Fixed Ops Roundtable

New vehicle sales are projected to drop. ASARs are softening. And yet, the dealers who understand what's quietly happening right now are already positioning themselves to have their most profitable year yet. Dan Shine of Automotive News joins Ted Ings and Sarah Vantine on the Fixed Ops Roundtable to break down exactly why 2026 is a defining moment for fixed operations, and why the service lan...

The automotive industry is facing a generational shift that most operators aren't prepared for, and the window to act is closing faster than anyone wants to admit. Kent McDonald, President of Northwood University, sits down with Ted Ings and Sarah VanTine to talk about what's really happening to talent in this industry, why the companies moving right now will dominate the next decade, an...

Every time a car breaks down, a dealership either wins a customer for life or loses one forever. Most don't even know it's happening. Anthony Giagnacovo has run 150,000 of those moments, every single month. And in this episode he breaks down exactly what's at stake: the average repair order sitting inside every roadside rescue, why the difference between 45 minutes and 62 minutes ca...

Automotive talent development just got a serious upgrade, and Lithia & Driveway's DART program is leading the charge. Diego Rojas, the architect behind one of the most in-demand leadership development programs in automotive retail today, joins the Fixed Ops Roundtable to talk about what's happening inside Lithia & Driveway that dealership general managers across the country are l...

In this episode Sarah Vantine sits down with Luke May, dealer principal of White Family Dealerships (South Dakota & Wyoming), to unpack what it really takes to build a winning fixed operations culture in today's competitive automotive landscape. Luke brings a rare perspective, he started as a Ford-certified technician, spent 20 years in the field with General Motors, and now oversees five...

Your website says 60-minute oil changes. Your Google reviews say two and a half hours. And AI just chose your competitor. Brian Kramer, one of the most influential voices in automotive retail and VP at Cars Commerce, joins Sarah and Ted for a conversation that every dealer, service director, and fixed ops leader needs to hear RIGHT NOW — because the rules of digital visibility just changed permane...

What if the biggest thing holding your wholesale operation back… isn’t sales, but cash flow? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, we get real about one of the most frustrating (and misunderstood) challenges in fixed ops: accounts receivable, slow pay, and the silent cash-flow killers hiding in wholesale parts and B2B service work. I’m joined by Dave Schell of Interstate Billing Service and...

If trust is the real currency of fixed ops… how are you earning it the moment a customer pulls into your drive? That’s the question that sets the tone for this episode of The Fixed Ops Roundtable, and it’s one of the most honest, practical, and human conversations I’ve had in a long time. I sat down with Spiro Morogiannis of BG Products, Inc., a true advocate for dealers and fixed ops teams, to un...

What if the last interaction your customer has with your dealership is the one that decides whether they ever come back? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with Travis Siebert, Senior Vice President of Sales at Dealer Pay, to talk about something that used to be an afterthought in dealerships, and is now one of the most powerful drivers of trust, convenience, and profitability...

What if the biggest opportunity in Fixed Ops right now isn’t working harder… but removing the friction that’s wearing your people down? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with Erik Zuniga of ALLDATA Automotive Intelligence for a real conversation about what’s actually changing inside dealership service departments, and why the dealers who win next will be the ones who obsess o...

What if the biggest competitive advantage in Fixed Ops isn’t technology… but hospitality? That’s the question at the heart of this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, and once you hear this conversation, you won’t look at porters, greeters, car wash, or pickup & delivery the same way again. In this episode, I’m joined by Brandon Hall, Vice President of Alliance Dealer Solutions, alongside my...

What if the “fixed costs” you’ve accepted for years… aren’t actually fixed at all? That’s the question that kicks off this episode, and trust me, once we pulled on that thread, the whole sweater started to unravel. In this Fixed Ops Roundtable conversation, I’m joined by Steve Thompson of Integrity Cost Consulting, Shon Kingrey from Kayser Automotive Group, along with Sarah Vantine, and we go stra...

What if the last thing your customer experiences, 'the payment' became one of your biggest competitive advantages? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, we sit down with Randy Modos, Co-Founder and President of PayJunction, for a conversation that goes way beyond credit card terminals and transaction fees. This is about friction, freedom of choice, and the future of fixed ops prof...

