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Automotive industry insights, tips, and guides

Service Manager's Checklist for Running a Fixed-Ops Twenty-Group Prep

A service manager's twenty-group prep checklist should cover vehicle inventory staging, technician assignments by skill level, parts availability verification, ...

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Service Manager's Checklist for Managing a Warranty Claim Denial

A service manager dealing with a warranty claim denial needs to: verify the claim details and service dates against the manufacturer's warranty terms, collect a...

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The service manager's checklist for adding a second shift without losing culture

The core challenge of adding a second shift is maintaining your dealership's culture and quality standards when you're operating across two separate time blocks...

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Service Manager's Checklist for Handling a Key Technician Resignation

When a key technician resigns, you need to act in the first 48 hours: secure outstanding ROs, document their work patterns and customer relationships, brief you...

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Service Manager's Checklist for Closing the Gap on Service Absorption

Service absorption is the percentage of your service labor overhead that gets paid for by service work—and the dealers who get this right hit 75–85% absorption....

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Service Manager's Checklist for Raising Effective Labor Rate Without Losing Customers

Raising your effective labor rate without losing customers comes down to three moves: documenting the value your team delivers (faster diagnostics, higher-quali...

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The Service Manager's Checklist for Setting Technician Pay-Plan Incentives That Actually Work

A working technician pay-plan incentive program starts with clarity on your target metric (labor hours sold, gross profit, quality scores, or a blend), transpar...

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Service Manager's Checklist for Reviewing the Service DOC at End of Day

A service manager's end-of-day DOC review should verify that all repairs match the estimate, customer authorizations are documented, labor hours align with actu...

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The Service Manager's Checklist for Running a Fixed-Ops Morning Huddle

A fixed-ops morning huddle should cover three core areas: staffing and capacity (who's working, what's booked, open slots), customer vehicle status (which cars ...

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Service Manager's Checklist for Selling Alignment After Tire Work

The core checklist for selling alignment after tire work comes down to three moves: inspect the vehicle's alignment specs before the tire install, explain the c...

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Service Manager's Checklist for Recommending Tires Without Sounding Pushy

The core of tire recommendations without pushiness is this: show the data first, present options with clear pricing, let the customer decide, and document every...

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The Service Manager's Checklist for Delivering Bad News on a Failed Inspection

A service manager's job when delivering bad inspection news is to stay calm, present the facts without spin, give the customer a clear path forward, and protect...

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