$Benchline · Fixed-Ops Profitability Model
$129 · one-time Get instant access
For service directors, fixed-ops managers & dealer principals

The service gross you're under-collecting — and a number you can actually capture.

Drop in one month of service and parts numbers. See your effective labor rate against your door rate, plus gross retention, parts-to-labor, hours per RO and absorption — then a what-if that prices the gap and shows the realistic 30–50% you can recover. Not a fantasy ceiling.

Get instant access — $129 See what's inside ↓
Benchmarks from NADA, Cox Automotive & industry labor-rate data
Works in Excel & Google Sheets · Instant download · One-time payment
Monthly fixed-ops readout Example store
CP effective labor rate$138.00▼ $20 under
Posted door rate$158.00target
Service absorption76.9%▼ Below
PARTS GM
39%
P : L
0.96
HRS / RO
1.30
Gross within reach · realistic (40% capture)
$164,000 / yr
≈ $123k–$205k a year at a 30–50% capture rate
Theoretical ceiling, if every lever hits target at once: $410,000/yr — nobody captures the whole gap, so we don't headline it.
Your store's numbers will differ. This is the example store shipped in the workbook.
Why we don't quote the big number

Any spreadsheet can multiply your labor-rate, hours and parts gaps and flash a six-figure headline. You know better — effective labor rate, hours per RO and parts margin don't all jump to benchmark at once. So this tool shows the full gap as a ceiling, then applies a realistic capture rate (default 40%, editable) for what pricing discipline, tech productivity and process actually recover over a quarter or two. The number you take to your shop meeting is one you can defend.

What's inside

Three tabs. Ten minutes a month.

Enter your numbers once. See where your effective rate and margins really sit, price the gap honestly, and check every figure against dated, sourced benchmarks you can edit.

Tab 01 · Dashboard

Where you stand

Effective labor rate vs. your door rate, gross retention, parts-to-labor, hours per RO and service absorption — each flagged Below or At / Above, with a full ELR breakdown by customer-pay, warranty and internal.

Tab 02 · What-If

Price the gap — honestly

Set targets for ELR, hours per RO, parts-to-labor and parts margin, and a capture rate. Read the added gross monthly and annually — ceiling and realistic side by side. Warranty rates are OEM-set, so gains come from customer-pay work.

Tab 03 · Benchmarks

Sourced, and yours to edit

Dealer door rates ~$150–170+, effective rate at 90%+ of door, retention 78%, parts gross ~40% — each dated and cited (NADA, Cox, labor-rate data). Better numbers for your brand? Overwrite them and every comparison updates.

The workflow

From your DMS totals to a shop-meeting number

01

Enter last month

Type your labor sales, hours, parts and RO count into the blue cells. About ten minutes.

02

Read the Dashboard

See exactly where your effective rate, margins and absorption fall short.

03

Run the What-If

Set targets and a realistic capture rate. Get a defensible dollar figure, not a ceiling.

04

Work the gap

Take it to your shop meeting — pricing, dispatch, tech productivity, declined-service follow-up.

Where the numbers come from

Benchmarks your service team already respects

ELR ≥ 90% of doorYour effective labor rate should reach 90%+ of your posted door rate; strong stores target 95%. Numa, citing Cox Automotive.
Door ~$150–170+Dealer door rates typically run higher than the widely-quoted $142.82 all-shop blend. autoGMS & AutoLeap labor-rate data.
Retention 78%+Warranty labor gross retention 78%+; parts gross ~40% of sales; parts-to-labor ~1:1. NADA Slide Guide.
Absorption 100%The target where fixed-ops gross covers the store's fixed expense — many stores sit at 60–90%. Industry standard; editable.

Built by people who know the difference between door rate and effective rate. Benchmarks are directional and vary by brand, region and reporting — they're targets, not guarantees.

Who it's for

Anyone accountable for fixed-ops gross

Service directors Fixed-ops managers Dealer principals Service 20-Group members Single-point stores Independent service departments

Franchise or independent — enter your own numbers and leave blank whatever doesn't apply.

Questions

Straight answers

Is this a subscription?+
No. One-time $129 — yours to keep, with free updates to this version.
Excel or Google Sheets?+
Both. Download the .xlsx or copy it into Google Sheets — all formulas work in either.
Do I need my DMS connected?+
No. You type in your month's totals from your DMS reports — no integration, no IT ticket.
What about warranty labor rates?+
Warranty rates are largely OEM-set, so the tool focuses the effective-rate opportunity on customer-pay work and notes it clearly.
Will it work for an independent service shop?+
Yes. The math runs on your inputs — enter your labor, parts and RO numbers and leave anything that doesn't apply blank.
What if it's not for me?+
30-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked.

Stop leaving effective rate on the table. Start working a number you can defend.

Instant download · Excel & Google Sheets · One-time $129 · 30-day guarantee

Get the Fixed-Ops Profitability Model — $129