The Day We Won Best Service Department… and Felt Like Frauds

How one dealership’s humbling moment inspired a new way to lead Service Departments.

When Rexburg Motorsports won DealerNews’s #1 Service Department award back in 2010, it was a huge honor.

General Manager and Dealer Principal Jared Burt took the stage to accept the award on behalf of his incredible team — recognition of years of hard work, great brands, and loyal customers.

But behind the applause, Jared felt something unexpected. He felt like a fraud. Because while the dealership was being celebrated for excellence, he knew their Service Department wasn’t where he wanted it to be. There were gaps in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability. That moment became a turning point.

“It was the ultimate irony,” Jared recalls. “We won ‘#1 in Service,’ and I knew deep down we still had a lot of work to do. That realization is what changed everything.”

Over the following years, Jared worked directly with his team to transform the department. They invested in training and consulting, benchmarked against top-performing stores, and redefined Service as the heartbeat of the dealership.

It wasn’t easy — but it worked. Rexburg Motorsports built a Service operation that delivered the experience customers deserved and profitability that consistently supported the entire dealership. That transformation became the foundation for HeroHub and the DealerHero platform — a new approach to dealership training, coaching, and leadership development.

Rexburg Motorsports

What HeroHub Does

HeroHub is a retail enablement and experience platform that connects OEMs and Dealers to deliver exceptional, consistent customer experiences — together. It aligns people, processes, and performance through data-driven insights, immersive learning, and measurable coaching tools.

HeroHub empowers retail networks to:

  • Standardize brand and customer experiences across every channel and location

  • Accelerate staff proficiency through AI-driven training and feedback

  • Build long-term loyalty through consistent execution and culture

Shop Dealer: The Omni-Channel Retail Platform

At the core of the HeroHub ecosystem is Shop Dealer — the omni-channel retail platform that enables OEMs and Dealers to sell vehicles, equipment, boats, parts, accessories, and service seamlessly across every touchpoint.

Shop Dealer bridges the gap between digital and physical retail by uniting online, in-dealership, and mobile service transactions within one connected experience.

OEMs can manage brand consistency and product presentation across all dealers, while Dealers retain local flexibility and customer relationships. Customers can shop, schedule service, order parts, or even buy a new unit — wherever they are, whenever they want — all within a unified brand environment.

The result is a win-win-win:

  • OEMs achieve consistent retail standards and visibility into customer behavior.

  • Dealers gain a frictionless platform that expands revenue across all departments.

  • Customers enjoy a seamless, trusted shopping and ownership experience.

It’s the next evolution of retail — collaboration without conflict, and execution without compromise.

The DealerHero Model

The same principles that transformed Rexburg Motorsports now drive HeroHub’s dealership ecosystem:

  • DealerHero 20 Groups – the industry’s first virtual, execution-based 20 Group model.

  • DealerHero Bootcamps – leadership and change management coaching for Service Management teams.

  • DealerHero Virtual Coaching – five minutes of daily, AI-powered scenario practice for Service Writers.

And now, for a limited time, General Managers can experience this model firsthand through a free, two-week mini bootcamp:

the DealerOps Tune-Up, powered by HeroHub.

In one key module, GMs will learn to:
✅ Calculate and interpret the three essential Service metrics — Productivity, Efficiency, and Proficiency
✅ Find the story behind the numbers
✅ Lead their teams toward alignment, consistency, and profitability

This isn’t about fixing everything in two weeks — it’s about starting the journey toward a Service Department everyone can be proud of.

🚗 Apply for the free 2-Week DealerOps Tune-Up Bootcamp