The Hidden Game Running Your Auto Repair Shop: When Systems Undermine Values [E241]
Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z
The Hidden Game Running Your Auto Repair Shop: When Systems Undermine Values [E241]
Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z · Jun 17, 2026
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28:53
Concept
inspection
Here, “inspection” means the initial check to figure out what’s wrong with the car. The host is saying that even if customers aren’t charged for that check, the shop’s internal pay incentives can still affect how complete it is.
Concept
skip things
This means not doing all the steps you should during an inspection. The host is saying the shop’s incentives can push people to focus only on issues they can bill for, instead of doing a complete check.
Concept
official game and shadow game
This is the idea that what the shop tells customers is one thing, but what really drives decisions can be different. The host is using it to describe a hidden mismatch between promises and reality in how inspections and repairs get handled.
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This is the Automotive Repair Podcast Network.
Welcome everyone to yet another episode of diagnosing the
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Well, I'm going to keep going with the game theory stuff, mainly
because it's been on my mind a lot. I have a couple episodes
already on it. Hopefully you're finding some interest in it, or
at least creating thoughts or consideration, conversations,
stuff like that. I guess I want to delve into what I think is a
really interesting clash or I don't want to say competition. So
I don't think that's necessarily what I mean. Something
that emerges not from game theory specifically, but something
game theory addresses that we have something called official
game and not unofficial but shadow game. And I think once you
hear them, it will make a lot of sense. And I kind of hope it
hits hard. I hope it hits really hard. Because the definition
of official game is really what management thinks it's trying
to accomplish. Meaning I don't mean just to be profitable,
although that's very much part of it. It's the message that they
convey to their staff and the public about what they do, what
their values are, basically, kind of like what Simon Sinek says,
like their why. This can be everything from we only, you
know, use the best parts, we stand behind our work, no
questions asked, we take care of our people, if they're having
staff meetings, you guys are like family. We want to pay you
better than anybody else in the area. We only do the best work.
You know, we're only going to do things the right way. We're
going to enable you to do the work that needs to be done, stuff
that we've all heard. If you've worked for a repair shop, you've
heard all of this and so much more, so much more. I don't even
mean that to be, I don't know, sarcastic or I guess I'm not
looking to read into that too much. But it's true. We've
heard it all. Then there's something called the shadow
game. I hate to say it runs contrary. That's not necessarily
accurate, although it can be. The shadow game is kind of like
what really happens, maybe with or without management's
knowledge or management is heavily involved and doesn't
consider the consequences of it rivaling the official game.
Like what is the effect of this shadow game on the official
game or how the official game is interpreted or accepted? Meaning
I want everyone to do the best work possible, the highest
quality. I want you to do stuff the right way. I want you to
take the time to do all these tasks the right way. However,
your incentive plan, your compensation package is going to
be heavily weighted on production. That can kind of rival
or contradict a little bit. Not always, but it can be. Another
thing might be, I want to put you in the best position
possible to make whatever money, this percentage beyond the
cost of living of the area. Whatever that is. A lot of times
we hear about the six figures a year, maybe in some areas of
the country that is a very, very good wage. Other areas of
the country, you're probably sharing about one bedroom
apartment with another family. It's hard to just use hard
numbers like that. But let's just say for the sake of
discussion, a desirable wage. This much money an hour, a week,
a month, whatever. I need from you to be able to write that
check. I need this type of performance. Whatever that is. We
suspect it's hours build, correct? Usually. However, the
shop process or procedures or processes or the flow really
acts as its own governor. I mean governor isn't like what's
used on engines to hold things below a certain RPM. A
restrictor plate if we want to go racing. A limiter of some
sort. It becomes its own limiter for hitting certain
numbers because they can't be hit because the support
structure, the support process is not there. That would be part
of the shadow game. And then I guess I would like to give
other examples before we start going about behaviors that
emerge from that. It might be other things that aren't so, I
don't know, blatant. You know, as part of the structure, like
the compensation plan is part of the structure. You could be
talked about or told about this when they're conveying to you
their official game. But it also contributes to the shadow
game. Another example might be something to the tune of
favoritism, which we've seen in shops where the surface
advisors favor or a service advisor favors a certain
mechanical specialist or certain technical specialists and
they give them all the gravy. Ownership or management allows
lenience in certain areas for certain people, but not others
or being told about how important operational equipment and
safety is. But then when you go to them with tools or
equipment that is not functioning correctly or is not
safe, little to anything is done. These are the things that
contribute to the shadow game about what's really going on.
