Denis Neuberger

Time to say the quiet part out loud: The 2025 Automotive Dealership Compensation Report – collected from 1,000+ recruiting conversations for all major roles in the dealership – is now live. Inside are real pay ranges for top roles across 25th - 90th percentiles, plus elite performer premiums and actionable strategies to apply this data to your store today. The best part – it’s 100% free to download. Read it now: https://lnkd.in/gJ9-77Es

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New car inventory is thinning out for nearly every major automaker: The average dealership days’ supply is now 73 days—a full week less MoM. At the brand level—Kia, Hyundai, and Mercedes are moving EVs faster than they restock. Meanwhile Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Nissan are leaning on incentives and fresh models to keep sales humming. The signal: Automakers are keeping production tight despite rising sales—tightening supply across the board and setting the stage for firmer pricing into fall. Here’s how each brand is stacking up… (Data/graph source: Cox Automotive)

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Tariffs are hitting, but not every automaker (or dealer) is handling them the same way: Since auto tariffs were announced in April, listing prices for VW, Hyundai, and GM cars have risen the most (~$1,400 average). Meanwhile, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota vehicle listing prices have declined meaningfully. The signal: Some automakers are using price as a shield. Others are using it as a sword. (Data source: CarGurus)

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Nearly half of all major auto brands had 100+ days’ supply of new inventory in June: (Not counting Jaguar) Audi leads with 133 days, followed by Dodge, Mazda, and Ram—all well above the industry average of 82. And yet, prices haven’t really budged. Normally, this kind of inventory build could trigger discounts or incentives, but with tariff policy still in flux and softer demand, OEMs are sitting tight. (Data source: Cox Automotive)

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What happens when there’s no OEM procedure for a service part replacement? Shops are facing this challenge more often as vehicle complexity increases. That’s why RTS has compiled OEM-specific guidance from automakers like Ford, Lincoln, Honda, and Acura on how to proceed when a written procedure doesn’t exist. Review the guidance here: https://lnkd.in/gm-TTsxw #CollisionRepair #ICAR #OEMGuidelines #RepairProcedures #RTS

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How can an automaker interact with drivers even when they’re not behind the wheel?  Today’s drivers expect more than just transportation. They want a personalized, interactive experience that fits into their connected lives—before, during, and after each trip.  That’s where Journey Insights comes in. As the latest addition to WirelessCar’s Position & Journey product package, this new service helps automakers engage customers beyond the vehicle. The result is stronger relationships, increased brand relevance, and a smarter way to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.  For more on what Journey Insights is and how it empowers automakers to deliver value through connected vehicle data, read our latest article by Peter Håkanson on our WirelessCar Insights blog. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dXuJd9_r #WeAreWirelessCar #WeEmpowerFutureMobility  

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Pay plans are one of the most powerful (and dangerous) tools in a dealership: Get them wrong, and you either bleed gross or lose your top talent. The problem is, most dealers are still running 2015 comp plans in a 2025 market. So we talked to operators who’ve scrapped the old playbook, and built something better. Shift 1: ditching complexity for clarity. One pre-owned Ford director said it best: “Ten different components in a single plan? It’s confusing on purpose. And that sucks.” At one Nissan store, the GM scrapped gross-based comp altogether. Instead, his team gets paid based on how a customer found them: - $100 for a walk-in. - $300 for a referral. - $400 from the service lane. - $500 for a repeat. “It’s about relationships, not transactions,” he told us. Corey Henderson at Colonial Auto Family applies the same logic in service. He uses one number—dollars per RO—to track performance. Beat the factory benchmark? +1%. Fall short? -1%. Shift 2: replacing feast-or-famine comp with hybrid pay. Corey pays flat rates tied to pricing discipline: $450 if you sell at asking, $350 with a small discount, $250 below that. And his top three reps are earning over $250K, without chasing gross. Shift 3: rethinking how service advisors are paid. Corey’s comp plan pays more for higher-skilled work, which shakes out to be 1% for internal, 1.5% for warranty, and 4–7% for customer pay. “Sales might talk to 40 people a month,” he said. “Service advisors talk to 300.” At his store, top-performing advisors now earn $20K more per year. It’s retention insurance (for employees and customers). Bottom line: The best comp plans today are simple, fair, and built around long-term value. Because when margins are tight and labor is scarce, dealers who pay smarter don’t just sell more—they keep the people who make it happen. Read The Breakdown here, together with Lotlinx: https://lnkd.in/eseR7j-8

