The Auto Market Brief – Bonus
In this Episode
Service departments are no longer just another revenue stream for dealers, they’re a critical inventory funnel, customer relationship engine, and profit driver.
In this special episode of The Auto Market Brief, Erin Keating is joined by Alex Bland, Cox Automotive’s Sr. Director of Market and Customer Research, to break down new consumer and dealer research exposing what’s changed in fixed operations, and how this area is becoming the most critical profit engine for dealers in today’s market.
As vehicle affordability tightens and ownership periods stretch, dealers are losing service share to independents, even as service revenue hits record highs. This conversation explores what’s driving that paradox, where dealers are leaking opportunity, and how trust, transparency, and convenience can turn fixed ops into a powerful retention and sales driver.
In This Episode:
Why dealers are making more service money, but losing market share
How convenience, trust, and pricing perception reshape service decisions
Where service visits unlock sales, trade‑ins, and lifetime value
00:00 Intro
00:43 Why Fixed Ops Is More Important than Ever
02:28 Background on the Latest Service and Ownership Study
03:44 Why Dealers Are Losing Share
08:50 Service Is More than Another Revenue Stream
11:37 What’s Happening With Post-Warranty Service?
14:04 Does Dealer Service Actually Cost More?
17:55 The Staggering Cost of a Lost Customer
19:11 What Dealers Need to Do to Win
21:23 Outro
