Between used car acquisition at the dealership and the front line lies a “recon swamp,” a zone of friction and holding costs that erodes front-end gross by $50 to $80 per car, per day. Given the massive recovery potential, why do many dealer principals and general managers (GMs) struggle to drain this muddle? Often, it’s ...
Welcome to an exciting journey in mastering the art of rapid inventory progression in your dealerships! We’re diving into purposeful reconditioning techniques and proactive steps to ensure that your vehicles are ready for sale in record time. What truly drives the turnaround of used-car inventory? It’s all about time-sensitive reconditioning! We’re aiming for a target ...
How Clear Vehicle Stories Hold Price If your salespeople can’t quickly answer customers’ basic questions about the vehicle of interest, price becomes the only “sure thing” to negotiate. The real enemy of gross isn’t price shoppers — it’s uncertainty. When your team sounds unsure, customers assume risk. Risk turns into discount requests. Most discounts start ...
Ever notice how work tends to slip when not closely monitored, or, in other words, there’s no feedback loop to keep on top of what’s happening? Fortunately, one of the most critical functions in the dealership, your vehicle reconditioning, if automated, should be providing this monitoring and reporting. Like AI, software-driven reconditioning makes this complex, ...
Make 2026 the year your used car operation keeps more of the gross it earns. Too often, profit leaks out through small inconsistencies in how vehicles are appraised, marketed and presented to shoppers. The good news? Cleaner gross isn’t about selling harder — it’s about tightening a few critical practices that protect margin from the ...
Here’s a New Year’s resolution for every dealership general manager: Resolve to invest in software featuring built-in behavior tools that enhance software and team performance return on investment. So often, we hear, “Software will fix my problems.” I don’t believe that — and I sell software! The truth is, I’ve thought that before, and I ...
Failure to communicate, or to communicate clearly, causes most issues and problems between people and within their work processes, particularly in a multi-step, demanding environment like vehicle reconditioning. When we fail to communicate or communicate unclearly, problems remain unresolved. Delays can persist, hurting profitability. Opportunities can be overlooked, leading to finger-pointing, lost production and wasted ...
Imagine this: You’re about to make one of the biggest purchases of your life. You’re excited, but you want to be sure about what you’re buying. That’s where OEM window stickers come in, and here’s why they’re a game-changer for both dealers and customers. Think about it. A car isn’t just a way to get ...
How do profit-driven users of reconditioning software continuously improve time-to-line? Primarily, these dealers focus on managing the communication features of this tool. It’s these features, when managed well, that drive recon’s significant contribution to used car profitability. These dealers make sure that everyone involved, from the used car manager to porters, understands the who, what, ...
By Dennis McGinn AutoSuccess, September 1, 2025 In 2010, the introduction of new reconditioning software set new efficiency standards and new margin possibilities for the used car operations of franchised and independent auto dealerships. More recently, the introduction of MRI-like diagnostic VIN scan technology — with its consistent use during vehicle appraisal — represents a ...
Tap the Brakes on the Unfortunate Cost of RoutineBy Dennis McGinn AutoSuccess, August 1, 2025 We should always be asking this question: Is there a better way to do this? Asking this question of yourself, your teams, and your processes is a brake-tap on the highway of routine. Apply this question to how you buy, ...
Urgent Action Required: Leverage ‘Right Now’ Data for Group Used Car Planning By Dennis McGinn AutoSuccess, July 1, 2025 Group used-car directors can struggle to assimilate the used car performance data delivered monthly by their various rooftops. In this fast-paced industry, stale data is not just unhelpful — it can be detrimental. The used car ...