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[NEWS] Many dealership salespeople are giving up on leads too fast: Around 73% of car sales happen in the first three days of a lead coming in—leaving between 25-30% buyers still active beyond that window. The problem: After day 3, follow-up on the dealership’s end falls off a cliff. But a lead marked “dead” in the CRM doesn’t typically just disappear—it often walks into another showroom. “Just because someone doesn’t convert in 72 hours doesn’t mean they’re not buying,” said David Steinberg, the CEO of Foureyes (the company behind the data). “For dealers, this could mean extending the follow-up window or leaning more on data to identify high-intent behaviors.” Bottom line: Not all buyers are quick to close. And the dealers properly accounting for that are best positioned to capture sales their competitors miss. Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by Lotlinx: https://lnkd.in/eircZYgq (Data source: Foureyes)

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For car dealers, the AI arms race is just getting started: In this episode of the CDG Podcast, Eric Rea, CEO of Podium, dives into the state of Dealership AI in 2025, reveals the questions dealers should be asking to stay ahead, discussed why 10% of U.S. dealers are using Podium's AI, and much more. Top lessons learned from Eric: 1. AI product demos can be dangerously misleading. – Anyone can build a compelling AI demo in 20 minutes that looks amazing in controlled environments. – Real dealership environments have thousands of variables that break most AI systems quickly. – When properly implemented, some AI systems are delivering 70% faster response times and 30% higher conversion rates. 2. Training AI requires the same commitment as hiring and training human employees – Different dealership types need different AI personalities to match their customer base. – Initial AI implementations always make mistakes and require 90 days of intensive feedback and refinement. – Savvy dealers treat AI buying decisions like interviewing employees. 3. Human workforce reactions to AI are creating unexpected internal challenges – Some employees view AI as direct competition and actively resist implementation. – Other employees embrace AI as productivity enhancement and use it to advance within the dealership. – Most dealerships still need human backup systems because AI cannot handle physical tasks or complex edge cases. 4. Service departments offer bigger AI opportunities than sales but face different bottlenecks – High-paid auto technicians waste hours daily on administrative tasks instead of billable repair work. – Customer service communication creates endless inefficient back-and-forth cycles that could be automated. – Unlike sales where more leads always help, service departments are often capacity-constrained by technician availability. 5. Voice AI represents the next major challenge but carries much higher implementation risks – Phone conversations still dominate dealership communication despite the industry's focus on text-based solutions. – But Voice interactions require instant responses while text-based AI can take time to process complex requests. – Failed voice AI interactions typically result in immediate customer loss. The full episode is live! Stream it now: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eRHubRSK Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eJbx8Fx9 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eGzNgvnw

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America’s fastest-growing car brand might be the last one you’d expect: In 2022, Buick’s U.S. market share had cratered to 0.8%. Buick leadership knew something had to change—so the company gave dealers a choice: invest hundreds of thousands into EV infrastructure, or take a buyout. 1,000 dealers (half the network) walked. And the remaining dealers suddenly had wide-open territories. At Serra Automotive, Tyler Burton went from competing with dealers 20 minutes away to the next nearest Buick point being 45–60 minutes out. They scooped up inventory from exiting stores, but had to win customers back with the same stale product that had driven volume down in the first place. Then came phase two. In just 14 months, Buick redesigned its entire four-model lineup. And the payoff has been immediate: – Largest first-half sales increase of any mainstream brand in 2024 (+29%). – Q1 2025 sales up 39% year-over-year, led by the $26,000 Envista. – Q2 2025 growth of 19%, outpacing Cadillac by 20,000 units. For the first time in decades, Buick is nailing product-market fit, and pulling in a large audience of 25- to 40-year-old women. But momentum is fragile. Three of four Buick models are imported and face tariffs which could potentially erase its affordability advantage. Buick is absorbing costs for now, but who knows how long that will last. Bottom line: Dealers are betting everything on Buick’s ability to continue executing. The real question is whether GM can protect Buick’s sweet spot (premium feel at an accessible price) or if tariffs will turn this comeback into just another false start. Read The Breakdown here, together with Lotlinx: https://lnkd.in/eaMB9-3B

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[NEWS] Ford dealer Parker Jones is battling recalls with a bet on mobile service: Ford has issued more recalls than any other automaker this year, and dealers are feeling it. “The texts roll in daily,” Jones said, noting that most of them trace back to the COVID-era chip shortage. Still, rather than just ride it out, he said his team’s turning the pressure into an opportunity via a mobile service program focused on fleets. One van, multiple vehicles in a single stop, far less downtime. Ford is also subsidizing the effort, so the economics work for stores willing to build the infrastructure. "It goes a long way towards elevating the perception of Ford as not just farmers and F-150s,” Jones said. His take: Mobile service turns recall chaos into convenience, and a shot at loyalty when customers might otherwise drift. Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by Lotlinx: https://lnkd.in/ewm_zS8F (Data source: Parker Jones via Daily Dealer Live)

