As car buyers expect convenience in nearly every aspect of their lives, mobile service is helping dealers’ service departments catch up. On today’s episode of Service Drive, Rich Lupo, Fixed Operations Director at Apple Tree Honda and Acura, joins us to discuss how his dealership is bringing the service bay to customers rather than waiting for them to come in.
For dealers in rural or spread-out markets, that shift matters. Customers may buy a car once and then avoid coming back for service simply because the drive isn’t worth it. Apple Tree, the only Honda and Acura dealer in Western North Carolina, has built a mobile service program that uses automation and AI, in partnership with Spiffy and Blink AI, and demand is already outpacing the store’s expectations.
Automation drives early demand
Apple Tree launched mobile service with a soft opening over 60 to 90 days and little advertising. The dealership relied on automation to manage the rollout without straining its brick-and-mortar operation.
"The demand has outpaced what we anticipated because of some of the automations and innovations we created."
Many Apple Tree customers have bought Hondas and Acuras from the family-owned store for more than 50 years. Some live 40 to 60 miles away and skip service visits because of the drive. However, mobile service is now built directly into the store’s scheduling system. When a customer requests a job that qualifies, and their address falls within range, the system automatically offers the mobile option. Customers self-select into the service without a sales conversation.
Apple Tree is currently operating a single mobile van as a test, and Lupo claims that the dealership intends to expand by adding more units before the end of the year.
Technicians in the field
According to Lupo, mobile technicians come from Apple Tree’s express service team. But he notes that the role requires more than technical skill. Lupo said the dealership looks for an “Express Plus” technician, someone fully certified on recalls and factory warranty repairs who can also work directly with customers. Additionally, field conditions add another layer of difficulty.
Technicians often service vehicles on farms or on sloped mountain driveways around Asheville. “We end up on farms, out here in the mountains, driveways that are sloped, trying to find a good place to service the car,” Lupo said.
Apple Tree is also testing Meta glasses so technicians can record hands-free video for customers. Integration between the glasses and the dealership’s video app is still a work in progress with the vendor.
One unplanned video became a lesson in the value of documentation. A technician tore down an engine for repair and used the app to record it, not realizing the footage was streaming live to the customer. The customer watched the full teardown and rebuild and responded with excitement rather than concern.
Fixed ops metrics are converging
Lupo said the industry is shifting away from measuring per-vehicle retail, or PVR, on the sales side alone. Dealers are increasingly tracking a combined “super PVR” that folds in fixed operations.
He linked the shift to consolidation among dealer groups, which is pooling more data across five, six or more store rooftops. Pricing pressure from the Federal Trade Commission and the growth of direct-to-consumer sales models are also pushing dealers toward a more integrated view of performance.
Lupo sees mobile service becoming a factor in purchase decisions, not just a service department perk. He said it can influence a buyer choosing between two comparable models, not only between two dealerships.
Apple Tree markets the effort through a “Dealership for Life” program focused on long-term customer retention. Lupo pointed to Hyundai’s national rollout of mobile services as a sign that the strategy is becoming standard across the industry.
