Executive Summary
This episode of the Fixed Ops Mastermind Podcast features Russell Hill, who dives deep into trust, technology, and transformation in dealership operations. Hill highlights the shifting expectations of customers, the dangers of outdated processes, and how leaders can better align people and tools to build long-term retention. The discussion covers transparency in service, leveraging data to make smarter business decisions, and how leadership mindset often dictates whether technology becomes a burden or an advantage. Listeners walk away with both practical and philosophical insights on building stronger operations and culture in fixed ops.

5 Takeaway Points

1. Transparency is no longer optional; customers expect it in every interaction.
2. Technology only creates value when leadership ensures people know how to use it.
3. Fixed ops must stop relying on “the way we’ve always done it” and embrace transformation.
4. Building trust between advisors, technicians, and customers is the foundation of retention.
5. Leaders who coach and empower, rather than micromanage, see the highest employee and customer loyalty.

5 Notable Quotes

1. “Trust is built one interaction at a time—and it’s lost just as quickly.”
2. “Technology doesn’t fix broken processes; it only exposes them.”
3. “Customers don’t judge us by the cars we sell—they judge us by the service we deliver.”
4. “Advisors don’t leave because of customers; they leave because leadership fails them.”
5. “The moment you say, ‘we’ve always done it this way,’ is the moment you start falling behind.”

5 Actions Someone Can Take Today

1. Audit your service advisor scripts to ensure they build trust, not pressure.
2. Review one piece of technology in your store—ask if your team is actually using it effectively.
3. Sit down with a technician and advisor together to uncover communication gaps.
4. Replace one “we’ve always done it this way” process with a test of something new.
5. Schedule a coaching session with your leadership team focused on employee retention.