Latest / Auto Collabs / Fighting Doberman Pinschers In The Rain with Jeremy Stephens

Transcript

Fighting Doberman Pinschers In The Rain with Jeremy Stephens · Auto Collabs

• 0:00
  Michael, did you play sports? Do you play sports? Would you ever wanna play sports? [upbeat music] This is Auto Collabs. I wrestled in high school. [laughs] And...
• 0:18
  And then you were like, "Wait, this is sports?" That was primarily because I wanted to wear the singlets. Why would God give me this desire to wrestle? [laughs] Yeah, that's right. I... Dude, I don't know.
• 0:27
  I, maybe I had anger issues. Okay, so you wrestled? That's a sport. I wrestled. [laughs] Uh, wrestled in the provincial championships, a fun side note, which is like a state championship. In Canada. In Canada.
• 0:37
  Where you're from. It's like a state championship with way less people. [laughs] Just kinda like Canada. Wow. Yeah. It's, it's like a big country with way less people. [laughs] Yeah, like I've never...
• 0:51
  Y- you know, like forget about it. You couldn't do it today. You imagine a, a bunch of scrawny dudes wearing singlets, and the only people in the audience are other people's moms. Ain't happening today.
• 1:00
  [laughs] That's how you get a, that's how you get a tournament canceled. [laughs] Yeah. Um- I was wondering, have you ever had a- Sorry, but that hap- that happens every single day in America. You kidding me?
• 1:09
  Yeah, I'm not... Yeah. Yeah. Except everybody looks like this. Right, yeah. Everybody's [laughs] holding up their iPhones. That's, that's funny. You don't even see anybody's face.
• 1:16
  Yeah, guys, it's crazy to me actually that people buy seasons tickets to high school football games. Oh, in Texas? I didn't know my high school- Yeah, oh, yeah... had a football team until I was in the 11th grade.
• 1:29
  [laughs] Like, yeah. And I went, I went to an 8 through 12 high school.
• 1:35
  I didn't realize- I went to middle school, no, 8 through 12, all five years, and I didn't know until the 11th grade I didn't realize people buy season tickets to high school football anywhere. Oh, absolutely.
• 1:44
  It's insane. Really? Bro, it's, it's a h- it's, it's like the third-highest sport in Texas, high school football. Yeah. Guys, there's, they are, they work trades- Yeah, first sport, getting rid of the US.
• 1:57
  Second sport- Shooting rattlesnakes... football. [laughs] Third- Third sport, high school football... high school football. No, there, there's like trades going on here as if they're in the major leagues.
• 2:06
  Like, high school footballers in Texas know what it's like- Oh, yeah... to be a pro footballer. Like, they sc- there was, when we were talking about this- Is there NIL stuff?...
• 2:13
  there was like a little controversy that the school district, the ISD,
• 2:19
  bought a family a house in their ISD so that their kid would relocate to that school to play football in, PS, a $42 million, 20,000-seat stadium. Oh my gosh. Insane. This is real.
• 2:34
  I had no idea, thank you for that, Muril. We have some of that in the Midwest, too. It's not as aggressive, but it's very close. Mm. I once [laughs]... Yeah. This is a good, tell a dumb story. It's weird.
• 2:43
  Well, look, speaking of things- That has nothing to do with what we're ta- who we're talking to... well, speaking of things that a lot of people don't know existing, like this is actually- [laughs]...
• 2:48
  a really legitimate segue. Okay, that- Today, today our guest- That's impressive. [laughs] It is. Today, our guest, Jeremy Stevens, is the, the new remote service director for Bozard Ford Lincoln in- Wow... uh, St.
• 2:59
  Augustine, and we're gonna talk with him about, like, his journey on why, what is remote service, like, what does that actually look like, and, like, why he made a big change in his career to go take the position.
