PODCAST · business
Fixed Ops Roundtable
by Ted Ings
The Fixed Ops Roundtable, hosted by Ted Ings, is your source for cutting edge information, technology, and best practices from leaders and innovators in the retail automobile industry. Enjoy weekly episodes featuring expert interviews that originally aired during Ted Ings popular Fixed Ops Roundtable live and virtual events.
Episodes
-
Mike Steinmetz: How Dealerworks Is Cutting Payment Costs and Saving Time for Dealers
Mike Steinmetz went from New York actor to one of automotive’s go-to payments experts, spending 12 years inside dealerships fixing how they get paid. Today he’s the CEO of Dealerworks, a bootstrapped payments platform built specifically for car dealers. Here’s the number most stores have stopped...
-
Dean Martin & Richard Lupo: How AI Smart Glasses Are Boosting Service Approvals
Dean Martin is VP of Marketing at Affinitiv, one of the first automotive software companies to connect its MPI platform directly to Meta AI glasses, and Richard Lupo, Fixed Operations Director at Apple Tree Honda and Acura in Asheville, North Carolina, are bringing a new approach to one of the…
more -
Erik Zuniga: How ALLDATA Is Getting AI Right for Technician Diagnostics
Eric Zuniga works with dealerships across North America on fixed ops strategy, technician productivity, and technology. As vertical business manager for dealerships at ALLDATA, he partners with everyone from single-rooftop stores to the largest dealer groups in the country. He looks at a service...
-
Tyler Stephens: How Dealers Can Modernize Last-Mile Parts Delivery
Tyler Stephens of Elite EXTRA, an Epicor solution offering industry-leading last-mile logistics software, reveals how dealership parts delivery is quietly costing fixed ops departments wholesale customers they never knew they lost. Here's why that matters right now. Your wholesale customers…
more -
Kaylee Felio: How to Reduce Obsolescence in Your Parts Department
Kaylee Felio spends her days inside the numbers of parts departments, helping managers fix the one line item that quietly bleeds profit all year long. As Sales & Marketing Manager at Parts Edge, she's talked to enough dealerships to know exactly where obsolescence problems actually come from —…
more -
Paul Elliott: The Dealership Mistakes That Turn Into Expensive Claims
Paul Elliott leads the dealer practice group at Insurance Office of America, where his team has placed over $35 million in premium protecting more than 350 franchised and independent dealerships across the country. If anyone in the industry knows exactly how dealerships bleed money on claims that...
-
Dave Anderson: The Scheduling Fix Behind a 20-30% Revenue Increase for Dealers
Dave Anderson is the CEO & Co-Founder of Evenflow AI, a scheduling platform that's syncing in real time with dealership DMS systems and posting 20-30% revenue jumps for the stores using it. He's not new to this conversation either — if you were at NADA in Vegas this year, there's a decent chance...
-
Andrew Lee: How Alpha Drive AI Beat a Traditional BDC
Andrew Lee has spent 30 years inside the phone lines of dealership service departments, not in a tech lab. He's the Sales VP at AlphaDrive AI, a company started in 1993 by a woman calling customers back after service visits, now trusted by over 1,000 dealerships, including Lithia and Sherwood…
more -
Tej Soni: How This AI Could Recover up to $10K a Month in Lost Service Revenue
Tej Soni has spent nearly 25 years building technology for the auto industry. As CEO of Frog Data, he's the mind behind Fixed Ops Velocity, the platform dealers can't stop talking about. Now he's back with something bigger. Your service advisors are walking away from money every single day. Not...
-
Matt Leone: How DriveCentric Connects Sales and Service to Recover Lost Profit
Matt Leone is CEO of DriveCentric, the engagement platform trusted by dealerships nationwide to run their CRM, and he's spent years watching dealers lose money in the exact same blind spot: the gap between sales and service. Most dealerships run separate systems for variable and fixed ops. That...
