Dealership Service Revenue Increases While Ticket Volume Reflects Typical February Decline, According to Xtime Metrics

According to a recent analysis of Xtime metrics by Cox Automotive, service activity at franchised dealerships in the U.S. decreased in February compared to January, while revenue increased slightly. In a historically challenging month for service departments, both the Repair Order Volume Index and the Repair Order Revenue Index improved year over year.

The monthly Xtime volume and revenue metrics are designed to showcase average service department performance over time, with the information indexed to January 2019. The two top-line measures provide a glimpse into service department performance at franchised dealerships in the U.S. Xtime, a Cox Automotive brand, provides software that helps auto dealers facilitate more than 10 million service appointments monthly.

In February, the Repair Order Volume Index dropped to 78.8 month over month. This represents a 4.1% decrease from January, a 2.2% increase from February last year, and a 12.3% decrease from February 2019.

Skyler Chadwick, director of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive, said, “February is typically a bump in the road for service departments, with low consumer spending. The data show that the volume of repair orders was low due to customers not keeping their appointments. In such a difficult month, dealers must ensure that appointments are confirmed, which could be as easy as sending a text reminder. The decline in appointments was consistent across all OEMs, meaning there is an opportunity for all dealers to improve in this area.”

Xtime Repair Order Volume Index for February

The Repair Order Revenue Index for February is at 139.9, reflecting a 1.6% increase from the reading in January. This index shows a 4.5% increase year over year and a significant 26.4% increase from February 2019, growth driven in large part by inflation in the form of higher labor and parts costs.

Xtime Repair Order Revenue Index for February

Cox Automotive Industry Insights, with help from the Xtime data team, reports the Repair Order Volume Index and Repair Order Revenue Index around the 20^th of each month. For more information, contact Cox Automotive Corporate Communications.

Xtime is the leading end-to-end software solution that drives customer loyalty and revenue for automotive dealers in each stage of the service process. With easy-to-use technology and industry experts, Xtime helps dealers meet changing customer expectations. As an advanced, connected solution that provides exceptional support, Xtime is committed to helping dealers deliver the ultimate service experience. Through transparency, convenience, and trust, Xtime Spectrum — comprised of Schedule, Engage, Inspect, and Invite — facilitates more than ten million service appointments monthly. Xtime is a Cox Automotive™ brand.