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It usually starts with something small. A dash light, an oil reminder, or the familiar “I should probably get that checked” moment between errands. But what happens next quietly shapes something much bigger than a repair order. It guides where that customer will go next time, and the time after that. The service drive is no longer just where cars return. It is where customers decide whether they will. The latest CDK Service Shopper Study offers a timely look into how today’s service customers think, behave, and choose where to return. Based on thousands of real customer responses, the study highlights what is changing, what is holding steady, and where new opportunities are emerging for service departments that are paying attention. Here are a few of the standout takeaways from the study, and what they could mean for your store right now. Loyalty Is Strong. Gen Z Loyalty Is Even Stronger 76% of service customers return to the dealership where they bought their vehicle. But the most eye-opening number comes from Gen Z. 94% of Gen Z buyers are returning to the originating dealership for service. The opportunity here is simple and powerful. The earlier a dealership builds a positive service relationship with younger buyers, the longer the runway for lifetime value. These customers are not just coming back for oil changes. They are building expectations about trust, consistency, convenience, and experience that will guide their future buying decisions as well. Online Reviews Still Matter. Just Not as Much as They Used To The importance of online reviews among service customers dropped from 58% to 49%. Reviews still matter, but they are no longer carrying the same weight they once did. That shift points to something important. Customers are leaning more heavily on their own experiences. Word of mouth, consistency, and how they are treated at the counter now carry more influence than a star rating alone. For service departments, that is encouraging. Every interaction matter, and every positive appointment has the potential to outweigh online opinions. The Phone Is Still King. But Patience Is Wearing Thin 61% of customers still book their service appointments by phone. Even with online scheduling tools expanding, the phone remains the primary gateway into the service drive. The challenge is the friction customers feel when trying to book an appointment. Their top complaint? Getting put on hold. This is less about technology and more about capacity and process. Customers are telling that they are willing to call. They just do not want to wait. Faster answer times, better routing, or even clear callbacks can remove unnecessary frustration from one of the most frequent customer touchpoints. Small improvements here can have an outsized impact on satisfaction and retention. Mobile Service Is No Longer a “Nice to Have” 40% of customers say they would pay more to have a technician come to them. 27% would pay up to 10% extra. Mobile service is shifting from a convenience feature into a revenue opportunity. It also speaks to how customers are weighing time versus money. For a growing segment, convenience wins. For service departments, this opens the door to new pricing strategies, expanded coverage areas, and stronger loyalty among customers who value flexibility above all else. Customers Are Not Rushing Out. They Are Settling In More than half of service customers stay onsite while their vehicle is being serviced. Speed matters, but it is not the top driver of satisfaction. What customers value most is the experience while they wait. Comfortable seating, snacks, workstations, and nearby food options all make a big difference. When dealerships deliver that level of care, the lounge becomes more than a waiting area. It turns into a strategic touchpoint, one that reflects the brand, signals professionalism, and shows respect for the customer’s time and lifestyle. With that in place, the service visit feels less like an interruption and more like a pause that can still be productive or comfortable. What All of This Points To Taken together, these insights paint a clear picture. Customers are loyal when they feel valued. They are willing to pay more for convenience. They still prefer human connection over automation. In addition, their perception of the dealership is shaped just as much by the waiting room and phone experience as by the repair itself. The service drive is no longer operating quietly in the background of the dealership. It is one of the most influential parts of the customer’s journey. The best part is that none of those opportunities require a full overhaul. Many of them start with small, intentional adjustments to experience, access, and communication. With decades of experience serving dealerships across the PNW and beyond, our team brings insights that translate directly into stronger efficiency, better processes, and more profitable service operations. Let’s connect to explore how your service department could turn these trends into meaningful results.

