Blog

Automotive industry insights, tips, and guides

Which KPIs Matter for Handling Declined Recommended Service? A Service Manager's Guide

Track attachment rate (percent of presented services accepted), follow-up conversion rate (how many declined jobs get accepted on a second visit), and revenue i...

Read More →

Which KPIs Matter for Explaining Diagnostic Time to a Hesitant Customer? A Service Manager's Guide

Diagnostic time costs money—typically $100–$200 per hour in most service departments—and customers hate paying for a problem they don't yet understand. The KPIs...

Read More →

Controller's Checklist for Reviewing Schedule Accounts Monthly

A controller's monthly schedule accounts review should verify that all ROs match your accounting records, confirm all labor and parts charges are properly coded...

Read More →

The Controller's Checklist for Running a Parts Inventory Reconciliation

A parts inventory reconciliation starts with pulling accurate stock counts from your DMS against physical inventory, then documenting discrepancies—either shrin...

Read More →

Controller's Checklist for Managing Contracts in Transit Aging

A controller managing contracts in transit aging needs a daily checklist covering three core areas: identifying which deals are stuck longer than normal, pinpoi...

Read More →

Controller's Checklist for Catching a Title-Work Backlog Early

A controller spots a title-work backlog early by tracking three daily metrics: the count of vehicles in "pending title" status by age, the average days-to-title...

Read More →

General Manager's Checklist for Handling a Culture Issue Between Two Department Heads

A general manager handling a culture issue between two department heads should start by meeting each person separately to understand their perspective, document...

Read More →

The General Manager's Checklist for Approving a Policy Exception Without Losing Discipline

A general manager's checklist for approving a policy exception without losing discipline should require: documented justification from the requesting manager, a...

Read More →

The General Manager's Checklist for Resolving a Customer Escalation That Reached Your Desk

When a customer escalation lands on your desk as general manager, your first move is to stop what you're doing and get the complete facts: pull the service reco...

Read More →

General Manager's Checklist for Approving a Capital Expenditure Request

A solid capital expenditure (capex) approval process starts with five core questions: Does this align with our strategic goals? What's the ROI timeline? Do we h...

Read More →

General Manager's Checklist for Running a Monthly Manager Roundtable

A monthly manager roundtable keeps your dealership aligned on metrics, blockers, and wins across departments. Run a 60-90 minute meeting with your F&I manager, ...

Read More →

General Manager's Checklist: Reviewing Your Dealership Composite Against Factory Benchmark

A general manager's composite review against the factory benchmark involves checking your store's key performance indicators—units sold, service hours, gross pr...

Read More →