Mobile vehicle service is not a new concept, but most dealers still treat it as a nice-to-have convenience rather than a core business strategy. But Ed Roberts, COO of Bozard Ford Lincoln thinks differently. .
"There is not a customer that wakes up in the morning that's excited to go into a car dealer. They take half a day off. They do whatever," Roberts told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D'Arc and Uli DeMartino. "If I can eliminate those things for our customers and go to them while they're at work or at home, and not take any time from them, we eliminate the friction of ownership."
For context: Each of Roberts’ 46 mobile units break even at just four hours of billable work per day. On average, the units travel ~60 miles from the store but will go as far as 300 miles. This mobile fleet works alongside 98 service bays, writing about 13,000 repair orders monthly.
How it works: Mobile techs handle everything from routine maintenance to recalls.
But Roberts believes that paying close attention to customer experience details separates successful mobile operations from those that create more friction than they eliminate.
So, instead of fighting for scarce automotive technicians, Roberts hires from adjacent industries—AC service techs, pool service providers, and other mobile professionals who already know how to work with customers at their homes.
"They understand how to approach someone at their door," he explained. “And the stuff that we're doing in the field, you can't get super technical because you're not pulling engines apart, you're not pulling transmissions apart. So those things are easier to train," he noted.
Zooming in: Roberts measures each mobile unit individually to identify training needs and performance gaps. Some units "run away and do a great job" while others need additional coaching. He tracks separate P&L for mobile service but sets clear breakeven targets that each technician understands.
Big picture: Mobile service eliminates the friction that drives customers to aftermarket competitors or causes them to delay maintenance.
"When we eliminate the friction of ownership, then you create loyalty," he explained.
Bottom line: With discipline, patience, and a friendly manufacturer program as backup, Roberts has built a mobile service machine that eliminates the friction keeping customers away from dealers—proving that mobile service can scale profitably with the right playbook.
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