DRP Break-Even Calculator
Every DRP conversation eventually lands on the same fear. If I walk away from the program, the cars stop coming, and I never find out whether my shop could have survived without it. This runs the number that decision actually turns on: how many of those cars would have to keep finding you at your door rate before you would be whole. Rough numbers are fine. The mechanics are what transfer.
This is a genuine decision, and your market answers it. The only quality shop in town clears a bar like this. One of six shops on the same road usually does not, because steering wins more of the coin flips. Be honest about which market you operate in.
Why dollars and one ratio: a concession cuts your bill and your margin at the same time, so comparing GP percentages between your two books under-counts it. The break-even retention rate is just what a program car pays you divided by what a door car pays you. This read is directional, since your two books carry different job mixes, and it prices margin and absorption only. Capacity, cycle time, and your sanity belong in the conversation after the number, not instead of it.
Want a second set of eyes on your number?
I built a printable one-page version of this worksheet, and I read every message. Some of the best conversations I have start with an owner and their retention number.