Renewing the Passion
People who’ve been writing bids, banging sheet metal and shooting color for most of their lives can end up indifferent and disgruntled. The “trickle down effect” may be just what you need to rekindle their love of the industry.
Skin Replacement…For Doors
While it’s possible to repair a door skin properly and profitably, replacing a door skin is cleaner, can be faster and can also produce a better-quality repair — once you know what you’re doing.
A State of Unions Address
While many shop owners say a unionized workforce would spell disaster for their businesses, many techs say industry labor rates are making a disaster of their paychecks. Is a drastic change needed – and will that change come in the form of unions?
The Next Generation: So What the Heck Are They Thinking?
If you knew what potential technicians were thinking, you could better encourage them into pursuing collision repair as a career.
The Next Generation: Difficulties Shop Owners have Recruiting New Blood into the Industry
The economy of our great nation has been strong enough of late that young folks who have the desire to succeed and become proficient at something can choose many career routes to follow. Unfortunately for us, repairing damaged vehicles doesn’t seem to be at the top of their wish lists. Computers, sales, various unionized trades … these choices rate higher than our industry. Just look at attendance at various vo-tech schools. More class space is allocated to other career choices, and more students attend classes for other career choices than they do for autobody repair.
When OSHA Comes A Knockin’
An OSHA inspection is something nightmares are made of. And for one New Jersey shop owner, the nightmare was reoccurring because OSHA kept coming back, and back, and back …
Cheaters Never Win
Back-alley shops and unethical owners have dragged our names through the mud long enough. Here’s what to do if your boss is bad.
Can We Talk?
Communication skills between owners and techs come into play daily and can mean the difference between a profit or a loss on each job.