Fixed Ops Roundtable

Andrew Wright, the managing partner at Vinart Dealerships, joins the Roundtable to discuss a topic that they haven't explored in-depth until now. His dealer group is focused on utilizing the internet to provide better access and an improved customer experience to car shoppers in their markets. Based on an article Andrew wrote titled, "Auto Industry Stakeholders Need To Come Together On A Standardized Data Convention."

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <---

What Ted Ings and Andrew Wright discuss in this episode:

• Andrew has a lingering passion for data and data standardization in the auto industry given his involvement in various different boards and organizations. He has a front-row seat to a lot of things going on in the industry. 
• Something that frustrates so many dealers is that OEMs splash into the notion that they are going to mandate the solutions dealers can use which causes a lot of friction in the industry.
• There is a lot of conversation around the dealership's tech stack and also removing friction. 
• Data is key. It's not so much about the widget on the screen. It's more about having insights into what's actually happening across all rooftops so that dealers can make data-informed decisions. 
• The devil is in the data. If we make it about a standardized convention that can facilitate the flow of data, we will go a lot further in streamlining the tech stack and help the industry move forward by removing a lot of friction.
• Listen to the entire episode for even more insights from Andrew Wright. 

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to click the subscribe button!

Thanks, Andrew Wright

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Andrew Wright, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to connect with Andrew Wright on LinkedIn

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Glenn Pasch is the CEO of PCG Digital, an international speaker, and works with individuals on the front lines all the way to the C-suite to help them create leadership structures that foster healthier cultures and profitable teams.

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <--- 

What Ted Ings and Glenn Pasch discuss in this episode:

• Dealerships have many plates spinning across all departments, which impacts the amount of time we have to catch a problem in its infancy so that it doesn't fester and become a bigger problem. 
• There are ways that leaders can inspect and steer the business so that small problems don't compound, and so that the daily business operations run more efficiently.
• It's important to spend time with your team training them and helping them get clear on what your expectations are as a leader. Often when leaders don't see what they expect is because there is a disconnect between expectations in the leader's mind and how those expectations were conveyed to the people responsible for performing the work.
• Glenn recommends that the best focus for dealers is around what experience they would like their customers to have while shopping for products and receving services. In so doing, dealers should have cause to find issues within their process and address those that cause friction.
• A great experience is created by a compounding of small elements. Is the dealership clean? Is the space inviting? Do the advisors get up from around the desk to greet customers? Each small element of the experience contributes to the whole. 
• Listen to the full episode to get even more insights from Glenn Pasch. 

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to click the subscribe button! 

Thanks, Glenn Pasch

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Glenn Pasch, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank Glenn Pasch on LinkedIn 

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Sarah Vantine is the Vice President of Business Development Strategy at Quantum5, LLC, an innovative training platform that helps dealers focus in on processes that increase profits and retention.  

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <--- 

In this episode Ted Ings and Sarah Vantine discuss:

• Cohesive communication has been a key element that has increased the success of Sarah's BDC, and in a way that resonates with customers.
• For young women who are thinking about starting a career in retail automotive, Sarah suggests that it's important to find a group of people that can offer support. It's important to have diversity and a lot of different types of people within the car business because that's our customer base.
• Don't be afraid to jump into the retail car business with both feet. This is a career that which you can make a great living for yourself and there are so many different possibilities out there from OEMs to dealerships to service centers. 
• This is a people business. If we can keep the focus on people, we can win more relationships that lead to long-term business opportunities. 
• A large part of Sarah's success within the BDC comes from injecting more human touchpoints. In an increasingly digital workspace, it's important to focus on retention and adding the human touch.
• Listen to the full episode to get even more insights from this episode.  

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to click the subscribe button! 

Thanks, Sarah Vantine!

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Sarah Vantine, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank Sarah Vantine on LinkedIn   

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Joe St. John is the Vice President of Business Development at Stone Eagle F&I, and works with over 6000 dealerships to provide even greater profitability. 

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <---

What Ted Ings and Joe St. John discuss in this episode:

• Joe explains what online transparency actually means. Transparency is a buzz-word that gets tossed around a lot in the industry
• It's important to standardize the F&I data coming from the DMS so that we can understand what's actually happening in the world at the transactional level of vehicle purchase. Doing so empowers dealers to understand that it matched the narrative throughout the industry and what information can be validated or invalidated.
• In 2018 NADA shared that less than 5% of dealers have a payment calculator on their website in any way, shape, or form. Today, more than 91% of dealers have payment information on their sites.
• What kicked the fear for dealers? COVID created an urgency to move the buying process online and make it more transparent upfront.
• When customers have control of the process, they seem to make some really good decisions and land themselves on cars that fit within their budget. They don't push themselves to the limit of their budget. Their ability to have room in that budget to place them where they need to be.
• We have to apply the same idea and concept to the fixed ops world. With more upfront transparency and allowing customers more control over the process, they will make smart decisions, despite what we've historically believed in the industry.
• Transparency is not the eroder of profitability, it should equal profitability.
• Listen to the full episode for even more insights from Joe St. John.

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts and don't forget to click the subscribe button!

Thanks, Joe St. John!

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Joe St. John, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank Joe St. John on LinkedIn

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Liza Borches is the President and CEO of the Carter Myers Automotive Group, a 98 year older dealer group, and fourth generation dealer. What originally started in 1924 as a saw mill company, they began producing their own trucks called the "Samson Truck" which eventually led them to owing a Ford dealership.

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <---

In this episode, Ted Ings and Liza Borches discuss:

• Liza shares that a strong foundation of values has helped keep their dealer group in business after 98 years, but there are other contributing factors as well. For example, over the years there has only ever been one family member from each generation who has been involved in the company and who has led the company. When you look at family business in the automotive industry, they tend to hire several family members (a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, etc.) which means they are a family run business versus a business run by a family member.
• With several family members in the business, there are often multiple different opinions on how things should be run which can lead to diluting the focus and purpose for growth.
• A single point dealership will not exist in the future. People who dream of owning a dealership can join the CMA organization and be general managers with an ownership stake.
• ESOP - everyone at CMA is an owner which creates longevity and loyalty. They began profit sharing back in 1949. By 1979 it was an employee stock sharing plan.
• If we think of ourselves as a transportation hub versus a dealership, fixed ops is going to be a very important part of the operation.
• When it comes to customer retention, it's more important to have loyal and engaged employees.
• Sure it is important to focus on the big things like having the right product and the right marketing, but it's crucial to have the little things dialed in. For example, how well your employees can follow a process to delight the customer.
• Listen carefully as Liza shares real examples of how her team is providing a better customer experience by focusing on the big and little things aligned.

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to click the subscribe button!

Thanks, Liza Borches!

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Liza Borches, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank Liza Borhces on LinkedIn

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Chuck Kramer is the Chief Operating Officer at Foundation Automotive, a rapidly growing automotive group in the United States and Canada. One key element of their success as a dealer group is the fact that they consider people as the most valuable asset.

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <---

In this episode, Ted Ings and Chuck Kramer discuss:

• Chuck has been in business for over 37 years and suggests that in order to remain relevant it's important to be open to change.
• The more information dealerships can provide, they are helping change the public's perception of the industry.
• Foundation Automotive has embraced the use of social media to help share their story and connect with the communities in which they operate in a more impactful way.
• Partnership is at the heart of Foundation's growing operation.
• You must have employee satisfaction first before being able to provide an exceptional customer experience.
• Chuck does not run his stores, they guide their stores. Mentorship is a key element in growing the business.
• When Chuck looks to purchase a new store, he considers the employees as the most valuable asset.
• Dealers need to pay attention to shop efficiencies. Yes, ROs are important, but when you pay closer attention to the customer experience and how to deliver a more efficient buying process (in Fixed and Variable), it's much easier to scale the business.
• Foundation Automotive's mantra is "People First, Always."

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to click the subscribe button!

Thanks, Chuck Kramer!

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Chuck Kramer, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank Chuck Kramer on LinkedIn

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

David Boyle is the President and CEO of TraXtion (formerly Tire Profiles). In this episode of Fixed Ops Roundtable, which originally aired as part of the Pay It Forward live event, David joins Ted Ings to share his best advice about the importance of dealership service bay utilization and its impact on dealership revenue. 