November is often called the month of giving: a time when gratitude turns into action. For dealerships, it is also a reminder that success is not only measured in sales numbers or service appointments, but in the strength of the relationships built within the community. Dealerships that show up for their communities see the return come back in trust, loyalty, and long-term growth. This in turn, creates a ripple effect that extends far beyond the showroom. Why Community Engagement Matters In a competitive market, a dealership’s reputation grows when it is rooted in genuine community involvement. When customers see their local dealer supporting food drives, disaster relief, or school programs, it strengthens trust and positions the store as a committed partner in the community. A National Automobile Dealers Association survey found that 97% of dealers believe community outreach improves their overall reputation. Beyond goodwill, this engagement directly impacts customer loyalty and retention. People are more likely to buy from and stay with brands that reflect their own values. Real Stories, Real Impact, Real Connection. Across the country, dealerships of all sizes show what community involvement looks like in action. Toyota and its dealer partners donated more than $600,000 to flood victims in Texas, showing the power of coordinated relief. The initiative united OEMs, distributors, and dealers under a single community-first strategy, a “One Toyota” approach that deepened trust during crisis recovery. Montgomery’s Hyundai Motor Manufacturing team rallied over $100,000 for the Heart of Alabama Food Bank. Half of it was contributed personally by employees. Each dollar meant five meals for local families, and each meal reinforced the company’s culture of generosity. Barstow Subaru donated $12,558 to the Potsdam Humane Society, supporting the ongoing care and adoption of local animals. Greenwood Subaru delivered blankets to cancer patients through Subaru’s Loves to Care program, a small gesture that brought comfort and connection to neighbors receiving medical treatment. Boonville Ford gave $1,000 to Southern Indiana Resource Solutions, helping fund classroom equipment and programs that empower individuals with disabilities to participate fully in their communities. In Chicago, more than 80 dealerships joined forces for Drive for the Troops, raising funds for active-duty service members, proof that collaboration multiplies impact. These examples show how community involvement helps build stronger connections between dealerships, their employees, and the people they serve. Small Actions, Big Connections: Additional Engagement Ideas for Your Store Whether you are a single-point store or part of a large group, community engagement can start small and grow over time. Here are some ideas to inspire your next initiative: 1. Partner with local organizations: Food banks, shelters, animal rescues, and veterans’ associations often have donation or volunteer programs ready to support, whether through food drives, pet supply donations, comfort kits for senior centers, or transportation support for local veterans. 2. Host a “Month of Giving” drive: Collect coats, toys, or canned goods throughout November and encourage participation with small incentives, like free car washes for donated items or a community message wall where contributors can write notes of gratitude or encouragement. 3. Create cause-driven campaigns: Tie service promotions to donations, for example, “$5 from every oil change goes to local disaster relief.” 4. Encourage employee involvement: Match team donations or offer volunteer hours as part of staff engagement programs. 5. Collaborate with other local businesses: A shared campaign can increase awareness and show unity in supporting your community. For example, collaborate with small local retailers for a holiday market pop-up in your showroom, giving them visibility while drawing new foot traffic. 6. Leverage social media for impact: Highlight local heroes, share stories of giving, and invite customers to join your mission. The Advantage of Being a Community-Minded Dealer Community involvement creates meaningful impact that extends well past the moment. It builds brand equity and enhances dealership culture. Employees take pride in representing a business that gives back, and customers remember when a brand shows up during tough times. Engagement also creates an emotional connection, one that often turns first-time buyers into lifetime customers. Over time, this loyalty becomes an asset that no advertising budget can buy. Gratitude in Motion Gratitude Month is a reminder that appreciation grows stronger when we put it into action. Dealerships that engage locally are enriching their communities and strengthening their own future. When giving becomes part of the business DNA, every donation, blanket, and meal shared reinforces a message that truly drives the industry forward: success is multiplied when shared. If your dealership is working on culture, engagement, or team alignment this season, our PRO team is happy to share tools and training that help build long-lasting customer trust. Feel free to reach out anytime using the form or details here.

