Dealers aren't making as much profit from new and used vehicle sales as they used to. Variable margins and sales volumes are under growing pressure, and many dealers are looking to fixed operations for additional growth and profitability.

Yet many dealers simply aren't ready or able to profitably and properly grow their service business. Many don't understand how much the expectations of today's service customers have changed. Reviewing dealer case studies and automotive research, Fast Lane: How to Accelerate Service Loyalty and Unlock Its Profit-Making helps dealers recognize retention problems and how to change their thinking and processes to better manage service customers and department.

A world-class, technology-enabled experience is the cornerstone of loyalty-driven growth. Dealers must shed long-held beliefs and biases about how a service department should engage and serve customers, and how much technology is needed to optimally do the job today. Dealers must rethink what is a "good job" and consider new metrics measuring the effectiveness of their customer service experiences, people and processes.

Inefficiency is the enemy. There are many common inefficiencies inherent in the conventional ways dealers manage service customers and their business. Current customer engagement, from the initial appointment to payment and beyond, often sets up confrontations rather than positive, loyalty-building moments. The right mindset, technology and tools can help dealers attack any long-standing inefficiencies and improve business.

The train's leaving the station. Dealers are gaining a competitive advantage through the implementation of a technology-enabled, world-class experience in their service drive every day. Key dealer success stories serve as proof that there's a better, more profitable way of doing business.