All episodes (81)
My Uber Driver's Story Made Me Rethink Everything
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers of Fixed Ops Focus on an Uber driver who walked the Darien Gap, express pricing for oil changes, service hours, the hourly mentality and thin dealer margins. Full transcript.
A Hotel Janitor Did What Most Car Dealerships Can't
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on a Vegas janitor, a DMV clerk and a Jeep service manager who delivered the wow, and why the last impression keeps customers.
Can Triage Solve the Technician Shortage?
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on service department triage: multi-point first, master tech diagnosis, parts staged, and growing new technicians.
He Went From Technician to GM — Now He's Changing the Service Business
Ed Roberts of Bozard Ford Lincoln tells Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers how he went from living in his car to GM and built a 47-van mobile service fleet.
Should AI Be Booking Your Service Appointments? | Stephen Jeffries
Stephen Jeffries of Xtime joins Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on online scheduling, showing prices, declined-service follow-up, AI booking and capacity.
AI Is Coming to Your Dealership — Here's What Actually Matters
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on an AI summit for dealers: pickup and delivery, in-house AI, auditing your tech stack, and letting AI handle the mundane work.
Stop Managing Your Service Department by Email
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why forwarding emails isn't managing: train the process, measure it, hold people to it, and invest in your people.
He Started in a Call Center — Now He Runs Fixed Ops | Marcello Gloria
Marcello Gloria went from a DMS help desk to fixed ops director. He joins Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on process, transparency and walking the drive.
Whatever Happened to GREAT Customer Service?
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why nobody gets wowed anymore, from tip screens to car dealers, and how a Jersey City store won with kindness.
Stop Calling Them "Just a Tech" | Carm Capriotto
Carm Capriotto of Remarkable Results joins Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the rise of the specialist and the words your service counter uses.
Your Advisors Aren't Selling Maintenance — Here's Why
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on advisors who turn away oil changes, oil grades that change when it suits the factory, and why stores must own retention.
Real Men of Genius: Mr. 10:06 on a Saturday Night Thank-You Call
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on a 10:06 p.m. Saturday call about a service contract refund, retention tools, and who should handle cancellations.
Your Daily Report Isn't Managing Your Service Department
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why service managers waste mornings on reports instead of working the drive, and how AI can help. Full transcript.
Stop Doing Annual Employee Reviews — They Don't Work
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why annual reviews fail, why weekly conversations keep employees, mystery bonuses and daily pay. Full transcript.
Want Customers for Life? Give Them a Warranty for Life
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on lifetime repair warranties as a retention tool, why strings backfire, and making it easy to say yes. Full transcript.
If You're Not Holding Them Accountable, YOU'RE the Problem
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why advisors fear selling, why comfortable pay kills growth, and why accountability starts with the dealer. Full transcript.
Why Used Cars and Service Are Always Fighting
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the used car versus service fight over recon, inflated packs, hidden fees and a flat recon budget. Full transcript.
Want to Sell More Cars? You're Fixing the Wrong Problem
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on a frustrating Wagoneer hunt, weak product knowledge, Carvana and why service decides who sells the next car. Full transcript.
If You Don't Care, You're in the Wrong Business
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on surface knowledge, proficiency vs. productivity, coaching like Vince Lombardi and caring about your people. Full transcript.
The Return Policy Mistake Costing Dealerships Thousands
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on your service return policy, free diagnosis as marketing, paid multi-points and lost retention. Full transcript.
The Truth About Being an Auto Technician With Joshua Taylor
Joshua Taylor of the Wrench Turner's Podcast joins Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on technician care, mentors, training, pay and retention. Full transcript.
The Truth About Vendor Fatigue: Why They Won't Leave You Alone
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on month-end vendor pressure, private equity quotas, double billing, pilots, and who in the store should own vendor decisions.
Your Car Brand Says More About You Than You Think
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on brand loyalty in the service drive: Mini, Jeep, Subaru, Saturn and Harley owners, and why advisors must know the brand.
Every Dealership Says They Care Until THIS Happens
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on inconsistent phone handling, product knowledge, waiting-room presentations and the customers who never come back.
The Breakeven Mistake Costing Dealerships Millions
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on service department breakeven analysis, labor rate, pricing strategy, parts-to-labor ratio and capacity. Full transcript.
