EPISODE 50
The Generational Divide in Your Service Drive
Special Episode with Bill Springer
Episode Description
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
BILL SPRINGER
and president of Krex Inc.
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The Next Evolution of Video MPI
Video inspections are becoming standard in dealership service departments. But simply sending a video is no longer enough. The next opportunity is making sure customers actually watch it, understand it, and see enough value in the experience to trust the recommendation and come back again.
How to Become Your Customer’s First Call for Tires
Only about one-third of dealership service customers bought their last set of tires from the dealership. That’s not just a missed tire sale. Once a customer heads somewhere else for tires, that shop gets a shot at the rotations, alignments, brakes, maintenance, and repair work that comes next.
Turning Service Visits Into Future Vehicle Sales
Your next vehicle sale may already be sitting in the service drive. Yet while one-third of customers say they would be open to a sales conversation during a service visit, only 14% report that anyone actually starts one. The opportunity is not to pitch every customer who pulls into the lane. It’s to build a defined process that helps sales and service identify the right customers, start relevant conversations, and keep the relationship moving through the entire ownership cycle.