Collision Organizations Rave About SEMA Show Turnout
Another SEMA Show is history, and the perspective from the collision side is that the show exceeded expectations. In a year of “firsts,” including I-CAR’s first-ever TechPro World Tour (a live welding demonstration) and SCRS’s Repairer Driven Education (RDE) training track featuring over 21 seminars, there was some question as to how the events might
OEM, Aftermarket Clash Over Parts Certification at NACE Town Hall
A representative of an OEM and several representatives of the aftermarket debated whether certification of aftermarket crash parts is the best policy for consumers and repairers at a Town Hall at NACE Oct. 13. Panel participants included: Jim Smith of JSE Group LLC (Diamond Standard); Karen Fierst of KerenOr Consultants; Paul Massie of Ford Motor
Customer Service: Getting Back to Basics
Ball position, check. Feet and shoulders square to target line, check. Grip neutral, check. Hands slightly pressed forward, check. Muscles relaxed, check. Lock and load. Anyone who’s a golfer will recognize this checklist. These are the things you want to make sure are proper before you swing the club. They’re the fundamentals, really, upon which
ASA President Ron Pyle Calls NACE Turnout ‘Appropriate’ for Market
Automotive Service Association (ASA) President Ron Pyle probably had the quote of the week when, at the closing press conference of this year’s NACE held Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, he said, “I feel like a rescued Chilean miner.” What he was referring to was the relief he felt after determining, based on the number
The Future Is Here
Search engine optimization. Social networking. Repair status tracking. System integration. Hearing these terms thrown around, I half wondered if I had wandered into the wrong conference – perhaps an annual gathering of Silicon Valley tycoons talking Internet technology. But no, a glance at a lighted projection on the wall confirmed that I was indeed at the PPG MVP
New Jersey Body Shop Owner Files Complaint with DOI over Dispute with Insurer
A body shop owner in New Jersey is in a stalemate with United Equitable Insurance over a difference in estimated costs of a repair. Frank Szwarc, co-owner of Hayward Place Auto Body, LLC, of Wallington, N.J., believes United Equitable is being unethical and unfair in refusing to negotiate with him over the repair of a
Body Shop Owner Constructs Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness
When Dave Ludwig was asked to sponsor a booth at “Bras Across the River,” a breast cancer awareness event in his town of Manchester, New Hampshire, he turned it down. He wanted to support the event, but not with a piddly booth. Instead, he put his skills as a body technician and painter to good
Texas AG Rules Insurers’ ‘Proprietary Information’ Public Record
The Office of the Attorney General in Texas has ruled that information contained in a survey of insurers by the Department of Insurance (DOI) should be made public record. The survey sheds light on several insurers’ DRP practices and how auto repair reimbursement rates, including labor, services, parts and materials, are determined. The DOI requested
CARSTAR Message to Franchisees: ‘There Is Work to Be Done’
In past years, the message conveyed to CARSTAR franchisees at the annual CARSTAR conference was business-focused but fun and lighthearted. This year’s message, however, was delivered with a bit more urgency and seriousness. With 4,000 to 5,000 collision repair facilities closing within the last year, including some CARSTAR shops, CARSTAR CEO Dick Cross felt the
Ammo to Fight Steering
I don’t know if you noticed (and I hope you did because that would mean you’re an avid reader of our weekly e-newsletter, BodyShop News, which is e-mailed to over 24,000 shop owners and managers every Thursday), but steering took the spotlight in the August 26 edition. The lead story concerned a new anti-steering law
GCIA Executive Director Discusses Results of Labor Rate Survey
At the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting in July, Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA) Executive Director Howard Batchelor discussed the results of a labor rate survey of collision repair facilities in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The survey was the association’s fourth annual one, and Batchelor said he believed the results he received were the best
Advertising War: Insurers Vs. Body Shops
Some repairers are trying to counter insurers’ advertising with advertising of their own. It might seem like a futile effort, but the goal is not to outspend insurers. Instead, it’s to educate consumers on the accident claim process.
