Recent Stories
Commentary
Plans for techs, advisers, parts people demand new ways of thinking

"You get what you pay for" is a slogan easily summarizes the eternal debate over the best way for a dealership to pay its fixed ops employees, especially service technicians and advisers and parts-counter people.
Fixed Ops Journal
Even with appointments, some service customers must wait

One of every 10 dealership customers who schedules a service appointment must wait to see a service adviser upon arrival, a new survey suggests.
Fixed Ops Journal
Most dealerships still fumble sales-to-service handoff

An easy way a dealership can start to build loyalty and retention among service customers is for salespeople to introduce car and truck buyers to the service department when the vehicle is delivered. But a new survey of consumers suggests that such handoffs occur less than half the time.
Fixed Ops Journal
New study says dealership service customers demand transparency, convenience

New-vehicle dealerships are losing as much as $266 billion a year in service revenue — $15.9 million for the average dealership — because they are falling short on keeping customers, a study estimates.
Commentary
Industry initiatives seek to ease tech shortage, but challenges remain

How will dealerships find, hire, train and keep the technicians they need to staff their service bays, amid a growing shortage of, and cutthroat competition from other industries for, tech talent?
Fixed Ops Journal
Survey suggests deep job dissatisfaction, discontent with flat-rate pay

A new survey of 35,000 dealership service technicians concludes that techs are unhappy with their jobs, and especially with their flat-rate pay plans.
Fixed Ops Journal
Service customers to dealership shops: Text me, please

Service customers greatly prefer that dealership shops notify them by text message when their cars or trucks are ready, a new survey suggests.
Fixed Ops Journal
We present some of our favorite tools -- now let's hear about yours
Our special report in this issue of Fixed Ops Journal looks at "tools of the trade" —some of the hardware and software products that are designed to help dealership service departments run more efficiently, make more money and serve customers better.
Fixed Ops Journal
Luxury-brand owners get more options than waiting in the lounge
When customers bring their vehicle to a dealership for maintenance or repair, most still wait in the service lounge until their car or truck is ready, a new survey suggests.
Suppliers
Automakers' accessories sales programs draw criticism
U.S. dealership executives give low marks to pricing and training in automakers' accessories sales programs, according to a new survey.
Service
GM network targets 'streamlined' repairs
GM's new collision repair network, scheduled to launch next year, pushes back on insurers.
Fixed Ops Journal
Lack of dealership techs raises question: Where are the women?
Most new-vehicle dealerships in the United States don't run body shops. But hundreds more dealerships have gotten into the collision repair game in recent years -- even as others have dropped out -- and that trend appears likely to continue.
Fixed Ops Journal
Managing loaner fleet efficiently is critical for service departments
How efficiently a dealership runs its loaner fleet can have a big impact on both service customers' satisfaction and the bottom line. Dealerware is a software package that enables dealerships to manage their loaner fleets digitally.
Fixed Ops Journal
Collision repair presents opportunities, obstacles to dealerships
Most new-vehicle dealerships in the United States don't run body shops. But hundreds more dealerships have gotten into the collision repair game in recent years -- even as others have dropped out -- and that trend appears likely to continue.
Fixed Ops Journal
Two encouraging approaches for dealing with a shortage of mechanics
A chronic shortage of well-qualified automotive service technicians is alarming. But it's reassuring to see how some industry players are responding to the challenge.