Welcome to the 7th episode of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Robert Fleites, the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Auto Group.

Topics Discussed:

Robert’s BackstoryTechnology in the Service DepartmentSolutions in accessorizing your vehicleWarrantiesThe Miracle VIP Advantage ProgramWhat makes Miracle DifferentTop questions that people ask in the Service and Parts department

Transcript

John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have right there at your fingertips without having to go back and forth and spend a lot of time researching what it was you just heard on this podcast.

John Haggard: 00:35 We’re talking with Robert Fleites. He’s the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Ford. Hey Robert, welcome to the podcast.

Robert Fleites: 00:42 How are you doing John?

John Haggard: 00:43 I am doing well. Appreciate your being with us today. You know, a lot of people always want to know, well, who’s the guy behind the curtain or who’s the woman behind the curtain, the person that they say they’re the Parts and Service Director. Tell us a little bit about you, where you grew up.

Robert Fleites: 00:57 I grew up in south Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale area, and then my last 13 years that I was in Florida, I was in the Melbourne area.

John Haggard: 01:05 All right. And you know, Florida is known for alligators. Do you ever see any, any ever come to the dealership?

Robert Fleites: 01:12 If there’s a body of water. There’s a chance there’s a gator.

John Haggard: 01:15 That’s what they say. That’s exactly what they say. Don’t ever walk by a body of water without looking out, right. Oh yeah, there you go. So tell us, how did you get started, Robert, in the automotive service and repair business?

Robert Fleites: 01:26 Well, when I finished high school, I was in the farming business. My Dad was in the cattle business, and that was going away, the way Florida is growing so fast. And I said, well, I either got to go to college or I got to learn a trade. And I went to the Fort Asset Program and I did two and a half years there. I got an associates in Automotive and started off as Technician became Service Advisor, Service Manager and now I’m a Parts and Service Director.

John Haggard: 01:50 Alright. And you said your dad was in the cattle business in Florida, is that right? Wow. So you did, you grew up on a farm or at least doing that type of thing?

Robert Fleites: 01:58 Yeah, had the best of both worlds. A country and city.

John Haggard: 02:02 When people say Parts and Service Director, we can kind of figure that out. But if there’s something different you do or what’s really behind, what does that mean? Parts and Service Director?

Robert Fleites: 02:12 Well, I oversee the finances on parts and service departments. And then I set the goals and, and monitor, you know, everything that’s going in and out or out of the department.

John Haggard: 02:23 We hear a lot about new technology today. One of the reasons they trade for new vehicle or whatever it is because the technology changing very quickly. What about in the service department? Is there much changed there? Is i