{"version":"1.1.0","producer":"fm.getcarcurious","layer":"official","episode":{"title":"#437 - When Recon Goes Sideways","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/437-when-recon-goes-sideways","audioUrl":"https://anchor.fm/s/8164a88/podcast/play/121719146/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-19%2F426464266-44100-2-c60c22a70d6d5.mp3","description":"In this episode of the Independent Dealer Podcast, Luke Godwin takes the stage at an industry conference to break down one of the most expensive — and most ignored — problems in the buy here pay here business: recon. Joined by Sam Brenner of Brenner Car Credit, a five-location BHPH operation out of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area, Luke walks a room full of dealers through exactly what's bleeding their shops dry, why hiring more techs is almost never the answer, and what a real recon process actually looks like.What You'll Learn:Why having a recon facility often makes the business harder to run — and what that means for how you structure your shopHow Sam's shop was running 22+ labor hours per recon unit at over $2,200 a car — and what one process change cut that nearly in half within 30 daysWhy your techs are costing you double what you think if you're not tracking hours turned versus hours paidThe internal inventory manager role that most dealers don't have — and why one person owning the car from auction to front line changes everythingHow a push-pull system between an inspector and an inventory manager eliminated bloated ROs without a single increase in comebacks or customer complaintsWhat comeback cost per car sold should actually look like — and what it tells you when you're over-reconning or under-reconningWhy flat rate techs will manage you if you don't manage them first — and how to know if your salaried techs are actually worth what you're payingIf you're a buy here pay here or independent dealer who suspects your recon shop is costing you more than it should — but you don't have the numbers to prove it yet — this one will change the way you look at your shop floor.Support the businesses that support the podcast:Buckeye Risk Services - Reinsurance and wealth strategies for independent dealers. https://theindependentdealer.com/buckeyeBlytz - BHPH payment processing with fast funding and text-to-pay. https://theindependentdealer.com/blytzIturan GPS - Asset protection and customer management for BHPH and retail dealers. https://theindependentdealer.com/ituranFollow & Connect:Website: www.theindependentdealer.comFacebook Group: @independentautogroupLuke Godwin: @lukegodwinJeff Watson: /sendtojeffwLike, subscribe, and share this with a dealer who needs to hear it.\n"},"annotations":[{"id":447465,"startTime":357.2,"endTime":363.0,"type":"term","title":"RO","quote":"I love that, hours per RO, anybody?\nCan anybody tell me how many hours per RO,\n[362.6s] recon you have right now?","canonicalId":"term:ro","priority":0.55,"confidence":0.55,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"In dealer operations, “RO” usually means a repair order (or reconditioning order). It’s the internal document that tracks the work to be done on a specific vehicle and how long it takes.","simplifiedExplanation":"“RO” is a dealer paperwork term. It generally means the job sheet that lists what work a car needs and helps track the time/cost for that job."}},{"id":447466,"startTime":360.2,"endTime":372.3,"type":"term","title":"recon","url":"/glossary/recon","quote":"Can anybody tell me how many hours per RO,\n[362.6s] recon you have right now?\n[366.9s]  Nobody?","canonicalId":"term:recon","priority":0.6,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Recon” is short for reconditioning—work done to prepare a used vehicle for sale. In this context, they’re discussing how many labor hours it takes per repair order.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Recon” means getting a used car ready to sell. It’s the shop work that fixes issues and makes the car presentable and sale-ready."}},{"id":447467,"startTime":386.3,"endTime":398.2,"type":"term","title":"body work","url":"/glossary/bodywork","quote":"I can tell you historically we are 5.6 hours.\n[386.3s] That does not include body work.\n[387.9s] Who in here does body work for recon?","canonicalId":"term:body-work","priority":0.45,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Body work” refers to collision/appearance repairs like dents, panels, and paint correction. They note that their recon hours metric does not include body work, implying it can be a separate, often larger labor category.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Body work” is the repair work on the car’s outer parts—like fixing dents and repainting. It’s different from other mechanical reconditioning and can take a lot more time."}},{"id":447468,"startTime":404.0,"endTime":412.6,"type":"company","title":"Brenner car credit","url":"/glossary/brenner-car-credit","quote":"So, this is my friend Sam Brenner.\n[404.0s] He owns Brenner car credit in Pennsylvania.\n[409.0s]  Harrisburg?","canonicalId":"company:brenner-car-credit","priority":0.25,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Brenner car credit” is the dealer/financing business the speaker’s friend Sam Brenner owns. The discussion uses it to ground the recon labor-hour benchmarking in a real operator’s network.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Brenner car credit” is the company Sam Brenner runs. They’re using it as an example of how many hours their shop spends on reconditioning cars."}},{"id":447469,"startTime":409.0,"endTime":410.8,"type":"place","title":"Harrisburg","url":"/glossary/harrisburg","quote":"He owns Brenner car credit in Pennsylvania.\n[409.0s]  Harrisburg?\n[409.8s] Harrisburg area.","canonicalId":"place:harrisburg","priority":0.2,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Harrisburg is the capital city of Pennsylvania, and the “Harrisburg area” is being used to describe where the dealer operates. It’s a geographic reference for the business’s local footprint.","simplifiedExplanation":"Harrisburg is a city in Pennsylvania. They’re saying the dealer is near that area, so it gives you a sense of where the business is located."}},{"id":447470,"startTime":1292.82,"endTime":1292.82,"type":"term","title":"final drive","url":"/glossary/final-drive","quote":"for the process to do the final drive.