Tactical Tips With Brad Paschal: Recent Episodes
Brad Paschal
Brad Paschal of FIXED OPS DIGITAL presents Tactical Tips! Tactical Tips was created to help Dealerships succeed within their Fixed Operations department. From today's industry challenges to innovative ideas, Brad and his guests are there to inform and motivate!
This week we have a BRAND NEW episode, "Service Subscriptions" with Terry Torline, VP of Sales at EXOGloss
💥 TETHER THE CUSTOMER TO YOUR DEALERSHIP💥
Terry talks about how prepaid maintenance "subscriptions" like EXOGloss offers can help you communicate with service customers and retain them to YOUR dealership instead of local competitors. Terry & Brad also talk about next week's ASOTU Con and what they're looking forward to about it. 🚘
“Customers are driving 25, 50, 100 miles, or having a car delivered to them. So where they bought the car is, in a lot of cases, not where they're going to have it serviced. So when you capture those customers in your service, now you're going to capture that customer in order to sell them another car.”
👋 You can contact Terry at terry@exogloss.com & make sure to register for ASOTU con at asotucon.com!
It’s our 30th episode! This week we have Stephen Jurgella & Phil Trzebiatowski of Fountain Forward to talk “Data & Diagnosing.”💥 PRESCRIPTION WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS IS MALPRACTICE💥Stephen & Phil talk about the importance of understanding your clients’ individual needs and creating a diagnosis before prescribing any solutions. They also discuss the Same Here charity, which focuses on mental health and is close to the heart of Fountain Forward. 🚘“We can drive as much traffic as we want to a dealer’s website, but if the cars aren’t merchandised well, if the pricing is off, if the website user experience is poor, users are going to defect, and they won’t turn into leads.”👋 You can contact Stephen & Phil at fountainforward.com and donate to the Same Here charity at samehereglobal.org/donate
Our 29th episode, "Recon Processes" features Jason Berry, President & Co-Founder of Carketa.💥 MANAGE PEOPLE, PROCESSES, & INVENTORY💥Jason talks about the tools Carketa offers and how important it is for dealerships to look at recon processes as a part of their fixed ops processes. 🚘“We've always said, there's a ton of great tools for the sales process and tracking sales and CRM stuff, but what about the legs that carry the body? What about the inventory it takes to get to the front lines to sell the car?”👋 You can contact Jason & Carketa at sales@carketa.comCatch the entire episode at https://bit.ly/3tUgZIP
Our 28th episode features Ted Ings, Executive Director of Fixed Ops Roundtable.💥 TRENDS ARE CHANGING FAST💥Brad and Ted talk about people who are making strides in fixed ops and where they see the industry shifting to in the next few years. 🚘“Of course, mobile service is a big topic right now. Dealership culture, and how that applies to retaining and keeping and attracting more technicians, attracting good people to fixed ops. So those are just some of the low hanging fruit, if you will.”👋 You can contact Ted & register for the next FORT event today at fixedopsroundtable.com
Our 27th episode features Nick Varney, President of Varney Automotive Group.💥 CREATE A SOLID FOUNDATION💥Nick talks about inheriting a dealership and getting to the bottom of any issues by problem-solving, being self-aware, and relying on your network. 🚘“I think it's really important - a lot of people rush to try and make money right at the beginning, which is great if you can accomplish that, but really the big thing is looking over everything before you start.”👋 You can contact Nick at nvarney@varneygmc.com.
Our 26th episode features Greg Gifford, Vice President of Search at SearchLab.
Greg & the team at SearchLab help local businesses and dealerships get found with local search TOOLS and Google Business Profile best practices. 🎉
💥 OPTIMIZE ALL OF YOUR LISTINGS 💥
Greg discusses the best ways to segment your dealerships’ Google Business Profile listings without breaking the platform’s rules or taking on more than you can manage. 🚘
“Having that separate Jeep department listing when no one else in town has it, if anyone else is looking for a Jeep dealer that kind of gives you a little bit of an edge - as long as you’re optimizing it and doing something with it. If you’re just gonna set it up and do nothing with it, you’re not gonna get reviews and optimize it, then don’t do it.”
👋 You can contact Greg at greg@searchlabdigital.com.
Our 25th episode features Robert Sebestyen, Chief Gravitational Officer at Gravitational Business.