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[NEWS] Bozard Ford Lincoln Ford is turning mobile service into a full-blown empire: COO Ed Roberts runs 46 mobile units that break even in just four hours a day. - They average 60 miles from the store but stretch as far as 300. - And together with 98 service bays, they’re driving 13K+ ROs each month. That said, it’s not just about trucks on the road. Roberts hires from outside the auto biz—AC techs, pool guys, mobile pros. Just people who know how to talk to a customer at their front door. How he sees it: "There is not a customer that wakes up in the morning that's excited to go into a car dealer. They take half a day off. They do whatever. If I can eliminate those things for our customers and go to them while they're at work or home, and not take any time from them, we eliminate the friction of ownership." Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by Lotlinx: https://lnkd.in/deUws4iZ (Data source: Ed Roberts via Daily Dealer Live)

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The Automotive Insights Report (AIR) from AADA and AutoGrab provides a national, all-channel view of used car sales, helping industry and policy-makers understand real demand, track emerging trends, and make better-informed decisions. July 2025 AIR highlights include: ➡️ Sales dipped 2.8 per cent after EOFY surge (206,216 sold) ➡️ Dealer stock remains strong and overall listings hit their highest level in 2025 ➡️ Hybrid sales fell 8.5 per cent, EV sales dropped 20.3 per cent ➡️ Days to sell dropped from 47.0 to 44.6 days Read the full report: https://bit.ly/3UoO2lm

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Working smarter—not harder—is how today’s best shops stay ahead. In Episode 2 of Paint, Productivity & Profit, Global Marketing Manager for Collision Core Troy Stone talks with BodyShop Business Editor Jason Stahl about the advanced digital tools out there that are helping shops boost efficiency and performance. Watch to learn how the Collision Core™ Suite helps cut waste, optimize labor and materials and make real-time decisions: https://bit.ly/4oTcKbt

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[NEWS] Dealers are still underestimating their most-clicked sales tool: For every 1,000 cars sold, shoppers click 1–2 million images. Plus, 80% of VDP time is spent on photos. Despite that, Joe Pistell, founder of AutoMagic Labs, says most dealers are still posting generic and vanilla photos. His fix: A beta tool that uses AI to spot features (running boards, special packages, hidden tech) and labels them in real time. “The better your photographs are, the more [shoppers] click. The more they click, the more time they stay on your website. The more time they spend on your website, the less time they're at your competitors," he said. Read today’s top automotive stories, presented by DLRdmv®: https://lnkd.in/efFqMmSa (Data source: Joe Pistell via Daily Dealer Live)

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🚗 The auto tech talent gap is real and it’s time we all act 🔧 Our President and CEO, Bill Hanvey’s article in WardsAuto “Jobs for Auto Techs There for the Taking,” highlights a challenge our industry can’t ignore: the growing shortage of skilled auto technicians. (Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gByRMwPq) Some key takeaways: The U.S. is projected to face a shortage of tens of thousands of auto technicians each year, driven by an aging workforce and increasingly complex vehicles. Modern technicians are highly skilled, working with advanced electronics, diagnostics, and software... not just wrenches. There’s a perception gap: trade careers offer stable, well-paying, and meaningful work, yet aren’t always top of mind for students and career-changers. Solutions are clear: vocational education, apprenticeships, funding, mentorship, and industry collaboration can help bridge the gap. At the Auto Care Association, we are committed to: - Investing in workforce development through training programs, partnerships with vocational schools, and apprenticeships. - Changing perceptions about auto care careers, highlighting the high-tech, rewarding work of modern technicians. - Advocating for policies that expand access to training and support technical education pathways. - Providing resources for members to attract, train, and retain top talent. The auto care industry thrives on skilled technicians. The time to act is now. Together, we can ensure a strong, sustainable workforce for the future.

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Can your shop’s ADAS and alignment process keep up with modern repair demands? On the latest episode of The Collision Vision Podcast, host Cole Strandberg welcomes David Henry, Senior Sales Development Manager at Hunter Engineering Company, to unpack the real-world impact of ADAS and alignment systems on shop efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. David shares: ✅ Where shops are falling short on calibration ✅ How equipment selection influences workflow and revenue ✅ What forward-thinking operators are doing to stay ahead Whether you're running a repair center, training the next generation, or managing multiple locations—this episode offers actionable insights to help you optimize your operations. Have you watched yet? Tune in now and join the conversation: https://ow.ly/HXSx50WqLT6 #CollisionRepair #ADAS #ShopEfficiency #AutoBodyIndustry #TheCollisionVision #HunterEngineering #OperationalExcellence #AlignmentTechnology

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When Frank Terlep talks tech, the industry listens. Here’s why. Industry leader Frank Terlep joins host Cole Strandberg to share insights on: 🔹ADAS and vehicle safety system advancements 🔹How shops can prepare for tomorrow’s tech 🔹Where the industry is headed next Don’t miss this episode. Watch now on YouTube: https://ow.ly/XMiZ50WN0k2 Thank you to our sponsor, Hunter Engineering Company #CollisionRepair #AutoBodyIndustry #ADAS

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