Oct. 12, 2021—A new study from Cox Automotive has found dealership service departments are feeling the effects of the technician and parts shortages.
Roughly 57 percent of dealership respondents to the 2021 Cox Automotive Service Industry Study said their service department is not fully staffed, and 80 percent expect these labor shortages to continue or worsen in the future. Fifty-eight percent of shops mentioned part delays and 45 percent mentioned labor shortage as their top operational frustration.
“The industry is ripe for transforming the consumer experience,” said Tracy Fred, vice president of operations for Xtime, said in a statement. “Despite a challenging marketplace, opportunities exist to better leverage digital tools to deliver on and even exceed consumer expectations, while also offsetting some operational challenges. Elevating the entire service experience with a consumer-first mindset and the use of technology can help raise overall profits, capture additional market share and help mitigate the frustrations service departments are currently facing.”