Robert helps fixed ops departments retain employees through leadership training and teaching better mindsets. 🎉
💥 CARE FOR YOUR TEAM 💥
Robert talks about ways that Service Managers can help create a better working environment for employees, starting with having a helpful mindset and being willing to step in and help when advisors get overwhelmed. 🚘
“Leadership - REAL leadership jumps in and says, 'Hey, let me help you. I’m gonna make some calls for you, I’m gonna help you move some cars if the Porters are not available, so you can make the call. I’m gonna watch the counter, so you go make the calls.'"
👋 You can contact Robert at robert@gravitationalbusiness.com
Our 24th episode features Samantha Foster (Marcom Director) and Michael Kirk (Director of Account Management) at UVeye.
UVeye provides dealerships with a hardware/software solution for a touchless vehicle inspection system. 🎉
💥 UNCOVER WORK THAT’S MISSED 💥
Samantha and Michael talk about how dealerships can gain back business from independent shops with tools such as UVeye that make easy-to-miss car issues more visible. By incorporating AI technology that analyzes a vehicle and presents possible issues, dealerships can create more transparency and trust with their customers. 🚘
“In the service lane, the biggest thing is building trust and transparency across sales and service, and allowing technology to really guide those conversations. Because let’s face it, the dealerships still haven’t won over the complete trust of the customer at this point.”
👋 You can contact Samantha and Michael at info@UVeye.com
Our 23rd episode features Marcus Aman and Peter Seymour of ShyftAuto and Bayley.
Marcus and Peter work with their Bayley team to help dealerships track data and make necessary adjustments in the service lane. 🎉
💥 TECHNOLOGY GETS RID OF ASSUMPTIONS 💥
Marcus and Peter talk about the need for dealerships to analyze their service processes from start to finish systematically. Using technology to track this data at every point and find areas of improvement can help inform what specific changes are needed to increase efficiency and customer retention. 🚘
“If you don’t know all of the story, how can you measure it and then manage it? If you can manage it you can make it better, but if you’re not measuring and it’s just based off of assumption, you’re just looking at the end result and you’re not able to actually track the process.”
👋 You can contact Marcus at marcus@getbayley.com.
Our 22nd episode features Jarrod Kilway, Director of Digital Operations at Germain Automotive Partnership.
Jarrod and past Tactical Tips guest Brian Kramer are constantly pushing the Germain stores in Naples, FL into the future by monitoring the growing EV presence and by working in the Metaverse. 🎉
💥 PREPARING INSTEAD OF ADAPTING 💥
Jarrod talks about adjusting your current business model to incorporate EV maintenance needs NOW instead of trying to play catch-up with new companies in a few years. 🚘
“I know a lot of people are in the panic mode of ‘What’s gonna happen in 5 years for fixed ops when it comes to EV?’ I think we need to start thinking about how we repurpose our staff for the EV future.”
👋 You can contact Jarrod on LinkedIn.
Our 21st episode features Geno Walsh, Executive Manager Of Operations, and Drew Benson, Fixed Operations Technology Process Manager at Qvale Auto Group.
Geno and Drew work to help everyone in their dealerships learn new processes that keep them innovating and bringing more customers in. 🎉
💥 USE TECH TO GET EVERYONE ENGAGED 💥
Geno and Drew talk about the importance of not only having innovative processes to keep up with changing technology, but also making sure your employees are properly trained on those processes so that they can be effective. 🚘
“If you can get everybody animated and you put some money out there and you make it fun and interesting. And we’re all doing this for a purpose - we want to take care of our customers and make money. So if we can do that and have all these little wins then everyone’s gonna jump on board and you’ll see a lot of success.”
👋 You can contact Geno at gwalsh@qag.auto and Drew at abenson@qag.auto.
Our 20th episode features Joy Hawkins, Owner & President of Sterling Sky.
Joy and her team work to help their clients rank higher on Google with Local SEO best practices. 🎉
💥 INTERNAL LINKING IS KEY 💥
If you want your dealership to rank higher when it comes to local search, Joy says it’s important to manage all your Google Business Profile listings equally, create internal links, offer testimonials in exchange for backlinks, and more! 🚘
“I’ve audited sites for auto dealers where literally all of their blogs have zero internal links. They’re not linking to anything else on their site - you’re losing a TON if you do that.”