-
Robert Wooden: The Blind Spot Costing Dealers Warranty Dollars
Robert Wooden has spent 40 years inside dealerships, the last 30 building the technology and software behind them. He's the founder of Fixed Ops Intel, now in its 29th year with a singular focus: warranty uplift. No side projects, no diversification. Just the deepest expertise in an industry…
more -
Misty Tippets: The #1 Reason Dealerships Buy AI and Get Nothing From It
One dealer cut their service BDC from six people to two. Same call volume. Same revenue. The only thing that changed was who was answering the phone. Misty Tippets, Senior Automotive Marketing Lead at Podium, has spent years working directly with hundreds of dealerships as they roll out AI in…
more -
Erik Zuniga: Why Your Dealership Is Invisible to Today's Car Buyer
Eric Zuniga is a fixed operations strategist and industry veteran with ALLDATA, the company that has been at the center of dealership technology evolution for over 40 years. From digitizing OEM information to building the connected workflows that modern shops depend on daily, ALLDATA has seen…
more -
Gabe Schiffer: From $500K to $1M in 60 Days with Siro AI
Gabe Schiffer is the Customer Success Manager, Siro AI, the platform quietly reshaping how fixed ops teams communicate, coach, and close. Gabe works directly with dealerships and fixed ops teams to implement, optimize, and get measurable results from Siro's AI conversation intelligence platform.…
more -
Melissa Terrell: You're Losing Service Customers To Reviews You Haven't Read
Melissa Terrell is one of the automotive industry's leading voices on reputation management and customer intelligence. At Widewail, a platform born from within the auto industry, she works with dealerships across the country to help them systematically capture, respond to, and act on customer...
-
Kim Saylor: What CDK's 2026 Service Advisor Report Reveals About Your Dealership
Kim Saylor is Senior Director of Product Marketing at CDK Global, the industry's leading dealership technology provider. With deep expertise in fixed operations and consumer behavior, Kim has spent years translating data into strategy for dealers nationwide. She's one of the most sought-after...
-
Chase Southwick: How Northwood Students Run America's Biggest Outdoor Auto Show
Chase Southwick is the 63rd General Chair of the Northwood University International Auto Show, the largest outdoor new car auto show in the United States. A student at Northwood University, America's Automotive University, Chase oversees a team of department heads and hundreds of student…
more -
Karl Murphy: The New Mobile Service Model Dealers Are Using to Hit $750K a Year
Karl Murphy is the CEO of Spiffy, the leading mobile service operating system built specifically for automotive dealerships. With over 12 years of experience transforming how dealers deliver service outside the four walls of their shop, Karl has become one of the most sought-after voices in fixed...
-
Chris Austin: The Leak in Your P&L That Selling More Cars Won't Fix
Chris Austin is the Chief Revenue Officer of StrategicSource, a Minnesota-based outsourced purchasing organization with 25 years of deep roots in automotive retail. Having grown up inside every department of the business, from sourcing and auditing to client services and executive strategy, Chris...
-
Matt Leone: The CRM Lie That's Costing Dealers Millions
Matt Leone is the CEO of DriveCentric, the automotive engagement platform that has been redefining how dealerships connect with customers across every department, from sales and F&I to fixed operations. Under his leadership, DriveCentric has evolved far beyond traditional CRM, building the...
-
Ari Polakov: How Flai Turned 30,000 Missed Dealership Calls Into Booked Appointments
Ari Polakov is the co-founder of Flai, an AI communications platform built specifically for automotive dealerships. Before founding Flai, Ari spent years studying the operational gaps inside service departments, particularly the hidden revenue being lost at the phone level. That obsession led him...
-
The AI Built Exclusively for Parts Departments Is Here with Kyle Johnson, Redline Connect
Kyle Johnson is the co-founder and CMO of Redline Connect. With over 15 years embedded exclusively in the automotive parts industry, Kyle has built and acquired multiple service businesses spanning parts delivery, outside marketing, and in-store staffing solutions, all purpose-built for the OE...
-
Fixed Ops at Full Speed with Bill Demaree
Bill Demaree is the Corporate Director of Fixed Operations for Tom Wood Automotive Group, one of Indiana's most respected dealer groups spanning 13 rooftops. With decades of experience in the automotive industry, Bill has built a reputation not just for running high-performing service…
more -
How This PR Agency Builds Brands That Dominate Across Automotive with Laurie Halter
Every company you've seen dominate the automotive industry had help getting there. Laurie Halter is that help. Laurie Halter is the founder of Charisma Communications, a PR agency with over 20 years of experience helping automotive technology companies build brands that break through. From early...
-
Why Fixed Ops Is About to Carry the Entire Dealership with Dan Shine
New vehicle sales are projected to drop. ASARs are softening. And yet, the dealers who understand what's quietly happening right now are already positioning themselves to have their most profitable year yet. Dan Shine of Automotive News joins Ted Ings and Sarah Vantine on the Fixed Ops Roundtable...
-
The University That's Quietly Reshaping the Auto Industry with Kent MacDonald
The automotive industry is facing a generational shift that most operators aren't prepared for, and the window to act is closing faster than anyone wants to admit. Kent McDonald, President of Northwood University, sits down with Ted Ings and Sarah VanTine to talk about what's really happening to...
