Fixed-Ops

The challenge for service managers isn’t just finding warm bodies, it’s finding qualified and skilled technicians who are willing to step into open positions. However, some auto industry players are taking a different approach, and training newcomers from start to finish. One of these...

Recalls are never good news for customers. At best, it means the added inconvenience of scheduling an appointment, waiting for the repair, and/or leaving their vehicle with the dealership. At worst, unaddressed recalls can cause accidents, or induce fear of potential issues. In 2018, around...

Apprenticeship is a concept as old as time. It used to be that the ONLY way to learn a trade was to serve an apprenticeship to a master of the chosen craft. Now, with technical schools and refined training programs, the apprenticeship is no...

The automotive industry’s well-documented technician shortage is a serious concern. For the 76,000 technician positions that are vacated annually, whether technicians changing industries or to retire, only 39,000 new techs are coming out of vocational schools. If the shortage hasn’t affected you yet, it’s...

Service contracts have been around for a long time. They provide additional profit opportunities at the time of sale, and theoretically provide more service opportunities after the sale. The problem is that most service contracts do not tie a customer to the dealership where...

Every customer who pulls into your service department deserves to know the overall condition of their vehicle, each time he or she visits. As a matter of safety, a check of the vehicle’s critical operating systems can give a customer some piece of mind...

According to NADA, the auto retail industry needs to fill and replace 76,000 technician jobs each year in order to offset the pace of industry growth. And with baby-boomers beginning to age out of the workforce, now is the time to invest in future...

By 2020, the collective money that consumers will spend on aftermarket parts and services is expected to grow to $722.8 billion. One primary reason for this large number is that car buyers are holding onto their cars much longer. For example, as of 2015,...

Back in June, Michele Boyarsky of The Engine Block reported that there is a growing shortage of auto technicians that is “alarming and worth your attention.” According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), 76,000 new technicians are needed yearly to fill job openings,...

 On today’s show, we’re pleased to welcome back Michael Roppo, President and Director of Dealer Fixed-Operations Consulting and Training at Automotive Management Resources. Jim and Michael discuss hiring new technicians and what it takes to find them, train them, and retain them. Michael says that...