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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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.
The Three Habits Behind High Service Retention
A dealership can deliver a great service visit and still lose the customer the next time around. That’s because retention isn’t won through one strong offer, one new tool, or even one memorable experience. Retention is built by making every part of the customer journey reinforce the next.
Convenience Has Changed the Fixed Ops Playbook
Customers are no longer comparing your service drive only to the dealership across town. They’re comparing it to every fast, convenient, transparent experience they have elsewhere. Many dealerships may not realize how quickly that standard is rising. Keeping up means choosing technology and service models that fit your customers rather than adopting every new tool the same way.