Operational Intelligence

Operational Intelligence is a collision repair podcast built on one simple truth: every body shop does something better than everyone else. 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. Hosted by Tom Zoebelein , 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. Tom brings 15+ years of experience working with hundreds of collision centers across the country, designing solutions, studying their operations, and helping them thin

Operational Intelligence is a business podcast hosted by Tom Zoebelein, with 10 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Tom Zoebelein hosts Operational Intelligence, a business show with 10 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Operational Intelligence

  Customer Service as a Competitive Advantage - Dan Bernier - Moray Collision

  May 20, 20261h 5mS0

  <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>Why customer service starts with owner...

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  Operational Intelligence

  Throughput That Prints Profit - James Huard - Painters Collision Centers

  Apr 17, 20261h 4mS0

  <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>Why throughput, not car count, drives profitHow to categorize every repair (Cat 1 / 2 / 3)How to contro...

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  Episode #8

  The KPI Shops Ignore When Car Count Drops - Tom Zoebelein - Hero Group

  Apr 3, 202656 minS1

  <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>Why low car...

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  Operational Intelligence

  Commercial Truck Estimating That Actually Gets Paid - Dean Hancock - Hero Group

  Mar 4, 202650 minS0

  <p>Most truck shops are missing required operations and leaving real money on the table.<br /><br />In Episode 7, Dean Hancock explains how to build commercial truck estimates that actually get approved and protect your margins.<br /><br />Dean owned and sold a heavy-duty shop and now works with Hero Group. In this conversation, he breaks down the structural mistakes most estimators make and how to fix them.<br /><br />What You’ll Learn:<br /><br />Why heavy-duty estimating is different from auto<br /><br />OEM-required operations truck shops often miss<br /><br />How to reduce pushback from fleets and in...

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  Episode #6

  OEM Procedures Can’t Be Optional: How to Write the Law - Peyton Bell

  Feb 6, 20261h 4mS1

  <p>nsurance denials aren’t just an estimating problem. They are a safety problem and a consumer problem. And according to Peyton Bell (Bell Auto Body, Oklahoma), the only scalable fix is state legislation that stops carriers from denying payment for documented OEM repair procedures and parts.</p><p>In Episode 6, Peyton breaks down why the popular advice to “just bill the customer” collapses in real life. Most customers cannot float thousands of dollars up front while they fight for reimbursement, and many will choose a faster, cheaper path even when it risks unsafe repairs. That leaves the shop holding the li...

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