Service Drive Revolution with Chris Collins
by Chris Collins
Service Drive Revolution, the #1 fixed ops podcast, hosted by Chris "Bulldog" Collins since 2013 with 360+ episodes helps Service Advisors, Service Managers, dealership leaders, and independent shop owners build more profitable Service Departments.Service Advisor Training. Service Manager Coaching & Automotive Fixed Ops drawing on 25+ years of experience, Chris shares practical systems for customer communication, technician hiring, retention, leadership, and Service Drive performance. Learn how to improve Effective Labor Rate (ELR), Hours Per Repair Order (HPRO), Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), and customer-pay sales.Explore episodes, interviews & actionable training clips. Chris Collins Inc. offers dealership coaching, books like Millionaire Service Advisor, and SDR Academy: 700+ on-demand videos courses & live classes with Q&A from Automotive Fixed Ops professionals.chriscollinsinc.comSponsorship inquiries: [email protected]
Episodes
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Top Dog 2026 Coaches Roundtable Service Drive Revolution #381
What happens when Fixed Ops leaders stop thinking only about Service—and start looking at the entire dealership? In this special Service Drive Revolution #381 Coaches Roundtable, Chris, Hogi & Adam are joined by Chris Collins, Inc. coaches Vicki, James and Brian ahead of Top Dog 2026. The team...
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Consistent CSI In The Service Drive | Service Drive Revolution #380
Why can't your Service Department recruit Technicians—and what will happen to Fixed Ops when customers no longer think of cars as something they drive? In Service Drive Revolution #380, Chris, Hogi & Adam tackle three major changes facing automotive dealerships: the Technician shortage, the rise…
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How To Drive More Traffic To Your Service Drive | Service Drive Revolution #379
Does your Service Department really need more traffic—or are you paying to acquire customers your existing process will lose? In Service Drive Revolution #378, Chris "Bulldog" Collins, Hogi and Adam break down how dealerships and independent repair shops can increase repair-order traffic without...
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Best Service Advisor Training Has... | SDR Live #378
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris "Bulldog" Collins, Hogi, and Adam expose why traditional sales-heavy coaching fails, and prove why our proven approach defines the gold standard for Service Advisor Training. Discover why treating advisors like high-pressure retail salespeople...
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You Don't Need Advisor Training | SDR #377
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris "Bulldog" Collins, Hogi and Adam explain why training advisors before fixing the operating system can make a service drive worse. If advisors sell more work but the shop cannot complete it, repair orders stall, promise times slip, customers…
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Avoiding Socialism in the Service Drive | SDR #376
Socialism in the service drive starts the same way every time: top performers get capped, weak performers get carried, and the whole shop drifts toward the middle. In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris Collins, Adam Krey, and Hogi break down how to spot it early and what to do...
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Socialism In The Service Drive | SDR #375
Is socialism coming to your service drive? In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris Collins, Chris Hogland, and Adam Krey dig into one of the biggest conversations building inside fixed operations: technician pay, flat rate vs. hourly, student debt, apprenticeship programs, entitlement,...
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SDR #374: Fixed Ops Should Carry Dealerships
Why isn't Fixed Ops saving dealerships while vehicle sales and front-end gross are falling? In Service Drive Revolution #374, Chris, Hogi and Adam examine why service and parts departments are remaining flat when they should be carrying dealership overhead. Customers are keeping vehicles longer…
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SDR #373: 5 Things Great Service Managers Do
Great service managers don't simply survive the month—they build stronger teams, improve the customer experience and create consistently profitable service departments. In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, automotive fixed operations expert Chris Collins reveals five overlooked habits…
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SDR #372: BDC: AI or Humans - What's Better?
Should your dealership replace its human BDC with AI? Not so fast. In SDR #372, Chris Collins, Hogi, and Adam break down what AI phone systems can—and still can't—do inside a dealership service department. Drawing on experience inside hundreds of dealerships, the team compares AI and human BDCs...