Turning information into knowledge, wisdom, and expertise The bridge between knowing and doing is practice with feedback. That is where leadership makes the difference. The most effective managers do not wait for annual training to drive growth. They embed short, focused moments of learning into the daily rhythm of the store. Even the strongest training loses momentum without reinforcement. Psychologists have shown that within a week, people can forget up to 90% of what they learned if it isn’t revisited, and most of that loss happens within the first few hours. Without an ongoing plan to retain and apply those lessons, the investment in training fades before it can drive real results. This isn’t a lack of discipline or effort. It’s how our brains work, especially in high-pressure, performance-driven environments like a dealership, where immediate results often outweigh reflection or practice. The One-and-Done Problem in Dealership Training Dealerships often bring in excellent trainers, fill rooms with energy and note-taking, and leave with a renewed sense of direction. A few weeks later, it is back to business as usual. Most training is structured as an event, not a system. A workshop can spark inspiration, but it rarely rewires behavior. Real transformation takes consistency, accountability, and time. This pattern is not unique to dealerships, it is human nature. Psychologists call this the Forgetting Curve. Source: Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve via Indegene Report It illustrates how memory loss accelerates right after learning and how repetition helps flatten that decline, and in high-pressure dealership environments that curve is even steeper. Learning sticks only when repetition and reflection are part of the process. This is where the DIKW Pyramid and the learning progression model add perspective. Training lays the groundwork with information and knowledge, but growth happens when that knowledge is applied with purpose. Through context, repetition, and guided ongoing training, learning matures into insight and ultimately into behavior change that shows up in performance, customer interactions, and team consistency. Source: Indegene Report The 3Rs of Continuous Training If one-and-done training is the problem, consistency is the fix. Here’s a simple framework dealership leaders can adopt immediately: 1. Revisit Keep learning visible. Use five-minute refreshers in sales meetings or quick F&I scenario drills. Repetition strengthens recall. Managers may ask questions like- What surprised you? How does this connect to what you already know? When and how might you use this? Such moments of reflection could help your teams create a strong web of associations, which improves recall. 2. Reinforce Spot and celebrate application. When someone nails an objection handling or payment presentation, call it out. Recognition reinforces behavior. 3. Refine Review what’s working and what’s not. Adjust scripts, approaches, or tone as markets shift. Refinement keeps learning relevant. These steps move a store from training as an occasional event to training as part of its culture. Why Continuous Sales Training for Dealerships Works Continuous, comprehensive learning doesn’t just improve performance, it creates alignment and culture of improvement. Confidence grows: Sales and F&I professionals handle high-pressure situations with skill and composure. Culture strengthens: Teams start to see coaching as part of their success, not a one-time requirement. Consistency follows: Every customer gets a more professional, predictable experience. This kind of environment doesn’t just boost PVR or CSI scores, it improves retention. People stay where they feel developed, not just managed. People stay where they’re challenged, supported, and given room to grow, not just managed. Growth doesn’t come from what we learn once; it comes from what we practice consistently. And in an industry that moves fast, the dealerships that lead are the ones that never stop learning. Making Learning Stick by Keeping Training in Motion The best training only delivers results if the learning lasts. In our programs, the PRO Team focuses on practical repetition and reinforcement to help teams overcome the natural forgetting curve. Techniques like short role-plays, deal reviews, and real-world scenario discussions connect training directly to customer interactions. In short, this blend of recall, reflection, and real-time coaching builds confidence and consistency, the foundation of stronger performance and better customer experiences. Here are a few ways to build that foundation for your stores: 1. Microlearning: The power of small steps Short, focused learning sessions work best for dealership teams. Quick modules on F&I best practices, industry updates, or sales techniques keep information relevant and easier to recall. (You can explore similar resources on our website.) 2. Personalized learning sticks No two employees learn the same way. Tailoring training to individual experience levels, career goals, and learning trajectories helps it click and stay. Our PRO team customizes dealership training to align with where the individual is on their growth journey. 3. Mix up the mediums Learning should not live in PowerPoint alone. We blend video, print materials, mentoring, and role-plays, and review real customer interactions to keep sessions relevant and results-driven, helping each learner refine their approach continuously. 4. Listen, adjust, repeat Training works best when it evolves. Collecting and acting on course feedback ensures each session meets your team’s needs and keeps engagement high. The best dealerships are not built on one great training day. They are built on a mindset of continuous improvement. Ongoing training and follow-through build a rhythm of learning that strengthens performance, confidence, and consistency across every department. Our experienced PRO team supports dealership development through mentoring, on-the-job evaluation, and targeted training that improves performance and profitability. Schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help align your people, process, and potential.

