The Service Lounge

🚀 Most dealerships are leaving money, loyalty, and long-term trust on the table — and they don’t even realize it.

In this episode, Zabrina Ziemba joins us to uncover what dealers are missing when it comes to customer experience, community connection, digital strategy, and service drive engagement.

From GA4 confusion to retention breakdowns to brand-building basics, this conversation is loaded with practical insight you can apply immediately.

You’ll Learn:

• Why the service drive is your most powerful retention tool

• How brand and community influence today’s car buyer

• The truth behind lead counts vs. real marketing impact

• How to follow the customer journey across multiple platforms

• The mindset shift that helps you grow in automotive

  
  

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Toyota of Danville’s Mike Weidenburner joins The Service Lounge to share how going all in on process change reshaped his service department — from empowering advisors and training techs to building accountability and trust with customers.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ How to inspire buy-in and consistency across your team✅ Ways to connect leadership with measurable results✅ Why full commitment to change transforms your service lane

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How do you keep customers driving 60 miles past independents just to return to your dealership?   
 
In this episode of The Service Lounge, host Brandon Nixon sits down with Rusty Mayfield, Parts & Service Director at Coad Toyota, to uncover the real-world strategies that keep his Missouri dealership thriving against tough competition.   
 
What you’ll learn in this episode:   
- Why effective labor rate (ELR) is more than just a number—and how small tweaks add up to thousands.   
- Creative approaches to tackling technician shortages, from 4x10 schedules to brand-new shop upgrades.   
- The power of “celebrating the green” in both MPIs and advisor performance to build trust and motivation.   
- How prepaid maintenance programs like “Coad Care” lock in customer loyalty.   
- Why lowering diagnostic fees can actually be a smart move to win more repair orders.   
 
Rusty’s insights prove that sometimes it’s the little things—like an extra dollar on an oil change or a positive word to an advisor—that create the biggest impact. Don’t miss this conversation packed with strategies you can apply in your own service drive today.   
 
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We’re back with a brand‑new episode! A year after our very first show, Brandon Nixon and Christian Eagen return to revisit the Top 10 Customer Complaints in Fixed Ops—this time using thousands of reviews from January through June 2025. 

What’s changed since last year? 
Why did “repairs not fixed right the first time” take the #1 spot? 

And how did wait times drop off the top of the list? 

You’ll hear real examples straight from customer comments, plus insights on: 
✅ Improving advisor‑to‑tech communication 
✅ Meeting customer expectations on details like car washes and MPIs 
✅ Why poor communication is now the second biggest complaint 
✅ How scheduling tools and AI are reducing appointment frustrations 

Whether you’re a service manager, advisor, or fixed ops leader, this episode will help you spot the issues that drive customers away—and how to fix them. 

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to The Service Lounge for more fixed ops insights and comment below with your thoughts! 

 
#FixedOps #ServiceDrive #AutomotiveService #CustomerExperience 

Special Rewind Episode: Top 10 Customer Complaints in Fixed Ops (Originally Aired June 2024)

We’re throwing it back to where it all started — the very first episode of The Service Lounge Podcast.

Join hosts Brandon Nixon and Christian Eagon as they revisit the top 10 customer complaints in the dealership service industry. From long wait times and appointment frustrations to communication breakdowns and misdiagnoses, this episode still hits hard — because the issues are still happening.

Originally aired during the CDK Global cyberattack, this episode also touches on:- The aftermath of the CDK outage and how it disrupted dealership operations- Tangible ways to improve the service experience from day one- Real customer reviews that continue to echo in 2025Whether you’re new to the series or looking to reflect on how far your team has come, this is the episode that set the tone for it all.

Don’t forget to subscribe and share your thoughts with us!

Leading a service department shouldn’t feel like constant damage control—so why does it for so many managers? 

In Episode 12 of The Service Lounge, Brandon Nixon is joined by Kyle Newsom, Co-Founder of Visperio Performance, to explore what it really takes to lead in fixed ops. From team accountability to breaking daily chaos cycles, this episode is all about helping service leaders step into their role with structure, confidence, and long-term impact. 

💬 What you’ll hear in this episode: 
• Why so many new managers feel unprepared 
• How to stop firefighting and start leading 
• Simple ways to build structure and reduce daily stress 
• How strong leaders empower their teams 
• What separates leadership from management in fixed ops 

Want to watch the conversation? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/W7-3npUa9P0
 
Enjoyed the episode? Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps other fixed ops pros find the show! 

#TheServiceLounge #FixedOps #Leadership #KyleNewsom #Visperio #ServiceDrive #TeamDevelopment 

Is AI the future of Fixed Ops—or just another overhyped tool? 

In Episode 11 of The Service Lounge, Brandon Nixon and Christian Eagon tackle one of the most talked-about topics in automotive today: Artificial Intelligence. From 24/7 phone scheduling tools to real-time customer sentiment alerts and proactive service recommendations, AI is reshaping service departments across the country—but not without its challenges. 

💬 What you’ll hear in this episode: 

• The difference between automated and true AI 

• Real success stories using AI in the service drive 

• Where AI fails—and how to avoid common pitfalls 

• How to get your team on board with new tech 

• Future possibilities with telematics and AI-driven data insights 

• What managers can do to implement AI effectively 

Want to watch the conversation? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dzxunzIrRKE 

Enjoyed the episode? Be sure to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps other fixed ops pros find the show! 

The service department gets all the attention—but what about parts? When inventory issues, long wait times, and miscommunication pile up, customer satisfaction (and profits) take a hit. 

It’s time to fix the disconnect. In this episode of The Service Lounge, Brandon Nixon sits down with Kaylee Felio from PartsEdge to reveal why parts and service must work together for fixed ops success. 

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

🔹 How the parts department directly impacts service efficiency & customer retention 
🔹 The biggest mistakes dealerships make with parts inventory & obsolescence 
🔹 Why poor communication between service & parts causes customer frustration 
🔹 The pay plan problem—how compensation structures affect teamwork 
🔹 What top-performing dealerships are doing differently to streamline operations 

If service delays, inventory challenges, or frustrated customers are common at your dealership, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss. 

🔥 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real-talk insights on fixed ops success! 

In this episode of The Service Lounge, host Brandon Nixon sits down with Connie Gundrum, a 25-year automotive marketing expert, to uncover why fixed ops marketing is often overlooked or underrated, and how dealerships can fix it. 

🚗 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

 ✔️ Why most dealerships neglect service marketing (and what it’s costing them) 

 ✔️ How to compete with independent shops dominating local search results 

 ✔️ The best digital marketing strategies to increase service appointments 

 ✔️ How one dealership boosted operational gross by $1.5M with a simple shift 

 ✔️ The secret to leveraging co-op funds that many dealers leave unused 

Connie shares data-backed case studies, successful best practices, and breaks down actionable marketing strategies that can drive more revenue, increase customer retention, and make service marketing a core part of your dealership’s growth. 

🔍 Are you showing up when customers search for service near them? If not, this episode is a must-listen. Most dealerships neglect fixed ops marketing—don’t be one of them! 

🎧 Tune in and let us know your biggest takeaway! 

In Episode 8 of The Service Lounge Podcast, we sit down with Jamie Haberle, General Manager of Central City Toyota, to explore how data can revolutionize your service department.