• 3:10
  So we hope you enjoy this conversation with Jeremy Stevens. [upbeat music] Jeremy, thank you so much for being with us today. We're excited for the conversation. Well, thank you for having me. I'm looking forward to it.
• 3:22
  You know, there's definitely, my, my pedigree in the automotive, my first step in was in fixed ops, so there's a special place in my heart for fixed ops, and also leadership things, right?
• 3:32
  Your Maxwell leadership, and so, like, you have, you're like the ultimate guest in my opinion.
• 3:38
  [laughs] So, so these two guys are just gonna sit here and watch and listen, and just we're gonna have a conversation about fixed ops and leadership. Oh, gosh, I better- Stop looking so cute, Cirilo.
• 3:46
  Um- Yeah, now I feel like I'm gonna let you down. You put me on a high pedestal. [laughs] I know. Well, you know, that's, that's our, that's really our goal.
• 3:52
  This is actually an intervention show, so by the time the show is over- [laughs]... we're gonna have several of your family members on here with little notes, and you're gonna be crying.
• 4:01
  [laughs] No, no, but- I, I will tear your ears up, for sure.
• 4:04
  [laughs] But real, for real, like, so you're, you're at, at Bozard Ford, and which is just g- has this growing reputation for good, sound leadership principle and the culture that comes after it.
• 4:16
  Um, just, I don't know, share a little bit about, I'm curious, I don't know this, how did you find your way into the Bozard ecosystem?
• 4:23
  So it wasn't, you know, it was just networking, just like you guys do, just networking and getting to know people.
• 4:29
  You know, everybody knows Ed Roberts, so, you know, we were on a couple of panels with him, and, you know, just got to getting to know him, and then, you know, the opportunity came up, and, you know, we kinda connected, and I came down, and, you know, Florida was one of those states that, that, you know, if there was opportunity, I would, I would definitely go down.
• 4:46
  Not, not up north from where y'all are. I, I can't, I can't do that. [laughs] Well, that's, that's just me. I'm the, I'm the northernmost contingent of Isoto right now.
• 4:54
  [laughs] Yeah, 'cause you were, I mean, you were with, it's, I think it's pronounced Heister for, like, 20-something years, right? I was with, uh, I was with the Heister Group for 20 years.
• 5:03
  I started as a technician there, and, you know, kind of worked my way through the ranks and stuff like that. So it was a, it was a tough decision, you know. I, I knew- I bet... you know, that was my hometown, too.
• 5:13
  So, um, you know- Yeah. Wow... you know, it took a, you know, it, it was, it was back and forth. But, you know, I think every point in everybody's life, you know where, where, you know, it's time for you to move on.
• 5:23
  Um- Mm-hmm... and, and that was the point that I was at. I just felt like there was something else for me, and, you know, this, you know, it kinda lined up perfectly how everything fell in, fell into s- into place.
• 5:33
  It's how the best things do.
• 5:34
  You know, we see a lot of, like, uh, I see at least, a lot of fixed ops managers, fixed ops directors, people that are on the, what I would call the more administrative side of fixed ops, come through the advisor route, right?
• 5:49
  Like, they start in the advisor, start as, like, a lane manager or some- or a, a lane person, and then move to advisor, and then move up the ranks through that. But you said you started as a technician.
• 5:59
  How, like, where did the decision come to move... out of turning wrenches into, uh, i- into kinda like the customer interaction side of stuff?
• 6:10
  So it kinda came to the point where, you know, of course we're all on flat rate.
• 6:14
  And, and in my mind, you know, I felt like I hit my peak there, and I was just, I, you know, I, I felt like there was something more that I needed to do. It was, uh, something, this inner battle that I had.
• 6:24
  And I was like, "I'll find retirement as a technician. I'm good. I love working on cars, and I still like working on cars." But there was something that was kinda pulling me away, and I, you know, I just kept looking.
• 6:33
  I was like, "Well, you know, I love helping people. I just, I, I just love people. It's easy for me, and, you know, I like to see people grow."