September is often the moment when dealerships set their sights on the finish line. With Q4 around the corner and year-end targets in sight, every lever that moves inventory faster and protects profitability becomes more important. One lever that deserves more attention this month? Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programs. Why CPO Matters Right Now The used market has been anything but predictable. Prices remain high, demand is holding firm, even outpacing supply, and buyers still want value, affordability, and peace of mind. Higher Used Vehicle Prices: The average price for a three-year-old used car has climbed back to over $30,500, up 2.3% from the same time last year. Trade-ins now average 7.6 years old, the oldest since 2019. Customers are paying more, and they expect more assurance in return. Aging Inventory on the Lots: Units are sitting longer, and older models carry greater buyer hesitation unless there’s proof of quality and protection. Refinancing Pressure: Longer loan terms from refinancing are slowing down trades, further tightening supply. For dealers, that means more aging units on the lot and certification becomes the tool to add value and protect profit. For dealers, the takeaway is clear: today’s retail lots hold more vehicles that once would have gone to wholesale. With higher mileage units, customer hesitation rises, and certification is what turns that hesitation into trust. What CPO Brings to the Table Certification does more than putting a badge on a car. It builds buyer confidence, protects margins, and makes finance conversations smoother. Dealers who lean into CPO this fall will find themselves with an advantage in four areas: Trust that closes deals: Certification reassures skeptical buyers, especially when vehicle prices remain high. Gross that holds: CPO units typically sell at higher margins per unit, compared to non-certified used. Loyalty that lasts: CPO buyers are more likely to return for service and their next purchase. F&I upside: CPO vehicles naturally remove buyer hesitation. With certification and coverage already in place, finance managers can position additional protection products as logical extensions, not hard sells. Additionally, with independent certification programs, dealers gain more control and higher reinsurance participation, meaning profitability continues long after the initial sale. The Limits of Traditional OEM Programs Not all certification programs are created equal. OEM CPO programs have brand recognition, but they often come with trade-offs: Narrow eligibility, usually limited to late-model vehicles. Fixed structures that cap profitability. Added costs and processes that slow down inventory turn. Little measurable impact on finance. For dealers under pressure to maximize every unit, these limitations can feel restrictive. What Modern CPO Looks Like This is where dealer-driven certification programs are changing the conversation. Take the example of PRO Consulting’s CPO solution: 160-point safety and mechanical inspection that raises buyer confidence. Complimentary certified powertrain coverage that simplifies the sales process. $1,500 higher margin on average, plus a 10% lift in VSC and stronger PVR. Dealer-driven flexibility and added reinsurance profit. Here’s a quick look at the difference: While some stores apply their own “Dealer Certified” label, in many cases those vehicles haven’t received much more than the standard inspection and prep that every retail car goes through. Without consistent standards, coverage, and pricing, it becomes harder to build buyer trust or justify premium pricing. A structured CPO program closes those gaps by combining credibility with flexibility, supporting stronger grosses, and giving customers greater confidence. Here’s how they compare: Most dealers keep a share of OEM-certified units to capture factory Co-op marketing funds, and that’s smart. The opportunity lies in what you do with everything else. With a structured CPO program, you can maximize your OEM benefits while building real value (and higher grosses) across your remaining used inventory. Why September Is the Moment This is the time to act. Here’s why: Year-end pressure is real. CPO helps you capture more gross per unit while retailing used cars faster. Customer expectations are high. Buyers want trust and protection, and they’ll pay for it. Incentives are shifting. As OEM programs change, dealer-controlled CPO creates stability in both margins and customer confidence. Why CPO Should Be on Your Radar CPO is more than a checkbox program. It’s a lever that helps you retail older inventory with confidence, protect margins when prices are high, and give customers the reassurance they need to move forward. With incentives shifting, trade-ins slowing, and older units tying up space, certification has become essential. Dealers using it are turning those cars faster, boosting PVR, and protecting their margins. Why settle for the same old program when you could get more? Let’s talk about how our CPO solution can give your store an advantage. Call us for a quick chat and see what’s possible.

