Ep 69 - Coaching Call #13 | What I Learned From 2025, and Why 2026 WILL Be Different

About this episode

My marketing before and after signing up with Turnkey Marketing is pretty scary. In a good way. Get your marketing right today HERETekmetric opened my eyes to just how much a good SMS will do for a shop. Their software is top of the line, and with them, so is my shop. Try them for yourself HEREMake your techs happier with Detect Auto. They'll stop getting "check noise" or "check vibration" from advisors with the customer concern tool. It will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Book a demo HEREFor years I thought I could handle the hiring process on my own. But, after far too many bad hires, it was clear I needed help. Promotive came through for me with a rock star hire in just a few days and I couldn't be happier. Swallow your pride and bring in Promotive for that open position you have at your shop today. You can thank me later. Learn more HEREAI for Shop Owners: Open the Hood of the Future is happening June 12-13 at Carfix in Raleigh, NC. Use AI to your advantage! Register HEREIn this episode, Mike Allen and Matt Lofton break down 2025's financial results from the shop, and talk about what went wrong and what went right. Matt encourages Mike to work towards pre-booking appointments to drive repeat business, and Mike states his goals for boosting net profit in 2026.Timestamps: 00:00 Matt thinks Mike should only focus on the shop?01:15 Confessions intro03:02 Recapping the year: top-line numbers, gross profit, and performance metrics05:07 Gross profit calculation, labor rates, and tech efficiency09:35 Ad spend breakdown—what’s working, what’s wasted11:15 Setting ambitious but achievable 2026 profit targets13:43 Staffing, productivity by the billable hour, and role expectations16:03 Navigating seasonal slowdowns and weather curveballs21:21 Drilling into process—team consistency and customer experience26:16 Tech inspections, quality DVIs, and closing rate improvements33:04 The #1 process change to add 10% net profit34:16 How (and WHY) to start pre-booking appointments for consistent car count39:00 Pre-booking accountability & reminder hacks that actually work41:51 Retention challenges with new customers & recapture campaign ideas45:14 Why “state inspection only” tickets kill profitability48:48 The key takeaways—retention, consistency, and focusing on fundamentals