Operational Intelligence
Claim This Podcastby Tom Zoebelein
Podcast Overview
<p><b>Operational Intelligence</b> is a collision repair podcast built on one simple truth: <i>every body shop does something better than everyone else.</i> Maybe it’s culture. Maybe it’s blueprinting. Maybe it’s customer satisfaction, production flow, or something entirely unique. Whatever that “superpower” is, this show uncovers it — directly from the operators who mastered it.</p><p>Hosted by <b>Tom Zoebelein</b>, Operational Intelligence dives deep with one shop owner per episode to explore a single defining element of their business. Not trends. Not buzzwords. Not another round-table about the industry. Instead, Tom breaks down the real decisions, experiments, setbacks, and breakthroughs that helped these shops “crack the code” in their area of excellence — so other owners can learn exactly how to do the same.</p><p>Tom brings 15+ years of experience working with hundreds of collision centers across the country, designing solutions, studying their operations, and helping them think differently about technology, efficiency, and growth. With a lifelong passion for cars, an industrial design background, and a career built on solving real problems for real shops, Tom pulls stories out of operators that you won’t hear anywhere else.</p><p>This podcast exists for one reason:<br /><b>To help collision repair owners find better ways of doing things, especially in a time when the industry is changing fast and getting harder to navigate.</b></p><p>If you’re a shop owner who wants to learn directly from other operators — what they tried, what failed, what worked, and how they built systems that last — this is your playbook.</p><p><b>One shop. One solution. How they cracked the code.<br />This is Operational Intelligence.</b></p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
11/29/2025
2 verified contact emails on file for Operational Intelligence
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Recent Episodes
May 20, 2026
Customer Service as a Competitive Advantage - Dan Bernier - Moray Collision
<p>Customer service gets talked about constantly in collision repair, but very few shops actually build operational systems around it.</p><p>In Episode 10, Tom sits down with Dan Bernier from Morrie Collision to break down what genuine customer service actually looks like inside a modern collision shop.</p><p>Dan shares how his team built consistently high Google review scores in a highly competitive Canadian insurance market where every shop operates under the same DRP-style structure. Without referral steering from insurers, customer experience became the real differentiator.</p><p>This conversation covers:</p><ul><li>Why customer service starts with owner values</li><li>Hiring people who naturally fit your culture</li><li>The biggest mistakes CSRs make with customers</li><li>How robotic communication destroys trust</li><li>Why Google reviews now drive customer decisions</li><li>Simple ways to create memorable customer experiences</li><li>Why bad news should never be delivered by text</li><li>How operational chaos ruins customer satisfaction</li></ul><p>There are also strong discussions around shop culture, empathy, scheduling, repair planning, and the connection between operational discipline and customer perception.</p><p>If you want practical ideas your front office can apply immediately, this episode is packed with them.</p><p>Subscribe for more operational conversations built specifically for collision repair shop owners and operators.</p>
April 17, 2026
Throughput That Prints Profit - James Huard - Painters Collision Centers
<p>Most shops are busy. Very few are profitable.</p><p>In this episode, James Heward breaks down the system behind high-performing collision shops that consistently outproduce their competition without adding chaos.</p><p>This isn’t about working harder or chasing more DRPs. It’s about controlling throughput.</p><p>James shares the exact framework he’s used across Caliber, Fix Auto, and his own $20M operation to increase revenue, reduce cycle time, and build teams that self-regulate performance.</p><p>Inside this episode:</p><ul><li>Why throughput, not car count, drives profit</li><li>How to categorize every repair (Cat 1 / 2 / 3)</li><li>How to control WIP and stop overloading your shop</li><li>The daily production system that keeps work moving</li><li>Why most shops misunderstand cycle time</li><li>How to turn WIP 4x per month</li></ul><p>If your shop feels busy but inconsistent, or you’re struggling to scale profit without adding more headaches, this episode will give you a clear operational model to follow.</p><p><b>Listen in and rethink how your shop moves cars, people, and profit.</b></p>
April 3, 2026
The KPI Shops Ignore When Car Count Drops - Tom Zoebelein - Hero Group
<p>Most collision shops think low car count means they need more marketing. Tom Zoebelein argues that in many cases, that is the wrong diagnosis.</p><p>In Episode 8, Tom flips the conversation from lead generation to close ratio and explains why better sales execution in the front office can drive revenue faster than buying more leads. Using real examples from inside shops, he walks through where repair orders get lost, what estimators and CSRs should be doing differently, and how owners can track the problem by estimator instead of guessing.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>Why low car count exposes weak close ratio</li><li>The difference between a marketing problem and a sales problem</li><li>Where shops lose jobs during first contact and estimate handoff</li><li>Why “we close almost everything” is usually not true</li><li>How follow-up discipline changes monthly revenue</li><li>What owners should track before spending more on ads</li></ul><p>This episode is built for shop owners and operators who want a more practical answer than “just market harder.”</p><p>If this episode hits home, share it with your estimator, CSR, or front-office manager and subscribe for more operator-focused conversations.</p>
10 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Operational Intelligence?
<p><b>Operational Intelligence</b> is a collision repair podcast built on one simple truth: <i>every body shop does something better than everyone else.</i> Maybe it’s culture. Maybe it’s blueprinting. Maybe it’s customer satisfaction, production flow, or something entirely unique. Whatever that “superpower” is, this show uncovers it — directly from the operators who mastered it.</p><p>Hosted by <b>Tom Zoebelein</b>, Operational Intelligence dives deep with one shop owner per episode to explore a single defining element of their business. Not trends. Not buzzwords. Not another round-table about the industry. Instead, Tom breaks down the real decisions, experiments, setbacks, and breakthroughs that helped these shops “crack the code” in their area of excellence — so other owners can learn exactly how to do the same.</p><p>Tom brings 15+ years of experience working with hundreds of collision centers across the country, designing solutions, studying their operations, and helping them think differently about technology, efficiency, and growth. With a lifelong passion for cars, an industrial design background, and a career built on solving real problems for real shops, Tom pulls stories out of operators that you won’t hear anywhere else.</p><p>This podcast exists for one reason:<br /><b>To help collision repair owners find better ways of doing things, especially in a time when the industry is changing fast and getting harder to navigate.</b></p><p>If you’re a shop owner who wants to learn directly from other operators — what they tried, what failed, what worked, and how they built systems that last — this is your playbook.</p><p><b>One shop. One solution. How they cracked the code.<br />This is Operational Intelligence.</b></p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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