Retention Roadmap: Navigating Service Success for New Car Dealerships

The Calendar Problem That’s Costing You 30% More Revenue

What if the biggest problem in your service department isn’t your technicians, but your calendar? Most dealerships think they’re managing capacity when in reality, they’re reacting to chaos they created themselves.
In this episode, Bill Springer sits down with Dave Anderson, CEO of Evenflow, who brings a fresh perspective from industries like airlines and healthcare to tackle one of fixed ops’ most overlooked challenges: service scheduling. Dave breaks down why traditional models fail, how poor scheduling quietly kills efficiency and customer trust, and what dealerships can do to create a smoother, more profitable operation.
What we discuss in the episode:
Why “counting cars” leads to wasted capacity and unpredictable service days
How poor scheduling costs dealerships 5–8% of technician productivity
The concept of “spoiled capacity” and why unused time can never be recovered
How better scheduling increases hours per RO, revenue, and customer trust
Why controlling shop flow creates a calmer, more profitable, and retention-driven operation
Resources from this episode:
Evenflow
Social Media:
Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
Connect with Dave via Email
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

New Rules of Service Retention: Data From Our 2026 Retention Report

What are your customers really thinking when they leave your service drive, and why are more of them choosing somewhere else? With real data from over 1,200 drivers, we’re pulling back the curtain on what’s changed and what it means for your dealership in 2026.
 
In this special episode of Retention Roadmap, Bill Springer introduces findings from DriveSure’s 2026 Service Retention Report, based on feedback from 1,277 active service customers across the country. By comparing data from 2020, 2023, and now 2026, Bill breaks down how customer expectations have evolved. He also shares practical strategies dealerships can implement immediately to close the growing “price gap” and improve retention in an increasingly competitive and inflation-driven market.
 
What we discuss in the episode:
Price is no longer a secondary factor
Transparency upfront (pricing + recommendations) determines whether customers stay or leave
Video inspections are a major trust-builder, increasing approvals and customer confidence
Customers are more time-sensitive than ever
Value must be clearly communicated to overcome inflation fatigue
Resources from this episode: 
DriveSure’s 2026 Dealership Retention Report
Social Media: 
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn 

Fix This First: The Biggest Risk in Your Service Process

Customers aren’t leaving your dealership, but they’re thinking about it. The real risk isn’t lost loyalty, but a slipping experience that’s quietly pushing them toward more convenient options. The solution might simply be fixing the friction in your service experience, starting with how customers schedule appointments and interact with your dealership.
 
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill sits down with Kim Saylor, Senior Director of Product Planning, Fixed Operations at CDK Global, to unpack insights from CDK’s latest Service Shopper Study. Kim shares surprising data on Gen Z loyalty, why satisfaction is declining even as customers keep coming back, and where dealerships are creating unnecessary friction. The conversation covers appointment scheduling challenges, the rise of mobile service, recall opportunities, and how shifting consumer behavior is reshaping retention strategies.
 
What we discuss in the episode:
Why Gen Z is showing the highest early loyalty
The growing gap between customer loyalty and satisfaction (and why it’s a warning sign)
How long hold times and poor scheduling experiences are costing dealerships opportunities
Why mobile service is gaining traction
How recalls and better education can re-engage customers and drive additional service revenue
Resources from this episode:
CDK Global
Social Media:
Connect with Kim on LinkedIn
Connect with Kim via email
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

How Smart Dealers Turn Recalls into Long-Term Customers

Most dealerships treat recalls like an obligation, but what if they’re actually one of the most powerful opportunities to win customers back? The question is whether you’re using it to rebuild relationships and drive long-term value.
In this episode, Bill Springer sits down with Adam Mancuso, CEO of Automotive Data Analytics and former COO of Ferrari Lake Forest, whose family has spent nearly a century in the car business. Adam shares how dealerships can unlock the hidden potential of recall campaigns, from improving data accuracy to executing outreach that gets customers back in the door. The conversation covers the operational gaps most dealers overlook, the role of phone-first communication, and how recall visits can lead to customer pay work, future service visits, and even vehicle sales.
What we discuss in the episode:
Why recalls are one of the most effective ways to re-engage lost or inactive customers
How poor data quality and lack of process limit recall performance
Why phone calls drive the majority of recall conversions
The revenue opportunity behind recall visits, including 20–30% customer pay conversion rates
How to avoid common pitfalls like scheduling recalls without parts availability
Resources from this episode:
Automotive Data Analytics
Social Media:
Connect with Adam on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

The Leadership Discipline Behind Real Retention

What if your retention problem isn’t hiding in your marketing, but in your leadership? Too many dealerships treat retention like a report to manage instead of a standard to live by. And when leaders focus on numbers instead of behaviors, both employees and customers quietly drift away.
 
