Following a record sales year in 2021, Porsche Cars North America dealers are grappling with how to boost service capacity to keep up with the additional vehicles on the road.
Increasing capacity and training more technicians were major topics at Friday’s make meeting, as brand executives discussed a number of initiatives.
“Certainly service capacity is a big topic for us because we’ve grown so quickly and our units-in-operation has grown so quickly,” Joe Lawrence, COO of Porsche Cars North America, told Automotive News after the meeting. “That’s a priority for us right now, and it’s something we’re pursuing with every dealer.”
One solution Porsche plans to expand is a satellite service center concept, allowing dealers with limited square footage to use an additional building to fix more vehicles and reduce customer wait time.
Lawrence said two are in operation, and there are plans for “at least a couple more.”
Porsche, like much of the industry, also is exploring ways to attract and retain employees in dealers’ service departments.
“We need to find technicians,” said Mike Sullivan, chairman of the Porsche Dealer Board of Regents and owner of the LAcarGuy dealership group in Southern California, which includes Porsche South Bay in Hawthorne. “Our service departments are growing so fast, that’s going to continue to be an issue.”
The brand has a 23-week Porsche Technology Apprenticeship Program that it plans to continue improving.
“It’s a big challenge for us, but fortunately we feel like we’re an attractive brand for a technician, and we’re working to market that,” Lawrence said.
Porsche sold 70,025 vehicles in the U.S. in 2021, a 22 percent increase from the prior year.
Lawrence said the company expects to see strong demand throughout 2022.
“It’s a very positive environment for Porsche right now,” he said.