\n[1296.0s] A sales person doing it is really good","canonicalId":"term:final-drive","priority":0.35,"confidence":0.6,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The final drive is the last gear reduction in a car’s drivetrain, typically involving the differential and ring-and-pinion gears. It multiplies torque and helps determine how fast the car can go at a given engine speed.","simplifiedExplanation":"The final drive is the drivetrain’s last set of gears. It helps the car move with the right amount of pulling power and speed."}},{"id":447471,"startTime":1325.3,"endTime":1343.7,"type":"term","title":"Check engine light","url":"/glossary/check-engine-light","quote":"[1323.8s] They'll still come on.\n[1325.3s] Check engine light will still come on\n[1326.6s] as soon as you sell it, as soon as it sits a lot.\n[1329.7s] Why does that happen, Mark?","canonicalId":"term:check-engine-light","priority":0.55,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The check engine light is the dashboard warning that the car’s engine management system has detected a fault. It can come on after the car sits, after a change in conditions, or when a sensor/monitor runs and finds something out of spec.","simplifiedExplanation":"The check engine light is a warning that the car’s computer noticed a problem. Sometimes it turns on after the car sits because the computer runs tests and finds an issue."}},{"id":447472,"startTime":1684.0,"endTime":1692.8,"type":"term","title":"electronic check-in process","url":"/glossary/electronic-check-in-process","quote":"Who out here uses a electronic check-in process where they're?\nWhat software are you using, Andres?","canonicalId":"term:electronic-check-in-process","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"An “electronic check-in process” is the digital intake workflow used when a car arrives at a dealer or shop. It typically includes logging the vehicle, starting the inspection, and capturing standardized notes so the recon team can work from the same baseline each time.","simplifiedExplanation":"An electronic check-in process is how a shop records a car when it arrives using software. It usually starts the inspection and keeps everything organized for the next steps."}},{"id":447473,"startTime":1705.6,"endTime":1715.4,"type":"term","title":"digital inspections","url":"/glossary/digital-inspections","quote":"OK, all of these, these softwares\nhave built-in digital inspections, right?\nAnd that's what I encourage you to use.","canonicalId":"term:digital-inspections","priority":0.55,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Digital inspections” are vehicle condition checklists done using software instead of paper forms. In a dealer or recon workflow, they standardize what gets recorded (damage, wear, and notes) and can tie the results to the car’s check-in process.","simplifiedExplanation":"Digital inspections mean checking a car’s condition using a computer or app instead of a paper checklist. It helps the shop record the same kind of information every time."}},{"id":447474,"startTime":1735.7,"endTime":1742.3,"type":"term","title":"tire depths","url":"/glossary/tire-depths","quote":"You walk to the right front wheel\nand you start there with your tire depths.\nThat's how specific I want you to be.","canonicalId":"term:tire-depths","priority":0.35,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Tire depths” refers to measuring tread depth on the tires, usually with a gauge. Dealers track it because tread wear affects traction, safety, and how much value the car has for resale or reconditioning decisions.","simplifiedExplanation":"Tire depth is how much tread is left on the tires. Shops measure it because it affects grip and helps decide what needs to be done before selling the car."}},{"id":447475,"startTime":2575.9,"endTime":2578.7,"type":"term","title":"performance improvement plan","url":"/glossary/performance-improvement-plan","quote":"Super important.\n\n[2575.9s] A performance improvement plan.\n\n[2578.7s] If your tech is not producing the right amount of hours,","canonicalId":"term:performance-improvement-plan","priority":0.6,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A “performance improvement plan” (PIP) is a structured process used by employers to address underperformance. Here, it’s being applied to technicians’ productivity—specifically whether they’re generating the right number of billable hours and being assigned to the right jobs.","simplifiedExplanation":"A “performance improvement plan” is a formal plan a workplace uses when someone isn’t meeting expectations. In this episode, it’s about getting technicians to improve how much work they produce and how they’re scheduled on jobs."}},{"id":447476,"startTime":2578.7,"endTime":2581.6,"type":"term","title":"tech","url":"/glossary/tech","quote":"[2575.9s] A performance improvement plan.\n\n[2578.7s] If your tech is not producing the right amount of hours,\n[2581.6s] we may have them on the wrong jobs.","canonicalId":"term:tech","priority":0.45,"confidence":0.6,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"In a dealer service context, “tech” is shorthand for technician—someone working on repairs and diagnostics. The discussion ties technician output to job assignment and productivity tracking (hours produced).","simplifiedExplanation":"“Tech” here means the mechanic or repair technician working in the shop. They’re being evaluated based on how much work they’re producing and what jobs they’re assigned to."}},{"id":447477,"startTime":2578.7,"endTime":2581.6,"type":"concept","title":"billable hours","url":"/glossary/billable-hours","quote":"[2575.9s] A performance improvement plan.\n\n[2578.7s] If your tech is not producing the right amount of hours,\n[2581.6s] we may have them on the wrong jobs.","canonicalId":"concept:billable-hours","priority":0.4,"confidence":0.55,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Billable hours” are the labor hours a shop charges to a customer or warranty for work performed. The host is using billable-hour output as a proxy for whether a technician is effectively assigned and producing the expected amount of work."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Jeff Watson","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/437-when-recon-goes-sideways/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}