VADA Live S2:E3 – Managing vs. Leading: Why Your Service Advisors Are Leaving (And How to Fix It) with Christopher Craig
Thu Feb 05 2026
We know the stats: turnover in the automotive industry is hovering near 46%, and for service advisors specifically, it's nearly 49%. Why are dealership struggling to keep their best people?
This week on VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Christopher Craig – Author, Fixed Ops Expert, and U.S. Army Reserve Officers – to answer that question. Christopher argues the industry is full of "Managers" who managers, but lackss "Leaders" who lead people.
In this conversation, we move beyond the spreadsheets to discuss the human side of service operations. Learn to establish a communication "rhythm" that eliminates friction for customers, structure KPIs that don't pit your team against each other, and why the next generation of technicians care about more than just a paycheck.
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We know the stats: turnover in the automotive industry is hovering near 46%, and for service advisors specifically, it's nearly 49%. Why are dealership struggling to keep their best people? This week on VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Christopher Craig – Author, Fixed Ops Expert, and U.S. Army Reserve Officers – to answer that question. Christopher argues the industry is full of "Managers" who managers, but lackss "Leaders" who lead people. In this conversation, we move beyond the spreadsheets to discuss the human side of service operations. Learn to establish a communication "rhythm" that eliminates friction for customers, structure KPIs that don't pit your team against each other, and why the next generation of technicians care about more than just a paycheck.