In this episode of What the Fixed Ops?!, hosts Russell Hill and Charity Dunning welcome Leo Portaluppi, CEO and owner of P4 Automotive, for a conversation about dealership leadership, fixed operations, customer retention, and what it takes to build a successful automotive dealership group.

Leo shares his journey from working as a technician and service advisor to becoming a dealership executive and owner. He explains how mentors like Roger Penske shaped his career, why understanding both fixed operations and variable operations is critical to dealership success, and how building the right team can create opportunities for long-term growth.

The conversation explores how P4 Automotive approaches dealership management, employee development, and customer experience. Leo discusses creating ownership opportunities for store leaders, improving communication between service and sales, using transparency to sell used vehicles, and building customer retention strategies that keep drivers coming back to the dealership for service and future purchases.

We talk about:

• How P4 Automotive approaches dealership growth and leadership
• Why fixed operations and variable operations need to work together
• Why dealership leadership starts with developing people
• The four pillars of dealership success: people, process, passion, and product
• Creating dealership ownership opportunities to attract and motivate leaders
• How transparent used car sales can build customer trust
• Improving dealership customer retention through better service experiences
• Using loyalty programs, service contracts, and dealership apps to keep customers coming back
• Why dealerships need to rethink traditional technician pay structures
• How to identify people, process, and passion problems in dealership operations

Leo also explains why dealership profitability is a byproduct of strong people, effective processes, passion, and confidence in the products being sold. From creating career paths for technicians to offering managing partners an opportunity to invest in their stores, he shares practical lessons on building a dealership culture where employees feel valued, leaders take ownership, and customers have a reason to return.

Whether you're a dealer principal, dealership owner, general manager, fixed ops director, service manager, or automotive industry professional, this episode offers insights into dealership leadership, fixed operations management, employee development, and strategies for growing a more customer-focused and profitable automotive business.

BE THE 1ST TO KNOW. LIKE and FOLLOW HERE

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fixed-ops-marketing/?utm_source=wtf&utm_medium=wtf&utm_campaign=wtfsocial&utm_id=wtf

https://www.youtube.com/@fixedopsmarketing?utm_source=wtf&utm_medium=wtf&utm_campaign=wtfsocial&utm_id=wtf

Get watch and listen links, as well as full episodes and shorts:

https://www.fixedopsmarketing.com/wtf/?utm_source=wtf&utm_medium=wtf&utm_campaign=wtfsocial&utm_id=wtf

Join Managing Partner and Host, Russell B. Hill and Charity Dunning, Co-Host and Chief Marketing Officer of FixedOPS Marketing, as we discuss life, automotive, and the human journey in WTF?!

Don't forget to send us a message here!

https://www.fixedopsmarketing.com/?utm_source=wtf&utm_medium=wtf&utm_campaign=wtfsocial&utm_id=wtf

#podcast #automotive #fixedoperations