Mobile service is becoming increasingly essential to meet consumer preferences on the convenience and accessibility of repair or maintenance. While implementing such a model into your dealership operations may seem challenging, the process may not only be easier than you think; it may also be more efficient.
On this episode of Inside Automotive, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Jim Sabino, fixed operations director at All American Ford’s collision center. Sabino has spent the better part of the last three decades leading fixed-ops teams to success despite the automotive industry’s countless transformations. Now, he shares his insights into the benefits of remote fixed-ops and how dealers can integrate mobile service into their business models.
Key Takeaways
1. Sabino discusses the transition car dealerships have experienced, going from only providing repairs in-store to launching multiple mobile service offerings. Such an evolution was unthinkable five years ago. Now, mobile service is essential for maintaining a competitive advantage over other dealers or aftermarket providers and for improving customer retention.
2. On-the-go service provides a significant improvement in customer satisfaction, evidenced by All American Ford’s higher CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) scores and positive Google reviews. Customers appreciate the convenience of not having to leave their homes or businesses for car service.
3. Implementing mobile service has allowed the dealership to expand its fixed-ops capacity without the need for physical expansion. Handling smaller, quick maintenance jobs remotely has optimized the dealership’s use of space and resources.
4. The fixed-ops sector is currently facing a skilled technician shortage that can make staffing the service department difficult. However, Sabino explains that since mobile service units typically deal with tasks that do not require complex repairs, dealers can hire team members with less skill than in-store technicians, saving them money and time.
5. Sabino notes that All American Ford’s mobile service offering has attracted new customers and contributed to business growth. Not only has it added to the bottom line, but the ability to easily access repair and maintenance clients who may have purchased from a competitor has also expanded the dealership’s reach.
"People had such a great experience with the mobile service. The convenient part of it, alone, just wins the customer over every single time. And they want to tell you about it. When they are surveyed, either from the dealership themselves or from the motor company...they spend a paragraph or more telling how great of a service it is and where [has it] been for the last 20 years that I've been driving cars?" — Jim Sabino