I don't mean shadow necessarily always has to be the truth. But
a lot of times it is. It's the game within the game, if you
will. It's also like a just a misunderstanding, I think, of
not considering systems and not considering the nature of, I
suppose, ultimately, psychology, but also just like the nature
of incentive, the nature of self advocacy. What is the effect
on somebody that is kind of sold on an idea? And then they
find out that it was really, I don't even want to call it a
lie. It could be. In some cases, it could be. A lot of times
it's you can't see the forest for the trees, or you're just not
in a position to see. Meaning it's kind of a game of imperfect
information. Management doesn't necessarily know. And I'll let's
just say front of house. Let's just we'll not even say
management. The front of house is not necessarily keyed in on or
aware of certain processes in the shop. We could argue the
processes or techniques or choices are born of a broken
system. But either case, the front of house might have an
idea or a belief that certain procedures are being followed.
But they don't know that whether it's a team agreement or
individuals acting, what you would call locally rational,
skipping things or not doing things a certain way, because
they've been taught by the shadow game, things won't be
rewarded or the repercussions aren't coming, something of
that nature. But yet, now, front of house can't know what's going
on in the back. In the back of house, a lot of times doesn't
know what's going on in the front. And because of imperfect
information, we have misunderstandings where it could be
favoritism, like the back of house wondering why certain
things went a certain way, like why was this job given to this
person or that person, it could have been favoritism. Maybe
they honestly thought that that was the right person to give it
to you. But because of imperfect information and poor
communication, lack of safety to go up there and ask or lack of
skills to go over and ask without putting everybody on the
defensive assumptions are allowed to run wild. So we have
this official game that management might truly believe
ownership or whoever's mainly in charge or the group of people
mainly in charge, they may really believe wholeheartedly that
is everything that they have built, all the systems, all the
rewards, all the incentives, all the packages, all the process
everything is built around the idea of doing things the right
way. You have to understand they actually, they may really
believe that. And that's why they won't see the shadow game. On
the flip side, because of misinterpretations, or because
of how the structures are, you start creating shadow of the
game, the shadow game, or I guess what you would call shadow
moves, that every inspection is expected to be done. Every point
is expected to be looked at. But because a lot of shops, I'm
off the cuff, I don't personally know any, but a lot of shops,
the mechanical and technical specialists are expected to do
vehicle inspections for quote unquote free. If they're in a
heavy commission or flat rate, peer flat rate facility, a lot
of times, they are expected to do those inspections are free.
The shops not charging the client for the inspection. Therefore,
the mechanical or technical specialist doing, maybe it's an
inspection specialist, isn't getting paid directly to do
that. The payment comes if you find something wrong, something
that needs to be addressed, that behavior to skip things is
kind of born of that. I think we have to be able to explain
things without necessarily excusing them, right? Because if
you deem something unfair, you try to address it with
management, they're not going to buck, they're not going to move,
they're not going to change, they're not going to pay X
amount of dollars for an inspection. You did sign up,
like you did accept whatever offered to work there. Maybe it
wasn't in the fine print, maybe it was maybe you're flat out
lied to. Maybe you kind of knew about it and it didn't bother
you until it did. I think the mature thing to do then is to
put your notice in and go work somewhere else. There are shops
out there that don't do such things or listen and have that
conversation, explain and probably not going to use such
terms as official game and shadow game. But with that
knowledge, you can go in and explain how this is kind of
what is sold. This is kind of what's been advertised to us,
to clients, all the things. And yet this is how things really
work. They're far apart. They're not the same. That has to be
done. I don't think excusing ourselves from doing deviant
things even nefarious, honestly, or just just being dishonest
because we don't like the system we're in or the honestly going
with this, you know, last few episodes, this game we're in
doesn't really allow for us to do that. It might explain the
desire to, but actually doing it, I don't think it's really
justified. You can go to work to change it, improve the game. I
would say try to get the official game and the shadow game to
be closer, meaning they're not so different. Will you ever
achieve where official game and shadow game are perfectly
aligned? I don't think so. I think it's impossible. It's
definitely worth trying. But humans are involved, right? And
that's not to say like, you know, this is close enough. That
should be the work of management and management, that's kind of
their job. They do need our help from the base from the
employee's perspective, they need to be updated on what we see
as being rewarded or how the processes are pushing us or
dictating what we do or rival that of what we've been telling
or being told is the goal of the shop. What is our mission
statement? Well, okay, these things kind of contradict that
or force these contradictions deviations. That's
worth talking about. And if ultimately, management will not
budge, then it's time to find a new place to work. And I fear
that there's an assumption that every shop essentially runs the
same. There's maybe a lot of them that run a certain way. But
then there's a lot of them that run another way. Ultimately, if
enough people refuse to be put into situations where they're not
supported, especially for what management states is the purpose
is the goals. And you're not in a position that the actual
processes and the support are trying to help achieve enough
people refuse to play something has to give, right? The doors
close for good. Or management starts making changes. That
could be abused, of course, and don't really want that. But I
think too often we give ourselves a lot of lenience or
others a lot of lenience where we see something that is unfair,
and it might be genuinely unfair. And yet, trying to stick around
and break the system isn't necessarily the right thing to
do either. It brings up an interesting perspective though,
right? You work for a facility that somehow like golden handcuffs,
it's very difficult to leave that job because pay benefits,
capability, whatever it is, leaving there would be difficult.
