Summary
Bozard Ford Lincoln rapidly scaled its mobile service by investing ahead of demand, redesigning scheduling so mobile is the default, and using vans as rolling marketing. The dealership now completes 2,000+ monthly appointments with a 38-van fleet and ~40 technicians operating Monday–Saturday. According to CBT News, mobile service is among the fastest-growing fixed ops opportunities.
Key metrics
- Fleet size: 38 vans (tire, oil-change, diagnostic, fleet, A/C)
- Technicians: ~40, selected for technical skill and customer-facing traits
- Productivity: ~3.8 jobs/van/day (initially 4–5)
- Same-day service: 250+ mobile appointments over a recent three-week span; some in as little as 4 hours
- Customer feedback: 150–180 perfect surveys per month (per dealership)
How they scaled
- Early investment: Bought vans before fully staffing or having steady demand to build processes and capacity first.
- Make mobile the default: Present mobile service first on calls and in the online scheduler to pull routine/light work out of bays.
- Same-day responsiveness: Communications center prioritizes accommodating urgent requests.
- Specialized vans: Purpose-built units (tire, oil, diagnostic, A/C, fleet) align equipment to common off-site jobs.
- Process discipline: Continuous test–measure–adjust across routes, staffing, and service menus.
Scheduling and utilization
Dispatch matches the right van to the right job, clusters nearby appointments, and holds a buffer for urgent calls. This keeps vans moving, reduces travel time, and frees shop bays for complex, higher-hour work.
Staffing and training
Technicians are drawn from proven in-shop performers who can work independently at homes or workplaces. Bozard emphasizes work ethic, trustworthiness, and a friendly demeanor since techs are the face of the dealership in the driveway.
Marketing built into operations
- Vans double as ads; neighborhood visibility sparks interest.
- QR codes on rear doors enable instant booking.
- Technicians carry business cards and engage onlookers.
Customer experience
Convenience and on-the-spot helpfulness drive satisfaction. After finishing the main job, techs ask if anything else is needed—even small tasks—to leave a strong impression.
What’s next
- Expand fleet service to about half of mobile operations next year to meet commercial demand.
- Explore shift schedules to keep vans on the road longer without adding units.
- Maintain quality via ongoing training, clearer job selection for mobile vs. in-shop, and refined dispatching.
Takeaways for other dealerships
- Invest early to build capacity and process before demand peaks.
- Default appropriate jobs to mobile to relieve shop bottlenecks.
- Offer rapid, same-day options to capture convenience-driven demand.
- Use specialized vans and route clustering to lift daily job count.
- Embed marketing (QR codes, visible branding, tech engagement) into every visit.
