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Automotive industry insights, tips, and guides

The Parts Manager's Paradox: Why Your Cycle Count Schedule Is Half-Obsolete

The Parts Manager's Paradox: Why Your Cycle Count Schedule Is Half-Obsolete Here's an unpopular take: most dealerships are cycle counting parts like it's 2009,...

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Body Shop Parts Supply Chain: What's Actually Different Since 2019

Body Shop Parts Supply Chain: What's Actually Different Since 2019 Seventy-three percent of body shop managers report longer parts lead times than they did fiv...

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Parts Matrix Pricing Setup: What's Changed and What Hasn't

It's 7 a.m. on a Tuesday and your parts manager is standing in front of a stack of invoices trying to figure out why a $340 alternator from three weeks ago stil...

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Mobile Service Dispatch: What's Actually Changed in 2024 (And What Hasn't)

Seventy-three percent of service advisors still spend more than two hours per day on manual dispatch coordination. That's not a typo—it's 2024, and the majority...

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Myth #1: Heavy Line Technicians Are More Productive Today Than They Were 10 Years Ago

The heavy line—that phrase alone tells you something. It's not the "general service lane." It's not the "standard maintenance bay." It's the heavy line. The nam...

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Appointment Density Through the Day: What's Changed and What Hasn't

How many of your service advisors are still booking appointments the same way they did five years ago? If the answer is "most of them," you're probably leaving...

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The Old a la carte Model: Still Alive, Still Problematic

Sixty-three percent of dealership service departments still operate primarily on a pure a la carte model, charging customers per service line item with no bundl...

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The Wholesale Cost Squeeze That Never Lets Up

Most service directors are pricing tires exactly the way they did five years ago. Markup-plus-labor, maybe a slight regional adjustment, then hope the customer ...

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Battery Test Policy on Every Visit: What's Changed and What Hasn't

How many of your service advisors are actually running a battery test on every single vehicle that comes through the door? If you're like most dealerships, the ...

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Alignment Sell-Through Rates: What's Changed and What Hasn't

Most dealership service directors haven't touched their alignment pricing or presentation strategy in three to five years. The thinking is simple: it worked onc...

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Service Drive Photography for Upsells: What's Changed and What Hasn't

Back in 1995, the first digital camera cost about $1,000 and took photos at 0.3 megapixels. Today, every service advisor has a phone camera capable of 12 megapi...

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Car Buying Tips

Inventory Data Feed Quality Control: What's Changed and What Hasn't

It's 8 AM on a Tuesday, and your inventory manager is staring at a spreadsheet showing three identical 2019 Honda Civics listed at wildly different prices acros...

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