R0s, Triple C’s, and the Missing Millions: How Fixed Ops Can Regain Control of Trust, Process, and Profit
The Triple C’s: Your Quality Control System in Disguise
Every dealer is looking for the next lever.
Inventory is tight. Pre-Owned gross is compressing. New car margins are disappearing under stair-steps and financing games.
But the lever has been sitting there the whole time buried under warranty tickets, recall jobs, and goodwill repairs.
It’s your R0 count.
In a world where every VIN in your drive is precious, your R0 strategy may be the clearest indicator of whether your store is evolving or eroding.
This is where fixed ops leadership either makes margin… or excuses.
R0s Are Not Free Work — They’re Unconverted Trust
Let’s start with the basics.
An R0—repair order with $0 customer pay isn’t a dead ticket. It’s a fully scheduled guest visit with a vehicle in a bay and attention on the advisor.
That is opportunity.
Most stores waste it.
Here’s what top-performing operators now understand:
R0 VIN count is a growth metric, it reflects the health of your traffic funnel
R0 revenue per RO is an execution metric, it tells you how well your advisors engage
R0 documentation is a compliance and trust metric, because garbage in = liability out
The goal is not fewer R0s. The goal is more properly handled ones:
With clean Complaint, Cause, Correction
Supported by Video MPI
And converted by a retrained post-COVID advisor who knows how to sell again
The Triple C’s: Your Quality Control System in Disguise
Most techs and advisors treat the Triple C’s like a formality. They write the Correction first, guess the Cause, and treat Complaint as "customer says squeak."
That’s not documentation. That’s a warranty audit risk.
The real value of the Triple C process is this:
Complaint tells the customer, “We heard you.”
Cause tells the advisor, “We diagnosed it.”
Correction tells the guest, “Here’s what we’re doing about it and what else you should know.”
When the Triple C’s are accurate, your Video MPI lands like a professional presentation.
When they’re sloppy?
You just sent a silent guest a 45-second video with zero context and a $900 estimate. And you wonder why they ghost you.
Video MPI: The Trust Bridge You’re Underutilizing
The stores converting the most off R0s in 2025 are doing one thing better than everyone else:
They’re embedding Video MPI into every ticket as a bridge between tech transparency and advisor communication.
Because it’s not just about showing the customer a worn brake pad.
It’s about matching that visual to a well-written Cause and Correction—so that:
The guest understands what they’re seeing
The advisor speaks with confidence
And the service department looks aligned, not rushed
Trust comes from consistency and clarity.
Not from “Hey Mr. Smith, the tech says you need this…”
The Real Problem: COVID Trained Advisors to Close, Not Convert
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
COVID-era service lanes trained an entire generation of advisors to move metal, not build value.
We told them to be fast, contactless, and efficient.
Now, we’re asking them to engage, educate, and sell.
And they’re lost.
The stores winning in fixed ops right now are investing in reconditioning their people not just their cars.
They are:
Reviewing R0 documentation weekly
Scoring MPI-to-recommendation alignment
Coaching first-write scripts based on Cause clarity
And paying advisors for trust-building, not just ticket closing
You want higher retention?
Coach like retention matters.
What Elite Operators Are Doing Right Now
Auditing Triple C compliance by advisor and tech
Not just for warranty compliance but to improve upsell conversion.
Tying advisor bonuses to Video MPI usage AND accuracy
Not just “send a video,” but send the right video that matches the write-up.
Tracking R0-to-paid RO conversion rate as a standalone KPI
If 400 R0 VINs hit your drive this month, how many left with legitimate customer pay revenue?
Creating SOPs that start with trust, not discounting
The most profitable stores aren’t the ones with coupons.
They’re the ones that explain well and document even better.
Final Word: If You Can’t Convert R0s, You’re Not Running a Service Business—You’re Running a Warranty Center
This industry doesn't need more volume.
It needs more value per visit.
And R0s are your acid test.
When handled correctly with clean Triple C documentation, sharp MPIs, and professionally trained advisors—they create lifetime service customers.
When mishandled, they quietly bleed you dry.
You already have the traffic. You’re already doing the work.
Now do it like it matters.