There’s no sign above the showroom floor that says, “This is how we treat each other here.” But the message still comes through loud and clear. Culture is not a slogan painted on a breakroom wall. It’s what your team picks up when they watch how their manager reacts under pressure, how conflicts are handled, and what gets rewarded, not just with bonuses, but through recognition and opportunities for growth. In dealerships, where the pace is fast and the focus often falls on the numbers, culture can quietly become a set of behaviors and attitudes no one meant to teach, but everyone learns. Let’s talk about what your dealership might be teaching, and what’s possible when you teach something better. What Gets Mimicked, Multiplies Culture is shaped in small moments, a dismissive comment that goes unchecked, a high achiever who’s not held to the same standards as the rest of the team, a new hire who never gets coached because they’re “figuring it out.” If your top salesperson consistently bends the truth to close deals and is praised for “getting it done,” don’t be surprised when others start doing the same. That’s culture at work. Moreover, people don’t just follow policies. They follow patterns. Especially the ones they see leaders repeat. And while it’s tempting to focus on fixing the lowest performers, culture work often starts with the highest-ranking. Because the team takes its cues from them. What’s the Real Cost of a Lopsided Culture? Turnover that never stops turning. Culture fatigue is a real thing. People don’t always quit because they “can’t handle the job.” Often, they’re worn down by an environment that feels indifferent, disorganized, or transactional. Customers notice more than we think. Culture isn’t just an internal thing. Customers pick up on tension between departments, disjointed experiences, or employees who are clearly disengaged. Training that never sticks. You can run a top-tier sales workshop, but if the floor manager shrugs it off the next day, your team will too. Culture is what makes training stick or slide right off. Building Stronger Teams (Without the Pep Talks) Here are a few ways dealerships we work with are creating culture on purpose, and seeing the payoff in retention, performance, and customer experience. 1. Build micro-habits into leadership routines Culture doesn’t need a quarterly workshop. It needs daily reinforcement. Here’s something worth a try: Start every day with one positive touchpoint like a thoughtful question, a high-five, a quick note of thanks. End every week with a team huddle that’s not about sales goals, but about something you learned from a team member that week. Small, intentional habits from leadership build a baseline of trust that spreads. 2. Define ‘excellence’ out loud Your team might be clear on what numbers matter, but are they clear on how you define professionalism, teamwork, and integrity? Write down the 3 to 5 behaviors that define “doing it right” at your store. Not vague words like “accountability” or “respect.” Actual actions. Share it. Reinforce it. Recognize it when you see it. Here are some examples: Sales and service team members greet every customer within 30 seconds, even if it is not “their” customer. All team members arrive prepared for every meeting with one observation or idea to share. Employees follow up with internal teammates with the same care and responsiveness shown to customers. Sales and service staff document one learning or takeaway in the CRM after each deal or customer interaction. This clarity removes the guesswork and gives your team something to live up to. 3. Give middle managers more than a clipboard Your frontline managers are your culture carriers. But many of them are promoted for performance, not leadership readiness. Offer them tools to lead not just track results. Peer coaching sessions. Quick roleplay refreshers. A “coaching vs micromanaging” consistent refresher training once a quarter. When you train them well, they raise the bar for everyone else. 4. Create safe, casual collision zones Not all breakthroughs happen in the conference room. Set up low-pressure spaces where departments can overlap like a rotating lunch-and-learn, or 10-minute “What You Wish Sales Knew” between F&I, sales, and other teams. It lowers the silo walls. And over time, it builds more cohesion and empathy into how your teams work together. 5. Measure what matters to culture Track things like: Internal referrals: If your team isn’t recommending friends to apply, ask why. First 90-day retention: Culture shows up early. Training-to-execution gaps: Are they using new skills? You cannot fix what you do not track. So, what’s the ROI? The return on a strong culture is measurable, and it shows up where it matters most. Productivity goes up. 76% of employees say workplace culture strongly affects their job performance. A healthy culture boosts engagement, which Gallup has linked to an 18% increase in sales productivity. Performance goes up. Teams with high psychological safety, in other words, when people feel safe asking for help or admitting a miss, consistently outperform others. Sales go up. Service drives faster. CSI scores climb. Conflict goes down. When expectations for behavior are clear, miscommunication drops, and more time goes toward moving the business forward. Commitment to ethical behavior. 70% of employees agree that a strong culture builds commitment to ethical behavior, a critical driver of dealership reputation and long-term customer loyalty. Final Thought Your culture is always teaching something. The question is: Is it teaching what you actually believe in?  You do not need a full rebrand. You need a few clear behaviors, shown daily, starting with leaders, including, a place where doing it the right way gets just as much spotlight as doing it the fast way. And you need to know culture is contagious. Make it worth catching. At PRO Consulting, we partner with dealerships across every department, helping not just to lift the numbers but to embed the skills, systems, and training that drive lasting performance, higher productivity, and a culture that supports both your people and your bottom line.