👋 You can contact Joy at joy@sterlingsky.ca
Our 19th episode features David O’Brien, President & CEO of Quantum5.
David and his team work to help dealerships strengthen relationships with their consumers through a focus on proper training of service and sales employees. 🎉
💥 FIND WAYS TO IMPRESS 💥
As a dealership, it’s important to train your service advisors just as much as your sales reps on how to create customer relationships. In this training, the focus should be on using gratitude and positivity with the customer, as well as creating intentional processes to make the customer feel welcomed. 🚘
“I think you gotta have a process, you gotta know how you’re going to make it work, and the process has to be intentional versus accidental.”
👋 You can contact David at (480) 452-6868 or dob@quantum5.ai
Our 18th episode features Kyle Mountsier, Co-Founder of Auto Genius and Contagious Auto.
Kyle and his team at Contagious Auto help dealers build better marketing teams to save them money and streamline their technology.🎉
💥 THINK LIKE A CUSTOMER💥
Through small interactions in the service drive and using “human language” in the service scheduler, service departments can make their customers feel appreciated and heard, increasing satisfaction and the likelihood that they’ll return. 🚘
“Figure out how to create common language for your service scheduler around the top 20 most commonly scheduled things.”
👋 You can contact Kyle at kyle@contagiousauto.com
Our 17th episode features Scott Davis, President of Volie.
Scott and his team at Volie have created a software app that offers automated marketing and reporting to help make running a BDC easier. 🎉
💥 CREATE THE BDC EFFICIENCY YOUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT💥
The 3 major issues with BDCs include too many data sources, outdated manual processes, and desk phones. Scott introduces ways to overcome these hurdles and increase the efficiency, profit, and organization of your BDC. 🚘
“The customers assume that you know what they’ve done. They don’t realize that the BDC manager may be subscribed to 8 different software platforms and get data 10 different ways.”
👋 You can contact Scott at scott@volie.com
Read the entire transcript here .
Our 16th episode features Jody Holland - Speaker, Trainer, and Author.
Jody speaks about his technique for reading people when it comes to sales, and how dealerships could apply it to better engage with their service department customers. 🚘
👋 You can contact Jody at info@jodyholland.com.
Our 15th episode features Mike Hanna, CEO and Founder of TrueSpot .
Mike and TrueSpot are known for their real-time location technology and helping dealerships use geo-intelligence in service bays. 🎉
💥 TRANSPARENCY IS KEY💥
Service customers are looking for transparency and accountability when they bring their vehicles to you. One way to set your dealership above independent shops is through technology that allows them to know exactly what’s happening with their service, step-by-step. 🚘
“That ability to have that location creates a whole new level of accountability and insights from a management perspective, and I think it’s a game-changer.”
👋 You can contact Mike at mike@truespot.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 14th episode features Kevin Smith, President of Dynatron Software, Inc.
Kevin and his team are known for maximizing their service department revenue, while also keeping their prices competitive.
MAXIMIZE YOUR REVENUE
How can you get the most revenue out of your service department? This is a question many dealerships face, especially when there is a low supply in other areas such as car sales. Kevin says that there are only 3 options to consider:
1 - Bring more people in
2 - Sell more each time they come in
3 - Sell things for more money
“What are the independents in my market charging, and what are the dealers in my market charging? I don't need to be the least, but I do need to be competitive in every case.”
You can contact Kevin at ksmith@dynatronsoftware.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 13th episode features Ed Roberts, COO of Bozard Ford.
Ed is known for being the go-to guy for all things Fixed Operations and mobile service is no exception! He has been a BIG supporter of mobile service since 2015 and has seen the incredible profits that come along with it.
CONVENIENCE IS EVERYTHING
Most service advisors are under the impression that not many services can be done without a lift but talk to your techs before making a decision. Ed’s team at Bozard Ford accommodates over 80% of services while on the road.
“What I tell people is mobile service is a nice element today, but tomorrow it’s expected.”
You can contact Ed at eroberts@bozard.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 11th episode features Kevin Frye, Marketing Director of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family. Kevin discusses the noticeable downturn in Body Shop revenue and the marketing solutions YOU can take to drive sales! From PPC & SEM to custom videos featuring your Body Shop, Kevin has answers!
FIXED OPS DIGITAL works seamlessly with your in-house team and would love to be a part of the solution.
