Retention Roadmap: Navigating Service Success for New Car Dealerships

The OEM–Dealer Alignment That Keeps Customers Loyal

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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.

What we discuss in the episode:

  • Making the goal the next vehicle sale, not just the next visit
  • Turning connected-car alerts into automatic, human outreach and booked appointments
  • Closing the tire leak with constant, clear messaging and same-day conversion
  • Standardizing data so your processes actually scale
  • Using service-drive sales to feed both retention and used inventory
  • Preparing for EV + mobile service: software updates and at-home convenience raise the bar

    • Resources from this episode:

    • Victory Automotive Group

      • Social Media:

      • Connect with Dan on LinkedIn
      • Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
      • Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn
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        Retention Roadmap: Navigating Service Success for New Car DealershipsBy Bill Springer