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by Kevin Brown
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In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin sits down with Anthony Rendino from A/R Customs and Collision to talk about the reality of running an independent body shop in today’s insurance-driven world. This conversation goes deep into what most collision shop owners are struggling with right now: Insurance companies cutting rates.Short pays.DRP pressure.Paint material costs exploding.And shops staying busy while barely making money. Anthony shares how he and his partner built their shop from the ground up after leaving larger operations, why they diversified beyond insurance work, and how learning their numbers completely changed the way they run the business. This episode is about understanding the difference between doing work… and actually making money doing it.Kevin and Anthony break down:Why shops must know their true break-even numberHow to stop losing money on collision jobsWhy you cannot blindly work off insurance estimatesHow proper documentation and OEM procedures protect your shopThe real battle around ADAS calibrations, sublets, towing, and paint materialsAnd why so many technicians and estimators are leaving money on the table simply because they were never taught how to write properlyThey also get into how AI is changing the game for estimating, supplements, and insurance negotiations, and why modern shop owners have to become better operators, not just better technicians.At the end of the day, this episode comes down to one thing: If you do not know your numbers, your costs, and your value, somebody else will decide them for you. And in this industry, that usually means the insurance company.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down one of the biggest reasons shops create their own chaos… poor communication and broken expectations.Most customers can handle bad news. What they can’t handle is silence, vague answers, missed promises, and feeling like nobody knows what’s going on.Using his own recent experience dealing with a dealership after the engine failure in his 2025 Sierra, Kevin walks through how quickly frustration builds when communication falls apart—even when the actual repair process is moving forward.This episode is all about expectation control.You’ll hear why:-Giving exact completion times too early creates problems-Ballpark pricing over the phone usually backfires-Diagnostic time and repair time are not the same thing-Customers care more about updates than perfection-And why service advisors are either controlling the experience… or creating chaosKevin also gets into the importance of documentation, technician-to-advisor communication, fleet approval delays, parts shortages, and why “no surprises” should be the standard in every shop.At the end of the day, this episode comes down to one thing:Communication is the control system. When customers, advisors, technicians, and owners are all working from the same information, problems get smaller, trust gets stronger, and chaos starts disappearing.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin takes the conversation beyond numbers and into what every shop owner is really chasing… freedom.Freedom from chaos.Freedom from bad customers.Freedom from living week to week.Freedom from having to say yes to things you know are wrong.Kevin breaks down why knowing your numbers is about far more than spreadsheets and reports. It’s about building a profitable shop that gives you leverage, confidence, and control.Because when your business is broke, desperate, or disorganized, everybody owns a piece of you.Customers push you around.You discount jobs you shouldn’t.You take bad work.You bend your standards.You stay stuck in survival mode.But when your shop is run right, everything changes.Kevin gets into how systems, pricing, process, and leadership create real freedom—not just more money. He also shares real stories from inside the shop that show how confidence wins sales, how standards protect profit, and why desperation is one of the most expensive ways to run a business. You’ll hear why:-Knowing your numbers gives you leverage-Scarcity causes bad decisions-Process protects profit-Confidence closes jobs-Freedom comes from control, not chaosAt the end of the day, this episode is about one thing: Building a business strong enough that nobody gets to own you.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down the part of the business most shop owners either avoid or don’t fully understand… the balance sheet.You can be busy, profitable, and still not actually getting ahead.This is why.The balance sheet shows what you truly own, what you owe, and where your money is really going. And for a lot of shops, that picture isn’t as strong as it feels day to day.Kevin simplifies it with real-world examples so it finally clicks.You’ll hear why:-Cash in the bank doesn’t mean you’re in a good position-Inventory can quietly drain your business-Debt stays the same while your assets lose value-And the equipment in your shop might not actually be yours yetAt the end of the day, this isn’t about accounting. It’s about control. If you don’t understand your balance sheet, you don’t fully understand your business.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin takes the conversation beyond just understanding your numbers and gets into what actually separates profitable shops from the ones constantly feeling the squeeze.Most shop owners look at their P&L like it’s the finish line. It’s not. It’s the scoreboard of what already happened. By the time you’re looking at it, the money’s already been made or lost.This episode is about what happens before that.Kevin breaks down the real difference between a P&L and a budget, and why the budget is the tool that actually gives you control. If you’re not actively watching your costs, adjusting your pricing, and managing your numbers week to week, your profit isn’t slipping because of one big mistake… it’s getting eaten alive by a hundred small ones.Parts creep up. Labor gets inefficient. Overtime stacks. Sublet gets easier than doing it right. Advisors miss markups. Discounts get handed out. Subscriptions, insurance, and utilities quietly climb. None of it feels like a big deal in the moment, but together, they will wreck your bottom line.Kevin walks through exactly how that happens using simple, real-world numbers and shows how fast a healthy shop can turn into a struggling one without anyone