Retention Roadmap: Navigating Service Success for New Car Dealerships

Most dealerships don’t lose customers years down the road, but at the very first oil change. That early defection is costing dealerships future service visits, tire sales, and even repeat vehicle purchases. The solution? Build retention into the customer’s journey from day one and invest in your culture and technology to keep both employees and customers engaged.
In this episode of Retention Roadmap, Bill Springer sits down with Robert Migliaccio, Service Director at Carter Myers Automotive, to explore the biggest retention challenges dealerships face today. Robert shares how CMA is tackling early defectors, why employee culture is a retention multiplier, and how tools like video MPIs and AI can boost transparency and trust. From tire sales to technician buy-in, Robert’s leadership philosophy blends process, culture, and technology into a practical roadmap for lasting loyalty.
 
Takeaways from this episode:
Why the first service visit is the most critical retention touchpoint
How employee culture directly shapes customer retention and CSI
The role of video MPIs in driving trust, approvals, and higher RO value
Tire sales as both a defection point and a retention opportunity
Practical advice for new service managers looking to strengthen loyalty
Resources From This Episode:
Carter Myers Automotive
Connect with Robert on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn
Retention Roadmap YouTube Channel

If you're still trying to control every slot on your scheduler, you're probably pushing customers away. Today’s customers don’t want to call. They don’t want to wait. And they don’t want to be told when they can’t come in. They want control, convenience, and clarity. Dealerships that give them that? They’re the ones earning long-term retention. So, how do you design a service experience that gives customers control without losing visibility or profitability?
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer sits down with Tiffani Stefanescu, Director of Performance Management at Cox Automotive. With a 13-year career spanning Xtime’s early startup days to her current leadership role, Tiffani shares how data, technology, and cross-brand collaboration can elevate the service experience from first appointment to final trade-in.
What we discuss in the episode:
The customer scheduling shift: from 10% to 70%+ online appointments and what’s driving it
Why controlling appointment availability too tightly can drive customers away (and train them to stop using your scheduler)
How top dealers are locking in that first service appointment before the customer ever leaves the lot
How declined RO data can be used to identify potential trade-ins and future sales
The real ROI of alternate transportation (and why it’s worth it)
Resources from this episode:
Contact Tiffani via Email
Cox Automotive
Social Media:
Connect with Tiffani on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

What builds real loyalty in today’s service lane? It’s not flashy tech. It’s trust. And that starts the moment a customer steps out of their car. Want to make customers come back again and again? Teach your advisors to become “my mechanic.”
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill talks with Ron Maki, a fixed ops leader with nearly four decades in the industry, including corporate leadership roles at Volkswagen of America. Ron shares practical, memorable strategies that blend people-first communication with smart use of technology like video MPIs and OEM apps. If you’ve ever wondered how to maintain a more human approach to retention in a tech-heavy world, this conversation is your roadmap.
What we discuss in the episode:
Why “my mechanic” trust is still the foundation of service retention
How to use video MPIs the right way (and avoid common mistakes)
What most dealerships get wrong about OEM app adoption
How to hand off customers from sales to service without dropping the ball
The small advisor habits that make a big retention impact
Resources from this episode:
Reach out to Ron
Social Media:
Connect with Ron on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn
 

What if improving customer retention had nothing to do with discounts, campaigns, or clever emails, and everything to do with your team? Before you worry about bringing customers back, ask yourself: Would you come back if the service advisor changes every six months?
 
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer sits down with Austin Conroy, Regional Fixed Ops Director at Rohrman Automotive Group and the creator behind the viral “Dealer Plate Guy” brand. Austin shares why employee retention is the overlooked foundation of customer loyalty and how empowering frontline teams can transform the service experience. He also dives into his journey building a 200K+ following on social media, the surprising ways it’s impacted hiring and culture, and his candid takes on trust, transparency, and what most dealerships still get wrong about tires.
 
What we discuss in the episode:
Retention starts with employee stability
Empowering advisors to make real-time decisions improves trust and speeds up service recovery
Social media isn’t a distraction; it’s a leadership tool, culture booster, and recruiting magnet
Dealerships must offer transparency and options in pricing
Daily huddles are the foundation of communication, alignment, and execution
Resources from this episode:
Follow Dealer Plate Guy on IG
Follow Dealer Plate Guy on TikTok
Social Media:
Connect with Austin on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

Most dealerships are intrigued by AI, but many are still stuck in the dark when it comes to using it effectively. Instead of solving real problems, they’re overwhelmed by dashboards, buried in reports, and stuck blasting the same messages to every customer. The result? Missed opportunities, service defection, and underwhelming ROI on the tools they already have.
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill sits down with Todd Smith, CEO and co-founder of QoreAI, to explore how dealerships can use artificial intelligence to enhance their retention strategy. From data hygiene to behavioral targeting, Todd outlines the steps every dealer can take to build smarter communication, improve the customer experience, and stop defections before they happen.
Takeaways from this episode:
Why organizing and cleaning your data is the foundation for using AI effectively
How AI can personalize service reminders based on driving behavior
Simple AI applications to re-engage customers who declined service
A smarter approach to preventing drop-off during the warranty-to-customer-pay transition
How forward-thinking dealers are using AI to reduce message fatigue and increase trust
Resources from this episode:
Explore QoreAI
Retention Roadmap YouTube Channel
Social Media:
Connect with Todd on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

