Ever wonder why you can’t quite hit — and keep — maximum success in your used car department?

When you really look at it, you’ve got a lot going for you: a solid inventory, plenty of operating capital, enough space to work with, and a management team that (in theory) understands how important a strong used car department is.

You’ve invested in the right software to source, price, and manage your inventory, and you’re doing a quality job reconditioning your vehicles.

So why isn’t it all clicking?

Because until someone truly owns it, it’s never going to happen.

Every dealership has staffing limits — we all know that. But too often, the used car department becomes an afterthought, tacked onto another manager’s already full plate. Maybe it’s sort of the GM’s responsibility. Maybe the GSM’s. Maybe the desk manager’s, the sales manager’s, or some hybrid “used car/sales manager” role.

See where this is going? Nobody owns it.

And in today’s market, the role of a used car manager has evolved. We’re asking people to handle pricing analytics, digital marketing, inventory turn strategies — things that not everyone has the skill set for. Just because you know the wholesale side doesn’t mean you understand the retail game.

When someone truly owns the used car department, everything changes. They come to work with a mission — every single day:

• A mission to make things happen.
• A mission to energize the team.
• A mission to prevent aging inventory.
• A mission to move cars efficiently through reconditioning.
• A mission to boost turn rates and profits.
• A mission to get every car online and ready to sell, fast.
• A mission to study the best operators and emulate proven practices.
• A mission to build a team that dominates the used car market.
• A mission to tackle problem units strategically, not reactively.
• A mission to sell everyone in the store on how crucial the used car department is to total dealership success.

So—who owns your used car department?

That’s all I’m gonna ask, Tommy Gibbs