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SDR #371 - Selling Cars From The Service Drive
What if your service drive became one of your dealership's most powerful—and consistent—vehicle sales channels? In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris Collins, Hogi, and Adam reveal how dealerships can turn everyday service appointments into organic sales and trade-in opportunities...
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SDR #370: How To Reduce Parts Obsolesence
Chris, Hogi, and Adam address a bizarre, viral forum post targeting Chris Collins Performance on a competitor's platform. The team breaks down the obvious inconsistencies in the post—from fake claims about techs quitting to misinformed takes on labor grids and parts pricing—and explains why real...
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SDR 369: The Gap Between Posted / Effective Labor Rate
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #369, Chris, Hogi, and Adam take on one of the most widespread profit leaks in dealership service departments: the massive gap between your posted labor rate and your effective labor rate. The team pulls back the curtain on why so many shops posting a...
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SDR #368: It's Not Traffic... It's Your Techs!
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #368, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dig into one of the biggest and most expensive misconceptions plaguing dealership fixed operations today: the constant cry for "more traffic" and "advisor training." The team uncovers the real patterns behind hundreds of...
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SDR #367: 5 Dumb Things Service Managers Say
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #367, Chris, Hogi, and Adam count down the top 5 dumbest things service managers say on the drive. While this list is packed with humor, it exposes the exact blind spots, excuses, and circular logic that keep service departments trapped in perpetual...
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SDR #366: 3 Mistakes You're Making With Video Inspections
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #366, Chris, Hogi, and Adam keep the energy rolling right out of America's historic 250th Fourth of July weekend by tackling a digital process that is completely taking over the industry—and failing miserably in most shops: video inspections. The team...
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SDR #365: How Owning A Dealership Changed Me
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #365, Chris, Hogi, and Adam take the show on the road to beautiful Indiana! Broadcasting completely LIVE, Chris shares a deeply personal origin story, from the childhood humiliation that fueled his entrepreneurial drive to the grueling process of…
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SDR #364: What I Learned As A General Manager
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #364, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dive deep into the mindset shift, the career trajectory, and the harsh realities behind stepping out of fixed operations to take over the entire dealership as a General Manager. Chris shares his raw, unfiltered journey from...
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SDR #363: Live Kick-Off: What You'll Learn!
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #363, Chris, Hogi, and Adam make history by officially broadcasting the show completely LIVE on YouTube for the very first time! This unannounced launch marks the beginning of a brand-new chapter for Fixed Ops training, complete with real-time community...
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SDR #362: How I Fix Broken Auto Dealerships
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #362, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dig deep into the reality of what it actually takes to walk into a failing service department and completely flip it upside down. Chris shares what he learned as a 24-year-old consultant, affectionately nicknamed "The…
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SDR #361: How I Mastered Dealership Financial Statements
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #361, Chris, Hogi, and Adam continue our origin series by jumping back in time to the moment Chris realized that financial statements are the secret key to everything in a dealership. ] Chris shares a wild story about trading his own consulting services...
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SDR #360: How I Arguably Made The Best Advisor Training
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #360, Chris, Hogi, and Adam share the incredible origin story of how the best Service Advisor training in the industry was actually born. Chris takes us back to the early 90s Seattle grunge scene, where he worked as a cold, wet part-time lot attendant...
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SDR #359: How I Got In The Car Business Part 1
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #359, Chris, Hogi, and Adam kick off a brand new series diving into the origin story of the Bulldog. Chris reminisces about the pivotal moments that shaped his career, starting with a life-altering piece of advice from a soccer coach that led him away...
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SDR #358: Viewer Q&A: Secret To Getting Promoted
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #358, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dive into a controversial trend: dealerships using social media to make fun of their own customers. We also follow up on a massive career question (promotions) from our @YouTube community regarding the value of a degree…
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SDR #357: YouTube Q&A: Your Top Comments Answered
In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris, Hogi, and Adam dive deep into the YouTube comment section to answer your most pressing questions about shop flow, advisor success, and the future of car ownership. Plus: A heated discussion on the 2021 law mandating "kill switches" and driver...