What if your biggest threat to retention isn’t the competition, but your own calendar? Most dealerships don’t lose customers all at once. They just stop showing up. But with AI and a few simple process shifts, you can catch defection before it happens and make retention feel automatic.
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, we welcome Dave Foy, a veteran of automotive retail and founder of the Automotive AI Summit. With decades of experience across OEMs, dealership groups, and vendors, Dave unpacks how dealerships can use predictive insights, emerging tech, and smarter workflows to improve retention and streamline fixed ops. From managing advisor burnout to identifying service risks in your data, this episode is packed with practical strategies that every GM and fixed ops leader should hear.
What we discuss in the episode:
Why focusing on consistency, not conquest, is the key to long-term service retention
How AI tools can surface defection risks before the customer is lost
What advisors really need to be more effective and how to give it to them
Why your tire strategy might be quietly killing your retention
How smart inspection tools and predictive data can transform technician productivity
Resources from this episode:
Register for the Automotive AI Summit with Dave
Social Media:
Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

What if your best retention strategy had nothing to do with pricing, loyalty programs, or even your shop’s hours, and everything to do with how your service advisors say "good morning"? Most customers don’t come back because they weren’t helped… they were handled.
The fix? Train your advisors to build relationships, not just close tickets.
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer sits down with Kieran Stack, founder of Service 101 and a sought-after voice in global aftersales training. Known for his practical approach and advisor-first philosophy, Kieran shares why dealership processes haven’t kept pace with modern expectations and how that’s holding back customer loyalty and employee success. From rethinking advisor onboarding to the words that destroy trust at the counter, this conversation cuts straight to the core of what makes or breaks retention.
What we discuss in the episode:
Retention hinges on mindset: Advisors must shift from transactional to relational communication
The most successful advisors treat every day like showtime: they’ve got a costume, a script, and a standard
Poor training and outdated processes are fueling turnover and burning out frontline staff
Language matters: words like “recommend” may be killing your approvals without you realizing it
If your customers aren’t coming back, it’s not a marketing issue, it’s a service experience issue
Resources from this episode:
Visit Kieran's YouTube Channel: Service 101
Get a copy of Kieran’s book
Social Media:
Connect with Kieran on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

Offering mobile service sounds like a win-win, but for many dealerships, the logistics feel overwhelming. How do you staff it? Route it? Make money on it? And will customers even use it consistently?
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill sits down with Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee, a mobile service software platform that’s helping dealerships turn these questions into action. Drawing on Curbee’s roots in Tesla’s early mobile service operations, Amit shares how their platform — MARS — enables dealerships to deliver at-home service that’s efficient, profitable, and deeply aligned with customer expectations. From new OEM incentives to optimizing for recalls and reactivating lost customers, this conversation covers what it really takes to make mobile service work.
What we discuss in the episode:
How Curbee’s MARS platform uses geo-mapping and traffic data to schedule smarter mobile appointments
Why mobile service re-engages inactive customers and what a 92% completion rate says about convenience
How to avoid overbuilding your shop by treating mobile service as your next “virtual bay”
The one test every dealership should use before deciding whether to offer mobile service
Resources from this episode: 
Curbee
Contact Curbee
Social Media: 
Connect with Amit on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn 

Most customers expect a modern, seamless experience everywhere they go, so why does the dealership service lane still rely on clipboards and key drops? It’s time to ask whether your service experience reflects the kind of innovation and convenience today’s customers take for granted.
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, we talk with Richard Lupo, Fixed Operations Director at Apple Tree Honda and Acura, about how he’s transformed his service department with 24/7 kiosks, media-rich inspections, and full tech integration with Reynolds & Reynolds. Richard shares how these changes are driving customer retention, advisor satisfaction, and increased revenue—plus why building trust, empowering employees, and redefining value are just as important as any tool or tech.
What we discuss in the episode:
How 24/7 kiosks improve customer convenience, upsells, and advisor efficiency
Why limiting third-party tools and going all-in with one system can boost consistency
Practical strategies to turn tire sales into a loyalty builder, not a loss leader
The cultural impact of building trust and transparency with your team
How a modern customer experience starts with rethinking value
Resources from this episode:
Apple Tree Honda
Apple Tree Acura
Social Media:
Connect with Richard on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn

The success of dealership service departments often hinges on effectively setting and securing first service appointments—a pivotal step many dealerships overlook. But it could significantly boost customer retention through strategic processes and engaging customer experiences.
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Patti Tremonti, CEO of MTN Automotive Training Systems, outlines the importance of dealership-wide participation in scheduling first appointments, proactive communication, and building a transparent and welcoming environment that encourages repeat visits. She also introduces innovative solutions such as subscription-based prepaid maintenance plans and detailed video inspections. We also dive deeper into how these tools build trust, enhance transparency, and provide the convenience that today's customers expect, transforming service interactions into opportunities for long-term customer loyalty and increased dealership revenue.
What we discuss in the episode:
The critical role of the first service appointment in customer retention
Strategies for overcoming common pitfalls in scheduling service appointments
Benefits of implementing subscription-based prepaid maintenance plans
Why video inspections are essential for transparency and customer trust
Actionable tips for enhancing dealership-wide engagement and accountability
Resources from this episode:
MTN Automotive
Contact Patti directly: patti@trainwithmtn.com
Social Media:
Connect with Patti on LinkedIn
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn