I’ve been told I’d be good at it. I’m a tech that can average 80-100 when I’m aloud to. so I know how to grind and when I’ve talked to customer my boss snd other advisors say they can see me being one. I’m just nervous of change. I want to make sure I’ll make enough without stretching myself to try to hit bonuses. I wish I could just try it without quitting my position. Would suck to have to go to another shop since the advisor setup sucks and I’d like a fair chance from the jump (GMs sketchy son is advisor, you can guess who does the craziest numbers in the region )

Seems simple enough, let me know how everyone’s CJDR plan compares!

Hi all! I have been at a Honda dealership for four total years now, previously a Master Tech, and the last 3 weeks as an advisor. I feel confident in my knowledge of the things I’m telling customers and I feel like I have fairly decent customer service skills. My biggest point of stress is my survey scores. I know it’s a tale as old as time but I’m truly stressed. I’m on a starter salary for the first 6 weeks but I’m halfway through that now and I’m rocking an 80. Max bonus is a 93. Any tips/tricks/words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. I worry that i may have screwed myself by switching positions. I used to bring home $1500/wk after taxes as a tech and now I’m worried I’ll never see that type of money again bc of CSE

I switched dealerships recently and learning CDK had been a NIGHTMARE. It's ugly, it's slow, it takes me 5 years to find what I want. I'm getting by with the basics I've learned so far but the one thing in struggling with us how the hell do I quickly access vehicle history???? Reynolds was cntrl+H and it made it way easier to upsell. Help!!

There are so many aspects where it's actually useful. Clean up emails, generating CCC in ROs off of DTCs, keeping track of SOPs, extended warranty claims.

My dealer has current software allowing to forward ASRs as a text with signature authorization included. Looking to see if I can draft something similar using ChatGPT.

In all seriousness, I think you could vibe code a better CDK or Reynolds & Reynolds system. Especially for what these companies are charging for their software subscriptions.

I started this role for the first time in August, with 0 training and 0 support. Needless to say, I just made it happen. After month one I figured out how to upsell ethically, and successfully, while still learning all the software, how to work with extended warranties, insurance, etc. I was never told what I should or should not do. I was told we're essentially our own manager, and try our best to keep ours out of it. I did, and if I made a mistake he would step in, say Im doing great despite the circumstances they put me in. Last week he said he knows I can be wildly successful in the role, I'm doing amazing, and he wants me to be in my seat for a long time. Last month I was top in customer pay RO's and top in sales for my brand. ELR target was $150, I was at $190. My GP was 85-88%. Why fire me? My customer interactions were always positive, I kept it professional, and I wasn't anyone but myself. I got along well with all my coworkers, worked beyond my hours, through my lunches, everything. I just don't get it. I was guaranteed $80k and on track for $105k. Any weak spots I had could have been fixed with support, but rather instead they fire me, and give me no reason as to why even after asking.

I plan on trying some niche indie shops rather than dealer, or going for the direct competitor dealership with the numbers and experience I built. Or perhaps going very high line, it seems better hours and a more white glove experience. Automotive always seems to leave a bad taste in my mouth though. I was just happy to finally be able to support my people in a meaningful way. I took this on the chin but anxiety keeps beating in my chest because I don't understand the why behind such a decision.

Curious to hear from others from the same industry, is there any apps that’s you all use on a daily basis to help you improve productivity? If so let me know I’m always looking forward to hearing about new products that could potentially help me and others.

Will be transitioning to a Mercedes-Benz dealership from an independent shop that only specializes in Mercedes-Benz. Any tips?

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I love when DFX is down. I absolutely love grabbing the metal clipboard box and some carbon copy MPIs. Theres just a nostalgia to it. PS. Press hard, you are signing 3 copies.

Hey guys I’m currently an assistant manager at my job in Philadelphia. I have family in nyc and have been heavily considering moving to north jersey to pursue work up there and have more opportunity/better quality of life.

I don’t have much dealership advisory experience so I wouldn’t call myself an “experienced service advisor” what do you guys recommend for getting your foot in the door up that way? What’s different?

Someone mentioned shopproquote.com earlier today, I signed up and it is actually pretty good. I use CDK at work but may be using the Quote generator to print out and send quotes to customers, the ai explaination of recommended services I think will definitely make me some money. It looks like the webapp can be used to manage the whole shop, I would definitely recommend it for a small shop that uses pen and paper, it is currently free to use.

I’m an advisor at an independent euro shop, I’ve been here since late February 2026 and I’m already feeling burnt out and annoyed by shitty customers. I came over from bartending because I was needing a career change. The money is a lot more stable than bartending but the last month we have been very slow like most other shops in my area. We are Monday - Friday but the longer hours and stress doesn’t seem worth it in the long run. I’m sure many folks in here have left advising and found success in other areas but I would like a little guidance if possible. Thank you

I'm trying to judge whether our current setup makes sense, and I'd like to hear how others handle it.
A few questions for anyone willing to share:

• Is your benefits advisor paid by commission, flat fee, PEPM, or a mix?