• 6:40
  And, and, you know, that pull just drew me to, you know, maybe I should try being a manager, you know, where I could have a b- a, you know, a bigger influence in that side of it. Have you always had ambition like that?
• 6:49
  Are you the technician that has... Well, ugh, sorry. Sorry. Cirillo, I'm so sorry. It's okay. I apologize. I'll see myself out. Go, Cirillo. [laughs] It's unbelievable.
• 7:01
  I wasn't paying attention, so- Now I, now I have no tactful way of raising my chair again, so we're just gonna... [laughs] Um, have you always had ambition like that?
• 7:10
  Or is that something that grew, you felt growing in you once you got into the business?
• 7:15
  You know, it, I had, I always had this desire to, like, you know, everybody has this desire to start their own business and stuff like that.
• 7:21
  So, so it was just more of, you know, not, not like in a greed sense that you wanna do more, more, more, but just something pulling me to that way.
• 7:29
  There, there's always been this little thing where I feel like I could, I could lead people.
• 7:33
  Um, you know, even when I started as a technician, I wasn't the shop foreman or dispatcher, but we didn't have one, so I just assumed the role. Nobody told me. I didn't ask permission.
• 7:43
  I just kinda jumped in and started helping people, um, without the title. 'Cause sometimes it's a, it's a lot easier to lead without the title than when you get the title. Um- Hmm...
• 7:52
  so, you know, it's been- Come on, now. [laughs] I started falling in love with that. I was like, that's, that's pretty cool.
• 7:59
  It's like, you know, you can help other people and, you know, you can see them get what they, you know, what, what they want and stuff like that, and it kinda gives you, you know, this fulfillment part of it.
• 8:09
  Um, and that's, that's how I always had that, um, inside me, so, for some reason. You know, that's a, that's different than I think...
• 8:18
  Maybe a lo- maybe it's not everybody, but a lot of people when they see, like, manager or leader or, or something with the title, right? There's kind of, like, two main things that, that come into their head.
• 8:30
  One, am I getting a pay raise? Two- Yeah. [laughs]... who am I c- in control over? Uh, who, who do I get to tell what to do? But your, your heart for it is, who do I get to empower? Who do I get to lead?
• 8:44
  Who do I get to empower or give access to something else? Is there something that, like, that, that didn't just come from Maxwell Leadership in 2021 when you became- [laughs]... you know, Maxwell.
• 8:55
  That wa- that's something core and root. Is there, where did that come from in your origin story? So, so, so it's basically, you know, and, and not getting spiritual, but it's a, it is a God thing.
• 9:05
  You know, you, you, all this, all this leadership stuff- You can get spiritual up in here. Okay. So, so- You are okay. You don't have to fight that. [laughs] So it does. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's that.
• 9:15
  You know, 'cause if you look at any leader or any guru out there, motivational speaker, if you look at their content, it pretty much comes from the Bible.
• 9:24
  Not all of them, but it's just that love others more than you love yourself. And- Yeah... and, you know, and, and- Revolutionary concept of servant leadership invented in the 1970... Oh, no, that was way before that.
• 9:37
  [laughs] Right.
• 9:38
  But it, but it is that, just loving, you know, just like, you know, I love what, you know, your shirts say, you know, love, love people more than he loves cars, 'cause it's like, I've been trying to scream that and I didn't know how to put it in words, and now see y'all guys, it's like, oh, that's, that's what it's about.
• 9:53
  [laughs] But, um, but it's, but it's- Ah, thanks, Liza. Yeah. [laughs] But it is that just desire. You know, it's, it's easy for me to love people.
• 10:01
  Um, you know, and it's just, I, I always rooted for the underdog, you know, seeing somebody that's, that's not real polished, but you see something inside them that, that, you know, you could see more out of.
• 10:13
  Um- Gosh, that's so much, that's so much a part of the fabric of the auto industry, right? And you can't go to a store- It is... without ha- having a number of stories that, that just started that way.