-
The Phone Call That's Worth $1,500 to Your Dealership with Anthony Giagnacovo
Every time a car breaks down, a dealership either wins a customer for life or loses one forever. Most don't even know it's happening. Anthony Giagnacovo has run 150,000 of those moments, every single month. And in this episode he breaks down exactly what's at stake: the average repair order…
more -
Inside DART: The Program Lithia's CEO Is Betting the Next 80 Years On with Diego Rojas
Automotive talent development just got a serious upgrade, and Lithia & Driveway's DART program is leading the charge. Diego Rojas, the architect behind one of the most in-demand leadership development programs in automotive retail today, joins the Fixed Ops Roundtable to talk about what's…
more -
From Ford Technician to 5 Dealerships: What the Industry Is Missing with Luke May
In this episode Sarah Vantine sits down with Luke May, dealer principal of White Family Dealerships (South Dakota & Wyoming), to unpack what it really takes to build a winning fixed operations culture in today's competitive automotive landscape. Luke brings a rare perspective, he started as a...
-
The AI Search Wake-Up Call Every Dealer Needs to Hear in 2026 with Brian Kramer
Your website says 60-minute oil changes. Your Google reviews say two and a half hours. And AI just chose your competitor. Brian Kramer, one of the most influential voices in automotive retail and VP at Cars Commerce, joins Sarah and Ted for a conversation that every dealer, service director, and...
-
Eliminating Wholesale Credit Risk: A Fixed Ops Roundtable Conversation with Dave Schell & Tully Williams
What if the biggest thing holding your wholesale operation back… isn’t sales, but cash flow? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, we get real about one of the most frustrating (and misunderstood) challenges in fixed ops: accounts receivable, slow pay, and the silent cash-flow killers…
more -
The Fixed Ops Trust Gap: How Advisor Processes Are Costing Dealers Retention with Spiro Morogiannis
If trust is the real currency of fixed ops… how are you earning it the moment a customer pulls into your drive? That’s the question that sets the tone for this episode of The Fixed Ops Roundtable, and it’s one of the most honest, practical, and human conversations I’ve had in a long time. I sat...
-
How Dealer Pay Is Reshaping Dealership Payments, Compliance, and Risk Management with Travis Siebert
What if the last interaction your customer has with your dealership is the one that decides whether they ever come back? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with Travis Siebert, Senior Vice President of Sales at Dealer Pay, to talk about something that used to be an…
more -
How ALLDATA Is Changing Fixed Ops Through Better Data and Workflow with Erik Zuniga
What if the biggest opportunity in Fixed Ops right now isn’t working harder… but removing the friction that’s wearing your people down? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with Erik Zuniga of ALLDATA Automotive Intelligence for a real conversation about what’s actually…
more -
How Alliance Dealer Solutions Helps Dealerships Operate at Their Highest Potential with Brandon Hall
What if the biggest competitive advantage in Fixed Ops isn’t technology… but hospitality? That’s the question at the heart of this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, and once you hear this conversation, you won’t look at porters, greeters, car wash, or pickup & delivery the same way again. In...
-
The Myth of Fixed Costs: How Dealers Are Overpaying Without Realizing It with Steve Thompson
What if the “fixed costs” you’ve accepted for years… aren’t actually fixed at all? That’s the question that kicks off this episode, and trust me, once we pulled on that thread, the whole sweater started to unravel. In this Fixed Ops Roundtable conversation, I’m joined by Steve Thompson of…
more -
How PayJunction Is Helping Dealerships Create Frictionless Payments in Fixed Ops Without Hurting CSI with Randy Modos
What if the last thing your customer experiences, 'the payment' became one of your biggest competitive advantages? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, we sit down with Randy Modos, Co-Founder and President of PayJunction, for a conversation that goes way beyond credit card terminals and...
-
What High-End Hotels Know About the Service Drive That Dealers Don’t with Joel Furno
What if the fastest way to improve CSI, advisor productivity, and even used car acquisition… wasn’t another process, but a better experience? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with Joel Furno, Founder & CEO of Citrin Automotive Hospitality, alongside Ed Roberts of Bozard…
more -
Service Retention Study: How BG Products Helped Dealers Increase Retention by 32% with Rob Leary
What if one simple decision in your service drive could boost customer retention by nearly a third? That’s not a theory, that’s real data. And in this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit down with longtime friend of the show and industry heavyweight Rob Leary from BG Products to unpack a...
-
The Warranty Money Dealers Are Leaving on the Table (And How to Get It Back) with Robert Wooden
What if one of the easiest ways to protect your dealership’s future profit is something you’re already entitled to, but probably underutilizing? In this episode, I’m joined by my co-host Sarah Vantine and industry veteran Robert Wooden for a conversation that every fixed ops leader needs to hear,...
