DiscoverThe Service LoungeEp 14⎜Winning in a Competitive Market: ELR & Retention - Feat. Rusty Mayfield
Ep 14⎜Winning in a Competitive Market: ELR & Retention - Feat. Rusty Mayfield

Ep 14⎜Winning in a Competitive Market: ELR & Retention - Feat. Rusty Mayfield

Update: 2025-09-23
Share

Description

How do you keep customers driving 60 miles past independents just to return to your dealership?   
 
In this episode of The Service Lounge, host Brandon Nixon sits down with Rusty Mayfield, Parts & Service Director at Coad Toyota, to uncover the real-world strategies that keep his Missouri dealership thriving against tough competition.   
 
What you’ll learn in this episode:   
- Why effective labor rate (ELR) is more than just a number—and how small tweaks add up to thousands.   
- Creative approaches to tackling technician shortages, from 4x10 schedules to brand-new shop upgrades.   
- The power of “celebrating the green” in both MPIs and advisor performance to build trust and motivation.   
- How prepaid maintenance programs like “Coad Care” lock in customer loyalty.   
- Why lowering diagnostic fees can actually be a smart move to win more repair orders.   
 
Rusty’s insights prove that sometimes it’s the little things—like an extra dollar on an oil change or a positive word to an advisor—that create the biggest impact. Don’t miss this conversation packed with strategies you can apply in your own service drive today.   
 
Follow The Service Lounge across all platforms:   
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheServiceLounge     
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/grp9Ehn3    
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g3tWS5fX    
Clubhouse: https://lnkd.in/gzfbk9gA    
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-service-lounge-by-updatepromise  
X/Twitter: https://lnkd.in/gBRYPACY    
Facebook: https://lnkd.in/eM6wX5x     
Instagram: https://lnkd.in/g2NVyqpm

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Ep 14⎜Winning in a Competitive Market: ELR & Retention - Feat. Rusty Mayfield

Ep 14⎜Winning in a Competitive Market: ELR & Retention - Feat. Rusty Mayfield

The Service Lounge