The Time Bomb In Labor Rate Increases (& How Dealers Are Maximizing Profit) | Industry Spotlight
Welcome to Industry Spotlight—a focused series hosted by Sam D’Arc, highlighting standout dealerships and innovative companies, and exploring the trends driving success in today’s automotive market. Today, Sam sits down with Rob Scott, Executive General Manager of Bob Johnson Chevrolet, and Robert Wooden, Owner of Wooden Automotive Consultants LLC.
This episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast is brought to you by Wooden Automotive Consultants.
Wooden Automotive Consultants - Using their proprietary analytics program, Fixed Operations Intelligence, Wooden Automotive offers a free rate analysis, a $1500 value, so you know what rates your store qualifies for before committing to anything. Go to http://www.fixedopsintel.com and drop us your contact info.
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Topics:
00:42 What is Rob Scott's background?
01:59 Why are fixed operations vital?
05:50 Solving labor/parts cost challenges?
10:53 Best labor rate strategies?
22:30 Dealer-manufacturer relationship dynamics?
24:00 Common labor rate mistakes?
27:44 Financial impact of rate increases?
30:24 Future labor/parts cost trends?
43:55 Final advice for service managers?
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership
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TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership
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Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Miller on EV Profitability, Toma on AI-Hesitancy, Growden on Dealer Waste | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
Eric Miller, Director at Morrie's Auto Group
Monik Pamecha, CEO of Toma
Mathew Growden, Consultant
This episode is brought to you by:
Dealer Pay – Designed to increase, productivity and customer retention, Dealer Pay is a "dealer-specific' payments acceptance solution with over 25 years of experience as a trusted payments partner for dealerships across the US. Visit https://dealer-pay.com/ to learn more.
Toma – If your BDC or Service Advisors are buried in calls, it’s time for a smarter solution. Toma builds custom AI agents that answer 100% of your dealership’s inbound calls and handle tasks like booking service, checking recalls, and scheduling test drives—without tying up your team. Dealers using Toma are saving 30–40 staff hours a week and booking 100+ extra appointments every month. Exclusive for CDG Listeners: Start your no-risk, 1-month free trial at http://toma.com/cdg
Car Dealership Guy is back with our second annual NADA Party—happening in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 5th. It’s the hottest ticket at NADA 2026. Spots are limited and unfortunately we can't invite everyone —so RSVP today at https://carguymedia.com/cdglive and we hope to see you in Vegas!
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Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
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My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
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Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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"Money's not in the CRM, It's in the DMS!”– Tracking the Pulse of AI in Dealerships | Art Dessein, Vice President of Sales at Impel
Today I’m joined by Art Dessein, VP of Sales at Impel. We dig into how AI is reshaping inventory management, the playbook big dealer groups use to roll it out without losing culture, and why less customer communication is actually leading to more sales—plus plenty more along the way.
This episode is brought to you by:
1. Widewail - Want real insights instead of guesswork? With Voice of the Customer Analytics, Widewail uses AI to turn raw customer feedback into clear operational insights so you know exactly what to fix and where to focus. Go to @ https://www.widewail.com/cdg to book a demo.
2. Experian Automotive - Like most Car Dealership Guy Listeners, you’re constantly looking for the inside edge on the auto industry. So if you’re ready to step up your game to the next level – outpacing the competition and building customer loyalty – there’s only one place to go from here: Experian Automotive. They’re the only ones with exclusive data across vehicles, consumers, and credit—plus expert data scientists who connect the dots to uncover the insights you need. Get the industry-leading insights from Experian Automotive today! Learn more by visiting @ https://carguymedia.com/4cfcLjZ
3. Impel - Impel AI helps you drive loyalty with proactive, personalized service outreach that scales seamlessly. From service milestones to recall alerts and tailored incentives, Impel makes service outreach feel more like a concierge service than marketing. With AI-powered service scheduling via text and email—your team can stop managing calendars and focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Future-proof your service drive today. Visit @ https://carguymedia.com/40nWpRj
Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
For dealers:
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com
Fix your dealership’s social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
For industry vendors:
Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com
Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com
Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com
Topics:
00:34 How did missing a flight help?
02:53 How is AI used in dealerships?
04:37 Why renewed AI interest now?
10:54 AI's biggest service opportunity
16:32 Why customer experience drives sales?
22:21 How AI reduces message overload?
27:50 Can AI transform dealership operations?
36:39 Final AI advice for dealers
Car Dealership Guy Socials:
X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy
Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Matt Bowers on OEM Pulse Check, Lafontaine on Underutilized Incentives | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
Matt Bowers, Owner of Matt Bowers Automotive Group
Andrew Ruck, General Manager of Lafontaine Cadillac Buick GMC of Highland
This episode is brought to you by:
Dealer Pay – Designed to increase, productivity and customer retention, Dealer Pay is a "dealer-specific' payments acceptance solution with over 25 years of experience as a trusted payments partner for dealerships across the US. Visit https://dealer-pay.com/ to learn more.
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Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
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Sen. Moreno on Auto Sector Plan, Greenfield on Auto Retail VC, Murphy on OEM Futures | Daily Dealer Live
Today's show features:
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH)
Steve Greenfield, General Partner of Automotive Ventures
John Murphy, Managing Director of Strategic Advisory at Haig Partners
This episode is brought to you by:
Lotlinx - Get the best possible market advantage on every vehicle transaction. Optimize operations and boost profits using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Learn more @ https://lotlinx.com/
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Check out Car Dealership Guy’s stuff:
CDG News ➤ https://news.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Jobs ➤ https://jobs.dealershipguy.com/
CDG Recruiting ➤ https://www.cdgrecruiting.com/
My Socials:
X ➤ https://www.twitter.com/GuyDealership
Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/cardealershipguy/
TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@guydealership
LinkedIn ➤ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy/
Threads ➤ https://www.threads.net/@cardealershipguy
Facebook ➤ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683
Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast Network is your front-row seat to the people, companies, and trends shaping the future of automotive retail—delivered across three focused formats:
The Car Dealership Guy Podcast (Tuesdays & Thursdays)
Hosted by Yossi Levi, these deep-dive interviews feature top dealers, operators, and innovators driving the industry forward.
Daily Dealer Live (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays)
Our live-streamed show, also released here in audio format, brings real-time news, sharp takes, and high-impact guests—think CNBC for car dealers.
Industry Spotlight
Hosted by Sam D’Arc, this segment highlights standout dealerships and vendors with tactical insights and stories from the front lines.
Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for highlights and behind-the-scenes content from every episode.
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