This is the podcast itself—basically the hosts getting everyone together and hyping the episode. It’s not really about car tech yet in this clip.
Topic
Fixed Ops Forward feat. Rick Ulin
This episode is called “Fixed Ops Forward” and it features Rick Ulin. In this part of the show, they’re mostly talking casually before getting into the main topic.
KPIs are the “scoreboard” numbers a business watches to see if things are getting better or worse. In a dealership, they help managers spot problems early.
Term
hours per row
This is a way to measure how much work gets done relative to the shop’s capacity. Think of it like tracking how busy each work area is and how efficiently it’s being used.
Term
effective rates
It’s basically a measure of how much money the shop makes per hour of labor time. If the “rate” isn’t effective, you can be busy but still not earning well.
Repair orders are the paperwork for customer service jobs. “Flat” RO counts means the number of repair jobs isn’t really increasing, so dealerships have to work harder to keep customers and run efficiently.
They’re pointing to COVID as a turning point that changed how the dealership service business performs. After that, the usual growth patterns didn’t really bounce back.
Retention means getting customers to return for future repairs and maintenance. Instead of relying on new customers all the time, you build repeat business.
A “labor hour” is how the shop measures work time for repairs. If the shop can sell more billable labor hours, it generally means more revenue and better shop performance.
A service manager is the person who keeps the repair shop organized and moving. They coordinate the team and make sure customers get taken care of while the shop meets its goals.
“Battlefield commission” here means getting promoted or put in charge suddenly, not gradually. The point is that new service managers may need extra coaching to handle customers and the shop workload.
A service advisor is the person you talk to when you bring your car in for service. They explain what’s wrong, what should be fixed, and help manage the repair process.
A shop foreman is like the lead in the repair bays, making sure technicians have what they need and jobs are moving. Sometimes they get promoted to service manager, which means more responsibility with customers and the overall department.
NCM is a training group for people working in dealership service. The hosts say it helps service managers learn faster and stay sharp by teaching from real past experience.
In this context, “vendor” refers to an outside company or trainer working with dealerships rather than being employed inside a store. The transcript contrasts vendor/trainer/educator work with working “in a store,” while still describing the same motivation to improve outcomes.
They’re talking about the need for ongoing training. Cars and repair methods change over time, so workers have to learn the newer, easier, less stressful ways to do the job.
Term
solutionaries
They’re using a nickname for the people who help customers in the service department. The idea is that their job is to figure out what’s wrong and help you, not just push a sale.
A “profit center” is a part of a business that’s supposed to make money. The point here is that even if service is meant to be profitable, it can still underperform if the team isn’t good at selling and keeping customers.
The hosts discuss creating a summit focused on fixed-ops teams (service and parts). The emphasis is on training, process changes, and sharing best practices to help departments improve performance.
Concept
AI
AI (artificial intelligence) is being used in dealership service and parts workflows to improve efficiency—such as faster information retrieval, better customer communication, and decision support. In this context, it’s framed as a tool to help fixed-ops teams adapt to modern business demands.
They’re describing a conference/event where service leaders and dealers meet to solve real problems. The point is practical help, not just selling stuff.
The segment highlights “staying in contact” and providing “status updates” during the repair process. Good communication reduces customer anxiety, helps manage expectations, and can improve perceived service quality even when repairs take time.
Video MPIs are “multi-point inspections” delivered via video, typically used by service advisors to show customers what’s being found (and why work is recommended). The hosts emphasize not just getting them done, but making them effective and high quality.
This means doing the repair correctly the first time. If you have to bring the car back again, it’s frustrating and usually costs more time for everyone.
The hosts emphasize “give them back a car on time” as a key service metric. On-time delivery depends on scheduling accuracy, parts availability, and efficient repair execution—plus communication when delays happen.
The segment focuses on managing customer emotions during service—especially when customers are “on the edge.” It emphasizes proactive communication, timely completion, and setting expectations so the customer feels respected even if delays or uncertainty exist.
A “loner” is a temporary replacement car the dealership gives you while your car is being worked on. The point here is that it helps the customer, but it shouldn’t be used as a default if it doesn’t make sense operationally.
“GM” here refers to the dealership General Manager, a senior executive who typically oversees multiple departments and sets operational priorities. The hosts include GMs to align leadership on what improves efficiency and customer outcomes.
A “solution session” is basically a focused meeting where people talk through problems and agree on better ways to do things. Here, it’s about making the service operation run smoother and feel better for customers.
In a dealership, “fixed ops” usually means the service department and parts department. The host is saying that how you run the shop early in the day affects everything that happens later.
They’re basically saying the morning rush matters most. If you handle the first customers well between 7 and 10am, the rest of the day tends to run smoother.
Concept
inventory burn-down
“Burned out whatever inventory we have available” describes using up current stock (or capacity) to finish the day’s work. In a dealership context, it often relates to managing parts/service throughput and ensuring the day’s work is completed so the next day starts clean.
