The Generational Divide in Your Service Drive

Episode 50 — Special Episode with Bill Springer | 

If your service team is treating every customer the same, there’s a good chance you’re losing some of them without ever hearing a complaint. A bad phone experience, a clunky online scheduler, or the wrong communication channel can quietly push customers somewhere else.

The solution isn’t choosing phone or online, email or text, video or advisor explanation — it’s matching the experience to the customer. In this episode of Retention Roadmap, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer breaks down the generational divide in dealership service using data from the 2026 DriveSure Dealership Service Retention Report. From scheduling preferences and communication channels to prepaid maintenance bundles and video inspections, this episode shows why one-size-fits-all service is becoming a retention risk, and what dealers can do right now to adapt.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why younger customers prefer online scheduling, while customers 55+ still rely heavily on phone calls
• How text has become the default for in-service updates across every age group
• Why email still matters for older customers between visits
• How prepaid maintenance bundles can help lock in younger customers before they form habits elsewhere
• Why video inspections are especially powerful for price-sensitive customers who need to see the problem before approving the repair

Resources

2026 Dealership Service Retention Report
Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
Follow Roadmap Retention on LinkedIn
Retention Roadmap YouTube Channel