It is tempting to say the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to an epidemic of fixed ops podcasts, but that wouldn't be quite right.
While there has been a surge in the number of podcasts about the service, parts and collision aspects of a dealership since the pandemic hit in early 2020, the word "epidemic" has a negative connotation. And these shows are all about solving problems.
"At first, it was a way that I could talk to people that I wanted to talk to," says Dave Foy, host of "The Fixed Ops Mastermind" podcast.
Foy's show was one of the first fixed ops podcasts, and it is one of the few that existed before the pandemic. Foy, a consultant who got his start as a technician in 1987, says his goal is to "leave the industry better than I found it."
Corey Smith says National Auto Care's "Fixed Ops 5" podcast, which he hosts, is "designed to help and reach a broad audience on how the service team and sales team can work together."
Smith is a former radio DJ who became a service adviser and, eventually, service manager before joining National Auto Care. The podcast allows Smith to bring all his talents together in one place. He believes his show is not part of a trend but rather part of a wave that will not recede anytime soon.
"The industry is saying, 'We need to focus on fixed ops,' " Smith says, adding that a key objective is to help sales and service employees work together better.
"I think these podcasts will really shine a light on where we'll be able to develop a more cohesive team and have equal training," he says.
Ted Ings, host of "Fixed Ops Roundtable," invites industry leaders on his podcast to share ideas and best practices. He also had Jay Leno — who is almost as well known for his love of cars as he is for his comedy — on his show.
There were no podcasts in 1981, when Ings got his first job as a salesperson at a Ford dealership in Clifton, N.J. There was no Internet either, for that matter.
"We're in the automotive business," he says. "We have to pivot and adjust."
Like his fellow hosts, Ings welcomes new shows. And he recommends investing the time and resources necessary to make a show sound good — both in terms of content and sound quality.
"If you're going to do something," Ings says, "make sure it is the highest caliber."
One of the newer entries into the fixed ops podcasting world is Kaylee Felio's "The Parts Girl Podcast." She made her debut May 5, and she has about a dozen shows under her belt.
She initially thought she would release a show the first and third Friday of each month but now might add more because of her growing list of guests.
"Hosting a podcast really gives you the ability to get to know someone," Felio says. "It's so much fun to go into it with a topic in mind but the guest is unprepared with the questions that I'm going to ask. I think it brings authenticity to the conversation, and as a host, it's fun to navigate and bring out the best in that person."
Felio was inspired to start her own podcast after being a guest on other fixed ops shows. She saw how her appearances helped build her network and shined a light on the parts department. Although an admitted "figure it out as I go" type of person, she did lean on the expertise and experience of some other podcast hosts — including Smith and Foy.
While the parts department is her show focus, she does branch out into other subjects such as marketing and sales. Most of all, she wants "The Parts Girl Podcast" to break ground and stand out from the growing crowd.
"I didn't want to be just another podcast," Felio says. "My fear was that it would end up being like everyone else's. After recording a few, I now have a sense of direction that I'd really like to take it.
"I'm just glad I got started; the conversations are endless."