“You can either lay down and do nothing about your decline in Body Shop business or you can fight back and market aggressively.”
Contact Kevin at kevin.frye@jeffwyler.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 10th episode features Wendy Reeves, Head Architect at BDC Angels. Are you looking for a way to offset a loss of funds in your sales department? Look no further because Wendy Reeves is an expert in running profitable service BDCs. Top tips below!
Thank you calls to customers are huge
Service will carry the sales department during this time of low inventory - Take advantage of it
Don’t overlook lost sales potential - automate it
Shadow service advisors for the best results
Watch Wendy’s essential guide to Service BDCs for all the info!
“I think people forget that in times like this, especially service is going to carry the sales department when the inventory crunch gets bad enough.”
Contact Wendy at wendy@bdcangels.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 9th episode features Chris Schaubert, founder of Fixed Ops Solutions.
Are you looking for easy ways to improve your Fixed Operations department? If so, then listen closely because Chris is sharing his Three Ps to Fixed Operations!
-
PEOPLE
-
PROCESSES
-
PIPELINE
Watch Chris’s quick and informative Tactical Tip video for all the details!
“Take a moment and make sure you’ve got the right team in place to take you to the next level. And if you need help with that search out, don’t just think it’s a one-man bandstand.”
Contact Chris at chris@fixedopssolutions.ai
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 8th episode features Brian Kramer, General Manager of Germain Toyota of Naples.
Brian is leading the way in customer experience and is here to tell us more about how Germain is utilizing video to create an easier and more convenient customer experience. The best way to retain customers isn’t through discounts or coupons, it is through experience. Germain Toyota of Naples is working with FIXED OPS DIGITAL to create informative service videos for customers.
“We really feel that a whole holistic approach with video and clearly setting that expectation and then on our side living up to them is the key to our growth in 2022 and beyond.”
Contact Brian at bkramer@germain.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 7th episode features Ed Slaughter, Consultant for E&W Automotive with over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry! Ed is sharing his tactical tips for recruiting technicians and the complexities of who to recruit and when to recruit them. From sign-on bonuses to high hourly rates, veteran technicians have gotten expensive. Check out Ed’s tips from recruiting technically gifted kids in high school and military veterans looking for a change.
“Some of these guys are getting $40,000 sign-on bonuses. It’s not cheap money anymore. A lot of dealers go out and try to create a farm team.“
Contact Ed at edslau33@gmail.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 6th episode features David J. Long, Executive GM of the Hansel Auto Group & Pandemic of Positivity is sharing his tactical tip on Harmony Between Departments, bridging the gaps with little things like a monthly lunch with all of the departments in all of the dealerships.
"I just find it is a lot easier to handle difficult circumstances when we know each other!"
Contact David at dlong@gohansel.com.
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 5th episode features Christine Mitchell, The Car Lady Canada sharing her tactical tip on Technicians, primarily the challenges and how to overcome them.
Service is a tough department because the customer is in a rush and inconvenienced, communication is key in the customer > Advisor > Technician handoff.
Contact Christine at christine@thecarlady.ca.
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 4th episode features Patrick Brown, COO of Viva Auto Group sharing his tactical tip on Internal Orders & Tech Pay.
Contact Patrick at patrick_brown@vivaautogroup.com.
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
The 3rd episode is John luciano, General Manager of Street Volkswagen sharing his tactical tip on Personalizing The Experience.
Contact John at john.luciano@streetvw.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
The 2nd episode is Justin Pomeroy of Fixed Operations & Income Development at Foundation Automotive sharing his tactical tip on Tech Retention.
Contact Justin at justinp@foundationauto.com.
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
The 1st episode we have Damian Boudreaux of Auto Training Academy sharing his tactical tip on the Service Advisor Perspective.
Contact Damian at damianboudreaux@hotmail.com
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/
Our 12th episode features Kevin Deutsch, General Manager of Butler Lexus South Atlanta.
Kevin is giving us an EXCLUSIVE on how making small changes in your Fixed Ops Department can make a huge difference on your bottom line. Kevins ELR strategy creates internal accountability that will increase your effective labor rate thus increasing your fixed ops revenue.
“I’ve been doing this for about 20 years now with the internal rate and both parties respond and it’s a fair number to both.”
https://www.fixedopsdigital.com/tactical/