Should Have Known Betterment
Betterment. Sounds like a new flavor of gum from Wrigley’s. Well, to car owners and collision shop managers and owners, betterment might not be so sweet, and their attitude toward it hasn’t been so carefree.
Let Them Eat Cake: Good Rules to Keep Happy Employees
Keeping your employees happy is key to retaining them and satisfying customers. How do you tailor a rewards program to fit your employees needs? It’s not as complicated or as costly as you may think. With a little ingenuity – such as celebrating birthdays – you can have your cake and eat it too.
The Rest of the Way Around the World
After BodyShop Business’ roving reporter Mike Lawrence returned from his two-day, 17-country whirlwind trip – in which he studied collision repair markets around the globe – he determined that while each country’s market is unique, it also sounds strangely familiar…(Continued from the August 2000 issue of BodyShop Business).
The Fraud Triangle
Anticipating possibly getting something for nothing – and convincing themselves they’re entitled to it – repairers, insurers and consumers commit fraud on a daily basis, assuming that if they don’t get caught, no one gets hurt. But nothing comes without a cost.
Gore/Bush on a Collision Course to November
Next month, U.S. citizens (this includes shop owners) will have a chance to elect a new American president. Since Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman aren’t running, the choice comes down to George W. Bush and Al Gore. How will the 2000 election result affect your shop, and will the president have the power to keep his promises?
Reaching New Heights: Separating Types of Painters
What separates the average painter from an extraordinary one? The “best of the best” pay meticulous attention to their technique, gun maintenance, gun selection – and everything else involved with painting a vehicle. In fact, the best paint techs are scientists, students, sleuths, housekeepers and dancers all rolled into one.
The History of Sprayguns
If it weren’t for a maintenance supervisor at a department store and a doctor trying to cure sort throats, you might still be painting vehicles with a brush – taking up to a month per vehicle. Can you say “cycle time nightmare”?
Taking the Pain Out of Glass
These days, automotive glass serves a bigger purpose than simply keeping bugs out of a driver’s teeth. Some passenger-side airbags depend on the windshield to act as an integral part of the system. With such a critical repair at hand, proper glass replacement is of the utmost importance — but isn’t nearly as complex as you might think.
Made in Taiwan Part 3: Aftermarket Parts
We continue our look at Taiwanese aftermarket parts manufacturers. This month, we analyze the Tong Yang Group and Depo Auto Lamp and hear from industry members who’ve seen the operations firsthand
Along Came a Spyder: Mitsubishi
The 2001 Mitsubishi Spyder • What kind of person would drive this car? The manufacturer says it’s for "open-air thrillseekers." This may rule out Bob Newhart. • So what’s new? Compared to the 2000 Spyder, this model has a longer wheelbase, wider track, enhanced interior room and more trunk space. • You can leave your
The Tech, the Manager and the Entrepreneur
When Michael E. Gerber first introduced the world to the e-myth principles in his seminars, consulting services and books, it may have seemed odd to relate such ideas to the collision repair industry. But if you’ve had the opportunity to read — or listen to the audio version of — his updated, "The E-Myth Revisited:
Speak Up! Communication with Customers
It was all due to an unfortunate misunderstanding — three elderly ladies standing in front of my desk accusing me of overcharging for a repair and giving me an earful. (Not something I’d ever like to repeat.) But I could’ve avoided the situation entirely and saved my customer grief if only I’d communicated better.