• 10:23
  And if you, I think if you, like, pulled 100 leaders out of the auto industry, like, 85 of them would have that story. Somebody saw something in me, they invested in me, and I became this, right?
• 10:35
  It was always there, but they helped me become and cultivate it.
• 10:38
  You're stepping into a role that I think is, is probably one of the rarest or ra- at least one of the, in, in the top three most rare positions in, in a car dealership across the country, remote service director, right?
• 10:52
  There is, uh, um, a growing movement toward offering remote service, more convenient for the customer, um, and some co- in some ways maybe more cost efficient as well. OEMs are leaning in. Um, ha-
• 11:05
  are there any remote service directors that you look to for guidance or is this kind of like building while flying thing?
• 11:11
  It, it is kind of building while flying 'cause there is no process manual on how to do this, and when you talk to the technicians, it's every day is different. Mm-hmm. You know, it's, it's where the car is parked.
• 11:23
  You know, it could be raining outside. You know, we can't, we're not allowed to work in that parking lot. You know, we may have to work on a side street.
• 11:30
  Um, you know, the interaction with the customers and stuff like that, and what you... You know, you may get down there and realize it's a little bit more into it, and you can't really work on it at that point.
• 11:40
  So, so it's, that's what's cool about it is like it's- New problems, right? New problems, new challenges. Yeah, exactly.
• 11:45
  And, you know, and, and it's more of opportunities and stuff like that to see, because everybody's dealership is, is backed up. They can't get their customers in the door, door fast enough.
• 11:56
  So what we're thinking is we can offset some of this stuff, 'cause that's the worst thing you can do as a dealership.
• 12:00
  You sell a $80,000 car, and next week the check engine light's on and they're calling your service department- Yeah... and saying, "Hey, it's gonna be three weeks." Oh. And it's like that experience is gonna be horrible.
• 12:10
  But now with the remote side of it-I can send a guy out there the next day and at least give that customer a peace of mind, um, you know, with a technician there to- We've scanned it. Here's what we think it is...
• 12:22
  exactly. Parts on order. Yeah. Or reprogrammed it, yeah. And the customers think it's the coolest thing when you hook a computer up to their car.
• 12:28
  You know, they're sitting there watching, and they're just thinking that you're doing all this crazy stuff, and it's... And, you know, it just gives it that extra customer, you know, that customer satisfaction stuff.
• 12:37
  It's like, "Man, they're coming to my house trying to help me out." I think, I'm just actually now thinking of all the dynamics, right? Like, it's a mix between, like, mailman, right, Amazon guy- [laughs]...
• 12:50
  and, like, garage door repair guy, right? Like, all these things. You're now, like, in people's lives, in their space, right? Out amongst the people.
• 12:58
  And now you not only have that, you know, opportunity to put, you know, your foot in, in, in that area, but you also have, like, additional liabilities and considerations, and what happens when the dog's gonna bite you?
• 13:14
  [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] Big old Doberman Pinscher comes out while you're trying to drain the oil, right?
• 13:19
  No, but I'm just, now that you're talking about it, and you just explained that scenario, I'm realizing that, oh, man, there are, like, a lot of...
• 13:25
  You're, you're gonna get a lot of phone calls [laughs] of, like, "My car's-" Those are all new names I've heard for a Karen.
• 13:31
  I've never heard anybody else outside of this show refer to a Karen as a Doberman, as a- [laughs] Oh. Oh, no. All right, guys. See you later. Ah, see yourself out, actually. Michael, Michael lives in Texas, by the way.
• 13:46
  Oh. Out of luck. They do what they want. Can't say what they want. Yeah. He's allowed to say that. He's from Texas. Yeah. And Canada, you know. So he gets both passes, both sides. You know what I love, though?
• 13:54
  What you're bringing up is, the, the novelty around it is, and, and this is where the innovative piece is for me, Jeremy, it's like, innovation is not necessarily coming up with something that's never existed before.
• 14:06
  It's about assembling elements that have already always existed- Mm... into a new way that provides a new experience.
• 14:14
  And the innovation in this is, for me, is something as simple as, hey, we've historically always asked you to service your vehicle on our terms and on our territory.
• 14:24
  We are now servicing vehicles on your terms and in your territory. And just a simple shift like that, I think, just has a tremendous impact.
• 14:32
  It does, 'cause here's, here's the, it's, it's the good and bad about working at a dealership for as many years as I had is, you get used to hearing this bad news, so it doesn't faz- it doesn't bother you anymore. Mm.
• 14:44
  You know, somebody's car that won't crank is, that's not a big deal. It happens every day. [laughs] Yeah. But in, in their moment, it has ruined their whole day. Wrecked their life, yeah. You know? Yes, exactly.
• 14:54
  And it's the worst case scenario. Um, and, and plus nobody, nobody really is excited about coming to a dealership. 'Cause the cool thing about me being... I'm, I'm a new guy for the first time in over 20 years.
• 15:07
  [laughs] So I'm, I'm seeing things totally different as a new employee. And it's like, you know, when I come in this place, you know, when I first came here, I was like, I didn't know where to go.
• 15:17
  And, and, you know, there's signs there, but you don't look at signs. You're s- you're trying not to run into anybody. [laughs] And it's like, where do you go?
• 15:23
  So now I'm just thinking all our customers have, you know, we just assume, yeah, you go to service and you talk to a service advisor. It's as simple as that.
• 15:29
  But, you know, a 19-year-old person, they're not gonna know that. They're just like- Yeah... "We don't wanna go out and talk to anybody." [laughs] Yeah. Well, no, yeah, I mean, it, I think about that all the time.
• 15:41
  Like, the simple idea of driving on a lot, which, like, the n- the normal thing when you go to a place and park there is every spot's available and there's not that many cars, right? Yeah.
• 15:54
  Unless you're going to Target when the Stanley, uh, V- Valentine's Day Cup happens. [laughs] Which I don't know if you guys have seen about that. Oh, I've seen it. It's been ma- it's been full madness.
• 16:04
  But unless that's the case, that's the environment that y- when you go to a dealership just as a customer, and you just highlighted it as a new employee, it is, it's a bit overwhelming.
• 16:16
  Massive building, cars everywhere, not really sure where you should park. Yeah. You gotta pull in a, in a gar- a garage that's not your garage, that you're not used to- [laughs]... the side. Yeah.
• 16:25
  And then, and then maybe you got, got one of these flashing things going through it. Mm. It's a pretty, like- [laughs]... that's a, that's a wild experience, you know? For us it's like, "Ah, just another day.
• 16:35
  Whoop, whoop, whoop." [laughs] Yeah. That's a good point. That's a good point. Man. Explain the, uh- So, and you take all of that out by going to them. Can you, can you explain the process?
• 16:46
  Uh, like, what is the process of a remote service tech from, you know, when they show up?
• 16:52
  Like, they, they show up in the morning, and they have, you know, probably a list of appointments, or d- are they just fed the next one?
• 16:58
  And then, like, talk us through that, because I think a lot of dealers are considering doing this. Yep. And, like, so the more information we have takes some of the mystery out of it, which I think is- Oh, yeah...
• 17:07
  good for the industry and good for consumers. It's, it's, it's pretty much like anything. It's just the proactiveness of it. You know, you can't wait the day of to try to prepare these things.
• 17:18
  So, so these guys are very good. We have a, we have a dispatcher that calls the day before just to verify that technicians are gonna be there. So they already have that route up the day before. Yep.
• 17:29
  Um, so when the technicians come back that evening, they're looking at their appointments for the very next day. That's- And everybody comes into the store every day, right? Yep, exactly.