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SDR #356: Coaches Roundtable: Your Top Questions Answered!
In this new episode of Service Drive Revolution, the entire CCI coaching staff is in the room — Chris, Jean, Hogi, Hunter, Blake, Adam, Jared, Avery, and Cliff — answering YOUR questions and getting brutally honest about the habits that made (and almost broke) their careers in fixed ops. Plus: a...
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SDR #355: Why Customer Retention is Your Best Marketing Strategy
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Dealership Owners — are you tired of spending a fortune on marketing just to fill your drive with one-time customers? Most dealerships focus on "customer acquisition" while their current database is leaking out the back door. In this special "Coach...
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SDR #354: Why Your Techs Quit & How To Motivate The Ones You Have (Part 2)
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Dealership Owners — your technicians are the heartbeat of your production, but most managers are losing them because they're playing by an outdated rulebook. Motivation isn't just about the flat rate; it's about where you place your attention and how you...
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SDR #353: Why Your Technicians Are Quitting!
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Dealership Leaders — your technicians are the engine of your business, but most managers are driving them into the ground without realizing it. Most dealerships misunderstand what actually motivates a technician. They think it's only about the paycheck,...
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SDR #352: The AI Revolution in Fixed Ops: Unfair Advantage or Impending Doom?
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Dealership Owners — the gap between the leaders and the laggards in our industry is about to become an abyss. Most dealerships are looking at AI as a "maybe later" project, but the early adopters are already creating an unfair advantage that saves...
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SDR #351: The $50,000 Menu - Tips To Explode Your Service Drive Profits
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and dealership leaders — your service menu is either a silent profit killer or your biggest untapped gold mine. Most dealerships treat their maintenance menu as an afterthought or a "loss leader" because they're afraid of being shopped. The truth? A properly...
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SDR #348: What I Look For When Hiring A Service Performance Coach
Dealership Owners, General Managers, and Service Leaders — your ability to fix a department is only as strong as the system you build. Most leaders misunderstand the hierarchy of a turnaround. They believe "people" are the primary ingredient for success, but the truth is that a great system can...
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SDR #347: Top 9 Reasons Service Managers Fail (And How to Avoid Them)
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and dealership leaders — your leadership style is either building a powerhouse or quietly sinking your department. Most Service Managers struggle because they never truly leave the "technician" mindset behind. They manage by emotion instead of numbers, and...
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SDR #346: Most Shop Foremen Are Doing This Wrong (And It's Costing You Production)
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and dealership leaders — this role can either explode your production or quietly destroy it. Most dealerships misunderstand what a shop foreman in Fixed Ops is supposed to do. They treat the foreman like a master technician instead of a production leader. In...
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SDR #344: Chris Collins Answers: Why Your Fixed Ops System Is Failing
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Service Advisors — If your service department feels busy but results stay inconsistent, the issue probably isn't your people. It's your system. In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #344, Chris Collins answers real questions from service managers…
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SDR #343: Handling Difficult Customers in Fixed Ops the Right Way
Service Managers and Service Advisors — If you're dealing with angry customers, escalations, or CSI issues, the problem usually isn't the customer. It's the system behind the interaction. In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #343, the conversation breaks down why most "difficult customers"...
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SDR #342: Stop Blaming Communication: The System Is What's Broken
Everyone says they have a communication problem — but what if that's just the symptom? In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #342, Chris Collins, Adam, and Hogi break down why most service departments don't actually suffer from poor communication… they suffer from broken systems, unclear...
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SDR #341: The Fixed Ops Leadership Mistakes Killing Service Department Profit
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Dealership Leaders — If your service department feels busy but profits don't match the effort, the problem isn't your people. It's your leadership systems. In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #341, the conversation breaks down the Fixed Ops...
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SDR #340: Your Fixed Ops Questions Answered: Scheduling, Walk-Arounds & Diagnostics
Service Advisors Refusing Walkarounds? Scheduling Chaos? Customers Who Can't Afford Repairs? In this episode of Service Drive Revolution, Chris Collins answers real, unfiltered questions straight from the service drive. From why advisors resist walkarounds, to how to properly schedule service...