The 3 Hours a Day Nobody Pays You For
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on work-life balance in the car business: long hours, the commute, carving out time, vacation planning and building a bench.
The Repair Order Trick Every Top Advisor Uses
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on preloading every repair order with an alignment, like F&I does, and the store that closes nearly 80% of alignments.
The Repair Order Trick Every Top Advisor Uses, Part 2
Part 2: Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers add declined items to the preloaded repair order and run the math to about $1.2 million a year per advisor.
Your Employees Aren't Failing. Your Coaching Is
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on coaching vs. checking the box, filling the gaps in your managers, hiring for fire, career paths and leading from the top.
Your New Hire Is Already Failing... Here's Why
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on promoting techs to manager without tools, overloading new hires, training a number two, decision-making and DMS changes.
The BIGGEST Firing Stories You'll EVER Hear
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers share their own firing stories and talk about when to replace a service manager, controlling the message and the cost.
A Facebook Post Turned Into This?!
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on a viewer's 42,000-mile oil change story: explaining consequences, closing ratios, daily coaching and telling the truth.
When the Customer Drops the F Bomb: Where's Your Line in the Sand?
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on handling angry customers: restate, show empathy, never escalate, and coach advisors after every conflict.
The Top 5 Unwritten Rules of the Service Department
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the service department's unwritten rules: customer cars, side jobs, ROs, road tests, star performers and onboarding.
The Extended Oil Change Lie
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on extended oil change intervals, lifetime fluids, falling warranty accruals and who pays when the engine fails.
The CSI Retention Paradox
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why CSI rises while retention falls: closing ratios, price increases, long oil change waits and getting back to basics.
Interview with Armen Mansouri
Porsche South Bay service director Armen Mansouri on the 1% rule, open ROs, unapplied time, technician training and leading like his Air Force chief.
The Great Technician Exodus: Why Your Best Tech Is About to Quit
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why technicians quit: warranty pay, lost maintenance work, video MPIs and why the GM should see tech hours every day.
Why Real Training Pays Back 10X
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on making dealership training pay: tell-show-do-review, objection handling, micro-learning and managers who reinforce it.
Dave Ambushed with ChatGPT: You Won't Believe What Happened
Dave Rogers puts ten fixed ops questions to Steve Shaw and compares his answers with ChatGPT on leadership, accountability, KPIs, AI and retention.
The $100K Career Nobody Tells High Schoolers About
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the service advisor career: start in express, build a book of customers, earn $100K and go home at five.
AI vs a Fixed Ops Expert: The Results Will SHOCK You
Dave Rogers answers viewer questions on absorption, tech retention, EVs, maintenance, dispatch, pay plans and CSI, and Steve Shaw checks him against AI.
Why Your CDJR Dealership Will Never Be a Luxury Brand
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on a Wagoneer concierge service that fell short, customer lifetime value, and why the GM must carry the message to the drive.
He Just Exposed What Most Service Advisors Are Doing WRONG
Kia service advisor Tyler Smith tells Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers what writing service looks like in 2026: tools, process, walkarounds and caring.
Watched a Dealership Lose $50K Because They Skipped ONE Step
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on dealership processes: start with the end goal, write one process at a time, get your team's buy-in and hold the guardrails.
Used Car Reconditioning: Profit Center or Expense?
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on used car recon: big box stores vs. dealers, retail rates, 24-48 hour turns, dedicated recon teams and night shifts.
Warranty Expert Reveals: The #1 Mistake Dealers Make
Warranty expert Janet Haworth joins Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on stricter OEM audits, better tech stories, running time and keeping claims paid.
The 30 Second MPI: Why TikTok Is Schooling Your Service Drive
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on short MPI videos: only video failed items, let the advisor send the green at delivery, and stop "selling the green."
Exposing the Fundamentals
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on dealership fundamentals: menus, six-month maintenance, the multi-point, walkarounds, and loyalty versus a retention number.
It's Called Work
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the four-letter word in dealerships: work. AI, playbooks, pay plans, growth past inflation and managers who stay busy.
Fixed Ops Profit Secrets Nobody Is Talking About
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on quick fixed ops wins: video MPIs, top 10 op codes, special order parts, walking the lot, RO reviews and open appointments.
Coaching Like the Pros
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on coaching a service drive like a pro sports team: role play, daily training, investing in yourself and following the process.