What if the fastest way to improve CSI, advisor productivity, and even used car acquisition… wasn’t another process, but a better experience? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with Joel Furno, Founder & CEO of Citrin Automotive Hospitality, alongside Ed Roberts of Bozard Ford Lincoln, and we go deep on something the industry talks about a lot, but rarely executes at a wor...

What if one simple decision in your service drive could boost customer retention by nearly a third? That’s not a theory, that’s real data. And in this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with longtime friend of the show and industry heavyweight Rob Leary from BG Products to unpack a study that honestly stopped me in my tracks. We’re talking real VIN-level data. Real dealerships. Real r...

What if one of the easiest ways to protect your dealership’s future profit is something you’re already entitled to, but probably underutilizing? In this episode, I’m joined by my co-host Sarah Vantine and industry veteran Robert Wooden for a conversation that every fixed ops leader needs to hear, especially as we look ahead to 2026. Robert has spent nearly three decades living and breathing fixed...

What happens when car prices hit record highs, consumers feel the squeeze, and dealers are forced to play a smarter game, not a harder one? In this episode of The Fixed Ops Roundtable , Sarah Vantine sits down with Steve Greenfield , General Partner at Automotive Ventures , for a wide-ranging conversation about where automotive retail is really headed, and why fixed operations may be the most impo...

What if the biggest risk to your dealership isn’t what you don’t know… but what you’ve gotten used to overlooking? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable , Sarah Vantine and I sit down with our good friend Paul Elliott from Insurance Office of America (IOA) , and let me tell you, this conversation goes way beyond “insurance talk.” Paul pulls back the curtain on what risk actually looks like i...

What if the biggest opportunity in your fixed ops department isn’t working harder… but seeing clearer? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable , I’m joined by Pete Carusone, President & CEO of VisionAST , and Ed Roberts, COO of Bozard Ford Lincoln , for a real, no-nonsense conversation about why how we look at our numbers matters just as much as what we’re measuring. We dig into a hard tru...

If you think video MPIs are “just another tool,” this episode might completely change how you see fixed ops. In this episode, I sat down with Joe Shaker of TruVideo , alongside Sarah Vantine , and what unfolded was less about software… and more about human behavior . Trust. Transparency. Communication. The stuff we all talk about, but rarely execute at scale. 👉 Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops...

What if the biggest growth opportunity in your dealership isn’t on the showroom floor… but already sitting in your service drive? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable , I’m joined by Tej Soni, CEO of FrogData , alongside Sarah Vantine , for a conversation that quietly challenges how most dealers think about service, marketing, and growth. 👉 Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Ev...

There are moments in this industry when you can almost see tomorrow walking toward you. This conversation, recorded at Northwood University’s International Auto Show and CAMS Industry Summit, is one of those moments. Ted Ings and Sarah Vantine sit with two respected voices in automotive. Ed Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at Bozard Ford Lincoln, and Maureen Martin, Vice President at Dynatron Soft...

What if the most important conversations in fixed ops are the ones happening outside the service bay? In this episode, recorded at the CAMS Industry Summit at Northwood University, we sit down with two industry voices who bring fresh clarity to where the business is headed: Curtis Gardner, Technician Extraordinaire, and David Reinicke, President of Automotive Warranty Network. 👉 Register for the...

What if the biggest threat to your dealership wasn’t the economy, the OEM, or even EV adoption… but the opportunities you’re not seeing yet? Today on the Fixed Ops Roundtable, we’re coming to you from the CAMS Industry Summit at Northwood University with someone who never fails to shake the room. I’m sitting down with Brian Benstock of Paragon Honda, alongside the always brilliant Sarah Vantine, a...

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the automotive industry’s brightest thinkers sit down in one room, buckle up. This conversation feels like stepping into the control room of a rocket that’s already taking off. In this episode, joining the conversation are two heavy hitters who are right at the center of that momentum: Mike Cavanaugh of Lithia and Driveway and Dr. Matt Bennett of Northwood...