Although modern car mechanics are a far cry from yesterday’s grease monkeys, some negative perceptions persist, making it hard to recruit talent.

Two things are important, says auto consultant Brett Coker. “First impressions and last impressions.”

The sales department can help the service department, and vice versa.

Understanding the relationship between F&I and the service drive can boost dealership profitability exponentially, despite today’s market pressures.

Family-owned Motorcars’ goal is to not only use the assembly line itself but also sell the setup to other dealerships.

Many car dealers know how many sales went unclosed on the showroom floor from the previous weekend, but have no idea how many lost sales have happened over the past six months in the parts department.

The service department always has been a key profit center for dealerships. Now, as cars need fewer actual repairs and alternatives to even owning a car are emerging, retailers are looking at every aspect of the service department to keep...

“We’ve invested in a lot of technology to run those stores,” says Tony Rimas of the McCombs Automotive Group.

Student aid helps people training in New York for dealership careers.