-
Why Fixed Ops Will Decide Who Wins in Automotive Retail in 2026 with Steve Greenfield
What happens when car prices hit record highs, consumers feel the squeeze, and dealers are forced to play a smarter game, not a harder one? In this episode of The Fixed Ops Roundtable, Sarah Vantine sits down with Steve Greenfield, General Partner at Automotive Ventures, for a wide-ranging...
-
The Hidden Risks Lurking in Today’s Dealerships (And How Smart Dealers Protect Themselves) with Paul Elliott of IOA
What if the biggest risk to your dealership isn’t what you don’t know… but what you’ve gotten used to overlooking? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, Sarah Vantine and I sit down with our good friend Paul Elliott from Insurance Office of America (IOA), and let me tell you, this...
-
The 3–5 Metrics That Matter Most in Fixed Ops (And Why Everything Else Is Noise) with Pete Carusone & Ed Roberts
What if the biggest opportunity in your fixed ops department isn’t working harder… but seeing clearer? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I’m joined by Pete Carusone, President & CEO of VisionAST, and Ed Roberts, COO of Bozard Ford Lincoln, for a real, no-nonsense conversation about why...
-
Why Video MPIs Are Now Table Stakes in Fixed Ops with Joe Shaker of TruVideo
If you think video MPIs are “just another tool,” this episode might completely change how you see fixed ops. In this episode, I sat down with Joe Shaker of TruVideo, alongside Sarah Vantine, and what unfolded was less about software… and more about human behavior. Trust. Transparency....
-
Why Fixed Ops Velocity Is the Missing Link in Dealership Profitability with Tej Soni
What if the biggest growth opportunity in your dealership isn’t on the showroom floor… but already sitting in your service drive? In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I’m joined by Tej Soni, CEO of FrogData, alongside Sarah Vantine, for a conversation that quietly challenges how most...
-
The Future of Automotive Talent Inside Northwood University with Ed Roberts and Maureen Martin
There are moments in this industry when you can almost see tomorrow walking toward you. This conversation, recorded at Northwood University’s International Auto Show and CAMS Industry Summit, is one of those moments. Ted Ings and Sarah Vantine sit with two respected voices in automotive. Ed...
-
The Future of Fixed Ops: Technicians, Warranty, and AI with Curtis Gardner and David Reinicke
What if the most important conversations in fixed ops are the ones happening outside the service bay? In this episode, recorded at the CAMS Industry Summit at Northwood University, we sit down with two industry voices who bring fresh clarity to where the business is headed: Curtis Gardner,...
-
The 90,000 Opportunity: What Brian Benstock Wants Every Dealer to Understand
What if the biggest threat to your dealership wasn’t the economy, the OEM, or even EV adoption… but the opportunities you’re not seeing yet? Today on the Fixed Ops Roundtable, we’re coming to you from the CAMS Industry Summit at Northwood University with someone who never fails to shake the room....
-
Why The Industry’s Next Leaders Will Come From Programs Like These With Mike Cavanaugh and Dr Matt Bennett
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the automotive industry’s brightest thinkers sit down in one room, buckle up. This conversation feels like stepping into the control room of a rocket that’s already taking off. In this episode, joining the conversation are two heavy hitters who are right…
more -
Inside the Classroom That’s Redefining the Future of Automotive Leadership with CDK’s Mike Stoll
What happens when you mix the next generation of automotive leaders with a campus that breathes innovation and free enterprise? You get something electric. 👉 Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable Event What we discuss in this episode: In this episode of the Fixed Ops Roundtable, I sit...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Fixed Ops Roundtable, hosted by Ted Ings, is your source for cutting edge information, technology, and best practices from leaders and innovators in the retail automobile industry. Enjoy weekly episodes featuring expert interviews that originally aired during Ted Ings popular Fixed Ops Roundtable live and virtual events.
HOSTED BY
Ted Ings
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fixed Ops Roundtable have?
Fixed Ops Roundtable currently has 301 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fixed Ops Roundtable about?
The Fixed Ops Roundtable, hosted by Ted Ings, is your source for cutting edge information, technology, and best practices from leaders and innovators in the retail automobile industry. Enjoy weekly episodes featuring expert interviews that originally aired during Ted Ings popular Fixed Ops...
How often does Fixed Ops Roundtable release new episodes?
Fixed Ops Roundtable publishes regularly with 301 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Fixed Ops Roundtable?
You can listen to Fixed Ops Roundtable on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fixed Ops Roundtable?
Fixed Ops Roundtable is created and hosted by Ted Ings.
URL copied to clipboard!