EPISODE 05

From Fixed Ops to Dealer Principal: A Blueprint for Dealership Success

Featuring Guest Jerry Romano

Episode Description

How does a technician rise to become the owner of multiple successful dealerships? For Jerry Romano, it started by mastering service retention and building a brand that customers can’t resist. Today he’s the owner and Chief Operating Officer of Windward Hyundai, Windward Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, and Jerry V’s Honolulu Hyundai.

In this episode of Retention Roadmap, Jerry emphasizes how his hands-on experience in fixed operations has shaped his leadership style, allowing him to build strong customer relationships and drive service retention. He also discusses the importance of creating a unique brand identity, such as “Jerry for the People,” which resonates with customers and sets his dealerships apart in a competitive market. The branding, combined with consistent marketing and a focus on customer service, has been crucial in maintaining customer loyalty.

 

Takeaways from this episode:

  • Specific strategies that contribute to dealership success
  • How programs like Tires for Life and DriveSure help with customer retention
  • The challenges of growing technician talent
  • Adapting to the evolving electric vehicle market
  • The importance of consistency and maintaining personal connections with customers

BILL SPRINGER

Host of Retention Roadmap
and president of Krex Inc.

Jerry Romano

Owner & COO of Windward Hyundai, Windward Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, and Jerry V’s Honolulu Hyundai

Would you like to Be a guest on our podcast?

What AI Can Teach You About Service Defection

What AI Can Teach You About Service Defection

What if your biggest threat to retention isn’t the competition, but your own calendar? Most dealerships don’t lose customers all at once. They just stop showing up. But with AI and a few simple process shifts, you can catch defection before it happens and make retention feel automatic.

read more
From Transactional to Relational: The Service Advisor Shift

From Transactional to Relational: The Service Advisor Shift

What if your best retention strategy had nothing to do with pricing, loyalty programs, or even your shop’s hours, and everything to do with how your service advisors say “good morning”? Most customers don’t come back because they weren’t helped… they were handled. The fix? Train your advisors to build relationships, not just close tickets.

read more
Service on the Move: Why Dealerships Are Going Mobile in 2025

Service on the Move: Why Dealerships Are Going Mobile in 2025

Offering mobile service sounds like a win-win, but for many dealerships, the logistics feel overwhelming. How do you staff it? Route it? Make money on it? And will customers even use it consistently? In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill sits down with Amit Chandarana, CEO of Curbee, a mobile service software platform that’s helping dealerships turn these questions into action.

read more

Join our newsletter to stay
up to date with new episodes