Collision-Related Alignments: It’s All in the Angles
Bad habit No. 1: not checking the important diagnostic angles and assuming everything is correct. Bad habit No. 2: sacrificing one alignment angle to fix another. Don’t react to a symptom. Fix the problem!
No Fear: Developing New Business by Asking
Learn the right way to ask for business, and you’ll not only lessen your chances of being shot down, but you’ll increase shop profits, too.
Choosing a Management System
“Which job costing/shop management system is best suited for my shop? I’m unsure if the expense justifies the end results.” – asks Randy Hassell, owner, Hassell Bros, Inc., Jamaica, N.Y
A 6-Step Method for Mastering Structural Repair
Too often, techs skip one or more of the crucial steps needed to repair a vehicle frame. But shortcutting costs you additional time and money later on … when something goes wrong.
This Month’s Ailing Shop
Shop size: 12,500 total square feet Equipment: two drive-on frame racks, two booths (one downdraft) and a lift for tear-down estimates. Employees: 12 Annual Sales: $1.5 million Quality of work: Good Problem overview: Husband and wife shop owners want to grow their business, but they don’t know how – they’re close to burnout as it
Not All Wheel Alignments Are Created Equal
The process of aligning a collision-damaged vehicle is much more involved thanperforming a maintenance alignment. If thecustomer hasn’t hit anything, the technician can make many assumptions.But making assumptions about a collision-related four-wheel alignment will put your shop on a crash course. Ever since rear adjustable suspensions became commonplace in our industry, the argument has raged
The Need for Speed
Want more claims dollars? Strive to standardize your business.
Wer’re Not in Kansas Anymore
The industry’s direction is being driven by consolidators, replicators, franchises and insurer-owned shops — everyone but the single-shop operator.
Rear Clipping: Does It Deserve Its Bad Rap?
We’ve all heard horror stories about rear full body sectioning, which has lost its favorable status with insurers, repairers and consumers. But was the problem the procedure – or the people performing it?
Repeat Yourself: Produce the Same Operation Repeatedly and Consistently
“Standardization” isn’t about cloning shops. It’s about having the ability to produce the same operation repeatedly and consistently so it can be audited. Why go to the trouble? Implementation of such standards will improve profitability and quality, reduce cycle time and chaos that keeps you busy putting out fires – but hinders you from getting anything done.
Pick Me! Pick Me!
If you want to close the sale, you need more than a well-written estimate and a “Give us a call if you decide to schedule it.” You need to develop a system tailored to customer needs and train your estimators and front desk personnel to sell.
Boosting Booth Production
Don’t let poor production processes hurt shop profits. Proper spraybooth placement, setup and maintenance could mean another $500,000 in sales per year. Interested?