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SDR #339: Why Top Leaders Set Goals Differently (Lessons from Taylor Swift)
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Leaders, and Dealership Executives — Why do some people and teams consistently outperform everyone else… while others stay stuck? In this episode of Service Drive Revolution #339, Chris Collins and the team break down what elite leadership actually looks like — and why...
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SDR #338: Why Unapplied Labor Was Made By The Devil
Service Managers, Fixed Ops Directors, and Controllers — this is one of the most misunderstood numbers in your dealership. Unapplied labor quietly destroys profitability, inflates your cost per hour, and masks the real performance of your service department. Most dealerships don't even realize…
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SDR #337: Low Hanging Fruit For Quick Fixed Ops Profits!
🛑 Book a free 30-min. discovery call for coaching that grows your profits: https://calendly.com/cci-schedule/30-minute-discovery-call-with-chris-collins-inc?utm=SDRPod&month=2025-12 Service Managers and Fixed Ops leaders — are you overlooking the easiest revenue in your entire service drive? In...
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SDR #336: Why Service Department Goals Fail!
Most people will make resolutions, download a new app, join a gym… and quit by January 15th. In this episode of SDR #336, Chris and Christian break down why goals fail — and reveal the intentional goal-setting process they've used for years to hit targets in business, leadership, and life. This…
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SDR #335: The Biggest Problem in Auto Dealerships No One Wants to Fix
Dealers, Service Managers, and Fixed Ops leaders: Are you frustrated with the direction of our industry? Do you feel like the people responsible for leading automotive into the future are asleep at the wheel? In SDR #335, Chris Collins unleashes one of his most honest, unfiltered rants ever — and...
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SDR #334: TOXIC SHOP CULTURE FIX: How to Reset Your Dealership & Win Back Your Technicians
Service Managers and Fixed Ops leaders: Are you losing control? If you're struggling with inconsistent productivity, low technician morale, and a shop where management has lost authority, you know the stakes are high. Your culture is toxic, and it's killing your business. In this episode of SDR...
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SDR #332: Top Dog 2025 Roundtable: Fixed Ops Leadership Lessons from the Service Drive
What's really changed in the car dealership service drive—and what hasn't? In this special roundtable edition of SDR #332, Chris Collins and the team break down decades of experience in Fixed Ops leadership, revealing the timeless lessons every service manager and advisor needs to know. From...
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SDR #331: Service Department Culture Mistakes: What's Destroying Your Fixed Ops Team (and How to Fix It)
Your service department's biggest problem might not be your advisors, your techs, or your customers—it's your culture. In episode #331 of SDR, Chris Collins and Coach Christian expose the top seven service department culture killers that are quietly destroying dealership performance, morale, and...
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SDR #330: Top 7 Service Advisor Pay Plan Failures
In SDR #330, Chris Collins, Christian Lafferty, and Hogi expose the 7 biggest pay-plan mistakes that cost dealerships money, motivation, and top talent. From overcompensating mediocrity to confusing multi-page pay structures, this episode breaks down why most Service Advisor pay plans fail — and...
About this show
Service Drive Revolution, the #1 fixed ops podcast, hosted by Chris "Bulldog" Collins since 2013 with 360+ episodes helps Service Advisors, Service Managers, dealership leaders, and independent shop owners build more profitable Service Departments.Service Advisor Training. Service Manager Coaching & Automotive Fixed Ops drawing on 25+ years of experience, Chris shares practical systems for customer communication, technician hiring, retention, leadership, and Service Drive performance. Learn how to improve Effective Labor Rate (ELR), Hours Per Repair Order (HPRO), Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), and customer-pay sales.Explore episodes, interviews & actionable training clips. Chris Collins Inc. offers dealership coaching, books like Millionaire Service Advisor, and SDR Academy: 700+ on-demand videos courses & live classes with Q&A from Automotive Fixed Ops professionals.chriscollinsinc.comSponsorship inquiries: [email protected]
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Chris Collins
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