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Repair Shop Reckoning

Repair Shop Reckoning

Written by: Kevin Brown
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About this listen

 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.Copyright Kevin Brown Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • RSP George Ryan Podcast

    RSP George Ryan Podcast
    Jan 30 2026
    Featuring George Ryan, Body Shop Manager at a Mercedes-Benz dealer in upstate New York, this episode is a straight-up masterclass in why shops are sick of getting jerked around by insurance companies—and what it looks like to push back with facts, laws, and zero fear.

    George’s perspective hits different because he’s lived both sides of the table: he grew up in a body shop, worked as a tech, then spent 20 years inside insurance (including overseeing DRP operations across 13 states and 300+ shops) before coming back to the shop world. Translation? He knows the games. He knows the scripts. And he’s done letting them run the show.

    You’ll hear how New York’s regulations (like the 48-hour supplement window and the 6-day inspection rule) can be used to stop the stall tactics, how insurers try to steer repairs toward cheaper parts and slower processes, and why dealership-level repairs—especially on Mercedes—don’t play nice with “Amazon parts” logic.

    In this episode, we get into:

    -Why “appraisers” are really adjusters (and what that means for your money)

    -The daily war: supplements, desk reviews, delays, and puppet scripts

    -How shops can prep the customer before the insurance company turns it into a circus

    -OEM vs aftermarket battles on high-end vehicles—and why the “policy” excuse is trash

    -The insanity of paint/material audits, pour sheets, and nickel-and-dime fee fights

    -The bigger problem: an industry getting squeezed while techs age out and joy gets sucked dry

    -A call to action to stop fighting alone—and start organizing shops who are done bending over

    If you’ve ever felt that “here we go again” moment when an adjuster walks into your shop… this one’s for you.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Flat Rate, Free Labor, and Broken Promises

    Flat Rate, Free Labor, and Broken Promises
    Jan 23 2026
    This episode of Repair Shop Reckoning didn’t end the way we planned due to technical difficulties, but the conversation was too real not to release.

    Jessica shares her story of starting in the trade at 16, helping build a successful mobile operation into a shop, and then watching it fall apart because of bad leadership, flat rate abuse, unpaid labor, and broken promises. From 1099 misclassification to technicians doing office work for free, this episode exposes exactly how good shops fail and good techs burn out.

    We break down what happens when a shop grows without systems, boundaries, or accountability and why flat rate without structure destroys morale. Jessica opens up about being overworked, underpaid, and finally walking away to start her own mobile business.

    We also talk about being a woman in the trade, earning trust through competence, choosing profitable work as a mobile tech, and why customers follow technicians not shop names.

    This episode is raw, honest, and unfinished because real shop life is messy. Jessica will be back, but this conversation stands on its own.

    If you are a technician fed up with bad shops
    If you are a shop owner growing faster than your systems
    If you are thinking about going mobile or starting your own business

    This episode is for you!

    Repair Shop Reckoning isn’t about complaining.
    It’s about calling out what’s broken and showing what actually works.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    33 mins
  • How The Race To Zero Is Killing The Independent Collision Shops

    How The Race To Zero Is Killing The Independent Collision Shops
    Jan 16 2026
    Featuring Kevin Brown, host of Repair Shop Reckoning, and Jason Tracey — this one is a full-blown reality check for shop owners who are sick of getting squeezed from every direction.

    Kevin doesn’t sugarcoat it: the collision world is sliding into a Race to Zero where shops keep dropping prices to “win” work… and end up financing repairs out of their own pocket. Meanwhile, insurers keep tightening the screws, MSOs keep setting the “standard,” and the customer gets caught in the middle with cheap parts, fear-based steering, and word-track manipulation.

    This episode is not for the “pros” who already have their numbers dialed in. It’s for the owners who feel like they’re drowning, constantly negotiating backward, and wondering why they’re working harder than ever but not getting ahead.

    What we get into:
    • The Race to Zero and how it quietly bankrupts good shops
    • Why MSOs (885 shops strong) shift pricing power away from independents
    • The truth about DRPs, steering, and “out of network” fear tactics
    • State Farm logic gymnastics: premiums up, labor rates down… same excuse
    • One-party checks and why they wreck repair outcomes (and your time)
    • Why free estimates are a trap and how admin/estimate fees protect your shop
    • Storage fees done right (and why documentation is everything)
    • The “cheat code” that changes adjuster behavior: reply-all transparency
    • Why Kevin records calls, tracks everything by VIN/claim number, and covers his ass like a pro
    • The real lesson: insurance companies don’t own your business — unless you let them
    Kevin also drops hard-earned shop-floor tactics: charging appropriately for time, marking up sublet work correctly, refusing to renegotiate supplements after the work is done, and setting boundaries that force respect.

    The Takeaway

    If you don’t know your costs, you’ll keep saying yes to bad work, bad parts, bad margins, and bad months.

    If you do know your numbers you can push back, stay profitable, and stop letting insurers dictate how you run your shop. Buckle up. This one’s for the owners ready to stop bending over and start building a business that actually lasts.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr
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