From Mobile Service to Customer Loyalty: What Smart Dealerships Are Learning Now

Mobile service isn’t a brand-new idea; Cadillac was offering at-home vehicle service as far back as the 1920s, dispatching Harley-Davidson sidecars to customers’ homes. But what’s new is how dealerships today can operationalize it at scale using modern tools, data, and software.

In a recent episode of the Retention Roadmap podcast, host Bill Springer sat down with Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee, to explore how his company is transforming dealership mobile service from a niche offering into a scalable, profitable strategy.

Originally launched as a direct-to-consumer mobile maintenance provider, Curbee completed over 30,000 jobs in California and Arizona before making a major pivot: shifting its entire focus to a B2B software platform that helps dealerships run mobile service themselves.

At the center of this shift is Curbee’s MARS platform (Mobile and Remote Service), designed to eliminate the headaches of scheduling, routing, and managing mobile jobs.

Rather than selling trucks, tools, or tech labor, Curbee provides the optimization layer, a combination of precise geo-mapping, AI-powered scheduling, and best-practice playbooks, so dealerships can deliver mobile service efficiently, profitably, and at scale.

Why Mobile Service Is a Game-Changer for Customer Retention

Mobile service isn’t just about convenience, it’s a powerful lever for winning back lost customers and keeping them loyal.

In recent years, especially during the surge in vehicle sales from 2020–2023, many customers purchased cars far outside their usual market areas. As a result, service retention dropped, not because of bad experiences, but because of inconvenience.

Curbee’s work with OEMs shows just how much this matters:

• A study with one major manufacturer found that thousands of customers absent from dealership CRM records for 18+ months were 92% more likely to accept service when offered through mobile.
• The number one driver keeping people away? Location and convenience, not dissatisfaction.

Amit points out that in today’s market, loyalty isn’t just about the car brand; it’s about the customer experience. Features like Apple CarPlay may hold more sway with customers than the dealership badge, making it even more crucial for dealers to reduce friction and meet customers where they are.

The Sweet Spot: What Services Work Best on Wheels

Curbee helps dealerships focus on mobile service tasks that are easy to deliver and profitable to scale. According to Amit, the biggest opportunity areas include:

• Fluids & filters
• Bulbs, blades, and batteries
• Oil and tire rotations
• Recalls — especially software updates or inspections

Recalls are particularly powerful, as there’s an estimated 70 million open recalls on the road, with 25% requiring nothing more than a software update or quick check. By adding minor upsells like wiper blades or air filters, dealerships can turn simple recall jobs into meaningful revenue and deepen customer trust.

Scaling Up: The Metrics That Matter

To operationalize mobile service effectively, Amit recommends a crawl, walk, run approach. Here’s how the metrics stack up:

• First 45 days: 5–7 mobile appointments per day, ~55 minutes per appointment
• 70% upsell rate on appointments (because convenience drives “yes” decisions)
• Post-setup growth: 7–12 appointments/day, especially when tapping into fleet accounts

Fleet work offers a massive unlock. Dealers can service commercial vehicles before 8 am or after 6 pm, avoiding revenue downtime and driving new profit streams.

Cracking the Code: Communication for Mobile Service Customers

Communicating with a mobile service customer isn’t quite the same as a customer standing at the service desk.

Dealers using Curbee’s MARS platform can adapt their communication flow depending on their comfort level:

• Some stick with familiar tools like printed repair orders and windshield stickers.
• Others go fully digital, using integrated tech apps and one-touch payment links.
• Most find success blending both, ensuring the mobile experience feels just as polished as the in-store one.

The system allows for seamless amendments or upsells on-site. For example, if the tech identifies an upsell opportunity (like wipers or cabin filters), the dealership can instantly send a link for approval and payment, keeping the customer engaged and boosting revenue on the spot.

How OEM Partnerships Are Fueling Mobile Growth

Curbee’s recent partnership with Stellantis is a standout example of how manufacturers are helping dealers adopt mobile service faster.

Here’s what Stellantis is doing right:

• Offering financial incentives to help dealers launch mobile operations (covering upfitting, marketing, and platform costs).
• Setting reasonable performance goals, like hitting 25 mobile appointments after three months.
• Prioritizing data collection, ensuring they have the insights to shape smarter decisions going forward.

Amit emphasizes that Stellantis has been careful not to overregulate. Instead, they’re creating a low-barrier environment where dealers can experiment, learn, and grow without heavy-handed rules.

The KPIs That Predict Success

So, what should a dealership measure to know if mobile service is working? Amit lays it out clearly:

• Appointments per day/week (start small, scale steadily)
• Upsell percentage (aim for ~70% acceptance on convenience-driven recommendations)
• Efficiency and time-on-site (average appointment ~55 minutes)
• Customer satisfaction index (early data: 4.7 out of 5!)

While long-term retention data (repeat mobile customers) is still being collected, early indicators like CSI scores point to strong future loyalty, driven by the sheer convenience of having service come to you.

Amit’s Advice for Dealers Exploring Mobile Service

Amit wraps up with some key advice for dealership leaders thinking about mobile service:

• Apply the “Me Test.” Ask yourself: Would you personally want to wait at a service drive for 1–2 hours? If not, why expect your customers to?
• Do the math. Adding a service bay costs $100K–200K (plus downtime and permits); adding a mobile van costs ~$12–15K and can be operational in 30 days.
• Start with a plan. Whether it’s on the back of a napkin or a formal strategy, you need clear steps on staffing, operations, and metrics — plus a partner who can help you execute.

The biggest takeaway? You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. With smart support and a willingness to test, you can unlock extra capacity, boost satisfaction, and make your dealership a no-brainer choice for customers.

Final Takeaway: Mobile Service as the Future of Fixed Ops

Mobile service isn’t here to replace traditional service lanes, it’s here to complement them. By offloading simple jobs and recalls to mobile vans, dealerships free up shop space for more complex, high-margin repairs, while meeting customers’ growing demand for convenience.

As Amit puts it, this isn’t just about technology or hardware. It’s about rethinking what great customer service looks like, and making sure your dealership is ready to deliver.

Want to hear the rest of the conversation? Listen to the full episode here.

Need help making retention feel automatic?

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