Blog

Most dealers are bottom line performance individuals and start there when reviewing a financial statement. Parts Departments have some interesting considerations that should be understood when reviewing their financial performance. Many dealerships don’t utilize G&A accounting that separates General Management, Dealer, and office personnel into a separate account. I prefer this separation when analyzing the […]

One of the things I have learned about life is there will be times of great loss. You won’t get the job or promotion. You might face an illness with a family member, coworker or even yourself. You might struggle financially and be challenged every week as you try to pay your bills and meet […]

New car sales across the country have been declining with many dealerships starting to feel the heat from sales departments seeing reduced performance. Fixed operations have become critical and dealerships look for ways to improve returns from their service, parts, and body shops. The fact is, I believe fixed operations are critical in good times […]

I was at a client working in the drive lane illustrating the importance of the dealership personnel caring about the customer. I randomly picked an example and started going over it. I noticed the interior carpet was dirty and needed vacuumed. A few sections of it could have really used a steam cleaner as well. […]

Recently I was at a grocery store deli to pick up my wife’s favorite cheese and learned a lesson about customer care and complaints. There was one employee in the Department cleaning the sink and a customer was patiently waiting ahead of me. I asked if she had been helped yet which caught the attention […]

As our company Fixed Performance enters into its 15th year helping dealerships improve their fixed operations as its founder I have to reminisce. I recall starting out without a single client and no recognition to having a wait list and traveling around on a private plane for my visits. Nobody in the car business can […]

The estimator is the gate keeper to a solid and profitable body shop that has a high CSI rating. 1 on 1 Estimator Training on the Art of Negotiating will coach your estimators on how to win at every segment of the job. From Negotiating the close of the sale, through Negotiating with the insurance […]

When I was a kid growing up in Wooster Ohio, my father always fueled up his car at Williams Texaco. The station was right down the street from where we lived and it had service, I am willing to bet most dealerships would love to have. We would always be greeted at the pump promptly […]

It doesn’t matter if you are in management or a staff member on a team so many have unanswered questions. One example of is a large majority of general managers for car dealerships come from a sales background. They are experts when it comes to selling cars and are very good at their trade. However, […]

Getting paid for more OEM Parts in the body shop today has become easier than it ever was. But the pressure from Insurance carriers to control costs by using cheaper aftermarket (A/M) and used (LKQ) parts is greater than ever. The simple fact of the matter is that there is not a single aftermarket part […]