Poor leadership practices cost companies millions of dollars each year by negatively impacting employee productivity, staff retention, and customer| Kruse Control Inc
One of the unexpected perks of writing this newsletter is that inspiration can strike in the most absurd places—like the grocery store this past weekend. If you’re anything like me, you probably shuffle through those fluorescent-lit aisles weekly, wondering when you unknowingly signed up for a live-action obstacle course. Lately, though, I’ve noticed a troubling […] The post EBITDA Won’t Hug You Back: Why Dealership CFOs Care About Customer Experience appeared first on Kruse Control...| Kruse Control Inc
I’ve spent my entire career in the car business, working in every franchise and holding just about every role within a dealership. One of the biggest momentum-killers in this industry is a lack of working capital. Without sufficient liquidity, even the most well-run dealerships can struggle to maintain inventory, cover operating expenses, and capitalize on […] The post The Crucial Role of Working Capital in Franchise Dealerships: A CFO’s Perspective appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
In 2025, dealership leaders everywhere are buckling down, returning to their roots, and desperately Googling “How to Manage Millennials and Gen Z Without Crying.” After years of chasing the innovation rabbit down countless holes, it turns out the real secret to success might be… doing the basics well. Who knew? Successful operators have rediscovered the […] The post Back to Basics: Dealership Fundamentals for 2025 appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
‘Tis the season to be thankful. As we move through the next several weeks of the holidays, I wanted to share a few things that car dealership folks are likely to be thankful for. In automotive retail, your time isn’t really your own. Long hours at the store are dedicated to one thing: making customers […] The post 13 Reasons to Be Thankful This Season (From a Real Car Gal) appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
Many people don’t know this but Kruse Control got into digital by way of online reputation management. In 2009, I could see online reviews becoming more important than CSI ratings, given the fact that customers could talk to one another in real time rather than waiting for JD Power to announce their findings every year. […] The post Dealership Playbook for Monitoring and Responding to Online Reviews appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
Those of us who have worked in auto retail for any length of time know when the industry is thriving. It’s easy to forget the difficult periods when profits are high and the workload is more manageable. However, we’ve also weathered some hard times, even times when dealerships were shutting down. I tend to adopt […] The post Spend Management Tactics to Boost Dealership Profitability and Operational Efficiency appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
This week is a short week (Labor Day), and corporate taxes are due, so I thought I’d share a quick story with you that was inspired by the Rolls Royce SUV. If you’re not a car person, you may not even know such a thing exists. Indeed, when I saw it for the first time, […] The post Short Week Musings: When Luxury Meets Utility appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
I’ve always believed that life has a way of serving up the most delicious ironies when you least expect them. Take, for instance, the tale of a car dealership that mistakenly turned a questionable termination into a $2.8 million lesson, all thanks to a perfect storm of incompetence, inferior software, and corporate HR overreach. Recently, […] The post A $2.8 Million Cautionary Tale of Dealership Mismanagement and Corporate Overreach appeared first on Kruse Control Inc.| Kruse Control Inc
I've spent my entire life in the car business, so when I walk into a service department, I see it differently than the average female customer. My focus| Kruse Control Inc
I've basically been a car dealership controller or CFO my whole life. I've worked every job in the car business (except technician), and I've been the| Kruse Control Inc
The car business is a high stakes gambit. The average consumer believes manufacturers just build cars and dealers sell them - simple as that. But it's| Kruse Control Inc
My grandfather was a Buick dealer in downtown Los Angeles in the 1950's-60's. His majority partner was Charles S. Howard, a pioneer car dealer and early| Kruse Control Inc
I am an observer. I like to explore and examine certain trends and follow my instincts where they take me. When I was a CFO at dealerships, this kept the| Kruse Control Inc
I've been in the car business my entire life so my view of the Service Dept in any dealership is unique compared to the average female customer. Whenever| Kruse Control Inc