FEATURE BY DAN DULIK YOUR STORE'S NEXT CHALLENGE F Don't Let It Be Fixed Ops or the past year, most dealerships have had no problem filling service bays. A customer waiting a couple weeks or more for a simple repair is more the norm than an aberration. However, the fall-out from selling fewer new vehicles and more offbrand vehicles due to inventory shortages, makes it likely dealerships will see a slump in service business within the next two to three years. Combined with a possible recession and the continuing labor shortage, it is time to think about how to boost service loyalty and staff productivity to keep revenue high and bays full as the market becomes competitive again. Focus efforts on the following: BOOST CUSTOMER PAY Fewer new vehicles sold means less warranty work. Fewer tradeins means less internal pay. What's left? Boosting customer pay. The 32 preferred channel WHEN it is needed. best strategy is to run marketing campaigns focused on service specials, declined services, and scheduled maintenance. Forget about spray and pray campaigns. Today's customers expect a personalized message through their preferred channel WHEN it is needed. This type of attention to detail builds customer loyalty. Today's customers expect a personalized message through their CUSTOMERS RESPOND TO VISUALS AND EMPHASIS ON SAFETY When it comes to declined services, customers respond to multi-point inspection reports that include video and photos so they can SEE what needs to be done. Some of the best results happen when service advisors change communication strategies to emphasize the safety aspects of needed services. No one wants to be stranded on the side of the road. Prove that a service can