At Classic Cadillac Subaru, fixed ops director Chuck Turck has hit 100% service absorption with an approach borrowed from fine dining.
More specifically, treating every service interaction like a Michelin-star restaurant would—where attention to detail eliminates shortcuts and problems become opportunities to build loyalty.
Big picture: "We want to be known as the best Cadillac Subaru store in the area, ultimately in the country," Turck told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D'Arc and Uli de' Martino. "Just the way we do things and we get rated for it."
Why it matters: Service departments represent the biggest loyalty opportunity in automotive. Most customers dread bringing their cars in for service, but those negative experiences can be flipped into relationship-building moments.
"The happiest day of your life is when you buy that new Escalade. The worst day of your life is when you have to bring it in for service. So that's a chance for us to turn it around," Turck explained.
The problem: Most service departments handle problems defensively instead of seeing them as loyalty-building opportunities.
As a result, Turck has built a service approach where problems get fixed immediately with complete transparency. When something goes wrong, teams communicate directly with customers, take full responsibility, and make it right without excuses or delays.
"The way you handle the customer, if he has a problem, just communication, transparency," he said. "You let the customer know up front, if you screw something up, you make it right. You fix it right away. No questions asked."
Zooming out: He's trying to create experiences so good that customers never consider going elsewhere for service.
Turck makes his entire team watch one specific episode of "The Bear" on Hulu—season two, episode seven, called "Forks." The episode follows a character spending an entire shift polishing forks, nothing but forks.
"All he did for one whole episode was polish forks, but that's the attention to detail that has to happen for you to give that customer the best experience," he explained. "You have to understand the process, then you have to work the process the best it can be."
And that means flipping traditional service thinking.
Classic Cadillac Subaru sacrifices convenience for connection through four key operational changes that build unbreakable customer relationships:
Greetings: Every customer gets welcomed by name using the appointment list, then walked directly to their service advisor. Turck trains employees that the customer in front of them is the most important person on the planet at that moment.
Video MPIs: Technicians earn three-tenths of an hour for videos longer than one minute that clearly explain findings. If the video leads to additional work being purchased, technicians get paid for that work instead of the three-tenths. If no sale results, they still earn the video time.
Problem resolution: Teams jump on issues immediately and over-deliver on solutions. When something gets screwed up, they fix it right away with no questions asked. This creates word-of-mouth advertising where customers tell others that Classic took care of problems in ways other dealers couldn't or wouldn't.
Follow-up: While most dealers only respond to negative Google reviews, Turck thanks customers for positive ones. He points out that dealers have hundreds of good reviews but never thank those customers.
And the payoff extends beyond retention.
The Michelin star approach creates different experiences across his dual-brand operation. Classic runs separate Cadillac and Subaru service drives with a shared shop floor, allowing Turck to cater each brand's expectations. Cadillac customers expect "fine dining" service levels while Subaru customers are more "casual dining," but both receive the same systematic attention to detail.
"Subaru customers are a little more easygoing. They love the cars, the upsells are easier. They have the means to take care of the car and they do," Turck explained. As long as customers understand what they're getting and why, the process works regardless of the badge on their vehicle.
Bottom line: Classic Cadillac Subaru has built a system that manufactures loyalty by treating service problems as opportunities and never giving customers reasons to go elsewhere.
A quick word from our partner
Want insider knowledge on the most up to date trends in auto retail?
The Haig Report® is auto retail's longest-published and most-trusted quarterly report tracking trends and their impact on dealership values. Since 2014, this report has delivered analysis on dealership performance, market trends, and franchise valuations—offering a clear view of opportunities and challenges in automotive retail.
Join the leaders in the industry who rely on the Haig Report® for:
Exclusive insights into dealership values and valuation trends
Franchise insights and outlooks on brand desirability
Market trends to help you make informed business decisions
The only report to publish blue sky values every quarter.
Looking to grow your portfolio or explore dealership investments? Join our exclusive buyer and investor database— visit haigpartners.com/buyerdatabase.
OUTSMART THE CAR MARKET IN 5 MINUTES A WEEK
No-BS insights, built for car dealers. Free, fast, and trusted by 55,000+ car dealers.
