The Myth of Fixed Costs: How Dealers Are Overpaying Without Realizing It with Steve Thompson

What if the “fixed costs” you’ve accepted for years… aren’t actually fixed at all?That’s the question that kicks off this episode, and trust me, once we pulled on that thread, the whole sweater started to unravel.In this Fixed Ops Roundtable conversation, I’m joined by Steve Thompson of Integrity Cost Consulting, Shon Kingrey from Kayser Automotive Group, along with Sarah Vantine, and we go straight at one of the most dangerous assumptions in dealership operations: that overhead is just the cost of doing business and not worth revisiting.Spoiler alert: that assumption is costing dealers a lot more than they realize.👉 Register for the upcoming Fixed Ops Roundtable EventWhat we discuss in this episode:Why “fixed costs” are often anything but fixed, and how contract drift quietly eats away at profitabilityReal-world stories of uniforms, laundry, telecom, waste, and utilities ballooning without anyone noticingShon’s no-BS take on contracts, guarantees, and why “handshakes” sometimes outperform legal fine printHow small, unchecked line items turn into six-figure losses across multi-rooftop groupsThe power of benchmarking beyond your own stores, and why most dealers are benchmarking the wrong wayHow Steve’s team finds refunds, negotiates better rates, and monitors vendors so dealers don’t have toWhy saving money isn’t just about dollars, it’s about what those dollars can fund: people, growth, and peace of mindThere’s a moment in this conversation where it really hits you:A few percentage points here and there can equal an entire employee, or more, every single year.If you’re building budgets, planning for 2026, or just trying to protect profitability in a tighter market, this episode will absolutely challenge how you think about expenses you’ve probably ignored for far too long.Listen to the episode featuring Steve Thompson & Shon Kingrey for even more insights!Enjoying The Fixed Ops Roundtable Podcast? Please leave a rating and review 👇Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fixed-ops-roundtable/id1608656237Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15HHYoyvCo1PSFwYn02UXYThanks, Steve Thompson & Shon KingreyConnect with Ted Ings and the Fixed Ops Roundtable:Register for the next Fixed Ops Roundtable EventTed Ings on LinkedInCenter for Performance Improvement