{"id":2593,"date":"2026-02-16T16:40:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/?p=2593"},"modified":"2026-02-16T16:40:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:40:45","slug":"nada-show-2026-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/","title":{"rendered":"NADA Show 2026: What Fixed Ops Leaders Must Prioritize in the Year Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nada.org\/nada-show-exhibit\">NADA Show 2026<\/a> was packed with technology, bold claims, and the loudest buzzword in automotive right now: <strong>AI<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when you step back and listen carefully to the conversations happening between dealer leaders, OEM executives, trainers, digital strategists, and fixed operations specialists, an even clearer theme emerges: <strong>2026 will reward precision, process, and customer experience\u2014not just new tools.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across our interviews with industry leaders, six dominant fixed ops themes stood out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic-1024x683.png\" alt=\"NADA Show 2026 Takeaways\" class=\"wp-image-2610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic.png 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>1. Retention Is the Growth Strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For years, fixed ops growth rode the wave of strong vehicle sales. That cushion is gone. Fewer new vehicles means fewer natural service opportunities. Every retained customer matters more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As David Willard explained, \u201cThe new cars sold in America have gone down for the last five years\u2026 so you have less at-bats. Each individual retained customer is more important to you now than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Corey Smith from EasyCare elaborated further: \u201cEveryone\u2019s talking about a 70% retention rate. But is that because they <em>have <\/em>to come to you\u2026 or because they <em>want <\/em>to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That distinction matters. True retention isn\u2019t warranty-driven. It\u2019s relationship-driven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TVI MarketPro3\u2019s Scott Kelford summarized the biggest retention killers simply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-Time<\/li><li>-Price perception<\/li><li>-Treatment<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Willard added that price often isn\u2019t the real issue. \u201cSince COVID, I don\u2019t think independents give you a price advantage at all\u2026 It\u2019s the perception.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Retention in 2026 isn\u2019t about discounts. It\u2019s about consistency, communication, and experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>2. The 12-Year Opportunity: Aging Vehicles Are the Revenue Engine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The average vehicle on the road is now nearly 12\u201313 years old, yet many dealerships still focus their marketing energy on 7- to 10-year-old vehicles, depending on the focus parameters of their OEM performance metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TVI Unotifi\u2019s Lauren Marzella pointed out that the average age of cars on the road is higher now than at any other time in history.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TVI MarketPro3\u2019s Steve Coad shared real-world examples of targeting 7+ year-old trucks and SUVs during specific seasons\u2014leading to differential service, brake work, suspension repairs, and strong customer pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the industry, the results extend even further. Dealers are seeing 15- and 20-year-old vehicles returning for $2,000\u2013$3,000 repairs when engaged correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ketan Bhatia, Lincoln Regional Manager for Ford Motor Company, emphasized, \u201cThe biggest Rolodex is right there at the dealer\u2019s hands\u2026 It\u2019s their DMS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of blanket campaigns, dealers are now using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-Mileage segmentation<\/li><li>-Recall reactivation<\/li><li>-Declined service follow-up<\/li><li>-Ownership verification<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Marzella summed it up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIntelligent marketing isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all\u2026 it evolves as we learn customer behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opportunity lies in how well you communicate with the customers you already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>3. AI Is Everywhere\u2014But It\u2019s Not the Easy Button<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AI dominated this year\u2019s NADA conversations, but the most grounded discussions were about balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TVI Unotifi\u2019s Michael Lopez warned, \u201cAI definitely [shouldn\u2019t become a crutch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dealers are exploring:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-AI phone answering<\/li><li>-AI text automation<\/li><li>-AI scheduling<\/li><li>-AI-driven marketing optimization<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, without process oversight, AI won\u2019t fix broken systems. It will automate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael Waltrip, Vice President of Fixed Operations with Auto Services Unlimited, put it bluntly: \u201cEvery customer just wants someone to answer the phone.\u201d He also acknowledged that advisors are busy, \u201cThey\u2019ve got a guest in front of them.\u201d AI can help fill those gaps\u2014especially after hours\u2014but Waltrip also offered a critical perspective: \u201cAI is only what you put into it\u2026 There is no easy button.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most productive AI application emerging from NADA? Freeing up BDC teams. Lopez explained, \u201cIf they\u2019re trying to develop business, they can\u2019t do that if they\u2019re taking inbound phone calls all day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI handling overflow scheduling allows BDC agents to focus on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-Recalls<\/li><li>-Declined services<\/li><li>-Maintenance follow-up<\/li><li>-Lost customer reactivation<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>AI works when it enhances the human experience\u2014not replaces it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>4. Digital Marketing Must Drive Revenue, Not Just Clicks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fixed ops digital marketing has historically been an afterthought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ian Favre, Digital Marketing Director with TVI MarketPro3, challenged that model: \u201cFixed operations digital marketing spend is usually the afterthought from most big box agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of generic service ads, granular campaigns are outperforming:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-Toyota transmission repair<\/li><li>-Brake service near me<\/li><li>-Model-specific service queries<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>More importantly, dealers are demanding true ROI tracking. Favre says, \u201cImpressions and clicks don\u2019t matter if they don\u2019t turn into money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The shift is toward tying:<br>Keyword \u2192 Click \u2192 Phone Call \u2192 Closed RO \u2192 Revenue<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meta advertising (Facebook and Instagram) is also becoming more precise. Instead of spraying broad audiences, campaigns are built directly from DMS data\u2014active, inactive, or lost customers\u2014eliminating waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2026, digital advertising isn\u2019t about visibility. It\u2019s about measurable service revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>5. Process and Experience Win the Retention Game<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If there was one consistent undercurrent in every conversation, it was process discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Easy Care\u2019s National Fixed Operations Training Director, Corey Smith, emphasized, \u201cIf you don\u2019t have a playbook in service, you\u2019re not going to win this retention game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He described the difference between transactional service and experience-driven service: \u201cIf they feel good at the end, no matter how much they spent, they\u2019re going to come back.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also introduced a powerful mindset shift: Instead of asking, \u201cWhen do you want to pick it up?\u201d Ask, \u201cWhat does your day look like today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That subtle change reframes expectations and builds trust, along with a few other built-in procedures: Scheduling pickups, walking customers to their vehicle, setting next appointments, and treating oil change customers like engine replacement customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith noted, \u201cIf I\u2019m dropping off my $50,000 baby and I don\u2019t hear from you, I feel like you\u2019ve forgotten about me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ford Motor Company\u2019s Lincoln Regional Manager, Ketan Bhatia, echoed the same principle from an OEM luxury perspective, \u201cThe basics of any business is communication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether it\u2019s Lincoln-level pickup and delivery or a high-volume Toyota store, the core differentiator remains consistent communication and convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>6. Creative Thinking Will Separate Winners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyler Parker, TVI MarketPro3 Regional Sales Manager, and Joe Castellino, Vice President of Fixed Operations at American Motors Group, highlighted something deeper: the definition of successful service departments. Castellino says it\u2019s all in \u201chow we\u2019re thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every aspect of customer outreach matters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-Converting orphan customers.<\/li><li>-Targeting underserved markets.<\/li><li>-Leveraging mobile service.<\/li><li>-Reactivating lapsed owners.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Growth in 2026 requires a proactive strategy, not passive reliance on legacy traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>The Big Takeaway from NADA 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you combine every interview, one truth becomes clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The future of fixed ops is not about chasing trends. It\u2019s about executing fundamentals with precision.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>-Retention over reaction<\/li><li>-Segmentation over saturation<\/li><li>-Efficiency over hype<\/li><li>-Revenue over vanity metrics<\/li><li>-Process over chaos<\/li><li>-Experience over transactions<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>AI will evolve. Digital tools will improve. Marketing channels will shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But dealerships that build disciplined processes, prioritize communication, and treat every customer like they have a choice\u2014because they do\u2014will protect and grow fixed ops profitability in 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/solutions\">Hear more from the experts at TVI MarketPro3.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NADA Show 2026 was packed with technology, bold claims, and the loudest buzzword in automotive right now: AI. But when you step back and listen carefully to the conversations happening between dealer leaders, OEM executives, trainers, digital strategists, and fixed operations specialists, an even clearer theme emerges: 2026 will reward precision, process, and customer experience\u2014not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.0.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"NADA Show 2026 takeaways for fixed ops: retention, aging vehicles, smart AI, and granular digital marketing that drives revenue.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NADA Show 2026: What Fixed Ops Leaders Must Prioritize in the Year Ahead | TVI MarketPro3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NADA Show 2026 takeaways for fixed ops: retention, aging vehicles, smart AI, and granular digital marketing that drives revenue.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVI MarketPro3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TVIMarketPro3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-16T16:40:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic-1024x683.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TVI Inc\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TVIMarketPro3\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tvi_marketpro3\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/35539065\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCz9rLJd3oAs28FZOdT48J5A\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lockup.svg\",\"caption\":\"TVI Inc\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"TVI MarketPro3\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/NADA-2026-Team-pic.png\",\"width\":1800,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"NADA Show 2026 Takeaways\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/\",\"name\":\"NADA Show 2026: What Fixed Ops Leaders Must Prioritize in the Year Ahead | TVI MarketPro3\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-16T16:40:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-16T16:40:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"NADA Show 2026 takeaways for fixed ops: retention, aging vehicles, smart AI, and granular digital marketing that drives revenue.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"item\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/\",\"name\":\"NADA Show 2026: What Fixed Ops Leaders Must Prioritize in the Year Ahead\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4ac1e935398f478074acba72a3b2637b\"},\"headline\":\"NADA Show 2026: What Fixed Ops Leaders Must Prioritize in the Year Ahead\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-16T16:40:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-16T16:40:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#webpage\"},\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/nada-show-2026-takeaways\/#primaryimage\"},\"articleSection\":\"Bonus Content,Business\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4ac1e935398f478074acba72a3b2637b\",\"name\":\"Kelly Stewart\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2593"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2611,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions\/2611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvi-mp3.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}