By the time a lead hits your CRM, that customer has already been busy comparing models, checking out other dealerships, reading reviews, and maybe even scheduling a test drive somewhere else. That is a lot of ground covered before you ever get the chance to say hello. Here is what it comes down to. Fast follow-up still wins deals, but only if you know who to follow up with and why. By tapping into shopper behavior across digital touchpoints, dealers are getting earlier visibility into who is in the market and what they are looking for. With timely insight into who is shopping, follow-up becomes faster, more relevant, and more likely to close the deal. No guesswork. Just smart, data-powered visibility that gives your store a real edge in a competitive space. Curious what this technology looks like in action? Read on. Or connect with us for a quick walkthrough. Real Leads. Real Fast. One Powerful Solution There is a big difference between a casual browser and someone who is actively on the hunt. But without clear insight, it is hard to tell which is which. That is where even great teams miss opportunities, not from lack of effort, but from limited visibility. Understanding what buyers are looking for, how soon they are planning to act, and what matters most to them helps you focus time and effort on where it counts. That is exactly why many stores are turning to innovative technology to reveal serious shoppers earlier in the journey. Here is what that tool makes possible: See when a customer enters the market (often within 24 hours of their journey starting) Understand what vehicles they are considering, what they are comparing, and why Measure shopping intensity to guide your approach—text, call, or targeted offer Identify preferences based on online behavior and research patterns Layer in demographic insights to fine-tune timing and message Connect anonymous browsing behavior to real people, not just data points You are not just following up; now you are showing up with the kind of message that makes them think, “They get what I am looking for.” Fast Follow-Up Is Not Just for Sales Anymore It is easy to focus only on the showroom, but here’s the twist: it is also critical to know where your existing customers are showing up. That includes uncovering which ones are getting their vehicles serviced elsewhere, so you can step in before loyalty fades. Imagine knowing: Which customers just had service done at a competitor What kind of service it was How long has it been since their last visit with you Then imagine sending them a targeted offer that aligns with their vehicle’s needs and brings them back to your service lane. That’s not a lost opportunity anymore. That is reclaimed revenue. When Shoppers Move Fast, You Should Too With the uncertainty around tariffs and pricing in the news again, there is more urgency than usual on the shopper’s side. According to a Cars.com survey, about half of U.S. shoppers said they planned to move up their vehicle purchase to avoid potential price hikes. This is where speed becomes a profit. When you can identify and engage serious buyers as soon as they hit the market, you are not just increasing your odds; you are saving time, effort, and money. What This Means for F&I Bringing shoppers in is just the start. The real opportunity is in being ready when they are ready to say yes. With more customers accelerating their purchase timelines to avoid pricing uncertainty, your F&I process needs to move just as fast without losing the personal touch. Be ready with: Protection options that reflect today’s buyer concerns (longer ownership, resale value, repair inflation) Smart bundling that simplifies decisions and supports faster close times Clear, confident conversations that match where the shopper is in their journey When Sales, F&I, and Service all run on the same insights, the experience feels seamless, and your results speak for themselves. Less Guessing. More Closing. By the time a shopper fills out a lead form or clicks ‘call us,’ they might already be out the door physically or mentally. But when your team has access to real-time market insight and behavioral data, you go from reactive to ready. You see the shopper first. You act with precision. You bring in more of the right people faster. And when your competitors are still fumbling with stale leads and spray-and-pray emails, you are already shaking hands in the showroom or welcoming them back to your service drive. Want to drive more foot traffic and bring meaningful leads into your store? Connect with us and we’ll help set up a quick demo to show you what this can do for your dealership.