Concept
succession training
Succession training means teaching people step-by-step so they’re ready for the next job. Instead of waiting until someone fails or quits, you build skills early so the team keeps moving forward.
Concept
fixed ops vs variable ops
Dealers often split their business into two buckets: the parts/service side and the sales side. The “fixed” side is usually more steady, while the “variable” side changes more with sales volume.
The segment emphasizes how a military background shapes work habits—especially discipline, procedure-following, and accountability. The speaker argues that those traits translate into automotive training and service execution.
Basic training is the military’s initial boot-camp style training. The point they’re making is that it teaches people to follow details and procedures every time—like you’d want in automotive work.
“Attention to detail” is the disciplined habit of following small steps correctly and consistently. The speaker connects it to both military readiness and automotive integrity, arguing that small mistakes can have big consequences in real-world operations.
They’re talking about doing the right thing even when no one is checking. In car work, that means you follow the process and don’t cut corners because it’s the right standard to have.
A modern service department is how a shop runs today using newer tools and systems. The goal is to make service smoother while still keeping the customer relationship strong.
They’re talking about a breakdown in communication between the dealership and the customer. When everything becomes overly automated, it can be easier to forget what the customer actually needs.
They’re saying AI is becoming a big part of how shops and dealerships operate. The point is that it can help, but people need to understand how to use it correctly.
This is when a shop is set up to handle service work at any time, not just during normal business hours. It can help customers get their cars back faster.
They’re talking about not stocking a bunch of parts that nobody needs. Keeping inventory lean saves money and makes it easier to get the right parts when customers need them.
Dynatron is referenced as a long-time partner in the automotive service/operations ecosystem. The speaker highlights their longevity and long relationship, suggesting Dynatron provides tools or services that support dealership or shop operations.
Concept
core legacy DMS providers
DMS is the main software dealerships use to manage things like service appointments and records. The speaker is saying even the older, established systems still matter.
The speaker mentions hosting a party at the Power and Light District in Kansas City as part of the event. This is more about the conference logistics and networking than a technical automotive topic.
Concept
network is what makes you net worth
They’re basically saying that who you know matters. Talking with other people in the same business helps you learn what works and avoid mistakes.
They’re saying dealerships can get stuck working in separate groups. When everyone only focuses on their own department, it’s harder to share ideas and improve.
Concept
AI is the way of the future
They’re talking about using AI (computer tools that can learn and help make decisions) to run a business better. The point is that other shops will use it, so you should learn it too. If you don’t understand it yet, that’s what’s holding people back.
LIVE
Hello and welcome to the CarGuy Coffee Podcast. This brew has been brought to you by Certified
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Let's brew! What's going on Car Guys and Car Gals, it's Lou Ramirez and it's Brent Lennards.
We are brewing solutions on the CarGuy Coffee Podcast. We are excited to be brewing solutions
with this Solutionary today and we got to make sure that we get plenty of people inside of this
room so you know what you need to do. Go ahead and tag a CarGuy and tag a CarGuy and share, share,
share, share, share, share, get this out there. We're going to drop the count down. You guys got
it.
Welcome back to the party everybody. We are excited to be here today and we can't wait to
have this good conversation, good cup of coffee and just talk about some of the things that are
brewing right now inside of the industry and to come. But wherever it is that you are, wherever
it is that you're tuning in, whether you're watching this live, you're watching this on the
replay or you're listening to this on your ride or walk or run on the podcast, thank you so much
for supporting the CarGuy Coffee Podcast where we are on a quest to brew with the best and today
we are going to do no less. We are excited about this serious Solutionary that's up in here.
We're also going to get a little bit silly. Fred, I'm excited.
Bro, I'm beyond excited. The company that we're representing today, the company that he represents
today, the company that is doing some big things, making splashes all across the industry, helping
and educating and encouraging and more importantly, man, empowering people and dealerships across the
country in variable and fixed stops and everything you can imagine. They're doing it because they
care, man. And there's a group of people that work at this company that have teamed up at this
company that really all have ownership in my opinion of this company, the way they act.
And really it's an amazing thing to see that they're pouring into other people's cups. Lou
and I, we're on a mission. We're on a quest, I should say, to brew with the best. Maybe that's
right. I was getting the world to say it with us because that's what it's about. We're brewing with
the best. All you all who are on here sharing this out, you are the best. So make sure you get
this shared out really quick. Come on, keep passing it around. Let's get some people in here today
because we got some great announcements to make. There's something that's happening over in Kansas
City here really soon. That's really big, man. And it's something that's going to be continually
to happen. It's a way to do all three of those ease that we just talked about,
educating, encouraging and power. I'm pumped, Lou, as you can tell, but it's not just the
coffee, man. It's the guests that we have today. I'm pumped to get him on the show.
I did a little review on his history and just checked out what he's done in the past, man.
This dude's bringing some freaking dynamite for us, man. I'm excited.
Yes, he is. Yes, Lou is flowing right now. That's right, Brian Ortega. Excited that you're here for
the party. Pumped up that you're supporting us today. Thank you so much for being in the room.
Maybe one day you're hosting one of these shows yourself. Excited about that. But until then,
let's go ahead and make welcome our friend, the one.
Lou, Rick, you there. Welcome to the party, Rick. How are you? I'm good. I'm good.
Look at you. I think I'm on my third cup already. This is my first. This is my first. Let's go.
I also got the, in the opening there, I was like, about to grab the sticks right here.
I want to get in on that a little bit. I picked that up when I was turned 60. I was like,
I'm going to learn how to drum. No kidding. Because you never too old to learn something.
You know what, brother? I'm so, that is, that right there, just what you just said is so profound.
And it's the truth. Too many times we were told, as we were younger men,
can't teach an old dog new tricks. You can't. You just don't do things like that. We're
in those times in our lives that we have moments to be a child again and to be excited and to be
a sponge brother. And I'm excited for you playing drums, man. Well, you just must have just turned
60. How long have you been playing drums now, brother? It's been two and a half years. So
congratulations on that, brother. I'm sure it's something that you want to do your whole life.
Yeah, it's kind of weird. I love music and music, all genre, right? It doesn't really
matter, whatever moves me. And I never really played anything growing up and singing the car a
little bit, right? My fingers on the steering wheel a little bit. And then one day I just decided,
I'm going to do this. And super passionate about it. I get up every morning, crack a dom,
and I get on the kit and I play. And really that's what it's about, right? Daily discipline. Just
getting on there, putting the time in, putting the effort in, even when you don't feel like it.
And next thing stuff starts to happen and then they start to flow and then you're having fun.
So that's where I'm at right now. Just learning. Applause for that. My friend, I think that
we should start a band. And what I mean by that is like I'm granted 40 years old when I started
playing guitar. I've been playing for seven years now, right? I self taught myself same exact
mindset was like, man, I've always wanted to do something. I'm going to just do it.
So I picked it up and I started playing and I disciplined myself to 30 minutes a day
to where I played for 30 minutes and it turned into, as you got better, it started to be longer
than just 30 minutes because you get, now you having fun. Drums is something, man, I'm just
now, no, no, no, I can take a chance on playing drums for that. I appreciate it.
When I'm out of town, when I'm coming back, I miss the family and I miss the kid.
It's like I try not to put preference over the other, but I miss them both and I can't wait
to get back and kiss and hug and play, right? And do a little bit of everything. So we'll get
Lou to be the singer, the front man, cause he likes to dance and all that. I'll play guitar.
You play, you play that. I know a bass player that we can get it. It's the all automotive
assemble.
The late learners will be the late learners.
What's going on, Jason Grimes. Welcome to the party. Thank you so much for tuning in.
He is the racer for the car guy coffee fueled race car that mustang be zipping down some strips.
And we're excited that you're part of the party. Excited that you're here. Jason, we appreciate
you. Pumped up, pumped up to get this conversation moving and grooving. So keep putting people
inside of this comments, tag them if they need to talk a little bit about some fixed ops forward,
everybody. We're dropping F bombs today like crazy. And yes, of course we're going to be
forgive focus and it's lying, but Rick, there is so much that's ruined inside of the fixed ops
domain. And there is so much that could be said, could be commented on, could be learned. And there's
so many different people that are trying to find their way into the space to somewhat influence,
to try to help it. What right now is, I would say some of the landscape that has been harder to
find some authenticity. And I know that there's a lot of people that are doing a lot of things.
And there's one thing that people trust NCM for, it's for bringing true solutions that have been
vetted, true solutions that have almost in some cases have no equal. And you all bring an expertise
inside of so many different areas. And how are you helping people navigate these landmines inside
of this fixed ops field? That's a great question. I think the probably the biggest one I start about
every session when I'm teaching in class or when I'm in front of a group, I talk about people in
process, because it's just an old term, we've been using it for years, but it's so true. You got
to have a good talented team, no doubt about it, but they can't just run around all willy-nilly,
right? I think we need a playbook, got to come to work, got to have a plan. And then I add math.
I think it in fixed operations, especially, it's all about the metrics, it's all about the math,
the KPIs. It's how we measure ourselves, if we know where they're doing well or not, hours per
row, our effective rates, all these things. And we've been challenged over the last really since
COVID. So six years now seems like, wow, that went fast, right? But RO counts super flat. It's not
really growing. It's been compressed. And I think dealers have to put more focus on retention. It
got lost in the sauce a little bit. So I think for us, it's all about teaching your team how to
recognize those signs, how to do the practice every day perfectly, work through building the
dealership on a transaction at a time. Because it is tight. And so we've got to be perfect. We
got to be able to knock out the results on a daily basis. The beauty of fixed ops is it's the same
job done differently every day, right? Every day is different. There's new wrinkles, there's new
issues, new fires to put out. But in the end, it's how many hours did we produce?
Right. It's always about the hours, right? It's about the hours. It's always the hours.
Everything starts with the labor hour. So yeah, we really just lean into the fact that
most service managers, not all, but let's call it probably heavy majority,
get what we call a battlefield commission, right? They're the last advisor standing when the last
manager left. Or they're the shop foreman who finds themselves as a service manager all of a
sudden. Having never worked really deep with customers now, it's part of their day to day.
And so how do we not only level them up and get them up to speed quickly, but there's a lot to
learn, a lot to learn. And so they have to have an approach to learning. And I think that's what
NCM is all about. We're a bunch of retired car professionals that don't want to give it up just
quite yet, want to get back and stay in the game. And that's what we do. We work on educating the next
generation. That's amazing. And you guys are doing a great job. And what you're bringing is massive.
And because of your past and because that you guys still have a love feeling of I want to grow
and take an opportunity and as Rick, this side of the fence, being a vendor, being a trainer,
being an educator is so different than being in a store. But it still gives us the same thrill.
It does. And it, but it challenges us because we did good jobs in stores, but being not there and
maybe not even understanding 100%, what's, what's happening inside your people, but we know because
we've been through it. There's so many situations through the years and the time that you've been
in stores, you've seen things so much over the last many years. I won't even say how many years,
brother, but you, but you definitely have brought it to the automotive industry. And you've been,
and you've been a big part of what you, in all the stores that you've been in, you've been a big
part of those stores, helping them from the front to the back, making sure everything was lined up,
understanding, but fixed stops was always something that was necessary. The community
definitely loved, loved being able to come in and get their cars fixed if they had the right
experience and experiences, what it's all about. You talked about hours in, in order for people
to get the hours they got to bring an experience that can't be so dry. They got to change it up
a little bit because people who are getting their cars fixed nowadays are not the same people that
were getting their cars fixed 20 years ago. The way that they even communicate is so different.
So it's so hard to relay stuff to people if we don't use the tools that are available for us now,
but more importantly, if we don't get reeducated. It's like Lou says this thing, and I love this,
and I think Rick, you're going to understand this. Lou always talks about this in front of
salespeople leadership, especially how if you went to a doctor that didn't reeducate on the
new procedures on a heart over the last 20 years, but they're still doing it the same way they were
doing it 20 years ago, would you really trust that? Like that's, oh, there's so many new ways,
less intrusive, easier ways to do it that you're just not, you, you're great at the old ways.
Let's go. But today's world, there's so much more available to make it easier, save you some time,
make it less strenuous on the customer, all the above. And it's exactly, it's a great analogy.
And I love that you guys are doing that right now. And you guys are bringing that you guys are
coming in learning new stuff yourself to be able to pour into others. I got to ask,
and because I'm very excited about what you guys are doing. I really am. I think fixed ops is
probably the one of the, if not in most stores, the most important department in the building,
because it's what's keeping the doors open in most cases. I see it all across the country.
I love it. And I'm, but it's not talked about enough. It's also not educated enough. There's
not enough training. You go into these stores and you could tell that salespeople or I call
themselves people, but the actual riders, their salespeople, they're there to help people. It's,
we me and Lou more or less call them solutionaries, right? We believe that they're doing it. They're
not really selling their solving problems for people in, in sense, we're exchanging money for
giving them something in a great way. But again, it's an important thing to be able to understand
the process. We go into these stores and even though it's a profit center, big time profit
center, they don't really have great sales skills and they're still losing customers,
but yet they're still making money. And I think that's the pandemic truly is that they're doing
okay in service. They're just staying flatline, but it's enough to keep doors open. It's enough
to pay their people, but it's also enough where you don't have to change. And that's unfortunate,
right? So the ones that are killing it are the ones that are like made the changes, made the shifts.
So I know that you guys have a lot of partners there, people that you've helped take it to the
next level. So in turn, I love that you're doing this event. And that brings me back to my
long drawn out question because I love you, Rick. Sorry. I'm just excited about what you're doing.
All that stuff that you see in the market, things that you've been part of
this event, this is the first one you guys have done for a fixed off summit, right?
Very first one ever, y'all. And this is big. This is why I'm excited because we need these
all the time. We need them more than you all can imagine. They need the training. They act like
they don't want it, but when they get it, they get better and then they get excited. And I'm excited
for you guys and for the fixed ops departments across the country and your partners. What made
you guys want to do this? Like what made you go, you know what, we need to do a freaking summit
for these guys and gals. What made you do that? I think the big thing is, you know, how a snowball
gets rolling. Now we're at this stage with fixed ops where something's going to happen, right?
You're going to adapt your department and you're going to run with the tools available today,
which tech is one thing. AI is everywhere. It's everywhere in all phases of our business.
And ultimately, you need to educate yourself to your point with the doctor, right? You got to
educate yourself on what's available today, but it's all about becoming more efficient. And I think
that's what AI is really designed to do for everybody. It's just help you be better at what
you do, make it more efficient, make it easy. Yeah. And I believe that as part of our experience
in the classroom is we hear the horror stories out there and we hear the good stuff. We hear
both ends of it, right? But it's still the same problems. It's still the same issues that dealers
recurred happens month after month. You hear it from different stores and sometimes it's like
amazing to some degree is, wow, is this still out there? Is this still a problem? Is it still
difficult to schedule the shop workload properly? And the answer is yes. There's people all over
struggling with that same problem and there's tools everywhere. But I think service managers
are some of the busiest people in the business. They're constantly just surviving each day.
They don't have time to really dig in and learn and investigate and get educated on all these
different things. And I think that's what our fuel to future summit is all about.
Let's get those people in a room talking to the dealers. And I've had dealers reach out to me,
he goes, is this just going to be a big sales event? No, not really. It's a solutions event.
Come on. Yeah, yeah, it's yeah, it's meant to like,
hey, I didn't know that was even available to me. We got robots delivering parts these days. We've
got AI tools that help communications in the service department. And we've all had the same
fundamental breakdowns over time, scheduling, staying in contact with my customers doing good
status updates, getting the video MPIs to be not only done, but excellent, effective. And then
keeping a good culture at the store, that all has to be a part of it too. Can't burn our people out,
can't overwork them. But I'm a big believer in the business is not that difficult. It's fundamental.
You treat every customer with courtesy and respect, right? You never prejudge anybody.
You bring a big smile to every interaction. Then probably the next piece is pretty simple,
but often eludes a lot of people. Fix the car right the first time, right?
Nobody wants to do this twice in a week, twice in three weeks. It's a pain to go to service,
let's be real. It's like the dentist, everybody says that, but it's equal to that. It's like,
I got to do it, but I don't really want to do it, but I got to do it. So the last thing I want to do
is do it twice or do it three times for the same problem. So we got to figure that out. And then
the last thing is let's give them back a car on time, having communicated all along the way.
So as long as there's no surprises, everything just happens as a routine.
I teach customers come in neutral at best, right? And chances are they're not upset,
but it won't take much to get them upset because they're on the edge. So really, our job is to
just lean them forward in a positive experience and just make sure that we get the work done,
get it done on time, communicate along the way, give them a car at the end of the day that's done
and they go home just because they're in a loner. There's no reason to carry them over just because
it serves us better. We never know what they're dealing with. So I think the summit is all about
let's get these service managers, parks managers, fixed-off directors, GMs that are heavy into it
in a room and let's learn about what's working today to make us more efficient. That's really
what it's about. I love it, man. Solution session, which is exactly what our industry needs more of
in understanding not just what products can help us be more efficient or can just
stack on to our tech stacks and our technologies inside of our bays, but what can actually
make the mission more rewarding for everybody, right? There's so many different places where
we do pay attention to the customer and if they're not complaining, we think it's all okay.
But that doesn't mean that they're having a great time. That doesn't mean that they're enjoying
what you're actually putting them through and let them get a smell, let them get a taste of
something just a little bit better than what it's like inside of your service department.
Let even literally the smell in the room just be a little bit different than what it is that
they're used to experiencing and their jump in ship. They're okay for going in a different
direction and that's where we need to actually come together to say, hey, these may be the things
that you're used to doing, but times they are a change in consistently. And like you said,
business is pretty simple. Business should remain very simple, but the mission tends to get
complicated. Why does the mission tend to get complicated? Because it's filled with people,
right? It's filled with people, it's filled with thoughts, it's filled with emotions. Welcome to
the party, Jake. Excited that you're here. So glad that you're in the room, but there.
We appreciate you. Reach out to us by the way, Jake. I love to have you on the show.
That's just come on. Let's make it happen, brother. Go ahead and DM me. You can text me,
270-872-9277 for anyone. If you want to be on the show, reach out.
That's right. Welcome to the party, Jake. But back to you, Rick. The conversation about
accomplishing the mission is something that you're not far into, if anything, something that would
have been the primary thing inside of your life for a season. Take paying attention to all those
challenge coins behind you, a thing or two about accomplishing a mission and accomplishing it right.
Where it's not where we're interacting with a customer, right? But we're completing missions.
Tell us a little bit about how your military career has helped you to be able to spot out all
these inefficiencies inside of our business. Thanks for bringing it up and proud to have served.
I always tell people I jumped out of perfectly good airplanes and did it for the thrill and did
it as a family, grew up in a military family. But I think the takeaway more than anything else has
been that a discipline, first of all, a process, a standard operating procedure needs to be developed
for everything. Then we have to have enough discipline to be willing to learn it completely,
not partially, completely, right? And then more importantly, we have to be able to drive the
culture behind it. We got to drive everybody in alignment to that mission. And I think that
discipline, structure, organization, those are things that most people like they have it in
some areas of their life. We have to have it in the workplace. We have to have it. And folding
that all together. I remember when I joined the service peacetime Army, but they had that we do
more before 9am than most people do all day. That was their little tagline. And that's fixed
operations, right? We're the first people at the store. We open it up. We open the gates.
We start the process. We start the whole day. And really, as long as we approach each day,
properly, and start it off, usually the days tend to go well. But I tell service managers,
7 to 10am are the three most important hours of the day. If you destroy those three hours,
if you're all over it, and you get that first wave coming through and you handle it well,
the rest of the day tends to come together. But the opposite is also true. If you fail in
that first three hours and the wheels come off the bus, the lounge gets buried, right? Problems
start to occur, then it is difficult to get out of that. And we end our day every day having
burned out whatever inventory we have available, right? Our tech abilities out there. And so having
a strategy, having a plan, and communicating that. I think those are the skill sets that really
I took, which was you can't know it up here, but not share it. You gotta share it. Everybody
knows everything about the business and teaching educate from the bottom, from the brand new hire
all the way to the senior associate that's been there 40 years. Everybody can learn something,
right? And it's what you learn after you think you know it all. It's gonna make you better.
Rick, that's profound. One, definitely something that we do get from the military that I wish
more businesses would pay attention to and look at. Because in the military, we are consistently
training somebody in succession, training them to be the next rank, training them to go to the
next level, training them to get more qualifications and continue to increase because there's a
demand for that particular skill level at the next level. In our business, whether it's the
fixed off side, whether it's the variable side, where sometimes egos and fear and concern for
self-preservation starts to take in, we get afraid of teaching people how to go to the next level.
We get afraid of teaching people basically what we're great at because for some reason we think
that diminishes our greatness or our contribution to the company and in some cases puts our job
on the line. And that's something that we want to eradicate. We want to get that out of the business
because it stops you yourself from learning. If you're not teaching, if you're not helping somebody
grow, you're impeding your own growth and slowing yourself down. And that's something that I
believe the military taught us really good. And it's almost like we were oblivious to it,
that we even understood that we were really doing this because we had to keep prepping. You had a
new influx of fresh new green soldiers, right? And now they have to mature into these great
qualified individuals and the system was set up to help you keep training to go to that next level.
Now, there's many different levels that you train for and that you guys help for and NCM
is consistent at bringing these training opportunities to the market and to love that
correlation that you all have to what the military would have. What were you going to say on that,
Fred? Man, so much, but I don't really have time for it now if that's all good. Because I want to
ask another question. I do. I have another question I really want to pull out, but the training,
yes, Lou, you're 100%. I'm so glad you asked that question. The military background for us
did make us pay attention to the details and it was trained into you. I remember even at basic
training, I was Air Force, I'm called the light brand, I'm chair force, but even in the chair force,
we had to pay attention to detail. You couldn't make it through basic training without paying
attention to detail. You had, I remember going downstairs, there's two rails you hold onto.
You don't, not one, not none, to all the way to the bottom step, you hold onto those rails.
I know because I got in trouble for letting go on the last step one time ever. Guess what I never
did again. I never let go of the rail. I did it because that's what we were trained to do.
We were trained to pay attention to the smallest things because in the, in the world of military,
that's life and death. That's what I mean. That's to that point where everybody depends on you to
do what you're supposed to do and they can't look back to make sure you are, right? And that's why
being able to understand that inside what we do inside the, in automotive, it's beyond training.
It's an understanding that I could respect what you do. Even if I'm not watching you,
it's that integrity level, right? It's having that inside of us, having honor,
which is one of the biggest words in military honor you hear it everywhere. You got to be
honorable. You have to have honor with what you do. And I think that's something that you guys are
really pouring into stores, understanding the honor side of it. And that does come from our
military background. But I do think there is people out there that have it, but they just
understand the importance of it because they didn't have to deal even in peacetime. I was
peacetime Air Force, brother. I was there from 97 to 2001, right before nine of them. I wasn't in
for nothing. I chilled. I was like, yo, let's just turn some wrenches on aircraft. It was a great
time though. I had fun. I had a blast. I learned so much. I built so much confidence and I understood
structure at a young age, right? I think that's why success happened in automotive for us. And
that is happening at your store. So the question I have for you, not in store, but in your event,
the question I have is at your event, what can people expect to learn there? We're talking
about a lot of great level stuff. I know they're going to learn process. They're going to learn
this, but what are they going to learn? I know you have some great speakers. I heard Owen Moon is
going to be speaking. Good friend of ours. We actually spoke with him, but tell people a little
bit about what to expect at the event. I think we want to bring the modern service department
to the room. We want everybody to see what tools and resources are out there, but more importantly,
how they support what is a traditional system. But more importantly, what are the new systems
today? There's traditional service, but of course, mobile service has been hot the last
couple of years. Ford brought that all the life with their program. But we teach in the institute,
you don't have to be a Ford dealer with a subsidy to make this profitable. So we're going to talk
about that. We're going to talk about some of the challenges that we have with customer demands
today. They are different. I think that that communication gap has existed at the dealership
level for years, decades. It's a problem. It's been a problem. And unless you're a mom and pop
dealer where the advisor knows everybody and they go into breakfast and lunch and church and all that
stuff, you know, this business has gotten to be very tactical from what we need to do every day
to the point where we've almost forgotten about the customer. We're forgetting to,
like we're going to automate so much stuff, like we don't need to talk to the customer. And that's
so not true. It's the opposite. We use those tools to take care of the things that need to be taken
care of the connections are being made. But that's to free up time for us to be able to be more
personable with our guests and to create more relationships with our consumer. And the fact
that the average dealership is roughly 50% service retention, that should scare all of us.
Our O counts are flat. And service retention is not where it needs to be. So the question is,
can we learn from others that are doing it better than we are? And yes, and I think that's what the
summits about. Let's listen to the people out there in the space that are doing different things
that are moving the needles the way they need to go. And I think that's a big part of it.
AI dominating the space. I mentioned it before, but AI is very confusing.
Yes, I study it and it's still, there's just, there's levels within the levels.
And I think that we've got to teach people how to recognize that it doesn't take that much to become
more effective in what you do using these tools. But you got to be willing to, you can't have this,
what I call a bias, where you don't think it's going to be too expensive or it's not going to work
or we do it this way. That's all got to go away. The world is moving super fast right now.
And here's the kind of things that 24-hour service departments, overnight service, mobile service,
and special order parts, programs that don't fill your inventory up with garbage. Lessons,
controls. There's just so much that this new technology can help us with that we have traditionally
relied on our gut to solve these problems. And to have these resources all under one roof is
going to be big. So looking forward to it, everything from, I call them tried and true partners like
Dynatron, who's been out there for a long time. And I've been a client there for three decades,
right? Since the very beginning, back when they weren't even Dynatron, it was a Rome's, I believe,
when I first got involved with them, all the way up to even some of what I call core legacy DMS
providers to all the new stuff and stuff in small startup companies. So it's going to be,
it's going to blast. I'm looking forward to it. It's two days. It's two and a half days. You've
got to travel in day. And then we've got about a day and three-quarter of conference. And it's going
to be, it's going to be busy. But we have a big old party planned for the first full night that we'll
have at the Power and Light District here in Kansas City. Because I think a big part of these,
like you all know, it's the relationships. It's the people you meet. It's the people, you know,
outside of the events, the connections you make that really help take your game to the next level
too. And I'm sitting back here today and I think about all the people in my 40 years that have
influenced me. And there's a lot. There's a lot. So just looking forward to continuing to build on
that. Heck yeah. I love it. It's like going to school for the first day. I'm just saying like,
literally, if you all remember that rush you all had, that's what's going to be like for anyone who
shows up to this. You're going to go to school for the first day, you're going to feel good with
your fresh kicks on all this stuff, right? You're going to get there and you're going to meet people
and you're going to meet new friends and people who do what you do, but they do it differently.
And you're going to learn something to the education, phenomenal next level. Yes. But the
connections and the network is what makes you net worth, my friends. And if you go in there,
you'll find that you'll network with people that do what you do, not just like inside of a store.
We silo so much that we only know the sales department. We only know the people inside that
store. Maybe you know a service manager at another store, but you guys are competitors. You're not
sharing ideas most of the time. This is a great place to find somebody not in your market, somebody
that you can just kick it with and just even on a bad day call and say, man, what's going on over
your store? Are you guys running into this too? And sometimes it's great to be able to just go
back and forth with people and they'll be like, no man, here's what I'm doing to avoid that.
And you can change it really quick because you know it's working. That's a dope thing to be
able to do, man. And I love that you guys are creating this inside a great area. And yes,
the fun at the after parties are amazing. The connections that are made, the conversations
that even the education during those things are dope, man. Lou and I have been in some really
great conversations at a lot of these events and we're always blessed and we always leave better.
And I know that fixed ops variable doesn't matter. We leave and we take something with us
and we become better at what we do. So I'm thankful for what you're doing over there, Rick.
Man, I appreciate what you're doing, man. Congratulations on your growth inside the
inside NCM. I love where you're at right now, brother. You're doing some big stuff.
This is a big opportunity for you to take it to the next level. Smile, have some fun,
because the most important thing we wear every day, Lou is our smile. That's right.
