Charlie Barone, Author at BodyShop Business - Page 4 of 5
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Insurer-Owned Shops: Anomaly or Trend

er relationships?”– Johnny Reyes, operations specialist, Pacific Collision Center, Inc., Placentia, Calif. Question answered by: Charlie Barone Among the greatest concerns of body shop owners in the United States is the possibility of a developing trend toward insurance company ownership of body shops. While the advancement of the Sterling/Allstate venture appears to be rapid in

Market Pricing: Examining the Forces Behind It

independently of recessions and bear markets? Some industry leaders would say yes, they do. The reality is that body shop sales tend to follow meteorological trends rather than economic indicators. Hail storms and the shellacking of ice that some cities get in the winter do more to drive markets for body work than does the

DRPs: Probing the Legalities

There’s a definite conflict of interest when the payer (insurer) controls the quality of repair work. In fact, without the independence of the professional repairer, some say there’s no difference between the DRP shop and the insurer – just a different organization with the same interest, adverse to the property owner. But that doesn’t make DRPs illegal – or does it?

More Jack-in-the-Box Hoods

If a sticker falls off a CAPA hood in the woods and no one’s there to see it blow away, is it still a CAPA-certified hood? CAPA will tell you no.

Why Won’t They Pay Me

Over the years shop operators have learned to write estimates with strict adherence to estimating guides and P-pages. In our attempts to play by the rules, we’ve written for every task we perform in order to get paid properly. But what do we do when insurance companies simply refuse to pay for what we know

Don’t Be Another Face in the Crowd

“How can I make a higher profit margin in the body shop as the insurance companies are paying less and less?” – John Thompson, shop manager, Fix Auto Mall, Auburn, N.Y. There are only two ways to increase gross profit on a given sales volume. The first is to increase your bottom line, i.e. charge

Save a Buck… Pass the Buck?

As the market demands cheaper, faster, better repairs, the concept of “better” can often be forgotten. But who decides what’s acceptable in terms of repair quality? And how close is close enough?

When Does Insurer Steering Become Illegal?

Every day, insurers tell customers: "They’re not on our list of shops." "We can’t guarantee their work." "We may not be able to help you as much as we’d like if you take your car to that shop." Fed up, a few shop owners across the country have gathered evidence that insurer actions are depriving them of their right to compete and have filed tortious interference lawsuits. The result: multimillion-dollar settlements.

Body Shop Fraud: A Question of Intent

A New Jersey body shop customer has some questions that no one, it seems, wants to answer.

The Jury’s Still Out: the Debate about Aftermarket Crash Parts

Two years after the landmark $1.2 billion State Farm class-action verdict, the debate about aftermarket crash parts still rages. What does the future hold for these OE counterparts? If you thought the controversy ended when the verdict came down, think again.

Getting Their Hands Dirty

Getting Their Hands Dirty, Charlie Barone, BodyShop Business, July 2001

Labor Guides Aren’t Your Boss!

Who performs, oversees and approves the labor time standards? Why are they done on clean, undamaged? Who replaces clean and undamaged? When will labor time standards reflect life and not a sterile lab?” – Tom Ferguson, body shop manager, Thoroughbred Ford, Kansas City, Mo.