---> Register For The Upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <--- 

In this episode, Ted Ings and David Boyle discuss:

• If you asked any dealer if they'd be open to generating an extra $30,000 - $60,000 in gross revenue, we all know the answer would be "YES!"
• Dealership service departments are one of the best ways to generate more predictable revenue for a dealership and, when utilized efficiently, can produce more revenue for the store.
• That 10x20 square in the service bay is revenue producing real-estate that more dealers need to pay attention to.
• It's important to understand to also understand productivity and efficiency. When there is a problem with service bay utilization, you need to know where to look. Is it a sales issue or an efficiency issue.
• If one service bay has 32 billable hours, it would have an 82% utilization. If workflows and efficiency are sub-par, the efficiency of that bay and its ability to scale revenue diminish greatly.
• It's not just about the hours, it's actually about the money. We don't deposit hours in the bank, but hours do create money. Utilizing those hours across dealerships are not equal.
• There is one bay at the dealership that David refers to the "holy grail" of bays: The alignment bay.
• If you look at the effectiveness of the alignment bay in terms of hours and dollars and dollars produced, it is potential the highest producing bay in the dealership. It typically comes with technically efficiency, so when you're looking at how much that bay can produce, it can produce more in an 8 hour period than other bays.
• Average alignment bays can generate $150 per hour. Imagine if stores had more alignment bays and utilized them fully!
• The weakness of the alignment bay is that it often goes under-utilized at the dealership level.
• Dealerships need to focus on having a process to capture all of the opportunity.
• Challenge: Walk out to your service bay right now. If there is NOT a car on your rack, you have lots of opportunity. Start developing a process now to fill that rack and keep it filled. 

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to click the subscribe button! 

Thanks, David Boyle!

If you enjoyed this episode featuring David Boyle, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank David Boyle on LinkedIn 

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

Les Silver is the Executive Chairman of Dynatron Software and has been transforming the retail automotive industry for many years. This episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable podcast is taken from Les Silver's presentation in which he shares his 6-pack for success.

---> Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event <---

In this episode, Ted Ings and Les Silver discuss:

• Over the course of Les' career, he's been fortunate enough to learn valuable life lessons from people he has met.
• Each lesson learned contributes to the six-pack of success.
• Les shares the story of his first boss, Al Wiley, a dealer principal in Winnipeg, Canada. Al was a character who got his start in athletics and played Football for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was an all-star, and Grey Cup winning line-backer who was able to achieve that level of success with a handicap of partial blindness.
• In an effort to expand his dealership business, Al ended up going broke. However, by maintaining a positive attitude, he was able to get back on his feet and continue to purchase more dealerships.
• Maintaining a positive attitude is the core to achieving ones definition of success.
• It's just as easy to think big as it is to think small. That lesson is valuable in learning to attempt things beyond ones limiting beliefs.
• What are the risks of thinking and pursuing big?
• The pool of big thinkers is smaller than the pool of small thinkers. That means you'll have less competition.
• Les Silver shares the 7 times rule. People don't really understand what you're trying to teach them until you've explained it 7 times. Consider the impact the 7x rule can have at your dealership as you seek to evolve your process, train your people and build a culture fit for long-term success.
• Listen to the full episode featuring Les Silver for even more valuable insights! 

Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to click the subscribe button!

Thanks, Les Silver!

If you enjoyed this episode featuring Les Silver, be sure to click the link below to say thanks!

• Click here to thank Les Silver on LinkedIn 

Connect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:

• Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable Event 
• Ted Ings on LinkedIn
• Center for Performance Improvement

This presentation originally aired as part of The Fixed Ops Roundtable® - Pay It Forward Virtual Events in November of 2021, and this episode features Steven Apicella.

The F.O.R. - Cast is sponsored by BG products. Be good to your customers with BG!

This presentation originally aired as part of The Fixed Ops Roundtable® - Pay It Forward Virtual Events in November of 2021, and this episode features Kevin Winter.

The F.O.R. - Cast is sponsored by BG products. Be good to your customers with BG!