting with the service lane on their mobile phones.
Mobile self-service tools trim customer wait times, offer contactless options

Self-service kiosks came to airports in 2000, to fast food in 2014 and to dealership service lanes around 2017. And just as many flyers eventually moved to using mobile phones to check in, customers in the service lane may soon follow.
Expanded auto repair financing options gain traction

Finance products specifically devoted to repair lending have emerged in recent years. No one expected them to come in handy during a pandemic, but they have.
Video inspections grow group's customer-pay business

Video recorded multipoint inspections have taken on added value in the service lane since the coronavirus pandemic sparked anxiety over face-to-face interactions.
As the number of drivers for ride-hailing services such as Uber continues to grow, so likely will the availability of inclusive policies.
F&I products cater to ride-hail drivers

The coronavirus pandemic has reduced demand for ride-hailing, but experts expect gig driving to thrive long after the crisis. 
Lyft, Uber and their drivers are ripe for fixed ops picking, expert says
If you cater to them, ride-hail drivers will come

To better cater to ride-hail drivers, it is important to understand their schedules and needs. The Reedman-Toll Auto Group has profited from that understanding.
The irresistible prospect of 10 service visits a year, $300 per repair order

One dealership that has marketed its services to ride-hail drivers is Paragon Honda and Paragon Acura in Queens, N.Y.
A path to capturing the eyes of Lyft, Uber drivers

Both Uber and Lyft partner with a pair of online service marketplaces that allow ride-hail drivers to comparison shop repair facilities and, as part of more far-reaching driver rewards programs.
As used-vehicle profits decline, dealers turn to software to speed up reconditioning

Competition among software vendors to help dealerships cut used-car reconditioning time is heating up.
Dealership groups debate the value of centralized reconditioning facilities

Some groups have moved away from centers, preferring that recon activities take place at the individual dealerships. Other groups say consolidating recon work at a central location offers substantial economies of scale.
As at-your-door mechanic services grow, dealers and automakers start to respond

As more customers demand that businesses deliver services and products to their home or workplace, dealerships and automakers are taking their first steps to get technicians out of the shop.