However, it's difficult to work there because what their mission
is isn't really what their systems are perpetuating. And there
you sit. If I leave, I lose all this that's very difficult to
replace compensation, whatever that may be, freedom, maybe the
shop's pretty lenient on time off. But on the flip side, you
feel like you're losing yourself a little bit every day,
because of it. Now you're there just for the paycheck. Management
doesn't want that either or they shouldn't. There's nothing good
about having people show up to work for a paycheck. That's a
subject for a different episode.
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Keep on hammering this home that it's not necessarily sticking up
for anyone, right? Management has to use its tools, its
resources, which is data and the people working there talking,
communicating to get a really good assessment of what is really
going on in the shop and why does this emerge because of our
processes or lack of or systems or lack of that actually goes
against or takes away from what our real stated goals are. And
then our stated goals, do we really believe in those? Or do we
just say them because it sounds cool? The mission statement on
the wall, is that just another marketing ploy? They have to be
honest, I just, I don't know how many people are really that, I
mean, nefarious, I just, I just, are there some? Sure. Do they
get a lot of the press? Sure. But are most people that way, most
shop owners or managers that way? I, not that I've seen,
depending on the system, can they be forced? And again, we're
talking about this behavior that's maybe can be explained, but
not necessarily excused, playing a certain game of being a
certain level of selfish to achieve their needs and goals
that then takes away from the shop or from others in the
facility. And that might happen more often. And again, I think
it's because it's just not looked at. I don't know about you,
but I don't think I have ever heard anyone in our world talking
about official game shadow game or really anything along those
lines about your stated purpose, your stated mission
statement, the goals, and then what your systems actually
perpetuate. And maybe that happens in management classes
and maybe coaches bring it up. I don't know. But it's nothing
I've ever seen. And it's something that needs to be
brought into the light and talked about. And again, a lot of
this stuff's been around for a long time. A lot of these
concepts have been around for a long time. They're nothing new.
It's just either concepts or terminology we've not used or
heard about. That's unfortunate. Hopefully we can turn that
around. Hopefully we can change that. If you're listening or
watching, and you have stories about this, leave some down in
the comments. Let's let's see what's really out there. What
do you notice? What are you being told? Like when you were
hired, or at all the shop meetings, when somebody's
talking, you know, usually leadership, about what the shop
goals are, or what their values are, what the what the shop's
why is or what's the owner's why or the shop manager's why. And
then what do you see happening in reality, due to things not
within the systems? Like, it's not written anywhere that we're
going to favor this specialist over another, where it's not
written anywhere that we're going to ignore these rules or
whatever for certain people and not others or all together.
You know, safety is our top priority. That hoist, you know,
goes up kitty wampus range in one side is lifting up faster
than the other. Sometimes we have to use a jack, or the fork
lift to lift up one side to release the lock so we can
lower it. That should really be fixed. And it just never gets
done. Job safety is up no utmost importance. What's what
message is being sent? Process that for a while, and we can
revisit revisit this again, really looking forward to the
comments. And also just about this line of topic. You got
questions multiple about my rush more for comedians. That one
almost kind of breaks me. It's hard. It's really hard to think
about. Right? Because he gets stuck in this like, well, what are
my four favorites? But then, like, it's the Mount Rushmore.