realizing it.He also gets into why your front counter is the real control center of your business. If your service advisors aren’t pricing correctly, using your system properly, and understanding what the numbers need to be, your budget doesn’t stand a chance. The software won’t save you. The systems only work if your people are trained to use them.You’ll hear why:The P&L is the past and the budget is the futureSmall leaks in parts, labor, and expenses will destroy your profit faster than one big problemOvertime, discounting, and missed markups are silent killers in most shopsWhy your shop management system is either a weapon or a liability depending on how it’s usedAnd why “we’ll see how the year goes” is one of the most dangerous mindsets a shop owner can haveAt the end of the day, this isn’t about spreadsheets. It’s about control.A profitable shop isn’t built by accident. It’s built by knowing your numbers, watching them in real time, and making decisions before the P&L tells you it’s too late. If you’re still guessing, still reacting, or still hoping it all works out… this is the episode that should snap you out of it.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down the difference between knowing your numbers and actually running your business with them. Too many owners look at their P&L at the end of the month and treat it like a report card. By then, the money is already spent and the decisions have already been made.This conversation is about taking that back.Kevin walks through how to use last year’s numbers as a blueprint for this year, how to build a real budget instead of guessing, and how to stop reacting to what already happened and start controlling what happens next.He also gets into the reality that a lot of owners are making more than they think, they just don’t see it because they’re pulling money out in ways that never show up cleanly on paper. Understanding that changes how you look at profit, pricing, and what your business is actually producing.You’ll hear why:-Chasing more car count is usually the wrong move-How small improvements in margins can completely change your bottom line-And why so many shops stay stuck even when they’re busy every single day.At the end of it, this comes down to one thing. A profitable shop is not built by working harder or getting busier. It’s built by turning last year’s truth into this year’s plan, controlling the leaks, and making decisions before the numbers force you to.If you don’t take control of your numbers, they will control you.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
Most shop owners don’t have a pricing problem. They have a numbers problem and it’s costing them more than they realize.In this episode, Kevin breaks down what actually happens to every dollar that comes into a shop and why so many owners are busy, working nonstop, and still wondering where the money went. Because the truth is, you can be doing millions in sales and still be losing money if you don’t understand your numbers.Kevin walks through a simple breakdown of a $100 repair order to show exactly where the money goes from the true cost of doing the work to the overhead that eats away at your margins every single month. Payroll, insurance, subscriptions, fuel, taxes… it all adds up faster than most owners realize.This isn’t theory. This is real shop math and real-world patterns that show up every single day. In this episode, we get into:• The difference between gross and net—and why most people get it wrong• Why being busy doesn’t mean you’re profitable• How overhead creep quietly destroys your margins• Fixed vs variable pay—and who’s actually carrying the risk• Why discounting jobs to make payroll is a losing game• How bad pricing decisions start before the job is ever sold• Why QuickBooks and a real shop management system are non-negotiableAt the core of this episode is a hard truth too many shop owners are guessing. Guessing on pricing, guessing on margins, and guessing on what it actually costs to run their business. And when you guess long enough, it catches up to you.If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t have control. And if you don’t have control, you don’t have a business.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
Everybody keeps talking about how this industry is broken. How it sucks. How you can’t make money. How technicians are leaving and shops are struggling.Here’s the truth. Yeah, there are problems. But that’s not the whole story.Because there are shops out there winning. There are technicians building real careers. There are owners creating teams, culture, and systems that actually work. And the difference isn’t luck. It’s how they run the business.In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down what’s really going on inside shops right now. Not from the outside looking in, but from someone who’s been in it for over 30 years.He gets into:-Why most shops don’t actually have a sales problem, they have a culture problem.-How weak processes, lack of training, and poor leadership create chaos that no amount of selling can fix.-Why customers lose trust.-Why technicians get frustrated.-And why owners stay stuck working in their business instead of building one. And more importantly, he shows you there is a different way to do it.This isn’t about pretending the industry is perfect. It’s about understanding that if you’re willing to take ownership, build the right systems, and lead the right way, you can still win here.If you’re tired of the negativity, tired of hearing how bad it is, and you know there has to be a better way, this episode is for you.Because yeah, some days suck. But this industry is still full of opportunity. And if Kevin can do it, so can you.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
Repair Shop Reckoning is the no-nonsense, hard-hitting podcast where host Kevin Brown pulls no punches in bringing you the raw truth about the collision and repair shop industry. Forget the corporate sugarcoating—this show dives into the gritty reality of what really goes on behind the scenes. Whether you’re a shop owner, a mechanic, or just someone tired of the BS, Kevin’s got the hard-earned expertise and unapologetic opinions you need. Each episode tackles the biggest issues, challenges, and game-changing tips in the industry, giving you the tools to cut through the noise and level up your shop. Buckle up—it’s time to get real.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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