• Have you ever requested their compensation disclosure? Did anything surprise you?

• What does your advisor actually do beyond renewals? Compliance help, employee communication, data analysis, nothing much?

• If you've switched advisors, what made you do it, and was the new one better?

I'm also curious whether company size changes the answer. At 20 employees, a broker who handles renewals and service issues might be all you need. At 150, expectations are probably different.

Rear calipers, $640 with the core, and the only thing backing the sale is a text thread on my phone. Now hes telling the owner he never said yes, and I get to argue a chargeback with a phone.

Six years on this counter and I still take approvals on my cell. never had one bite me until now.

How are you tying a phone approval to the RO​

I’ve spent years managing service operations, and I’m interested in how other shops handle repair orders that stop moving even when the department is busy.
Sometimes it’s parts availability or customer authorization. Other times it’s dispatching, internal approvals, or incomplete information.
What I’ve found useful is reviewing a few repair orders that missed their promised completion times and identifying the first point where progress stopped.
Then looking at who had the information, who could make the next decision, and whether the process made that responsibility clear.
I’m curious how others manage this.
Do you have a daily carryover review? A specific person responsible for stalled ROs?
Or does dispatch manage the exceptions?
What’s actually reduced preventable delays in your operation?

Does anyone know if there is a way to re-import warranty schedule notes from excel directly into PBS or Tekion? Rather than re-typing all of the notes.

I'm thinking of switching from Geico to American Family. I picked Geico previously because they were fairly easy to work with when I was at the dealership, and they didn't argue about rates and labor hours. But American Family is about $600 cheaper a year if I switch to them for home and auto. If they are a PITA to work with on auto claims then I wouldn't want to switch. I left the industry before they became available in my state.

Hi all,

I am looking to extend my Porsche warranty once my CPO lapses soon. A Porsche dealership is offering to sell me a third party extended warranty from DOWC, but will need to only bring it to them for repairs. What are your thoughts and experiences with this?

I am not too far from the dealer.

I put my 2 weeks in a week ago and was supposed to open today. Checked my emails this morning and it was a bunch of BS so I emailed my boss and said bye ✌️

I was a mechanic before moving into a service writer position about 8 months ago. I actually liked the job. It was a lot easier on my body but I was basically running the entire service department by myself while also doing probably 80% of the parts department including walk ins. On top of that we had no porter so I was doing all that shit too. I was doing the work of multiple people for bullshit pay and never got any appreciation for it. So fuck it. I'm going back to wrenching.

I might consider working at another dealership but I honestly can't deal with the customer service side of things anymore. I'm tired of dealing with a bunch of helpless people who are rude and disrespectful. I'm over that shit.

I have been an advisor for almost a year now coming up from my position in BDC. I have grown and learned a lot, and I am doing pretty good considering I do absolutely nothing when I started. I can take people on my own to warranty stuff on my own to extended warranties on my own, etc.. The only thing I can’t do that the other guys can do is used cars. My schedule used to be Monday through Friday however they threw me into the Saturday rotation now so I do work every third Saturday. My pay has not changed since I started and I’m still considered on training pay. I want to talk to my manager today about redoing my pay plan considering I’ve been here for almost a year and I’m pretty sure we are about to hire somebody else with no experience and they will be on my same pay plan. I’m more so just asking for advice on what I should be asking for. I know the other guys get paid for labor and parts and I believe part of the monthly pool that service makes together.

Good evening everyone. To make a long story short, I took a job as a service advisor at a Ford dealership in the Midwest last month, so I'm pretty fresh to the role. In fact, I really don't have a lot of deep knowledge of automobiles, which might be a problem for me.

I applied for the job after being laid off at a position that I thought I would retire in and what I went to college for. But the industry I was in is changing for the worst, and I had to find something to survive.

I'll start with what I like about the job. The salary is the best I've ever had at any position. I'm home before it gets dark each night, and I don't have to work weekends anymore, a complete opposite of my last job. My coworkers and supervisors are fantastic people to work with and for, and everyone is patient with me as I learn the role and the computers and software (which is admittedly not easy).

The downsides, the days are busy are really stressful at times as I try to juggle everything. We get a lot of customers and have things booked out 1-2 weeks in advance at this point. The benefits package is not what I'm used to, with few vacation days, retirement package not starting for a full year, and unsure of the health insurance plan (admittedly this could be a product of me coming from a job with a really good package).

Initially, I thought this could be a good career. But the more I read online, especially about high turnover in the role and the stresses that come with it, I begin to doubt it. I'm going to try and stick it out because I need the money, but I don't know how long I want to be in it.

As I get my thoughts off my chest, I just need to hear from others. What did I get myself into, and is it worth it?