It's not necessarily not necessarily my favorites. So any
Mount Rushmore of stand up comedy, I don't I don't know how
you don't have Richard Pryor on there. Richard Pryor is on
there. I'm going to go Lenny Bruce. If you're not familiar
with Lenny Bruce, I would I would strongly urge you to go look
at his stuff and then just look at what he did like he was he
went to jail over his comedy. I don't know groundbreaking. And
then after that, it just gets rough for me because like George
Carlin. I adore George Carlin. I do. Like a lot of times
listening to him or watching him, it was less about laughing
because he was so funny. It was because he was right. Like he
was pointing out things to make you think and you kind of
chuckle in acknowledgement. And then there's like Robin Williams
who I'm not sure you ever went up there with a plan. A ball of
energy like an explosion of energy up there, which I don't
may or may not have led to some jokes dealing in the interviews
I've seen with him when he would bring it up. I really want
to believe that it was due to him improvising and trying to
just keep spitting out material and to fill the gaps. He would
sputter out somebody else's material and then my understanding
is is he wrote a lot of checks for that. I don't know if that
makes it right. I don't know if he makes my Mount Rushmore of
comedians either. So I think for sure I have Pryor, Lenny
Bruce. I mean, I personally really like Bill Burr. I don't
know if he's on the Rushmore though. Dave Chappelle. I mean,
I think there's a lot of people worthy of being put up there.
Stephen Wright, like have you ever seen him? But is he on the
Rushmore? Another one that doesn't get mentioned probably
near enough is Steve Martin. I mean, at one time he was about
as big as he got. But was he groundbreaking? What did he lay
the foundation for? In their heyday, was there ever a
comedian as big as Andrew Dice Clay? Like that guy sold out
Madison Square Garden where when nobody, no comedians did
that. There's a lot of rock bands couldn't. And then
Sam Kinnison. Are they on the Rushmore? I think I have a
controversial pick. I think I have to put her on there. We're
talking about stand-up comics. So I might be wrong. I don't
think about Lucille Ball being a stand-up comic. So I'm going
to go with, I think we have to put Joan Rivers on there. You
might have to go way back to look at her stuff. But she was
brilliant. And groundbreaking. And it was back when comedy was
not good to women. And she was one of the best. And I guess if
you really, if you listen to a lot of comedians talk about
their favorite comedians and who they looked up to or who
they were just God's backed by, her name comes up a lot. So
Bruce, I think he's got to be on there. I so badly want to
put Carl on there, but I really do. I just, yeah, I can't
even convey to you how much I liked that guy, how much I do
like that guy. But I like Robin too. But I think like most
people, we remember Robin more for his acting roles than we do
his stand-up comedy. So I need to fourth, Dice Man. I've
watched a documentary, I think it was a documentary on like
MTV for when comedy ruled the world. Last chapter was like
the Dice Man cometh. He, I mean, when he hit, and then how,
you know, how do you ignore Chris Rock? Okay, I'm down to Chris
Rock, Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle. I don't think I can go
wrong with either one. And Eddie Murphy and Bill Burr, man.
He might be my favorite. I don't, I don't know if he's on,
I don't know if he gets to the Rushmore. Maybe someday.
Maybe it's a Matt Reif. Just kidding. I mean, when Murphy was
on, he was as funny as anybody, but so was Rock, so was
Chappelle. I'm giving it to Chappelle. I just think the guy
is hilarious. I think he's good at walking controversy rate on
the line and stepping over it a little bit and stepping on the
other side of it. And otherwise, it's take everybody off and
just put Bob Euker because he's, I think the, he's gone now,
but he might, he might have been the most naturally funny
person I've ever seen in my life. I mean, to listen to
comedians talk about Bob Euker or just celebrities in
general, people in general talk about spending time with
Bob Euker and how hard they laughed. Norm MacDonald has
such great stories about it. Norm MacDonald is a
comedian's comedian. Is he on the Rushmore? I just don't
think so. I think, I think I'm going with prior Lenny Bruce,
Joan Rivers, and with a lot of hesitancy because of the so
many, so many greats, so many greats. I'm, I'm going to go
with Chappelle and wait to get beat up in the comments. So,
if you're watching this on YouTube, don't forget to give
this a like. It really helps the channel. I'd love to hear
your thoughts on the official game versus shadow game, what
you've seen in your shops or other shops and also who you're
top for or really who's your Mount Rushmore because four
favorites isn't necessarily the same as a Mount Rushmore.
