Ask most dealership operators where their profit comes from, and you’ll hear the usual suspects: finance, front-end sales, fixed ops. But there’s one area still flying under the radar: vehicle reconditioning. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t sell headlines, and it rarely gets the same attention as digital retailing or marketing automation.

But make no mistake: recon is one of the biggest missed profit opportunities in automotive retail today. And the dealerships treating it like a strategic priority are the ones pulling ahead.

Why Recon Speed Equals Profit Opportunity

Every used car a dealership acquires must go through reconditioning before it can be retailed. That includes inspections, repairs, detailing, documentation, and merchandising. But in many dealerships, these vehicles bounce from department to department with no single owner, no visibility, and no accountability.

The financial impact? Holding costs can range from $45–$100 per car, per day. Multiply that across dozens (or hundreds) of vehicles and a 5–7 day average recon timeline, and you’re bleeding margin before the car even hits the lot.

And that’s not just a logistics problem, it’s a leadership one. Especially in today’s market, where many customers are moving toward older, high-mileage used vehicles due to price hikes and inventory shortages. These cars require more recon work and faster execution.

The Role Confusion That Slows Everything Down

Recon breaks down when there’s no clarity around who owns what. Service advisors juggle retail customers and warranty claims while recon jobs sit idle. Techs aren’t sure which ROs to pull. Sales managers don’t know when inventory will be ready.

The fix? Better hiring.

Here’s a model you can use:

A Recon Manager drives the process, controls work order flow, and sets repair priorities.
A Recon Advisor eliminates paperwork bottlenecks and keeps everything moving via integrated platforms like Xtime.
Recon Techs don’t touch customer work; they focus solely on getting cars frontline-ready fast.

This model has the potential to reduce recon time to under 4 days. That’s a measurable profit unlock.

The Power of Dedicated Recon Centers

Then there’s the next level: off-site recon centers.

This approach means:

Recon-only techs who don’t get pulled into other tasks
A flat-rate pay structure tuned for speed
No cost-padding from the service department; only true recon expenses are added to the car’s cost
A clear policy: If a car can’t be reconditioned fast and fully, it gets wholesaled

By seeing recon as a place to streamline costs and improve turnaround, these places are becoming profit boosters instead of margin grabs. That’s a mindset shift.

How Autopeople Helps Dealerships Capitalize

Optimizing reconditioning operations doesn’t start with a platform, it starts with people. And that’s where Autopeople comes in.

We help dealerships:

Identify and recruit role-specific talent from managers and advisors to dedicated technicians
Structure compensation plans that drive speed and accountability, not just labor hours
Build or reconfigure teams for off-site or hybrid operations

Whether you’re retooling your internal recon flow or building a dedicated facility, we connect you with the talent and operational strategies that drive results.

If you’re ready to stop leaving money on the table, it’s time to rethink your hiring strategy and Autopeople is ready to help you build the team to make it happen.

Schedule a call with David Adragna today – 650 808-7066.    