State Farm Lists Top-Performing Shops First on B2B Website
State Farm has changed its repair facility locator on its consumer website to now rank Select Service shops based on performance scores as determined by State Farm in the geographic region the customer selects.
Rabid for Restoration
Some people might call Dave Walden insane when they discover the lengths he goes to restore cars to factory condition. And that’s okay…because he actually agrees with them.
New Website Backed by Groupon Founders Allows Body Shops to Bid on Jobs
It’s not a new concept: a website that allows consumers to post photos of damage to their vehicles and take bids from body shops that compete for the job. And some body shops previously balked at the idea because the company wanted a 15 percent cut of the estimate. But Internet entrepreneur Brad Weisberg says
Trade Show Takeaways: Applying What You’ve Learned Back Home
It’s trade show season, and we all know what that means: an overwhelming amount of education coming your away. It’s a good thing to learn, but your learning may be kept to a minimum unless you have a game plan in place. Attending trade shows over the last 11 years has taught me a thing
CARSTAR Leadership Discusses Consolidation, MSO Trend
After wrapping up their annual conference Sept. 24-27 in Seattle, Wash., that hosted nearly 400 insurers, vendors and franchisees, the leadership of CARSTAR stated in a recent teleconference their belief that consolidation and the MSO trends in the collision repair industry remain strong. "Industry consolidation is continuing, with MSOs like us adding to their networks
I Stand Corrected!
When I wrote my “Top 20 Tips on Improving Your Customer Service” back in July, several of you took issue with Tip No. 21 (I knew I shouldn’t have gone over 20!), which was, “The customer is always right!” Personally, I like hearing different perspectives. On my way home from high school one day, I
Saluting a Soldier
When Jason Clary was deployed to Afghanistan by the Army, he left his beat-up pickup in the hands of
a good friend, thinking he was only going to get a tune-up. But when he arrived home, he found out he got a lot more.
Livin’ the Dream
For Neal Bateman, collision work pays the bills. But his real love is restoring cars, which he makes more than just a hobby at his shop.
Profit Centers for Collision Repair Shops
Here’s a quick look at some add-on businesses that could increase your overall revenues.
Body Shop Owner Creates Online Parts Store for Collision Industry
Times were tough four years ago for Robert Williams. Sales at his two body shops in Fresno, Calif., had dropped more than 30 percent, and he was desperately searching for ways to cut expenses and make more money. Looking around his shop, Foxwood Auto Body, he noticed that he had quite the collection of leftover
Ohio Collision Repairer Wins Two ‘Assignment of Proceeds’ Cases Against Nationwide
Nearly four years after filing two separate "assignment of proceeds" cases against Nationwide on behalf of two customers, Joe Pastorek of Joe Pastorek’s Body Shop in Sylvania, Ohio, has emerged victorious. The first case, filed in October 2007, involved a customer of Pastorek’s who was a third-party claimant and insisted on OEM parts for his
Iowa Collision Repairer Gets Meeting with Governor to Discuss Labor Rates, Steering
To some in the Iowa Insurance Division and the Iowa state legislature, Tom O’Mara’s name is a familiar one. He has educated them over the years on several issues in the collision repair industry, including labor rates, steering, and paint and materials capping. O’Mara’s mission will continue when he meets with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad