About the Real-World Approach to Automotive Service Department Coaching
At Fixed Ops Rescue, I help automotive dealerships fix what holds their service departments back. I bring more than 30 years of hands-on dealership experience. I have worked as an advisor, managed technicians, led service teams, and carried the weight of daily production goals.
I know what it feels like when the drive backs up, when hours per repair order drop, and when gross slips for another month. I built this business to solve those problems with clear action and strong leadership.
I do not teach theory from a slide deck. I work inside your operation and help you improve it from the ground up.
Built on 30-Plus Years Inside Dealership Service Departments
My background shapes every recommendation I make. I have lived fixed operations from every angle. I understand the pressure dealer principals and general managers face when service numbers miss the mark.
I have written service, dispatched work, ran a service drive, and managed fixed ops. I know what it looks like from every chair on the desk.I have led teams through change. I have corrected weak processes. I have rebuilt accountability where standards slipped. That real experience gives me insight that charts alone cannot provide. When I step into your dealership, I see what others miss. I spot breakdowns in workflow. I identify gaps in leadership. I address habits that cost you profit each day.
We tie every change to profit and return on investment. If it does not move the numbers, we do not push it.
My Story
I started changing oil at 16 and went to school to be a technician. My first job was at a small dealership in Phoenix. It didn't take long to realize the bay wasn't going to be a long-term home for me — between physical limits and the way my brain works, I was never going to be the most productive tech in the building. My manager saw it before I did. He moved me to the service drive.
That's where I found my fit. The training on day one was simple: "Here's your desk. Here's the service drive. Learn from the guy in the corner." The guy in the corner was a crusty veteran who hated life and made sure everyone knew it. I figured if I just did the opposite of what he did, I'd probably do okay. I did okay. Pretty soon I outperformed him — which, honestly, wasn't saying much.
What I learned along the way was that connecting with customers and actually listening to them changed everything. Years later I moved back to Nebraska, became the top advisor at a large dealer group, and got promoted into my first service manager role. The training was the same as before: "Here's your desk. Here's your people. Figure it out." I floundered for a couple of years before it clicked — my report card was no longer about my effort. It was about the results I could get through other people. Once that landed, I started growing leaders instead of just running the department. The numbers followed.
Then came the moment that changed everything. I got recruited into my first fixed operations director role. I walked into chaos — no organization, no key tags, terrible customer service. On my first day, I watched a service advisor flip off a customer. The store was losing money every single month.
I figured this was simple. Get organized. Recruit better people. Sell more work. Make customers happy. So we did all of it. CSI went up. Sales went up. I felt good about the impact I was making. Then the financial statement came out — and we'd lost more money than the month before. I was dejected. I had never been taught to read a financial statement. I had never been taught what actually drives the net profit of a service department. I had been working hard at the wrong things.
My GM took me to my first NADA conference. That's where I met a coach who was teaching things I'd never been taught. My first reaction was negative — I don't like consultants who teach things they can't do themselves, and I'd been burned before. But I came around to a truth I now build my whole business on: everyone needs a coach. Someone who can step out of the battle, see it from the top down, and help you learn what you'd never learn from inside the fight.
We worked together. He became one of the biggest mentors of my career. Within 90 days of starting to do things differently, the store was profitable. From there it kept building — record-setting months, sustained growth, a culture people actually wanted to be part of.
That's why I built Fixed Ops Rescue. The CONTROL System™ and LEADER Framework™ are built on the foundation that mentor gave me, plus the deeper structural work I've added over years of running stores myself. It all starts with trust — the customer has to trust the advisor, and our industry does a poor job of building that. When you teach advisors how to earn trust, when you teach managers how to lead instead of just manage, and when you build a service department on the right structure, the days get more profitable and a lot more fun.
That's the work. That's why I do it.
Hands-On Coaching, Not Traditional Reports
Some outside support ends with reports and recommendations. I stay and work with your people.
At Fixed Ops Rescue, I coach service managers on the floor. I train advisors during real customer interactions. I review repair orders, track key numbers, and guide your team through direct feedback.
I focus on execution.
I help you set:
Clear performance standards
Defined roles and responsibilities
Consistent service advisor processes
Structured technician dispatch
Structured technician dispatch
Your team learns by doing. Leaders gain confidence as they enforce standards. Advisors improve as they practice new skills with guidance.
This hands-on coaching approach builds skill and discipline that lasts beyond my visits.
The CONTROL System™ and LEADER Framework™
The CONTROL System™ is my seven-step advisor process: Connect, Orchestrate, Needs, Tell, Recommend, Outshine, Loyalty. It gives service advisors a consistent framework for every customer interaction, moving from connection to commitment. When followed consistently, it transforms order takers into trusted advisors and drives both customer experience and revenue.
The LEADER Framework™ is the daily operating framework that powers the CONTROL System™: Listen, Energize, Accountability, Drive, Educate, Review. It follows the natural rhythm of a leader’s day, from setting the morning tone to closing the loop with quality control. Service managers run it every day to make the advisor process stick.
LEADER is the engine that powers CONTROL. Through Drive, managers observe the process in action. Through Educate, they teach and refine it. Through Review, they verify the results. The advisor process only works when leadership makes it a daily priority.
My Philosophy: Partnership and Accountability
I treat every engagement as a partnership. I listen before I prescribe change. I ask direct questions about culture, staffing, and financial targets. I respect the history of your store.
Then I get to work.
I align with your leadership team. I support your managers as they set expectations. I track progress against real numbers such as effective labor rate, hours per repair order, technician productivity, and recommendation approval rate.
Accountability drives improvement. When leaders inspect what they expect, performance rises.
I measure return on investment through data. I review progress with you. If a strategy misses the mark, I adjust it.​
I stay focused on profit, retention, and long-term department strength.
Leadership Development and Customer Experience Training
Strong fixed operations depend on strong leaders. I train service managers to lead with clarity and backbone. I teach them how to coach advisors, manage workflow, and protect gross profit. I train service advisors to perform full walkarounds, use the Front Load Technique™ for upfront maintenance during the write-up, and use the Game Plan Technique™ to present multi-point inspection findings after the technician inspects the vehicle. In both moments, the CPR benefits framework gives advisors plain language to explain why maintenance matters: clean and protect, prolong life, and restore optimal performance. This is not about training advisors to sell. It is about training them to recommend with confidence and earn the customer's trust. Customer experience is not a slogan. It starts with process. It grows through consistency. It sticks when leaders hold the line each day. My goal is simple. I help you build a service department that produces steady profit and earns repeat business without constant crisis management.
Partner With Fixed Ops Rescue
If your service department feels stuck, that frustration carries weight. Missed targets strain morale. Weak processes drain profit. Leadership gaps create stress at every level.
I built Fixed Ops Rescue to address those issues head on. I bring three decades of dealership experience, practical systems, and direct coaching into your store. I help you move from reaction to control.
Do not let another quarter pass with flat numbers and low accountability. Schedule a strategy conversation with me today and let’s review your service department with fresh eyes. I will outline clear next steps and show you where profit hides inside your current operation. Take action now and put your fixed operations back in command.
Elevating Experience. Maximizing Performance.