• 17:38
  So every- Trucks are parked at the store. They come in, and then, okay. Yeah. And it's, and you're talking about communication having to be, be pretty crucial. And, and, you know, and that's always an issue.
• 17:49
  There's always glitches and stuff like that. But we always look at, you know, when you, when you focus on these little glitches, it's really only 20% of the time. But- Mm-hmm...
• 17:57
  the communication is so important, because you gotta get parts involved in, you know, everybody has to be on point.
• 18:03
  So it's pretty much just looking at those appointments a day or two early to go ahead and stage those parts, so when the, the techs get there that night, they're already loading their truck up for the next day. Mm-hmm.
• 18:13
  We're pulling parts that we may or may not need. Um-And that's why it's so important, because we always forget about how important parts are sometimes, and they're like the, they're like the- Until you need that one...
• 18:23
  every- Right? Yeah. If you ever had a bad parts department, you know the value of having a pretty daggone good one, and, you know, this, this basically supports everything.
• 18:32
  So, you know, getting the parts manager on board, knowing that I'm gonna grab extra parts and have 'em on this van [laughs] that's gonna be out of his department- Mm-hmm...
• 18:41
  and trusting our guys to make sure if they don't use it, they're bringing it back. So it's a lot of communicating- Man, this guy's got parts inventory in 10 different, uh, suburbs. Yep. Oh, golly. Wow. Yep.
• 18:53
  Didn't think about that.
• 18:53
  But it is that with the minus of, you know, getting everybody's buy-in and support because this, if, you know, if one leg of it doesn't, you know, mesh well, it, it just throws, it has that ripple effect. Okay.
• 19:04
  So- So pretty much just proactive... let me talk, so they're loading parts for the next day's jobs that are already kind of lined up and dispatched.
• 19:12
  They come back at the end of the night, they load the parts for the next day, prep for the next day. What time do they c- do, do they come in and hit the ground? So different, different times. Yep.
• 19:21
  Uh, majority of the guys, they arrive at the store at 7:00. Um, I got another group that gets there about 9:00. They're usually a little bit later, just depending on their different fleet companies and stuff like that.
• 19:32
  Mm-hmm. So yeah, so at 7:00 and, and some guys, depending on what time they get back, if they come back, if they have... 'Cause, you know, with working on cars- You never know. Yeah... you never know.
• 19:44
  So we had one group that gets back a little bit later, so he didn't load his van up. He waited for the next morning to load it up. Uh-huh. Um, so you kinda gotta be flexible with some of that stuff.
• 19:52
  But yeah, they're definitely proactive loading stuff up the day before. So it's the time. So usually th- most of them are there at 7:00 ready to roll. And there's traffic, there's all these contingencies actually. Golly.
• 20:04
  There is, especially- It's crazy...
• 20:06
  especially here in Florida on I-95, it's like once a week, you know, the drivers from Texas, there's a wreck and, you know, and- That's what you get- That's, that's what you get from-...
• 20:14
  that's what you get for all the nice weather. Yeah. [laughs] You don't have any traffic in Syracuse.
• 20:19
  [laughs] I- is it, is the technology there and supporting this, like the messaging systems, the communication systems, the routes, the understanding where the driver is, when the driver is?
• 20:32
  Or are you having to like basically develop communication pa- platforms or develop communication avenues that are like one-to-one right now? Where's the technology in its ability to support this?
• 20:45
  So most of their technology is like a web-based chat, chat group, um, basically on that. We're, we're actually testing out some dispatch softwares to kind of build some routes.
• 20:57
  But right now these guys are s- I mean, they, they're using spreadsheets right now to create these routes, so nothing complex or anything like that.
• 21:05
  They just have a weekly spreadsheet, and they put the routes on there and, you know, we got some, we got some clever technicians that'll put it on their own optim- you know, these different...
• 21:14
  There's so many different platforms, and trying to find the right ones that works with everybody's kinda tough. But- Mm-hmm... there, there are technologies out there, just trying to find the right one.
