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Should You Raise Your Dealership Service Labor Rate? (And When the Real Problem Is Something Else)
Your dealership service labor rate is the hourly rate you charge customers for technician time on a repair invoice. It's printed on your wall, it's quoted at the counter, and it's the single biggest lever in your service department's profitability. A $5 increase...
Are Google Ads Worth It for Dealerships? Here’s How to Actually Know
Google Ads for dealerships are worth it when they generate qualified leads at a cost lower than the gross profit those leads produce. That sentence sounds obvious. The reason most dealerships can't tell you whether their Google Ads program is working is that...
When Your Service Department Falls Apart Every Time You Leave the Building
If your dealership's service department only runs when you're standing in it, you don't have a service department. You have a single point of failure with a good attitude. That's not a hiring problem. It's a system problem. And the difference matters because one of...
Why Are Customers Frustrated at Your Parts Counter? (And What to Do About It)
"My parts counter customers always seem frustrated during busy season. What do I do?" I get questions from dealers every single week, and this one comes up more than almost anything else. "Sara, we are right in the middle of our busy season and it feels like every...
I Have a Customer List. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With It.
A dealer in North Dakota named Allen sent me this question a few weeks ago: "Sara, I know I should be marketing to my past customers. I just don't know where to start. Our data is everywhere: old systems, spreadsheets, you name it. Honestly, I'm embarrassed by the...
Your Parts Counter Has a Dirty Little Secret. It’s Called Fill Rate.
Let Me Paint You a Picture A customer walks up to your parts counter. They need one part. Your counter person looks it up, checks the shelf, and delivers the four words that make every dealer cringe: "We'll have to order that." The customer nods politely, maybe...
Your Service Department Is About to Get Slammed. Are You Ready?
Season is coming. You know it. I know it. And so does every customer who stored their unit all winter, never serviced it, and is now showing up at your door in full crisis mode — like you personally are responsible for the fact that they didn't deal with it in...
Why Don’t My Salespeople Close More Deals?
Sara, my salespeople are busy. They're talking to customers, doing demos, and spending time on the lot. But we're only closing about 20% of the leads we get. I watch them work and they know the products inside and out. They can tell you every spec on every machine....
The One Word That’s Driving Service Customers Away
Hi Sara, My service department is always busy, but we’re quietly losing customers and I can’t explain why. What am I missing? If being busy automatically meant customers were happy, every service department in the country would have perfect retention. Spoiler...
Are Dealers and Manufacturers Playing Chicken With Inventory?
Hey Sara, We stopped ordering inventory because we assumed the manufacturer would offer better discounts or programs if we waited. Now inventory feels tight, programs keep changing, and everyone is frustrated. Are we doing this wrong, or is this just how the game...
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