Today's show features:
- David Thomas, Director of Content Marketing at CDK Global
- Greg Johnson, General Manager at Mohawk Honda
- Mark Payne, President at Total Dealer Solutions
- Scott Painter, Founder and CEO at TrueCar
- Joeseph Ruppel, Parts and Service Director at Meier Chevrolet Buick
This episode is brought to you by:
Zurich North America – Turn everyday service visits into opportunities to build customer loyalty and long-term dealership value with Zurich Lifetime Repair. Give customers greater confidence in choosing your dealership, knowing covered parts and labor are warrantied for as long as they own their vehicle. Stand out, drive return visits and increase retention—without disrupting existing processes. Learn more: https://carguymedia.com/4i47vD8
Total Dealer Solutions — Since 2003, TDS has been the leading third-party parts inventory provider, trusted by 800+ dealerships nationwide. From onsite physical inventories completed in about 6 hours and buy/sell audits, to daily parts-to-GL reconciliation with PartsRec and PartsFisher, the dealer-only marketplace for obsolete OEM parts, TDS turns parts departments into profit centers. Learn more: https://totaldealersolutionsinc.com/
[11:20] First, Dave Thomas from CDK is here to give a quick version of CDK CONNECT.
[17:15] Next up, Greg Johnson, General Manager at Mohawk Honda, a store that's been around since 1919. Everybody's crying about the 20,000-tech-a-year shortage — Greg just built his own pipeline, taking ten people from the express lane all the way to master tech. How long did it take, and what did it cost him? He'll tell you.
[49:55] Then, Scott Painter, Founder and CEO at TrueCar — the man dealers loved to hate back in 2012, now back running the company and taking it private. The FTC says the advertised price has to be the price anyone can pay, and everyone who touches that ad is on the hook. What does that mean for the platforms? Scott's got thoughts.
[32:04] Next, Mark Payne, President at Total Dealer Solutions. With everyone racing to close buy-sells before year-end, Mark says parts is the second-largest cash investment in the store — and buyers keep missing it. What exactly are they overlooking? You'll want to hear this before you sign.
[1:04:45] And Joe Ruppel, Parts and Service Director at Meier Chevrolet Buick. FRAM's parent just got liquidated, and Joe says this is worse than the strike. What's stuck on backorder, and how'd he keep his techs turning wrenches?
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