• 21:22
  That's a massive opportunity, I think. Someone's gonna scoop that up this year. Someone's gonna scoop that up.
• 21:26
  We're gonna look back on this, well, we're gonna look back on this interview, and it's gonna be laughable in 36 months. [laughs] Right?
• 21:32
  And it's, it really is because like these are, these are the low-hanging things that if you're an early adopter, you're either a part of A, figuring out how to do it best, or B, hanging on until the solution is in place.
• 21:45
  Um- Yep... whi- which is just another indicator that, you know, you are an early adopter pushing the envelope and, you know, we know, we know Ed Roberts is not one to sit around and wait for somebody to do something.
• 21:55
  He's- Yeah. [laughs] "We can figure this out. Let's try it," right? Yeah. That's amazing. I love that we also timestamped this conversation because when somebody does do it, we'll get royalties into perpetuity.
• 22:07
  [laughs] Yeah. Let, let's actually, let's start saying all the ways we can think of to do it- [laughs]... in, in a list- I'll try to think of everything... so we can be like, "Oh, we said that." [laughs] January 4th.
• 22:15
  We'll put a, we'll, we'll put a few patent filings together. We'll throw all our names on it, and it'll just- That's it... it'll just print money.
• 22:21
  The fun, the funny part is, is there are just like a several dozen other industries that do things like this on a regular basis. That's right. Yeah.
• 22:28
  It's actually really surpri- like edit any home repair technician, HVAC techs, right? I know. Like, they have a route, they have parts. Every day they have customers.
• 22:36
  They're in and out of houses working on a lot of different types of units. Um, it exists.
• 22:40
  It's, it's really interesting that as with as much money and resource and, uh, reach as automotive has is, like, these things were still... Uh, it actually just shows that
• 22:51
  it's reacting to a need faster than it can actually stack- Develop... stack the tech to do it. It's like essential tech only- Yeah... and let's start seeing what happens.
• 23:01
  It, it is aggravating 'cause it's like, as far as like dealership and manufacturer, you know, we got EV cars and cars that can basically drive theirself, but our software system are s- [laughs]... are still on DOS.
• 23:13
  Runs on DOS. Right. [laughs] Runs on DOS. It's like- Yeah... okay, we gotta catch up with the times. And I think it's coming. I think this is, this...
• 23:23
  You could definitely seeing that a lot of software DMSs are starting to kinda change that a little bit. Oh, yeah. Yep. That's awesome. Oh, yeah.
• 23:29
  At some point, I mean, I'm sure the technician will be able to access the vehicle's computer from a distance, right? Like over the air.
• 23:35
  Technician's like, "Oh, I'm going to work on this 2023, you know, Ford F-150 Lightning," right? Now because it's in the system, he can, whoop, press the button, access it, read the code, right? Try a couple things.
• 23:47
  Like, that's coming. Not, not, not tomorrow, no. Yeah. And, and it's already, it's, it's already here. They can already do that. Oh, they can? See? Yeah. So the tech- That's how much we know.
• 23:55
  [laughs] If only we recorded this podcast a year ago. Well, not the, not the actual technician. Could claim that one.
• 24:00
  Not the actual technician, but we can look in to see what's, you know, codes in their cars and stuff like that. So it's, it's, it's very exciting. That's pretty cool, though. Yeah. That's amazing.
• 24:08
  At what point, what point can... Like, who can see that information? So usually, you know, and this is still new to me 'cause this is a whole different brand, so I'm, I'm drinking from a fire hose- [laughs] Great...
• 24:18
  'cause I've never worked with Ford before. Um, but yeah, so, so we had this instance where, you know, they would look back at the...
• 24:24
  I can't, I wish I could tell you the name, so, but they went back through and they could tell what code was in the car and all sorts of stuff like that through, uh-Through the manufacturer website At the- Oh, through the manufacturer website.