So that we put that on. And if there's anything, make sure that yours becomes contagious. So we
It's been up here this whole time. If you guys want to sign up that QR also got the thing right
down here, you guys, easily jump into your browser. If you can't type that down while
you're watching the scroll by too easy, go ahead and scan the QR code, everybody,
and make sure that you do visit us out there. We can't wait to see you. We will see you soon.
Miss Alana keeps smiling, keeps smiling, forgive folks. But Mr. Rick, we are so thankful for you
taking the time to spend with us and telling us a little bit about your military background,
who we appreciate you. So thankful for your time inside of automotive and for the contribution
that you're still bringing. And you're beaten to a whole new drum, setting the snare to something
new for us all to be aware in. And we're so thankful for everything that you're contributing.
And NCM, thank you so much for bringing this opportunity to the industry for us to be able
to get together and get better, to serve our community better, to serve the people that trust
us and to capture back some of the business that maybe some of these third parties just
keep taking from us. We've got to be able to make sure that we stand tall and we know how
to actually serve and actually how to be more efficient. AI is the way of the future, everybody.
And if we're not learning it, well, it's learning us. So your competitor is learning how to operate
it. So make sure that you're figuring it out as well. But there is so much to do, so much more
to brew. Your friend, I think it's time to drop some F-bombs. And it's time to drop these F-bombs
that don't offend the moms. Just so you guys know really quick, if you guys need help learning AI
tools and how to use it, Lou and I are training on that right now with all our teams across the
country. Reach out to us. We can help you with that. I know we don't talk about what we do much
on this show, but I just want you all to know, and Rick hit a great point. AI is a big thing right
now. And the biggest thing that's stopping people is just they don't understand it all the way.
Even us, guys, all three of us in this room, we use the tool, but we're still confused a little
bit because it is constantly updating, changing. And it also blows your mind because you don't
realize it could do things. And it's easy. In a lot of cases, easier than you think. Because
it's so simple, it makes you go, is it really that easy? It is. But it's about learning it,
getting comfortable with it. I appreciate you for bringing it up, Rick. And guys, gals,
you guys see the QR codes, you hear this, go to their website, sign up for this event,
be there. It's in Kansas City. It's not just fun. You're going to leave and be able to take
something back with your people. Because listen, don't you make excuses? Those are the weights that
we put on our shoulders. That's why we must forgive, right? In order for us to do that. And
then we can get freed up and get focused so that we can reach out and fly together everyone.
Because that's what it's all about. It's about forgive, focusing and flying so that we can
keep growing. Rick, join us real quick. We're going to do the, you're going to just wipe off the
weight, go to forget, focus, fly and keep growing. We're going to do in cadence together.
You understand cadence, so we'll do it on the count of three. Lou, count it off, brother.
One, two, three, forgive, focus, fly and keep growing, keep growing. Got it down. Perfect.
See, I told you, this guy knows. He listens to the details. That's what I'm talking about.
All right, well, we're on people's lives. Amen. Let's go bring in solutions to people, man. Let's
quit percolating problems. Let's brew solutions, man. We are on a quest to brew with the best,
and today we got to do that, Lou. Thank you so much for being on the show, Rick. We appreciate you.
Let's go. We brew in solutions, everyone. Keep tuning in. Alana, thank you so much for jumping
in with us and everybody else that's commented. Continue to share this around and share this
with somebody that you know needs to be at this particular event. Scan the QR code and we'll
see you there. I am Lou Ramirez. And I am Fred Lynn Arts. And you've been brewing solutions on
the Car Guy Coffee podcast for the first time inside the cafe for a fixed ops forward conversation
in a cup of coffee. The one, the only, Rick Julian.
About this episode
Rick Ulin talks fixed ops strategy, with a heavy focus on people, process, metrics, and retention. He explains why service departments need better training, stronger communication, and more efficient tools like AI and mobile service. The conversation also covers NCM’s first Fixed Ops Forward summit in Kansas City, what attendees can expect, and how military discipline and daily structure translate into better dealership operations.
Welcome to the Car Guy Coffee Podcast. Kickstart your day the right way and join us as we tap into the brightest minds and most passionate voices across the automotive world to bring you the education, motivation, and inspiration you need to thrive. From the showroom floor to the service lane, prepare to Upshift and Uplift your perspective.
In this episode of The Car Guy Coffee Podcast, hosts Lou Ramirez and Fred Lennartz welcome Rick Ulin to discuss what’s brewing in fixed operations and why NCM is launching its first Fixed Ops Fuel the Future Summit in Kansas City. Rick shares how NCM helps dealerships navigate fixed ops challenges through disciplined people-and-process training, KPI focus, and improved retention, especially as RO counts stay flat. The conversation highlights recurring service department breakdowns like scheduling workload, customer communication, effective video inspections, fixing cars right the first time, and delivering on time with clear updates.
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