In this episode of Retention Roadmap, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer sits down with Joe Clementi, Executive Vice President at Traver Connect. With nearly 30 years in automotive retail—including overseeing more than 100 service operations nationwide—Joe shares why retention isn’t a metric problem, but a standards problem. From employee engagement and structured development to technology, trust, and the future workforce, Joe breaks down how dealerships can move from transactional thinking to transformational leadership that keeps both customers and employees coming back.
 
What we discuss in the episode:
Why retention is a leadership behavior issue
The direct connection between employee retention and customer loyalty
The difference between one-off training and true development (and why it matters)
How culture shows up in everyday service lane behaviors
Why investing in people is the #1 strategy for protecting retention in 2026 and beyond
Resources from this episode:
Traver Connect
Social Media:
Connect with Joe on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

The Real Role of AI in Service Retention

The service drive isn’t always where customers decide to leave. More often, it happens after hours, between visits, or during a second call that never gets answered. Nothing dramatic, but just enough friction for a customer to try somewhere else.
 
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer is joined by Sean Hartman, Founder of Toma AI, to explore how AI can help dealerships capture and resolve these moments without sacrificing trust or personalization. Sean shares where communication most often breaks down in fixed ops, how adoption matters just as much as capability when introducing new technology, and why AI should be designed to support service teams. The conversation also dives into what dealerships should measure early on to ensure AI is actually improving retention, not just efficiency.
 
What we discuss in the episode:
Where service communication breaks down most often and why customers notice
How missed calls and stalled conversations quietly erode trust
Why AI adoption depends on design, transparency, and continuity
Which interactions AI handles well today and when human empathy still matters most
The KPIs that matter when rolling out AI in service operations
Resources from this episode:
Toma AI
Social Media:
Connect with Sean via Email
Connect with Sean on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

Why Retention Will Define the Dealerships That Win 2026

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.
 
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Why service experience changes how GMs lead the entire dealership
How tires became the #1 customer defection point and how to fix it
The hidden cost of constant GM and employee turnover on retention
Why social media is now a direct retention and trust-building tool
How kindness, culture, and consistency quietly drive long-term loyalty
 
Resources from this episode:
Eddie In Service
Social Media:
Connect with Eddie on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

How Mobile Service Protects Post-Warranty Revenue

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.
What we discuss in the episode:
Why post-warranty retention is the most overlooked profit lever in fixed ops
How mobile service shifts from “nice to have” to a strategic necessity
The role convenience plays in keeping customers loyal
Why tires are a major moment of truth (and how poor communication drives defection)
How tools like EasyTread turn tire conversations into trust-building experiences
Resources from this episode:
Get Spiffy
Contact Karl via email
Social Media:
Connect with Karl on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

12% Gone: Where Dealerships Are Losing Service Visits

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.
Key takeaways from this episode:
Dealerships have lost 12% of service visits to competition since 2018 — and the biggest share shift is happening in general repair
The most alarming retention slide shows up as early as year 2, meaning the “safe zone” is shrinking
Longer service intervals mean fewer chances to impress, so the customer experience has to be sharper every time they visit
“Installed” technology doesn’t equal results
The service-to-sales handoff is a 2026 advantage: identify trade-in signals in the lane, do the work before the customer arrives
Resources from this episode:
Cox Automotive
Reach Skyler via Email
Social Media:
Connect with Skyler on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

Service Is the Dealership: Don Hall’s Wake-Up Call for 2026

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.
 
What we discuss in the episode:
Why senior leaders still underestimate fixed ops
How facility quality and technician treatment directly impact hiring, retention, and customer experience
The trust trap: why “trying to hit a home run” on one RO can cost you the next 10 visits
How to sell the dealership advantage vs. quick lubes and independents
Why recalls and warranty policy aren’t just “admin work”