Recent Press

Critical Shifts:

• The Profit Engine at Risk: With fixed operations driving 70% to 80% of a dealer group's operating profit, service scheduling is a critical bottleneck for overall dealership profitability. Making scheduling difficult risks losing customers to independent shops.
• Independents Outperforming Dealers: Major independent service brands (Midas, Pep Boys, Firestone, Meineke) are beating franchised dealer groups on speed and reliability. Independents connect customers to an advisor twice as fast (38 seconds vs. 73 seconds) and offer appointments much sooner (1.3 days vs. 2.5 days).
• The "Mission Failure" Rate: Customers experience scheduling failures (dropped calls, dead ends, or friction) 12% of the time at major dealer groups, compared to just 5% of the time at independent service centers.
• Phone vs. Digital Split: Roughly two-thirds of service customers still prefer the telephone for complex repair needs, while online scheduling is growing as the preferred, fast option for routine maintenance like oil changes.
• Top Performers: MileOne Autogroup ranked highest in the study for removing customer friction, followed closely by Group 1 Automotive, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Napleton, Bergstrom, and Hendrick.