• 24:35
  Oh, pretty cool. Yep. There you go. It's all there. So somebody's gonna laugh at this, it's like, "That idiot don't even know what that's called," but [laughs] Hey, look, that sounds like someone who's learning.
• 24:43
  We'll give you a break, and you're learning and, and, uh, the thing about it is, like, it... At this point, and y- you know, we'll circle back to the, the, the fact that you've, you've got this passion for leadership.
• 24:54
  Like, good leadership can empower people that already know how to do the job, and learning along the way works, and so you're gonna have the ability and, and already do have the ability to coach these people in, into the success that, that, uh, that you are gonna demand out of that department.
• 25:08
  So that's amazing. Um, well, uh, Jeremy, it's been an absolute pleasure. We've laughed, we've hung out, we've learned a couple things. [laughs] We learned that you can do something that Paul thought he was dreaming up.
• 25:18
  [laughs] And, uh, you know- Common tale... uh, we're excited for your new role, and we can't wait to see what comes out of it. Uh, thanks for joining us here on Auto Collapse. All right. Thank you for having me.
• 25:30
  [upbeat music] My favorite time in every single podcast that we have is when one of us is like, "Oh, my goodness, what about this amazing, inventive idea?" [laughs] And then the guest is like, "Yeah, that, I already...
• 25:43
  Don't, that's-" [laughs] "... that's a given." You guys are easily excitable. [laughs] Well, what he did, what, what Jeremy did tell us after the interview was that [laughs]
• 25:54
  he, he had left the dealership world as a technician to start his own shop, and there was a, a fire, and the whole shop burnt down in an hour. And this was, like, 15 years ago.
• 26:04
  And he bought a trailer, went to the Craftsman store, remember those, filled it with tools, and started his own on-site repair facility. We're like, "How come you didn't tell that story in the interview?"
• 26:14
  [laughs] Been doing remote work for 15 years. I mean, I think it's just indicative- Mm... of somebody who understands how to get things done and that doesn't let anything get in their way. I think he had media training.
• 26:25
  I think somebody ahead of them- [laughs]... was like, "Reserve the best story for when they stop record, 'cause then they'll invite you back- Invite you back... to tell the story." Without a doubt. Exactly.
• 26:33
  Without a doubt. Yeah. I want... We have to visit them. We've been saying we wanna visit Bozard Ford for a long time. We gotta get to Bozard. We gotta. We've got to. It's just powerful.
• 26:39
  I mean, what an amazing organization. Let's just show up. [laughs] A- amazing organization. I love following, uh, Ed's posts on social. Yeah.
• 26:46
  I'm definitely gonna connect with, uh, Jeremy, um, and see what he and all that- Yeah. And if you haven't met Lettie and Beau- Yeah. Bozard... those people, they don't mess around. We're just gonna show up. That's it.
• 26:58
  They have a diner there, right? There's, like, a restaurant? They got, they got everything. They feed your kids, they feed you. We're gonna knock up. We're gonna knock up one day, man. [knocking] There you go.
• 27:06
  Oh, I was like, "Are they gonna open?" We're gonna have the whole video entourage with us this time. W- were you knocking up? [laughs] What was he saying? Stop. Oh. Stop.
• 27:12
  Well, in America, like, we, you knock up, you go to someone's house. I don't know about that. Uh, we're gonna get out of this podcast before we get too deep into it. Hey, on behalf of myself, Michael Cirillo, and Paul J.
• 27:24
  Daly- [laughs] What is this?... thanks for joining us on Auto Collapse. Sign up for our free and fun to read daily email for a free shot of relevant news in automotive, retail, media, and pop culture.
• 27:36
  You can get it now at asotu.com. That's A-S-O-T-U dot com. If you love this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with a friend. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time.
• 27:50
  [upbeat music] Welcome to Auto Collapse. Welcome to Auto Collapse. [laughs] Why are we recording? Are we rolling yet? Not yet.