Retention Roadmap: Navigating Service Success for New Car Dealerships

Most dealerships talk about retention like it’s a campaign. Eddie Campbell sees it as a culture problem. From the service drive to the GM’s office, the decisions leaders make every day quietly determine whether customers come back or disappear without a word.

In this episode, Bill Springer welcomes back Eddie Campbell, industry veteran, former General Manager of Forest Lane CDJR, and the first repeat guest on Retention Roadmap. Eddie shares hard-earned lessons from moving up through service into the GM seat, why most dealerships underestimate service’s impact on the entire store, and how tires, social media, and employee stability play a bigger role in retention than most leaders realize. The conversation also digs into why short-term thinking kills loyalty, how social media is becoming a retention engine (and an AI signal), and what kindness and culture really have to do with long-term profitability.

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Convenience isn’t just a perk anymore; it’s the line between keeping a customer and losing them for good. As vehicles get more expensive and expectations rise, dealerships face a hard truth: customers won’t fight friction just to stay loyal. The solution? Meet customers where they are — literally — while removing confusion at the moments that cause the most defections.

In this episode, Bill Springer sits down with Karl Murphy, CEO of Get Spiffy, to unpack how mobile service and clearer tire education are reshaping dealership retention strategies. Karl shares what dealers are getting wrong about post-warranty defection, why tires remain one of the biggest loyalty killers in fixed ops, and how convenience-first service models are helping top dealerships dramatically outperform industry averages.

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Ever feel like your dealership is doing all the right things and customers still drift away? Skyler Chadwick says the problem is a lack of clarity and confidence at the moments that matter most. His fix: stop checking boxes and start building trust with transparent pricing, tighter processes, and a service experience that makes customers feel certain they’re in the right place.

In this episode, Bill Springer sits down with Skyler, Director of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive, to unpack the latest findings from Cox Automotive’s Service Industry Study and what they signal for 2026 planning. They dig into why dealerships have lost ground to general repair, where the biggest retention drop-offs are happening (and why it’s earlier than many leaders think), and how fixed ops teams can turn the service lane into a retention engine.

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What if your service department isn’t being “outperformed”… but simply misunderstood? Don Hall argues that fixed ops is the real engine of the dealership, and the stores that treat it like an afterthought are quietly training customers (and technicians) to leave.

In this episode of Retention Roadmap, Bill Springer sits down with Don Hall, President & CEO of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association (VADA), for a candid conversation about what’s holding dealership service departments back — and what to change heading into 2026. Don breaks down why service advisors are the “biggest salespeople” in the store, how employee turnover becomes a retention killer, and why post-warranty customers are the most critical to protect. They also dig into recalls and warranty work as major loyalty opportunities, and the policy battles dealers can’t afford to ignore.

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Most dealers still treat retention as something you worry about after a customer disappears. But some OEMs and dealers are already experimenting with a playbook built on predictive data, subscription-style benefits, and emotional convenience that keeps customers from drifting away in the first place.

In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, you’ll hear how shifting from reactive reminders to proactive, value-rich programs can help your dealership hold onto more customers for longer. Michael Johnson, Director of Customer Success for Infomedia in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, shares what he’s seeing across some of the most competitive and innovative automotive markets in the world. Drawing on experience with multiple OEMs and service technology platforms, Michael walks through the real forces shaping service retention in 2025 and 2026, where the biggest defect points are today, and how “preemptive care” and emotional convenience are becoming the new battleground.

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Most dealerships obsess over selling the next car and overlook the goldmine rolling through their service drive every day. If you’re only talking about retention at the CRM or marketing level, you’re missing opportunities. The fix is building a simple, disciplined service-lane acquisition process that treats every repair order as both a retention play and an inventory opportunity.

In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill talks with Brian Kramer of Cars Commerce, who helped turn AccuTrade into a service-drive powerhouse for sourcing used vehicles while boosting service traffic and loyalty. Drawing from his time leading Germain Toyota of Naples and now working with large dealer groups, Brian breaks down how to appraise more vehicles with less friction, what KPIs actually matter, how to align service and sales without blowing up trust. You’ll also hear why AI-driven data and better digital experiences on your service and parts pages will separate tomorrow’s winners from everyone else.

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Chasing CSI while customers drift is like polishing the hood of a car that won’t start. If you’re measuring satisfaction but not repeat behavior, you’re missing the point and the sale. One quick fix: align OEM and dealership processes around ruthless convenience, proactive outreach, and service-drive plays that turn today’s RO into tomorrow’s trade.

In this week’s episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill talks with Dan Cantrell, Director of OEM Operations at Victory Automotive Group, about what moves retention in 2025. Dan shares why the real metric is whether that service customer buys their next vehicle from you, how Toyota reframed stores around loyalty and engagement (not vanity scores), and where clunky data and inconsistent DMS/CRM usage quietly erode trust. From service-drive appraisals to over-communicating tires, Dan lays out simple, repeatable programs that make returning feel like the default.

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Complacency is the quiet killer in fixed ops. If you’re waiting to see which “new ideas” actually work before you move, by the time you copy them, the leaders have already moved on. The fix: build a culture that experiments on purpose. Own your data, personalize outreach, and lock in the first (and next) visit with simple, repeatable programs.

In this week’s episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill talks with Kyle Morissette, host of the Fixed Ops Mastermind podcast and a longtime service-drive leader who’s bringing operators together to share what actually works. Kyle unpacks why “the way we’ve always done it” is holding stores back, how regional realities shape maintenance strategy, and the practical plays he’s using right now. If you want customers to choose you first for tires, maintenance, and repairs, Kyle’s playbook makes returning feel like the default.

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When your advisors double as porters and your managers are the “most expensive valets in the building,” efficiency and customer experience both take a hit. The truth? Those front-line roles you think of as “non-revenue” may be the key to unlocking smoother operations and stronger retention.

In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer sits down with Joel Furno, CEO of Citrin, a company that provides outsourced valet, porter, and car wash teams to dealerships nationwide. Joel shares why outsourcing is standard in industries like hotels and healthcare but rare in auto retail and what happens when dealerships start taking it seriously. From reducing advisor burnout to improving CSI scores and even generating trade-in opportunities, Citrin’s model highlights how small details on the drive ripple across the entire dealership.

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A recall feels like a headache until you see it for what it really is: a built-in reason for lapsed customers to walk back through your service doors. If you’re letting those opportunities slip, you’re leaving retention, CP revenue, and future vehicle sales on the table. The fix? Treat recalls like a strategic program, not a one-off task.

In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill sits down with Chris Miller, Founder & Chairman of Recall Masters, to break down how data, process, and proactive outreach turn recalls into your highest-ROI retention lever. Chris shares what top-performing dealers do differently, from integrating recall checks in scheduling and the lane to running multi-touch contact cadences and “red-carpet” service that converts one free repair into long-term loyalty. Expect practical stats, workflow ideas, and what’s coming next as software and EV-related recalls rise.

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