Dealer Maintenance Fails
Bryan Shaw tells Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers how his dealer never offered an alignment in 75,000 miles, and why tire scanners don't help if nobody asks.
Sowing the Seed
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on reaping what you sow: investing in your people, listening to the shop, paying your dues and training the next generation.
We Banned Diagnostic Charges... Service Revenue Skyrocketed Overnight
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why the diagnostic charge is the biggest hurdle in the service drive, and how to pay techs without charging customers.
Interview with Dave Anderson, CEO & Founder of EvenFlow AI
David Anderson of EvenFlow AI on smarter service appointment scheduling: controlling shop inputs, predicting job time, walk-ins and no-shows.
Mastering the Work in Process (WIP) Schedule
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on controlling work in process: closing every RO, daily lot walks, open-ticket theft and reading the open RO report.
Aftermarket vs OEM: The Truth Manufacturers Won't Tell You
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on offering aftermarket and OEM parts side by side, lifetime warranties, parts loyalty programs and tires.
Appointments vs Walk Ins
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers debate appointments vs walk-ins: staffing for right-now service, shop capacity, and the waiting room customer.
The Customer Retention Lie in the Auto Industry (No One Talks About This)
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why dealers lose customers after free oil changes, the three-visit rule and getting customers used to buying.
Interview with Damon Egan
Damon Egan on running Western Canada's largest Ford store: frictionless service, pickup and delivery, AI, a parts robot and technician revenue sharing.
Expense Control
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on dealership expense control: subscription creep, auto-renewing contracts, shop supplies and weekly asset meetings.
Fixed Ops War Stories
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers trade dealership war stories: a shuttle van in Tijuana, a bootlegging parts driver and a video multi-point gone wrong.
The Repair Order
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on writing a repair order that makes sense: the three C's, customer permission, documenting every call and lawsuit risk.
Going Old School
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers bring back the service introduction, the first appointment and no-show calls, and why process comes before any new tool.
Promise Times Are Non-Negotiable
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on keeping promise times: agree on a call time, call at that time, set a new time, and write the process down.
NADA Wrap Up: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers wrap up NADA: AI in the DMS, AI-graded multi-point videos, smart glasses, reporting tools and why GMs should call their DMS rep.
Interview with Jeff Ridgway
Jeff Ridgway joins Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on making mobile service pay: updates, keys, body shops, short jobs and a manager who wants it.
Interview with Father Bob Cawley
Steve Shaw and his mentor Father Bob Cawley on connected leadership, PIG meetings, the 30-minute oil change and full Saturdays at South Bay Ford.
Process Improvement Fails
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why dealership process manuals fail: writing it down, getting buy-in, one price for every customer and holding the line.
A Fresh Look at NADA, Part 1
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers preview the NADA Show: AI tools, the parts robot, UVeye, kiosks, voice AI that won't integrate, and Steve's donut test.
NADA Stories, Part 2
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers share NADA stories and what they're looking for this year: AI that knows the customer, reviews, AI search and short videos.
Interview with Brad Moyer
Service manager Brad Moyer tells Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers how his Honda store grew 15% a year to 53,000 hours with daily numbers and accountability.
Dave Talks Factory Maintenance
Dave Rogers and Steve Shaw on why factory maintenance is only the minimum: neglected leases, 100,000-mile spark plugs and talking about consequences.
The Prepaid Problem
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the problem with factory-included maintenance: customers who never open their wallet, lost retention and alignment rates.
Return to Selling
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on bringing selling back to the service drive: a Mazda turnaround, offense versus defense, and fries with every RO.
Express Department
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on the express department: the one-hour expectation, paying lube techs, unapplied labor and growing young technicians.
Pros & Cons to Flat Rate Pay
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on flat rate technician pay: rolling guarantees, manufacturer warranty rules, hybrid pay plans and paying your core techs.
Now Is the Best Time
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on why there's never a good time to train, why dealers train only 8 hours a year, and why slow months are when to double down.
Service Advisor Standards
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on service advisor standards: setting goals by brand, backing into the numbers, and paying advisors on sales versus gross.
Setting Technician Objectives
Steve Shaw and Dave Rogers on setting technician objectives: the 2,000-hour minimum, daily production meetings, posting hours and the 200-hour month.
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