So, that's a part I struggle with, but I don't know. I think
I think three of mine are knocked out of the ballpark. The
fourth one, you could rotate a lot of people through there
and still have a really, really strong Mount Rushmore. So,
thank you very, very much for listening and thank you so very
much to our sponsors, Pico Technology and Autel. Thank you
to the Automotive Repair Podcast Network, even Tracy. She's
got to get her, well, it can't be her just do, but she's got
to get something to do. And yeah, until next time, take care.
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About this episode
Management may talk about values and inspections, but incentives, imperfect information, and “shadow games” can quietly steer behavior in auto repair shops. The host contrasts the “official game” with what really happens, explaining how production-weighted compensation, advisor favoritism, and safety/tool inaction can undermine quality and trust. Workflow can act like an engine governor, limiting outcomes, while misaligned front- and back-of-house beliefs create misunderstandings. The episode closes by urging closer alignment between stated mission and real systems.
Original notes
Thanks to our Partners, Pico Technology, and Autel
Matt Fanslow continues his exploration of game theory by examining the difference between a shop’s official game and its shadow game.
The official game is what ownership and management say the shop values: quality work, safety, fairness, employee support, customer care, and doing things the right way.
The shadow game is what the shop’s systems, incentives, habits, exceptions, and unwritten rules actually reward.
Those two games are not always completely opposed, and the gap between them is not necessarily created intentionally. Management may sincerely believe in the official game while remaining unaware of the behaviors being produced by compensation plans, workflow problems, favoritism, poor communication, broken equipment, or inadequate support.
Matt looks at how employees can respond rationally to the system in front of them, even when those responses undermine the shop’s stated purpose. That may help explain dishonest, deviant, or destructive behavior, but it does not necessarily excuse it.
The goal is not to pretend the shadow game does not exist. It is to identify it, understand what is creating it, and bring it into the light so the shop’s actual systems move closer to its stated values.
The episode then takes a much less serious turn as Matt attempts to choose his Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedians. Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, and Dave Chappelle make the final cut, but not without considerable hesitation and several deserving names being left behind.
Topics Discussed
- The difference between the official game and the shadow game
- Why stated values and actual incentives often conflict
- Production-based compensation versus quality expectations
- Unpaid inspections and the behavior they may encourage
- Favoritism, gravy work, and inconsistent enforcement
- Safety claims versus unsafe or neglected equipment
- Front-of-house and back-of-house information gaps
- How imperfect information allows assumptions to spread
- Locally rational behavior inside a dysfunctional system
- Explaining behavior without excusing it
- Management’s responsibility to understand the real system
- Employees’ responsibility to communicate problems honestly
- When trying to improve a workplace becomes less reasonable than leaving it
- Golden handcuffs and the personal cost of remaining in a misaligned organization
- Whether mission statements represent actual beliefs or marketing language
- Matt’s Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedians
Questions Raised in the Episode
- What does a shop say it rewards?
- What does it actually reward?
- Do compensation and workflow systems support the quality standards discussed in meetings?
- Are safety problems addressed when employees report them?
- Are rules and opportunities applied consistently?
- What behaviors are employees learning from the system, regardless of what management says?
- How closely does the shadow game align with the official game?
- Who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy?
Matt’s Comedy Mount Rushmore
- Richard Pryor
- Lenny Bruce
- Joan Rivers
- Dave Chappelle
Other comedians considered include George Carlin, Robin Williams, Bill Burr, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Steven Wright, Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, Norm Macdonald, and Bob Uecker.
Thanks to our Partner, Pico Technology
Are you chasing elusive automotive problems? Pico Technology empowers you to see what's really happening. Their PicoScope oscilloscopes transform your diagnostic capabilities. Visit PicoAuto.com
Thanks to our Partner, Autel
From drivability diagnostics and TPMS service to ADAS and advanced safety systems, Autel helps technicians follow OEM procedures and repair with confidence. Learn more at Autel.com
Contact Information
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Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z
Matt Fanslow
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28:53